BBQ Interview Series - Kevin’s BBQ Joints

Justin Eastwood comes on to break news about their second location opening early Summer 2026. New Location Address: 1900 Clay St., North Kansas City, MO 64116 See all things Chef J BBQ here: https://chefjbbq.com IG: https://www.instagram.com/chefjbbqkc/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chefjbbqkc OG Location: 1401 W 13th St Suite G, Kansas City, MO 64102 Phone: (816) 805-8283

My chat with owner Ben Vaughan from Lil' Barbecue in Portland, Oregon. See all things Lil' Barbecue here: https://www.lilbarbecue.com Address: 1771 NE Dekum St, Portland, OR 97217 IG: https://www.instagram.com/lil_barbecue Open 7 Days a Week Monday - Thursday - 3 pm - 11 pm Friday - 3 - 12 am Saturday - 12 pm - 12 am Sunday 12 pm - 11 pm Phone: (971) 754-4188

Jesse, Greg, and Chad from Weaver's BBQ in Dayton, Texas, have an incredible journey to share, and I am honored they shared it with me. You'll really be moved and inspired by this one. See all things Weaver's BBQ here: https://www.instagram.com/weavers_bbq Address: 3808 FM1008, Dayton, TX 77535 Phone: (409) 277-3292 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weaversbbq Open Thursday - Saturday 11 am - 8 pm; Sunday 11 am - 5 pm

In this episode, I sit down with Harlan Porterfield, the man behind HarBQ in Portland, Oregon, to talk smoke, craft, and what it takes to build a BBQ spot with real soul. HarBQ is located at Von Ebert Brewing. See all things HarBQ here: https://www.instagram.com/har.bq.pdx/ Pre-Order here: https://harbq-llc.square.site/ Address: 825 N. Cook st., Portland, Oregon 97227

Ivan Chavez of Chavo’s BBQ joins me for a conversation about barbecue, passion, and Houston’s 2nd Ward—talking about what it takes to build a barbecue spot with heart, the craft behind the smoke, and the day-to-day reality of running a pit in one of the most vibrant food cities in America. See all things Chavos BBQ here: https://www.instagram.com/chavosbbq TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chavosbbq Check their social media for where they pop up next! If you love Texas BBQ, Houston food culture, and the stories behind the pits, this one’s for you.

I get a chance to sit down with Charles Carr of Class-1 Barbeque, LLC | Amarillo, Texas. Address: 2963 Blackburn St, Amarillo, TX 79109 Phone: (806) 910-8640 IG: https://www.instagram.com/class1bbq/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558885064338 Hours: Wednesday - Saturday 11 am - 6 pm (or Sold Out)

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

In this episode, I have a great chat with Alison Clem from la Barbecue in Austin, Texas. See all things la Barbecue here: https://www.labarbecue.com 2401 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/la_barbecue/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/labarbecueatx Hours: Wed - Sunday - 11 am - 6 pm Menu: https://www.labarbecue.com/menu Order Online: https://order.toasttab.com/online/la-barbecue Texas Monthly article on LeAnn that we discussed: https://www.texasmonthly.com/being-texan/remembering-leann-mueller-photographer/

In this episode, I chat with Jason Neeley from Pica Rica Americana Barbecue in St. George, Utah. See all things Pica Rica BBQ here: https://www.picaricabbq.com Menus: https://www.picaricabbq.com/menus 25 N Main St, St. George, UT 84770 Phone: 435-200-4420 IG: https://www.instagram.com/picaricabbq Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/picaricabbq Catering: https://www.picaricabbq.com/catering/ HOURS: Tuesday: 11am - 3pm (or Sold Out) Wednesday - Friday: 11am - 8pm (or Sold Out) Saturday: 11am - 8pm (or Sold Out) Sunday: 11am - 4pm The United States of Texas Barbecue: https://www.texasmonthly.com/bbq/the-united-states-of-texas-barbecue/

In this episode, I chat with Michael Letchworth, co-owner of Sam Jones BBQ with locations in Winterville and Raleigh, North Carolina. See all things Sam Jones BBQ here: https://www.samjonesbbq.com Winterville Address: 715 W Fire Tower Rd, Winterville, NC 28590 Raleigh Address: 502 W Lenoir St, Raleigh, NC 27601 Open 7 days a week from 11 am - 9 pm (closes at 8:30 pm on Sundays) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samjonesbbq IG: https://www.instagram.com/samjonesbbq Menu: https://www.samjonesbbq.com/menu Online Store: https://www.samjonesbbq.com/online-store Gift Cards: https://www.toasttab.com/samjonesbbq-winterville/giftcards