BBQ Interview Series - Kevin’s BBQ Joints

Julie and Brian Wright - Wright on Taco Shop - Harleton, Texas

In this episode I chat with Julie and Brian Wright from Wright on Taco Shop in Harleton, Texas.
See all things Wright on Taco Shop here: https://www.wrightontaco.com
Order online here: https://www.wrightontaco.com
Purchase a Gift Card here: https://squareup.com/gift/788BV683KCTGA/order
Follow Wright on Taco Shop on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/wrightontacoshop
See Wright on Taco Shop on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/wrightontacoshop
Counter service Hours:
Tuesday/Wednesday 11am - 3PM
Thursday/Friday 11AM -7PM
Saturday 11AM - 3PM
CLOSED - Sunday/Monday Julie and Brian met in college and went in directions not food related. She went into nursing and he worked with his father at their machine shop, however they always knew they wanted to open something of their own.
As Julie's taco business started to grow(from a small yellow trailer that they wish they still had) they took the leave in 2016 to get the brick & mortar. The rest they say is history and their biggest hurdles have been keeping up with demand.
We go over the menu in depth(it's super creative, super fun, and sounds incredibly delicious) and talk about their seating(indoors and out). Most people sit outside where they have a large shade tree.
After listening to their story I know you are going to want to head out to East Texas for their food.

Blane Hunter - Porky Butts BBQ - Omaha, Nebraska

In this episode I get the chance to chat with Blane Hunter from Porky Butts BBQ in Omaha Nebraska.
See all things Porky Butts BBQ here: http://porkybuttsbbq.com
See the Porky Butts BBQ menu here: http://porkybuttsbbq.com/menu
Follow Porky Butts on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/porkybuttsbbq
For news and up-to-date info on Porky Butts check them out on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/PorkyButtsBbq
Hours: Tuesday - Sunday
Tuesday - Thursday - 11AM - 8PM
Friday and Saturday - 11AM - 9PM
Sunday - 11AM - 7PM They do sell out(especially beef ribs) most often on the weekends and holiday, but you can call ahead.
He grew up in Texas, moved to the east coast for culinary school then found his way to Wisconsin and eventually Omaha, Nebraska. THEN he got into competitions. He's done over 130 competitions, had 85 top 10 finishes, 22 Grand Championships in 9 different states, 7 Reserve Grand Championships, 2016 KCBS National Grand Champion – Team of the Year, 2016 KCBS National Ribs Champion, 2017 American Royal Open World Champion, 2017 American Royal Open Brisket Champion, 2017 King of the Smoker Grand Champion, and 2017 King of the Smoker Brisket Champion(among other accolades).
His menu is creative and he considers it not just a Texas style BBQ joint. More of an American style spot because of everything he offers. Insane sandwiches(one with blueberry bread) and platters that can feed a small group up to a small army.
Porky Butts BBQ is a laidback casual counter service bbq joint where they bring the food to you after you've ordered. The have a full liquor license and are adding onto their already popular curbside/take-out. For delivery they just do Just UberEats.
They are located at:
15475 Ruggles St., Suite 105 Omaha, NE 68116
Email:  porkybuttsbbq@gmail.com Phone: (531)466-7343

Sawyer Lewis - LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue - Austin, Texas

In this episode I chat with Sawyer Lewis from LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue in Austin, Texas. 
See all things LeRoy and Lewis here: https://leroyandlewisbbq.com/
Sign up for their Patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/leroyandlewis
Place Online Food orders here: https://my-site-103543-104592.square.site/s/order
Order Merch here: https://leroyandlewisbbq.com/sauce-and-merchandise/
See the on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/leroyandlewis/
Email Sawyer about New School BBQ University classes here: sawyer@leroyandlewis.com 
Hours:
Wednesday - Sunday | 11 AM - 8 or 9PM(or sold out)
They are considering doing some late night stuff in late August/September
Buy a LeRoy and Lewis gift card here: https://squareup.com/gift/D4H6Z5W12EY24/order
Note this was recorded right before the two classes which have now come and gone, but follow their social media for updates on new classes coming up. 
We talk in depth on how they tackled the pandemic and the struggles and victories along the way. We talk about how they added their Patreon page, online ordering, grocery(for a moment), plates, curbside pickup, bottle sauces which are sold online to ship nationwide, gift cards, and other ways they have gone outside the box to keep things going. 
It's very introspective and insightful. They realize they are now dealign with the long game now and plan on keeping things fresh and creative to last through this fog.
 
 

Michael Wyont - Flores Tortillas

In this episode I get a chance to chat with Michael Wyont from Flores Tortillas.
See all things Flores Tortillas here: https://www.florestortillas.com
Order tortillas for shipping nationwide here: https://www.florestortillas.com/shop
Follow them on Instagram here for updates and news: https://www.instagram.com/florestortillas
Currently available on alternating weekends in:
San Marcos - by pre-order only
Whitney Farmers market - at the market itself
Soon to be available Monday through Friday at their kitchen( 2222 State Highway 22).
ALSO, see them on Taco Tuesday night Guess Family Barbecue in Waco
Also available for tacos at Helberg Barbecue in Waco AND in their retail case Working on wholesale options as well.
We talk about him smoking the beef fat that goes into the tortillas, about the possibility of corn tortillas, possibly a taco spot open once or twice a week (don’t hold him to it), Tex-Mex(maybe), and answers the question IF he’ll do a BBQ spot again.
The tortillas are an homage to his grandmother on the Flores side his family and how Adamson Barbecue in Toronto was an inspiration for putting the tallow in the tortillas. He's also going to be testing different Texas woods to see if they impart a unique flavor.
Also, be sure to refrigerate the moment you receive. These are not your store bought tortillas. We talk in depth about why he stepped away from Flores BBQ. It was many different things. It was mutual and a lot of it was he didn’t want to be away from his family. Very honest about it. Was it easy for him to accept?
All his merch was designed by M. Brady Clark. He'll be adding more so check back often.

Alton Lorenzo Matthews - The Dawgfatha's BBQ

In this episode I had the chance to sit down with Alton Lorenzo Matthews from The Dawgfatha's BBQ.
See all things The Dawgfatha’s BBQ here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCahPQX699ZQPXVwb1bhSNaQ
Follow The Dawgfatha's BBQ on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/TheDawgfathasBBQ
Check The Dawgfatha out on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/thedawgfathasbbq
Email Alton at: thedawgfathasbbq@gmail.com
How to enter the Giveaway for Burnt Ends BBQ Sauces(4): Comment below with your favorite video put out from The Dawgfatha's BBQ Bonus. Get (3) additional entries for SHARING this video. Enter as often as you like using a new comment line. Only available in the contiguous U.S. and (1) winner will be chosen. Giveaway runs from 8/22/2020 - 8/29/2020 at midnight Pacific. YouTube is not at all affiliated with the Giveaway. See all things Burnt End BBQ Sauces(and to order) here: https://www.instagram.com/burntends_sauces
This interview is positive, uplifting, and shows how perseverance can get your to where you want to get. We discuss in depth his journey to Austin, to catering, to starting his YouTube channel and to the recent success he has seen.
His motto is 'Don't be afraid of failure'. He cooks how people cook at home and uses cookers that people have at their homes.
Here is his most viewed video(currently over 800,000 views) which of course, was about Brisket. Brisket video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuwGL8JKPQQ&t=1 Over
A bonus, he essentially talks out how to cook a brisket(or other meat). It just shows that Alton is always teaching, always sharing.

Zach Parker - B.E. Scott's BBQ - Lexington, Tennessee

In this episode I have the privilege to sit down with(I think Zach was actually standing though) Zach Parker from B.E. Scott's BBQ located in Lexington, Tennessee.
See all things B.E. Scott's BBQ here: https://www.facebook.com/bescottsbbq
Follow Zach Parker on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/zach_bescottsbbq
Hours: Tuesday -
Friday - 9AM - 6PM
Saturday 9AM - 4PM
CLOSED Sunday and Monday
Generally sells out by 12:30 on Saturday
10880 Highway 412 W Lexington, TN, US 38351
Free Delivery in Henderson County for orders $26 dollars or more
Scott's BBQ was started 1962 in by B.E. Scott until his father Ricky Parker purchased it from B.E. and then passed onto Zach in 2013. This is great because Zach explains the whole process of his business, how to order(tell them what meat you want, sauce you want, slaw you want (vinegar or may based) and they try to make it exactly to your liking), what his favorite order is. He explains middling and some cool special things to order you wouldn't think of.
We talk about what it was like growing up in the business and what he had always dreamed about as a kid. There is a whole lot of whole hog talk. He goes through 20-25 whole hogs a week and they take 24 hours to cook.
We talk about how he wants to give back to the community right now in people's time of need and talks about how the community reached out to him after his father passed and he took over the business immediately. We mention Elliott Moss from Buxton Hall, Pat Martin from Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint, and Carey Bringle from Peg Leg Porker. AND the myth is true about the tennis shoes.
BONUS: Zach explains where he goes for sushi.

Alex Graf & Chris Fultz - ZZQ Texas Craft Barbeque - Richmond, VA

In this episode I reconnect with Alex Graf and Chris Fultz from ZZQ Texas Craft Barbeque - Richmond, VA. It's been almost 3 years since we last spoke a lot has happened since then.
See all things ZZQ Texas Craft Barbecue here: https://www.zzqrva.com
Place an online order here: https://www.toasttab.com/zzqrva/v3
Buy a gift card here: https://www.toasttab.com/zzqrva/giftcards
Order merch here: https://bit.ly/3iO99IN
Follow ZZQ on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/zzqrva
Check them out on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/zzqrva
Hours of operation: Wednesday - Sunday 11AM - 6PM
He is Texas. She is Orange. From the beginning of the pandemic they have been overly cautious. They worked so hard to make the right choices at the right time with their crew at the top of their list for safety and overall well-being. They are now a completely different operation than they were prior to February. They had a huge year revenue-wise and felt comfortable enough with the team to leave for Texas for a two week vacation.
They immediately shut down the operation to assess everything and have now been open with to-go only and have online ordering, which they didn't have prior. They are not serving pastrami at the moment(due to cold storage space) and serve beef ribs EVERY day.
Some fun Breaking News is that they will be bottling their sauces to hopefully begin selling in the fall. They will have three sauces: Thick, Thin, & Sassy. Also they are working on selling their rubs and their sausage for shipment nationwide.
This interview is detailed, heartfelt, and full of so much knowledge and experience. There are a lot of insights into the new normal food-wise that I was shocked to hear along with a lot of costs that consumers don't think about. A cool thing they have done is they opened up their beautiful backyard filled with trees to their customers which is essentially an urban park they can eat at.
I can't thank Alex and Chris enough for taking the time.

Phillip Dormont - Treaty Oak Distilling - Dripping Springs, Texas

In this episode I get to sit down with Phillip Dormont, Director of Product Development for Treaty Oak Distilling.
See all things Treaty Oak Distilling here: https://www.treatyoakdistilling.com
Follow Treaty Oak on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/treatyoak/
Purchase their alcohol online here: https://shoptreatyoak.com
Their Ranch(and Alice's Restaurant) is located at16604 Fitzhugh Rd, Dripping Springs, TX 78620.
Shop for cool Treaty Oak swag here: https://www.treatyoakdistilling.com/shop
See them on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/TreatyOak
See where to buy Treaty Oak Distilling near you here: https://bit.ly/2PRyPYI
We do our interview from Pedernales Cellars(https://www.pedernalescellars.com) in Stonewall, Texas. I caught him right after he got back from a long(ish) vacation because at the time they distilling because of the pandemic(they had switched over to making hand sanitizer). Phillip runs the whole development program at Treaty Oak and we talk in depth about what they offer. They are:
Treaty Oak Red Handed Bourbon, Treaty Oak Ghost Hill Texas Bourbon, Treaty Oak Schenley Reserve Rye
Treaty Oak Old Fashioned Cocktail
Waterloo Old Yaupon Gin, Waterloo No. 9 Gin, Waterloo Antique Gin
New products coming: The Day Drinker, Gin and Tonic(and citrus version RTD (ready to drink world), Navy Strength Gin
Sign up for their newsletter(Pursuit of the Curious) at the bottom of the page here: https://www.treatyoakdistilling.com/news
He was born and raised in Dripping Springs(and now lives back in Dripping Springs) and has roamed from North Carolina to Nashville. It was in North Carolina that he started making moonshine with a friend and that leads him to why it made a perfect fit at Treaty Oak.
A great takeaway from this interview is a discussion of the history of whiskey and what makes bourbons, ryes, and what sets Treaty Oak Distilling apart.