Austin’s barbecue scene just hit another level. In this candid sit-down, Evan LeRoy—co-owner and pitmaster of LeRoy & Lewis Barbecue—breaks down what it took to be named #2 on the Texas Monthly Top 50 and to earn a Michelin Star. We get into menu philosophy, whole-animal cooking, sourcing, staff culture, the food truck beginnings, and why creativity + consistency is the secret sauce.

See all things LeRoy & Lewis Barbecue here:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/leroyandlewis

Address: 5621 Emerald Forest Dr, Austin, TX 78745

Phone: (512) 945-9882

Hours: 11 am - 9 pm - Wednesday - Monday

What we cover: The moment they learned about the Michelin Star (and what changed after) How LeRoy & Lewis built a cult following with “New School BBQ” Sourcing, specials, and whole-animal butchery done the right way Austin’s BBQ ecosystem: collaboration, competition, community What’s next for LeRoy & Lewis

Nick Ince—founder of Bog Line Smokers—joins me to break down the art and engineering behind clean-burning offset pits. We dig into airflow, fire management, steel choices, welds, finishes, and the small details that separate a good cooker from a great one, and talk about their new backyard pit and festival.

See all things Bog Line Smokers here: https://www.bogline.ca

Equipment: https://www.bogline.ca/equipment

Contact them: https://www.bogline.ca/contact

IG: https://www.instagram.com/bog.line/

Join me in Port Lavaca, Texas for a deep-dive with Kelli Nevarez of LaVaca BBQ—talking origins, craft, community, and the hard-earned lessons behind great Central Texas–style barbecue on the coast. We cover sourcing, pits, workflow, menu philosophy, and what it takes to build a loyal following one tray at a time.

See all things LaVaca BBQ here: https://www.lavacabbq.com

Address: 532 N Virginia St, Port Lavaca, TX 77979

Phone: (361) 894-2333

Menu: https://www.lavacabbq.com/menu-free

HOURS: ​Thursday: 11am - 2pm | Friday: 11am - 2pm | Saturday: 11am - 6:30pm | Sunday: 11am - 6:30pm

IG: https://www.instagram.com/mylavacabbq

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mylavacabbq

Kelli's IG: https://www.instagram.com/misspitmaster

In this episode, I chat with Aaron Franklin from Franklin Barbecue in Austin, Texas.

See all things Franklin Barbecue here: https://franklinbbq.com

Address: 900 E 11th St, Austin, TX 78702

Phone: (512) 653-1187

Tuesday - Sunday - 11 am - 3 pm (or Sold Out)

Aaron's Personal Tour of Franklin Barbecue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsOLJ6tfo-4

Preorder: https://preorder.franklinbbq.com

Franklin Barbecue Pits: https://franklinbbqpits.com

Ship Franklin BBQ: https://www.goldbelly.com/restaurants/franklin-barbecue

Uptown Sports Club: https://www.uptownsports.club

Address: 1200 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702

Phone: (512) 551-2013

Daniel Vaughn, the Barbecue Editor for Texas Monthly Magazine, sat down with me to discuss the 2025 Texas Monthly Top 50 BBQ List, which just came out on Tuesday, May 27th.

See The List here: https://www.texasmonthly.com/interactive/top-50-bbq-2025

See the Honorable Mention list here: https://www.texasmonthly.com/interactive/top-50-bbq-2025

Daniel on IG: https://www.instagram.com/bbqsnob

In this episode, I catch up with Todd David to talk about his new venture called Nextep Q. He recently sold Cattleack Barbeque in Dallas, Texas, so I wanted to know about how that was, what it entailed, and all about Nextep ,Q which is his way of giving back to the barbecue industry. It was a great talk as always.

See all things Nextep Q here: https://nextepq.com/

Register to Join Nextep Q here: https://nextepq.com/community-signup

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nextepq

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/todd.david.56 C

attleack Barbeque: https://cattleackbbq.com

In this episode, I chat with owner Tim Hutchins, from Hutchins Barbeque, who has locations in McKinney & Frisco, Texas.

See all things Hutchins Barbeque here: https://hutchinsbbq.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hutchinsbbq

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hutchins_bbq

McKinney Address: 1301 N Tennessee St, McKinney, TX 75069

Frisco Address: 9225 Preston Rd, Frisco, TX 75033

Catering: https://hutchinsbbq.com/catering

Menus: https://hutchinsbbq.com/menus

Goldbelly: https://www.goldbelly.com/restaurants/hutchins-bbq?utm_medium=website&utm_source=partner&utm_term=2806

Tim's Tour of McKinney: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGGk04rubdk

I catch up with Mike Miller to talk about everything NEW going on at M&M BBQ Company based in Tool, Texas.

See all things M&M BBQ Co. here: https://mmbbqcompany.com

Rotisseries: https://mmbbqcompany.com/rotisseries/

Offsets: https://mmbbqcompany.com/offsets/

Woodfire Grills: https://mmbbqcompany.com/woodfire-grills/

Backyard: https://mmbbqcompany.com/backyard/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mmbbqco

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mmbbqcompany/

In this episode, I chat with Travis Crawford from Mum Foods in Austin, Texas.

See all things Mum Foods here: https://www.mumfoodsatx.com

Follow Travis here: https://www.instagram.com/barbecuedude/

Address: 5811 Manor Road Austin, Texas 78723

Phone: 512-270-8021

Open 11 am - 3 pm Wed - Sunday

IG: https://www.instagram.com/mumfoodsatx

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mumfoodsatx

In this episode, I chat with Arnulfo “Trey” Sánchez from Vaqueros Texas Bar-B-Q about his upcoming brick-and-mortar location in Allen, Texas.

Website: https://www.vaquerostexasbarbq.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vaquerostxbbq

IG: https://www.instagram.com/vaquerostxbbq/

Address: 965 Garden Park Dr, Allen, TX 75013

Proposed Hours: Sunday - Thursday - 11 am - 8 pm | Friday/Saturday 11 am - 9 pm