I Crush BBQ Show

In this Episode I interview Zardrell McNight of Z's Craft Barbecue in Grundy County Iowa.  Originally from Richmond Virginia this young man started cooking barbecue at an early age and After having aha moment at ZZQ Barbecue in Richmond Virginia,  he decided to start chasing his dream of starting a Texas Style Barbecue business. He prides himself in cooking with 100% Wood on a traditional 1000 gal...

In this Episode I sit with Daniel Weinstock of Maple Block Meat Co in Culver City California.  I first Met Daniel at his beautiful restaurant for a Dinner he was hosting with Author and Chopped Champion Ed Randolph.  They had an incredible feast for a lucky group of BBQ fanatics like myself, it was definitely a memorable night.  Maple Block has been open for 4 yrs now and business is booming.  I d...

For this Episode, I decided to do a Recap of our first 20 Shows.  For those of you that have just discovered the show or if you've fallen behind or are skipping around and want a little synopsis of the episodes, this show is for you! BTW, I just introduced our new Logo and I'm shipping out new stickers to our fans so be sure to send me your address to get on the list!     Thanks for tuning into th...

In this Episode I interview Russ Winer of Smokey Jones Barbecue out of Culver City California.  Russ a Transplant from Upstate New York and his Wife Vivian a native of California, have been slinging some Barbecue from their own driveway for just over a year, but Russ has been cooking for quite some time.  He cooks low and slow on an offset smoker and also mixes it up on the Santa Maria Grill.  Alt...

In this Episode, I interview Jeff and Christine Fitchett of Magillas Barbecue.  Owners, Jeff an Ex- Marine Corp Sargent and his wife Christine started on this journey about three years ago.  A simple fundraiser for one of their kids turned into an idea for a  business.  They Pride themselves in providing the best quality with the best service, their motto is " it's not  the smoke, it's not the rub...

In this Episode I interview Logan Cahoon of Meathead Barbecue.  Logan is part of the BBQ Movement that's taken over southern California.  He's a hustler like so many others in the biz and his journey began on the streets of Venice.  A transplant from Florida that's earned his Angelinian stripes after living here for 10yrs, he's taken influences from different parts of the country and infused them...

Barbecue in California is Booming, I'm lucky to have moved here to witness this exciting era.  The Underground scene is part of the DNA here, you can find all types of foods, fruits and deserts and even Drinks in underground settings.  This has definitely contributed to the Barbecue explosion that we're seeing in SoCal. Over the next few weeks I'll be introducing you to some really cool popups tha...

  In this episode I chat with Aaron Rejino of Rejino Barbecue, located in Olton Texas.  This was my first phone interview and the audio didn't come out great, I have some work to do with regards to virtual interviews.  I recorded this episode a few weeks back, they'd just been named a Top 25 New BBQ Joint by Texas Monthly.  We talk about how this Husband and Wife team started Rejino's and how thei...

In this Episode I take you with me to the LA food Bowl All-Star BBQ Event which happened Sunday May 12th.  LA Food Bowl is a Food Festival that has hundreds of events all around LA with a mix of local and world famous chefs, it lasts 31 days and starts on May 1st.  I wasn’t going to take my recorder because I didn’t want to bother any of the Pitmasters who were going to be busy serving... in the e...

In this Episode I sit down with Javier Gomez of Jav's Barbecue in Anaheim California.  Like most folks in the BBQ industry, Javier started as a Backyard Warrior cooking for his friends and family.  Earlier this year he celebrated his one year Anniversary in a brick and mortar location. Although he's still not as well-known as some of the big names in SoCal, his business continues to grow.  There m...

In this Episode, I sit down with Eric Wech of FatStack Smokers, One of the premier Pit Builders in the County.  They've played a critical role in the Barbecue boom that California has been experiencing over the past few years.  Their customers include Trudy's Underground Barbecue, Moos Craft Barbecue,  The Barbacoa Boyz, the Offset BBQ, Beer Run BBQ, Flatpoint Barbecue and many many more.  Eric is...

In this Episode I sit down with Phil Martin of Black Cat Barbecue in Beverly Hills California.  I was pumped to  visit Phil at his popup at the Beverly Hills Farmers Market earlier this year.  I didn't know what to expect since my connection with Beverly Hills had only been through Hollywood, you know that Scene with Julia Roberts walking down Rodeo Drive, all the fancy stores, restaurants and Coo...

In this Episode I sit down with Robert Sierra and Bryan Gonzales of SS PIT CREW. This Competition BBQ Team has been traveling and winning competitions around the state for many years. Robert Sierra founded the team in the early 2000’s and since then he’s become one of the most recognized faces in Barbecue. Bryan joined the team a few years later & they’ve been a team ever since. On their off time...

In this Episode I sit down with Robert Jacob Lerma, one of the top Barbecue Photographers in the Country.  Robert has traveled the world with Legendary pit masters,  he's also visited the most Obscure joints in small town America & everything in between.  Although he has an extremely busy schedule which requires a great deal of travel with his photography, it's actually not his primary employment!...

Unfortunately this was an April Fools Joke :) Breaking News I’m sitting with Robert Jacob Lerna who just inked a deal with some big Austin investors to open his very own BBQ joint! The concept of the joint is like no other. It will simply be named RJL Barbecue and will be located in Bee Cave Texas outside of Austin. The Saturday only joint will feature alternating pit masters from across the count...

In this episode I walk you through Smokefest 2, an event organized by Dustin Bartz of Bartz BBQ. Smokefest2 was held at LA Aleworks in Hawthorne and it featured 4 of the top Popups in SoCal including Meathead BBQ, The Barbacoa Boyz, Kelly’s BBQ & of course Bartz BBQ. The menus were insanely packed with signature dishes and sides which included Wagyu & Prime Briskets, made from scratch sausages & d...

In this Episode, I sit down with Drew Brahs and Bryant Stephens of Harper Barbecue.  These guys are based in Orange County and they're quietly  putting out some of the baddest BBQ Pit's around.  They make backyard models, large covered commercial trailers and pretty much anything your imagination can come up with.  I didn't realize there were country folk in California until I sat down with these...

In this Episode I sit down with Danny and Brenda Castillo of Heritage Barbecue in Orange County.  They are probably the most underrated BBQ Joint in California.  Although they bring the long lines and sell out every time they cook, they're not as recognized as some of the other big names.  This doesn't hold them back from putting out some of the Best Barbecue in the State!  Danny is an artist at h...

In this Episode I interview Andrew and Michelle Munoz of Moos Craft Barbecue in East LA. Moo's is one of the Premier Central Texas Style Barbecue Joints in the State of California.  They began slinging Barbecue in early 2017 and in a short period of time they've been able to create a tremendous following growing their Instagram to over 20K followers and consistently selling out.  They've been feat...

In this Episode I Interview Dustin Bartz of Bartz Barbecue. Bartz is a one man show based in the South Bay of Southern California.  He was inspired to cook Texas Barbecue, when he moved to Austin for a short while in the early 2000's.  He's a very passionate and talented individual that pushes himself to extremes, sometimes having up to 5 events in one week! He uses the highest quality meats and i...

In this Episode I interview someone you may not have heard of outside of California.  He is truly one of the Pioneers of the Southern California Underground BBQ Scene.  Fernando Carrillo, better known as Ragtop Fern,  is Born and Raised in Historic Filipino-town in Los Angeles.  For years, He's been serving up some Amazing Barbecue from his doorstep in his beloved neighborhood.  Although he's been...

In this Episode I interview Andrew and Jewel Hill of Embers Barbecue in Lubbock Texas.  I actually recorded this at Evie Mae's in Wolfforth TX during my Christmas Break in December of 2018.  I apologize for the sound in advance, it was only my 2nd interview.   This is the story of a Small town Barbecue Joint that has persevered through some tough times. Their Motto is True Texas Grit and they defi...

The Shed Market This is an amazing story of an old legendary BBQ joint that is revived by a Grandson and his family.  They've kept many of the of the old recipes as a foundation and they've also added a few new interesting touches. They've been selling out since day one and they attribute their success to their Faith above all.  I hope you Enjoy it! Music Credit: Audionautix, Dirt Road Traveler