Pitmaster & Owner
Aaron Franklin
Franklin Barbecue
17+ yearsBryan, TX
Read Profile Pitmaster Index
The People
Behind the Smoke
Austin BBQ is defined by the men and women who tend the pits. These are their stories.
Pitmaster & Co-Owner
Damien Brockway
Distant Relatives
8+ yearsNorfolk, CT
Read Profile Pitmaster & Co-Owner
Evan LeRoy
LeRoy and Lewis
9+ yearsAustin, TX
Read Profile Owner & Pitmaster
Kent Black
Black's Barbecue (Lockhart Original)
35+ yearsLockhart, TX
Read Profile Head Pitmaster
Roy Perez
Kreuz Market
39+ yearsLockhart, TX
Read Profile Pitmaster
Tootsie Tomanetz
Snow's BBQ
55+ yearsLexington, TX
Read Profile Pitmaster & Owner
Wayne Mueller
Louie Mueller Barbecue
30+ yearsTaylor, TX
Read Profile Why Pitmasters Matter
Austin BBQ is not a cuisine that can be fully understood through menus and scores alone. The tradition is carried by specific people who have spent decades learning how smoke interacts with meat.