Tales from the pits, a Texas BBQ podcast featuring trendsetters, leaders, and icons from the barbecue industry

Tales from the pits, a Texas BBQ podcast featuring trendsetters, leaders, and icons from the barbecue industry

Author: Andrew and Bryan Language: English Episodes: 100
There’s a whole world of smoke and story behind every plate of Texas barbecue, and that’s exactly where Tales from the pits lives. Hosts Andrew and Bryan pull up a chair beside the people who shape this beloved tradition, moving far beyond just recipes and techniques. Each conversation digs into the personal journeys of pitmasters, restaurateurs, and suppliers-the real trendsetters and icons who define the industry. You’ll hear firsthand accounts of building a business around a smoker, the cultural roots of different regional styles, and the unexpected challenges of keeping a centuries-old craft alive and thriving today. This podcast is as much about community and place as it is about food, exploring how barbecue intersects with art, travel, and local identity across Texas. For anyone captivated by the aroma of post oak and the pursuit of the perfect bark, these stories offer a genuine connection to the passion and personality fueling every fire. Tune in for honest talks from the pits, the kitchens, and the minds that are shaping what Texas barbecue means now.
Episodes
Leonard Botello and the Mirage of Perfection [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:06
This episode is sponsored by BBQ Distro. Go to http://bbqdistro.com/top10 and predict who you think will be named the top ten BBQ joints on the upcoming BIG BARBECUE LIST being published by a well known lone star state f…
For the Love of Meat Documentary [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:21
Click for tickets! In the summer of 2010 Jeff Jones, Matthew Wallis, Matthew Johnson and Brandon Gonzales set out to make a documentary titled For the Love of Meat about Texas barbecue. Little did they know what an incre…
2024 Year in review [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:06
We reflect on our year of food and travel from 2024 as well as memorable moments from ten years of BBQ road tripping together
LaVaca BBQ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:16
The Nevarez family recently celebrated five years of their business, LaVaca BBQ. This family owned restaurants helmed by parents Lupe and Christine and daughter Kelli produces a large menu of high quality options in a re…
Awards, Reviews, and Lists - Oh My! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:06
The spotlight on Texas BBQ has never been brighter, and 2025 will bring the newest edition of the Texas Monthly Top 50 list. Our thoughts on the recent Michelin news, the upcoming new Texas Monthly BBQ list, and more.
Cole Parkman, Kasey Durham, and old school barbecue [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:03
One of the many great aspects of the newly minted Michelin starred restaurant LeRoy and Lewis is Evan and Sawyer’s cultivation of a strong team. That is no more apparent than with staff members Cole Parkman and Kasey Dur…
10 /question Challenge [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:32:42
In this episode we do something we’ve never done: interview each other. We chose ten random questions to ask one another with neither of us having any indication as to what the questions would be before recording. This i…
Does BBQ still excite us? A discussion on our BBQ journey [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:46
We’ve been asked what excites us to keep exploring barbecue after all these years. It’s not a simple question to answer because it’s evolved during our over decade long obsessions with barbecue. In this episode we go a b…
Grasslands Barbecue [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:03
There may be no more majestic setting to cook barbecue than along the Columbia River Gorge in Hood River, Oregon. It is here that Brendon, Drew and Sam put down roots for their business, Grasslands Barbecue. Serving up s…
Redbird BBQ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:51
Amir Jalali started his barbecue career learning the business and operational aspects at the great Feges BBQ, struck up a friendship which turned into a job at the phenomenal Goldee’s Bar-B-Q, and eventually opened his o…