John Bates had a long and successful cooking career before turning his attention to barbecue. After a decade running a scratch sandwich shop which included in-house pickling, bread baking and meat curing, he was ready for a change. 

Interstellar BBQ launched in 2019 and quickly began receiving acclaim for their meats, inventive specials and exemplary sides. But the attention for Bates’ team grew tenfold in October 2021 when Texas Monthly named it the second best barbecue place in the entire state. 

The achievement of being named near the top of the Texas Monthly Top 50 list has been life changing for the Interstellar team. Tune in to hear all about John’s career, the menu, and how they’ve navigated the recent change in business brought on by this accolade. 

Interstellar BBQ

12233 Ranch Road 620 N. Suite 105

Austin, TX 78750

Hours of operation: Wed-Sun 11a-5p

Instagram: InterstellarBBQ

Website: www.TheInterstellarBBQ.com 

This episode is sponsored by The Texas Monthly BBQ Club. TMBBQ Club is your destination for all things barbecue. Subscribe today to gain access to exclusive content including in-depth interviews, members only events to be held throughout 2022, early access to Texas Monthly BBQ Fest tickets, and a whole lot more!

Learn more and joint the TMBBQ club at 

https://txmnth.ly/3HU72jJ