Lawrence Barbecue Pitmaster Jake Wood

[00:00:00] From the first time meat was cooked over open playing, pit monsters have been innovating

[00:00:16] the way they prepare food for humanity.

[00:00:19] That continues today near North Carolina's capital city and a region that is known for

[00:00:23] pushing the bounds of what is possible.

[00:00:26] This will be the reason why the research triangle park and property filled with shipping

[00:00:30] containers converted into playplaces, Lawrence Food Company explores barbecue traditions

[00:00:36] while concocting culinary creations that reflect tom-tested techniques and the modern

[00:00:41] spin that is required to keep food lovers returning again and again.

[00:00:46] Whether it's the weekly features, the barbecue oysters or the burriot tacos that are so popular

[00:00:51] they spawn to completely different restaurants, Jake Wood and Lawrence Barbecue are on the

[00:00:56] leading edge of innovation.

[00:00:59] As the Low and Slow Barbecue Show partners with the Carolina Barbecue Festival, we're

[00:01:03] excited to share the stories of pit masters like Jake Wood and his Lawrence Food Company

[00:01:08] keep listening to hear all about the cool stuff he's got cooking in Durham at the

[00:01:12] box shard RTP.

[00:01:14] Then be sure to join us at Victoria Yards April 5th and 6th to meet the man and taste some

[00:01:19] of the delights that come from a place he calls Barbecue Paradise.

[00:01:24] You can find out more about the festival and get your tickets at CarolinaBarbecueFest.com.

[00:01:29] Of course that's where you can buy single day and two day tickets for the festival.

[00:01:33] When you do, be sure to use the promo code LowSlowBeeBeeCute to get a discount.

[00:01:38] Don't forget when you join the Festival Fund you're also supporting Barbecue for a

[00:01:42] cause and charities like Operation Barbecue Relief, Hungry Heroes and Bold Devonor.

[00:01:47] First, enjoy this Low and Slow Barbecue Show conversation with Jake Wood from Lawrence

[00:01:52] Barbecue.

[00:01:56] We're excited today to have Jake Wood from Lawrence Barbecue and Lawrence Food Company

[00:02:01] joining the podcast.

[00:02:03] Jake welcome to the Low and Slow Barbecue Show.

[00:02:05] Oh thanks man, I appreciate it.

[00:02:07] Yeah, we've heard a lot about your business and I'm so excited to find out a little bit

[00:02:12] more about it.

[00:02:13] So let's just get started from the beginning and talk about Jake Wood and where you're

[00:02:17] from and how did you get to smoke and meet Low and Slow?

[00:02:20] Yeah, man.

[00:02:22] So I'm from Apex North Carolina right down the road from Durham where our shop is and

[00:02:29] you know just simply growing up family gatherings, family reunions which was typically every

[00:02:37] year the night before Thanksgiving.

[00:02:38] It was whole hog on the pit.

[00:02:41] It was burlap sacks with oysters.

[00:02:46] It was a big thing to do me.

[00:02:47] So that didn't mean anything to me at the time but it was something that always stuck

[00:02:52] with me into my order years and especially once I started cooking for a living.

[00:02:59] It was a memory that I tapped into in the sense of just how food can create a memory

[00:03:05] and a feeling and an emotion for you which is a big reason I'm doing what I do which

[00:03:11] is cooking for folks.

[00:03:12] But yeah, man just kind of grew up that I was always my favorite thing.

[00:03:16] I was always very intrigued by you know it was always the uncles and the grandads and

[00:03:21] the dads and everyone kind of standing around the pit dealing with that.

[00:03:24] I was always very you know just kind of like honed in on that man like it was these legends

[00:03:32] standing around the pit right so that's something that I always enjoyed doing even as I got

[00:03:37] to by dining and you know spent some years, tweezin' flowers on the plates and all that

[00:03:43] good stuff.

[00:03:44] I was always doing some type of live fire cooking or smoking at home.

[00:03:49] It's what I enjoy to do and I always knew that that's what I wanted to do for living

[00:03:54] at some point.

[00:03:56] You know so that's kind of where the desire came from and the path I took you know to

[00:04:02] get here and then really started my barbecue career when I started Lawrence barbecue right

[00:04:09] just because in a sense was the first time I was doing it professionally meaning to put

[00:04:15] food on the table for my family you know and so we have learned a lot since kind of jumping

[00:04:22] off that ledge back in 2019.

[00:04:25] Yeah so cool so before we got into the Lawrence barbecue you definitely a heritage that's

[00:04:30] similar to a lot of folks dads and granddad standing around the fire family activities

[00:04:35] doing the barbecue thing but after that you say you kind of got into fondoning and professional

[00:04:40] cooking how did that journey get started for you?

[00:04:44] Man to be honest with you I got back into restaurants out you know I got pizza jobs,

[00:04:50] dishwasher jobs stuff like that in high school just to make a buck but when I graduated

[00:04:55] high school I started working for my dad doing landscape and then we ended up getting

[00:05:00] a contract for an Arnold Palmer golf course down on the Albemarle Sound here in North

[00:05:04] Carolina and we just kind of living in a hotel down there building the golf course working

[00:05:09] you know digging holes, hauling stuff just hard work hard labor and really kind of planned

[00:05:15] on doing that and locking in with my dad and then grow that.

[00:05:20] The recession hit in 2008 and golf course worked stopped and you know a lot of residential

[00:05:28] and the commercial stuff around here slowed down so he knew the owner of the 42nd Street

[00:05:33] Oyster Bar here in Raleigh got me connected so that I could continue to make a paycheck

[00:05:38] when things got slower man I just like fell in love with it you know I was connected

[00:05:42] to it because the oyster is obviously in being in that atmosphere and seeing all of

[00:05:46] that happen on.

[00:05:48] It was really eye-opening to me and it was something that I really felt like I thrived

[00:05:58] in and just kind of started my journey there man and worked my way up into roles as a

[00:06:05] sushi chef with the cow fish and helped them kind of grow as they were we're getting started

[00:06:10] here in Raleigh and then really got into fine dining which to me was kind of bringing

[00:06:15] it back closer to what we do now because when I started as the CDC at 18C board it was

[00:06:22] a very contemporary southern style restaurant right and so I really leaned into what I

[00:06:32] could do with the flavors and the memories that I have growing up in the South and the

[00:06:37] things that are attached to my family and I know many other families here from this

[00:06:41] area of the South and really just like that right and create new techniques and new touches

[00:06:47] and new ways of feeling those emotions and you know those memories from youth and it was

[00:06:57] really cool it was a really challenge for me it was really fun for me to be able to get an

[00:07:03] idea and challenge the rest of the folks around us and so that's kind of like that time period

[00:07:08] really taught me I think how to lead in the kitchen and how to get people excited about

[00:07:14] about the food about you know the wise behind it about the house behind it and the who's you

[00:07:21] know who's growing it who's who's farming it who's catching it and you know cultivating it so

[00:07:26] I really just kind of went down a very deep dive of just will encapsulate it to farm to

[00:07:33] the table you know and really just found what that meant to me and what that meant to our local

[00:07:39] community and the folks that are living in work was as a chef and what type of profiles were

[00:07:53] a part of my story right and then we started barbecue so I think it was a fun road up to that

[00:08:02] point and it was almost like you should really really stress some stressful crazy swanye

[00:08:09] uptight you know and then like how we've arrived we're gonna cook barbecue now we're gonna slow

[00:08:14] things down and we're gonna really just pay attention to the details and repeat and you know all the

[00:08:20] things that barbecue are and I think we've done a really good job of finding ways to incorporate

[00:08:27] those fine dining touches in the in the intention behind some of the things that happen in the

[00:08:33] fine dining world we've been able to incorporate that into what we do which is I think a big part

[00:08:38] of what differentiates us from the rest of the barbecue joints in North Carolina and you know in the

[00:08:45] southeast yeah yeah definitely so you talk about slowing down a little bit and I follow you on

[00:08:51] Instagram and see your website and I don't really get the sense that things are very slow and in

[00:08:56] the barbecue business though the fire and the cooking may be slow but you know always got something

[00:09:01] going on some new stuff on the specials but take me a little bit into you know why you started

[00:09:05] Lawrence barbecue and how things got off the ground with that particular project sure

[00:09:11] something that as I was really starting to thrive in the fine dining world and find my way

[00:09:19] as a chef and kind of you know was able to stand on my own in this industry in our area

[00:09:26] um I just began it in all my free time conceptualizing what this looked like and I knew that at

[00:09:34] a person was just called Lawrence right and it was a lot more fine dining of a barbecue restaurant

[00:09:40] than I just realized like there's no need for that right and and Lawrence is my mother's

[00:09:48] maiden name it's my family's name my grandfather Alan Lawrence and grandmother Helen Lawrence who

[00:09:54] we lost back in August last year they were just major influences on me you know they were the

[00:10:03] somewhat the leaders of our family we have a very small family taught me you know what I know about

[00:10:09] cooking created a lot of those memories that still carry with me you know around granny

[00:10:17] hones table and learning how to clean fish and and clean animals and butcher and think you know

[00:10:23] it's just like all these things that were so normal and might be a little bit weird or like

[00:10:31] seem like work like shelling beans and stuff like that with my mean these are all things that

[00:10:36] I can refer back to that now are very relevant to what I do um and so Lawrence is just that this

[00:10:43] celebration of who they are and what they've done for our family and you know a hope that

[00:10:51] we can educate some folks on some of those cool things and delicious bites and core memories

[00:10:57] that we have um you know just keep that name going forever I name my son Lawrence after

[00:11:03] my grandfather now we truly don't have many loritzes around in our direct family

[00:11:11] so his name is Lawrence he's incorporated in our logo he's riding a pig and so it's really all just

[00:11:16] man it's like all family if I'm not working I'm with my family um I'm thinking about him while I am

[00:11:23] working you know so I did a lot of crazy things you know and had my fun as a young and gotten trouble

[00:11:32] and you know had to learn some hard lessons but um I think that I've arrived in a place in life where

[00:11:38] really understand what's truly important um and you know so we're just kind of working hard to make

[00:11:44] sure that we aren't protecting those things and working towards the goal of uh you know a bigger

[00:11:49] better future for all included yeah very cool so you know the barbecue and then you've got the

[00:11:55] food company as well so you know how does all that kind of work together and expand as you

[00:12:01] as you have that you know I guess world domination to help put food on the table for your family

[00:12:08] and continue your your namesake yeah it was never planned to do anything other than Lawrence

[00:12:14] barbecue but where we are box yard uh it's a very unique setup in um the box which is actually

[00:12:21] what I'm sitting in right now it's called the good it's our leisure bar, piggy bar um that was

[00:12:28] just just kind of like fell in our lap um it became available up above and I was like oh we need

[00:12:34] we need alcohol we need a bar um you know so this this is I tell people looks like imagine the bar

[00:12:40] at Chili's right but this just happens to be on the roof um it's a it's an extension of our food

[00:12:45] program and our our uh just the beverage the beverage aspect to our food and beverage program here

[00:12:53] everything's meant to work with the raw and grotto oysters and the barbecue and cut through

[00:12:57] the fatty mouth feel and just really uh work well together and it's just a very uh non-pretentious

[00:13:04] comfortable way man like we I have no background in bartending I enjoy beverages that's about my

[00:13:09] only background in bartending um you know so we just wanted to give uh somebody or multiple people

[00:13:17] an opportunity and a platform to kind of create their own uh vibe up here and invest themselves

[00:13:24] into what we're doing as a whole we've got a felony inquiry um who's doing just that

[00:13:29] and he doesn't have any crazy background in bartending or experience you know but he gets it

[00:13:35] he gets glad he gets where we're headed and um the drinks he makes are unreal so we're stoked about

[00:13:41] that and it really just layers us up in a great way um and then the taco shop was really not playing

[00:13:49] at all um lee rois taco shop is next door or two doors down from the barbecue shop lee rois what

[00:13:56] my grandfather called me uh this is somewhat of a nickname um growing up I didn't like it I thought he

[00:14:03] didn't know my name um and just kind of learned every time that's who he was he he liked to pick

[00:14:08] up people and have nicknames and stuff um you know so that's uh that's what that is and it's all

[00:14:15] uh smoke meets um you know everything that's going on over there whether it goes

[00:14:20] into something else or gets cooked down it starts on the smoker and then it gets that element of

[00:14:26] smoking fire incorporated um and it's pretty plain and simple man our our star of the show is

[00:14:31] the case of beer yataco our smog brisket case of beer yataco that's kind of what started at all

[00:14:39] they were a feature that we did here at the shop and it just like uh quite honestly it went viral

[00:14:45] um which we you know we don't really know how that works but uh young lady who is an influencer

[00:14:49] here in our area who has uh just an ungodly amount of followers uh put it on tiktok which we are not

[00:14:56] on uh or you know definitely don't know how to use and it just like we're in crazy man at get

[00:15:02] where we got a ton of followers overnight and a bunch of people coming from all over i guess

[00:15:07] just with tiktok the more it gets watched and shared it just continues to get layered and go

[00:15:12] around uh we ended up having to stop selling the tacos all together i mean our flat top at the

[00:15:16] barbecue shops uh uh flat top for buns um you know and and it was never meant to to be anything other

[00:15:24] than that so we had to just stop it be created a problem we would sell out uh we couldn't keep

[00:15:30] up with the demand in the volume and then you know ended up having problems with folks being

[00:15:36] rude to our staff there at the window and you know when they were going to order so we're you

[00:15:40] know we were just like let's just make this easier and stop and go back to just barbecue um and then

[00:15:46] literally like a week later that opportunity came uh and landed in our lap and i was like you know

[00:15:53] tried to force it into just a no like we don't have time and the bandwidth to do that but

[00:15:59] it all just made too much sense and now you know we're super stoked coming up on a year in

[00:16:04] the end of March um that we've been open over there at Lee Roy's we've got an incredible team

[00:16:08] chef Caroline Gidry she is our resident Cajun uh she's she's the head chef over there and just

[00:16:15] absolutely killing it she's got a pot of red beans and rice going down there uh speak for the

[00:16:20] barbecue shops and start to grow and kick off this week so um man this is really at the end of

[00:16:27] the day it was just another opportunity for me to create opportunities um for our team and

[00:16:33] you know grow our team so I think you know into the day that's really just what we want to do we

[00:16:39] want to we want to grow we want to grow organically uh you know so that we don't get into to deep um

[00:16:48] we are never going to be a multi unit you know like chain type situation so we've just got to make

[00:16:55] sure that we protect what it is that we've created the culture the food program everything involved

[00:17:02] and most importantly protect our uh quality of lives that's the biggest thing here is that we

[00:17:08] we stick to uh our guns we stick to our schedules we protect our personal time we protect our

[00:17:13] professional time um you know in this year especially I think we've arrived at a point where like

[00:17:19] we had a meeting as a team and just agreed on what was important to us as a team uh both

[00:17:23] personally and professionally um and it does not check those boxes this year than the answers now

[00:17:29] and I think that that's uh feels great for me it feels great for our team I know that

[00:17:35] it's a big relief you know we spent a lot of time over the past few years trying to do what we could

[00:17:39] to layer our brand and get into uh you know like doing the food and wine festivals and all the

[00:17:46] the you know the shows and stuff like that and um now it's time just to really lock in and continue

[00:17:51] to hone in what it is we're doing here um and get ready for that next big opportunity because

[00:17:57] it is our goal to grow Lawrence barbecue um you know and have a bigger location uh that we can

[00:18:05] program and have live music and just do you be who be us be who we really are I think that we've

[00:18:11] had a wonderful show support from the community but we also haven't been able to fully

[00:18:16] um show people who we are and folks have really not had the true uh full experience of who we

[00:18:24] are culturally and and just uh you know all the way through so until that happens we're hard at work

[00:18:32] we're head down we're letting our our work speak for uh for us hopefully um we don't have any

[00:18:38] PR representation um we haven't in some time and so it's really just about the food and he can

[00:18:44] out on that and like we have a team that seriously is geeked down on it and I sleep good at night

[00:18:50] I trust him and man like it's just such a good feeling because this shit is hard uh it's been

[00:18:57] it's been hard it was hard when I work for other people um and it's even harder when when

[00:19:02] it's your name on people's checks uh because you know those checks bounce and you know you're not

[00:19:09] really worth anything man so uh we had some rough stuff we went through in December had a bunch of

[00:19:15] money stolen from us we were hacked uh it was like a big like I'm man it was like so far over my head

[00:19:21] I still don't even really understand it but uh our team fought through that we're back on good ground

[00:19:26] we're coming up into spring we've been busy this winter so it's like you know you know that

[00:19:30] you know make things like that happen without a group of good people that are really invested into

[00:19:35] you know getting to the goal um and beyond so I'm very thankful my wife Brandy is very thankful

[00:19:41] uh we just you know we're again we're a small group um and so we work really hard uh and we want to

[00:19:49] try to do whatever we can to protect protect that yeah fantastic great team and balance in your life

[00:19:55] between work and play and and that work is hard and it's probably just about as hard as all

[00:19:59] that landscaping stuff you did back in the past working on the golf course just a little bit of a

[00:20:03] different environment and speaking of the environment yeah speaking of the environment tell me about

[00:20:10] the experience if if I show up at Lawrence barbecue what can I expect what will somebody else

[00:20:15] experience what do they see what do they smell how does it all work uh well you'll smell us from

[00:20:21] the parking lot great um which we love that we kind of we know chemen the waters right uh huh

[00:20:27] and so um we're we're all wood fire over here we usually have two to three uh langs burning out

[00:20:34] here at any time when we're open um and it's a really unique concept man we our restaurant is 24

[00:20:40] foot by 40 foot that's made out of three shipping containers yeah you can come inside to grab some

[00:20:45] beverages we have merch um you know on rainy days cold days you can come inside and place your order

[00:20:50] but uh typically what you'll do is you folks will line up uh at our cabana window we call it

[00:20:57] we have an order window and then we have a pass out window right and so uh you'll come up your order

[00:21:02] from the menu that's down below on a big magnet board um and within five to six minutes depending

[00:21:08] on what you order you're here in your name called out on a megaphone um there's about 400 seats

[00:21:13] 350 to 400 seats here in box yard which is where we are um some covered some not and uh so yeah

[00:21:22] I mean it's just kind of a big ol picnic setup uh there's a stage for live music you know

[00:21:27] we have DJs and stuff there and lunch during the week um and we're also in in RTP which is there's

[00:21:33] the 50-55,000 employees who work in research triangle park Monday to Friday you know nine to five so

[00:21:42] lunches are crazy uh they're really quick you know people are getting in and out for lunch trying

[00:21:47] to sit down and enjoy their meal and then get back to work um you know so uh uh it's just uh

[00:21:54] it's electric to me honestly because for us on the line you know you get to see is the line grows

[00:22:00] you get to see it grow and you get to feel that pressure so it keeps us moving quick um everyone can

[00:22:06] see in the kitchen so we really try with the way we promote ourselves on social media um to show

[00:22:13] an honest depiction of what you're gonna see when you come here uh who you're gonna see when

[00:22:18] you come here uh you know we got loud music playing we've got wrestling figures that decorate the

[00:22:25] entire inside of the shop and surf four tang in so it's literally just like man we've tried to

[00:22:30] create a little dojo that we feel really happy coming into every day um because some days it gets

[00:22:36] extremely spicy there's been Fridays and Saturdays where we've served a thousand to fourteen hundred

[00:22:42] covers out of this little spot um you know and and that's if you think about a 24 foot by 40 foot

[00:22:49] shipping container serving not many people in six and a half hours I mean it's that's moving

[00:22:56] some bodies we have we have done some work out here man yeah put up some pretty incredible numbers

[00:23:01] out of this little spot hey everybody John Reap here and I'm with Lauren Weaver of the Hickory

[00:23:07] Smokehouse and we have partnered up and we have come up with what we think is the best barbecue sauce

[00:23:14] in the world it's called John Reap's Hickory Smokehouse South in your mouth barbecue sauce but don't

[00:23:22] just take our word for listen to what other chefs are saying

[00:23:52] so this holiday season reap the benefits sopping up let your taste buds rise again put a little south

[00:24:01] in your mouth we got it hot yeah thanks Lauren

[00:24:13] you know so we just what I said though well how we promote ourselves like we really want you to come

[00:24:18] here and see that um you know I've I've followed a ton of people um and I've been excited to go

[00:24:26] to a place sometimes and I'm done get there and just like oh man this is like nothing like what

[00:24:30] I've expected right yeah and that's good you somewhat have a letdown it's not always been a bad

[00:24:35] thing an in bad experience but um you know we we we're we're pretty proud of who we are as a whole

[00:24:42] and who our teammates are individually um and so we just like to talk about that and show that

[00:24:47] and create spaces that have things put up on the wall and music playing that just makes us happy

[00:24:53] it makes us feel comfortable and makes it feel like it's home you know not only to me uh with my name

[00:24:59] on it but uh to everyone else here man so it's a it's a fun vibe uh and and as long as you know

[00:25:06] what do I expect when you come here that you're gonna wait in line you know you're gonna have to be

[00:25:11] outside yeah and then you know you can enjoy yourself we synng girls out with the handhelds to get

[00:25:17] people cold beers and stuff like that while they're waiting so uh with the unique setup we have I

[00:25:23] feel like we've really evolved into a fun experience out here uh given what we have yeah

[00:25:30] got something built like that it's a little bit less like work when you can have a lot of fun

[00:25:35] in an environment that you enjoy so when people show up there what do you feel like is the fan

[00:25:39] favorite and I know you mentioned the burritoqueos but apart from that what do people enjoy the most

[00:25:43] what are they coming looking for well our brisket's a big seller okay um our our pit master Ethan Barbie

[00:25:51] he's from Texas um and he took over about a year ago and he's just killing it man we're getting

[00:25:57] really tight on our trims and uh just the technique that he's he's getting tied out there on those

[00:26:03] smokers I mean I think it's just better than it's ever been uh honestly which is which is scary

[00:26:08] because it's always I think been good when even when I stopped you know and we had a young

[00:26:12] fellow named Will which took over when we first opened I thought it was better than when I was doing

[00:26:16] it you know and it's better than that now so uh that's that's you know a big mover mac and cheese with

[00:26:22] the food who crumble I mean we've sold like man and we've sold a million sides of those like I'm not

[00:26:28] even exaggerating like hundreds of thousands of sides of mac and cheese um it's just like a really

[00:26:35] simple three cheese macaroni uh you know that we tie together and make pretty much all a minute

[00:26:41] per the third pan during service so it's always fresh it's always hot uh it's not coming out

[00:26:46] I like a cafeteria pan or anything like that yeah top it off with some wonderful Louisiana zaps

[00:26:51] voodoo chips that we rub out koo into like a really nice little powder um but man we've got oysters

[00:26:58] that our friends down in topsel sound or Carolina grow they are the best oysters on earth we do a

[00:27:04] roll with a rosé manine and then a barbecue butter grilled oyster and those never last um

[00:27:13] yeah let me just stop you there because you know oysters I know you mentioned that that's

[00:27:17] part of your heritage growing up around the fire with your family but oysters aren't always what

[00:27:22] you look for when you go to a barbecue restaurant so how does that how do the oysters really fit

[00:27:27] into the planet sounds you know I hear a lot about them and sounds like you got some cool stuff

[00:27:30] going on with them but but how and why you fit oysters into a barbecue place uh big man quite frankly

[00:27:37] because I wanted to let's just I mean barbecue oysters and beverages that's like yeah well with

[00:27:43] what we do that's kind of like our little tagline um and it's the oysters are my favorite thing to eat

[00:27:50] if I had one thing that I had to choose to eat for the rest of my life it would be raw oysters

[00:27:55] fresh raw oysters yeah um and you know growing up in the south uh frod catfish fried shrimp sometimes

[00:28:03] your hush puppies those are always standards on barbecue joint menus but I've never seen anywhere

[00:28:11] raw like true raw bar quality oyster service incorporated into a smoked meat service

[00:28:19] okay so we have a tiny little raw bar built into our line it's basically just a shuckers well

[00:28:25] but right near the grill um and so yeah we get those in uh two bushels that uh we fresh from

[00:28:32] the coast they're usually at our door within 24 hours of coming out of the water um they're grown

[00:28:39] and farmed by some of our best friends uh we continually collaborate with in many different ways

[00:28:46] you know not only uh professionally but uh personally as well just to make sure that we're

[00:28:54] you know helping one another win they have to smelch two small children just like we do so

[00:28:59] uh it's great to work with folks and I think that again that's just a layer of like

[00:29:03] you know really being intentional about how you source your product um and that's just an

[00:29:10] example man those things are incredible yeah one item in and of itself sets us apart from every

[00:29:15] other barbecue restaurant in America I believe yeah um and it's in something that we we will always

[00:29:21] have and we want to elaborate on you know we see an actual raw bar being incorporated in so we're

[00:29:28] you know whatever bigger spot we go into next whenever that may be yeah uh we want you to be able

[00:29:34] to come in and actually have a true raw bar experience um while still making sense in a in a

[00:29:40] smokehouse setting um because why not you know that's that to me that's uh nor Carolina serpentine

[00:29:47] true serpentine sure we're barbecue and in fresh norcalano oysters man I've done really

[00:29:53] get much better than that and you start to talk tacos and tiki beverages and uh we've got our own

[00:29:59] beer that's like a Mexican inspired logger uh that's brewed by our buddies of retrofee brewing so

[00:30:05] you know everything we do man we really just try to create like the the most memorable experience

[00:30:12] right the most memorable sip or bite or uh you know plate up man it's we like we for inspiration

[00:30:19] from so many things um both both past and present um we really truly feel like we've got a well

[00:30:27] rounded offering and something that's really just to get different than most anybody you see yeah

[00:30:33] it definitely sounds very cool the the Carolina surf and turf I love that and can't wait to get

[00:30:37] get some of that myself and let's take a moment talk a little bit about the Carolina barbecue festival

[00:30:42] that's what you know really brings us together yeah man and tell me how did you get hooked up with

[00:30:46] sweet lou in the festival and and why do you decide to participate man sweet lou uh he's one of my

[00:30:53] favorite people and I can't honestly tell you how exactly we met I think just like through the

[00:30:59] industry you know uh there's a lot of camaraderie that just comes along with being in the barbecue

[00:31:04] industry um you know I think just a lot of mutual respect every one of us understand how difficult

[00:31:09] this industry is and how how how hard this work is and so I think there's just a mutual respect

[00:31:14] more so than the than the industry already you know chefs a lot of times is really competitive um

[00:31:20] and I guess sometimes in the barbecue world it is too but man we've got a whole lot of friends that

[00:31:24] are trying to make the same dollar we are and I just think that's wonderful but uh I think we

[00:31:29] we just met at at events you know cooking at the same events and being around the same people uh

[00:31:34] you know we've we've gone out uh we went out after the Pinehurst barbecue festival had some sushi

[00:31:41] washed his young young sun crushed like eight rolls uh you know so we spent a little bit of time

[00:31:47] together yeah um and you know gotten to know each other a little bit but uh he called me last year

[00:31:54] man I was honestly like bum that wasn't invited the first year uh you know our our oyster farmers

[00:32:00] they were there giant G's you know all our buddies in there and uh Lou called me last June was like

[00:32:06] hey we want you to be involved if you're down for it and uh of course the answer was yes

[00:32:13] and it was an opportunity for us to uh share our smoke brisket case of area tacos with the city of

[00:32:19] Charlotte um you know and uh just an opportunity that's even more importantly to get together with

[00:32:24] some of the folks that you know we're typically always working the same days right you know we don't

[00:32:28] ever get to go enjoy a meal at these folks places uh yeah let it let alone work alongside of them

[00:32:34] and uh and uh little more laid back setting right so uh no brainer Carolina barbecue festival took

[00:32:41] amazing care of us um you know so that's always incredible we've done a lot of events where uh it

[00:32:47] just feels like a headache you know what I mean and that was not the case from start to finish

[00:32:54] it was wonderful I think everyone had an incredible time it was a beautiful day

[00:32:58] we were set up like right by the stage which was like man I hope they are listening and set us

[00:33:03] up by the stage again this year uh because we decided off some game and it gave us an opportunity

[00:33:08] uh to bring uh some more young team out of the shop get them into a new atmosphere doing what we do

[00:33:14] um and really giving them first hand feedback uh which was all great feedback on those tacos

[00:33:21] and just kind of let them see uh what that does for people and how people how people uh you know

[00:33:28] hold those hold those memories so close man because we were we were just I mean

[00:33:33] ruin in people's days with those tacos last year um and it's really cool for our team to get out

[00:33:38] and see see that man and see how happy that makes people and then also be around and just see the

[00:33:43] camaraderie and the partnership that is being in this industry and working towards uh you know a

[00:33:49] better life uh with our teams um but uh it's just uh gonna be a yes for us uh yeah fantastic so

[00:33:59] obviously this year is going to be a slightly different venue Victoria yeah uh it's slightly

[00:34:04] different venue this year at Victoria Yard so definitely going to be a little bit better set up

[00:34:09] but I'm sure the folks will take care of you just like you have before and have you decided what

[00:34:13] you're gonna bring to the festival would be the tacos again or you know we're gonna run it back

[00:34:19] okay we're gonna do uh our smoked riski case superior we're doing many tacos and we set those

[00:34:25] a top of cup of consummate for dipping uh with some avocado salsa from the shop wow there was

[00:34:32] some wonderful oysters there last year and I believe they're going to be on the bill again this

[00:34:35] year so uh we'll let them do their thing and and we look forward to slinging uh you know a few

[00:34:40] hundred more tacos than we did last year because they were a hit and we got hit hard we saw it out

[00:34:45] of those things so we're bringing more yeah fantastic you know one other piece of the festival's the

[00:34:51] charity piece and you guys are supporting you know it's barbecue for a mission and uh operation

[00:34:56] barbecue relief hungry heroes follows a bonner what's it like to be able to be in a event that

[00:35:01] that supports such important charities that serve others in our community um man I think that's

[00:35:07] the most important piece to what we all do um bring bringing chefs together and bringing people

[00:35:13] together who who can create um you know uh the type of food and the type of experiences that we

[00:35:20] can when we come together uh you know for a cause like that it's just incredible we just did

[00:35:25] try and go on in food a couple weeks ago and uh that's honestly our favorite time spent is when

[00:35:30] we can get together with new friends old friends uh and just work together to to provide a good time

[00:35:35] for a great cause I mean what what better scenario is there right like a party planning committee

[00:35:42] that's a charity at the same time yeah that's just awesome so it's a big deal to us and we are a small

[00:35:48] business so we we have to you know choose wisely on what we support and where we focus our energy um

[00:35:54] you know and again whenever sweet Lou calls on us uh you know no matter what it's for it's always

[00:36:00] wonderful to to come together and help folks um and hopefully this year we can make an incredible

[00:36:06] impact I'm hoping that we you know start seeing sold out signs on the social media and on the website

[00:36:13] because it wasn't a phenomenal time and it's just you know no matter what the cause for people

[00:36:18] in Charlotte to have the opportunity to get out there and be you know around all this incredible

[00:36:23] talent um is just uh it's a really special thing so we're looking forward to it and we're very

[00:36:28] thankful to have the opportunity to uh to hopefully make a difference okay and you mentioned some

[00:36:33] of that other talent you know John G's is one of those folks Dylan Cook done it for Grove Barbecue

[00:36:39] is another one and I bring those two guys up because you're included in some of that company and

[00:36:43] some pretty important spotlight recently I know that Daniel Vaughn the barbecue snob is

[00:36:48] it's kind of puts you on the list as as among those guys that are making Texas barbecue outside of

[00:36:53] Texas some of the great brisket that you guys are producing and I know obviously you've got

[00:36:57] in some some spotlight from Southern Living and Enduro Magazine the news and observer over there

[00:37:02] so really starting to get some recognition but I mean barbecue snob you don't get much higher

[00:37:07] praise than Texas monthly so you feel like that that kind of recognition validates what you guys

[00:37:12] are doing yeah you said it man it definitely validates what we're doing especially uh somebody like

[00:37:19] like Daniel Vaughn coming here and you know seeking us out for his own reasons um that was uh

[00:37:27] that was really big for us getting an opportunity to sit down and have a chat with him

[00:37:32] you know over over a meal was really cool and you know he's type type person you only usually hear

[00:37:38] about right yeah I'm in see on the interwebs so extremely down to earth he was extremely uh and

[00:37:46] genuinely interested in what he was you know asking us and in what we had to say which was really

[00:37:55] cool man doing things organically and and with folks who you you really feel uh are doing things

[00:38:01] for the right reason is awesome and I don't think there's anybody in the whole world that

[00:38:06] has the barbecue knowledge and and the as well traveled as that guy is so for him to have been

[00:38:12] here was a huge deal in and of itself and then just the I mean the article like uh that was

[00:38:18] that was pretty big man and it's a huge morale boost for our team again it is it's it's it's

[00:38:23] validation it's uh it's letting us know that um you know even though we know it's good man that guy

[00:38:32] like he don't like it he's typically not gonna write about you um and that was just a big deal

[00:38:39] the Southern Living Magazine same thing Robert Moss he came here didn't get an opportunity to

[00:38:43] speak with him as much but uh it's just huge man I think it's big for our area I think

[00:38:49] I love seeing our friends on those lists it's you know for me it's like an all ships rise type

[00:38:54] situation yeah I think that just it's gonna continue to set the bar higher for barbecue in North

[00:39:01] Carolina um you know which is I'll say it again like we're not Texas joint we're not in North

[00:39:08] Carolina joint like we man we just really love good food we really love cooking with fire

[00:39:13] we pull inspiration from places who do it the best in our opinion um but at the end of the day

[00:39:19] man like we're Lawrence barbecue we're we're not trying to be anything else you know and so for him

[00:39:24] to come here and like pinpoint that and and specifically say that we're doing like our own style

[00:39:30] of thing it was huge and it's just like we're ready to dig in even further um and continue to find out

[00:39:37] who who Lawrence barbecue can be um so I think it was a played a little part in how busy we were

[00:39:44] last weekend man we just got absolutely pounded so we're we're just always so humbled and very

[00:39:49] thankful for things like that that could could potentially bring more folks to our door um it's

[00:39:55] always just a big deal but that was a big one all right so when Jake Wood is going to a door

[00:40:00] when you're looking for a barbecue restaurant take it take it taking the family somewhere else

[00:40:04] under day off what is your favorite barbecue restaurant and why man put me on the spot um

[00:40:15] you know what man I think uh

[00:40:18] uh so the my favorite barbecue that I've eaten is is gotta be John G's um and I had I that was a

[00:40:29] unique scenario that I was able to have a full scale meal there we sat down with Eric Warheim when

[00:40:36] he was in town and ate like a full spread meal that they were um following for a book so it was

[00:40:42] like I think probably the most premium experience you could have but uh man I'll be honest with you

[00:40:48] man a lot of people might like uh might say some things about this but Carolina barbecue and

[00:40:55] Garner they do not cook on wood um they are uh no frills they're like a mile and a half from my house

[00:41:04] and they're good dude we really enjoy it uh it's very family friendly and we can get in there and go

[00:41:09] take our kids uh and then the whole family can eat with unlimited refills of sweet tea um

[00:41:17] for for not not a lot man and there it's just a really nice family run and own joint

[00:41:23] they've been there for a while so Carolina barbecue if you're ever out on 70 uh going towards

[00:41:28] Clayton and Garner check them out real old school they have like chicken pastries as the future one day

[00:41:34] and then they have you know like you got to go on certain days to get a different experience um

[00:41:39] the brunch wix-doo is great you can get that as a side option which I've always loved the banana

[00:41:44] pudding it's our warm it's like phenomenal um something about a man it just reminds me like

[00:41:50] I don't know who created the recipes but they were kind of cut from the same cloth as my

[00:41:55] grandparents and a lot of those flavors and a lot of the way that they season heavily and uh all

[00:42:00] that man the extra sugar and the sweet tea it's just like reminiscent of what I grew up and the

[00:42:05] the things that were on the table so I think that has a lot to do with it but uh don't sleep on them

[00:42:10] K-Line of barbecue yeah hey that's fantastic and there's nothing wrong with that that's the

[00:42:14] important thing you can take your family there you know what you're gonna get it's close to you

[00:42:18] it's it's right in your budget line and it it brings back those memories of home so hey absolutely

[00:42:24] great recommendation and glad to share that with their audience out there so now now we'll take

[00:42:28] into the low and slow showdown here we're gonna wrap it up and extremely generous with your time

[00:42:33] these are some quick hitters but might get a little bit of explanation so here here we go first of all

[00:42:38] gas charcoal pellets or wood wood what's your favorite wood

[00:42:48] lob of Spanish oak why that uh they just burns really clean in my opinion um

[00:42:57] and and it'll you know it allows you to add whatever other flavor wood flavor profile whether

[00:43:03] it's a green peach pecan um it allows you to add that in and I think it gives the entire

[00:43:08] flavor profile that other wood just adding the heat you know in the fuel so perfect so

[00:43:15] pork beef chicken or something else dude I gotta go chicken honestly wow just so much you can do

[00:43:24] with it uh one of my favorite things to eat in the whole world is a bone-in skin on chicken thigh

[00:43:30] just like grilled up and then you know I mean that's so yeah chicken yard bird okay best state

[00:43:38] in these United States for barbecue you man dude I gotta say Texas and I'm so like that's

[00:43:48] pretty sacrilege from somebody like to grew up right on the road and apex but uh I just think it's

[00:43:55] such it's become a religion in Texas and what what all they have going on down here in comparison to

[00:44:04] the past ten years what we've had going on around here I just don't think there's any way to

[00:44:09] compare it man I mean it's it's uh uh you know not proud of it but I think there for a long time

[00:44:18] up until the you know the recent years barbecue was just kind of forgotten about North Carolina

[00:44:24] and it was just left to those mom and pop joints to keep the tradition alive and keep the

[00:44:30] you know to either make progress in that area or not um and you know it wasn't ever really talked

[00:44:39] about it wasn't uh just wasn't you know there was so much going on in the food and beverage industry

[00:44:46] here in our area specifically that had nothing to do with barbecue right um and that's not the case

[00:44:53] anymore obviously over the past five years we've really seen an uprise in in not only North Carolina

[00:44:58] style barbecue but seeing other people incorporate different regions right um and so that's awesome

[00:45:05] I think we've got a long way to go to to really regain like a title um but 50 years ago

[00:45:15] probably North Carolina was really really king but there's just been so much progress made from what

[00:45:21] I've seen and you know I keep up with it in Texas it's just uh that's it's unmatched I think yeah

[00:45:29] definitely but carolina is is is starting to gain some ground on it with folks like you and

[00:45:33] John Jason a lot of those other people that are they're experimenting and stepping outside of that

[00:45:37] traditional back box of of carolina barbecue but but going back to the traditional box what is

[00:45:42] your favorite carolina barbecue style eastern western or what they're doing with the mustard and

[00:45:47] South cack now I like eastern man that's what I grew up on and I think uh you know like nobody's

[00:45:52] doing it better than sam jones with the with the crack one skin in there and just the profile that

[00:45:57] they've got on it uh we did an event with him last week for trying to win a food he was like

[00:46:01] right next to us chopping that pork it was just intoxicating um and and to speak a little bit and

[00:46:06] piggyback on what I've said before about Texas kind of holding the crown right now uh traditional

[00:46:11] north carolina barbecue is very near and dear to me it always will be um you know I just it's

[00:46:18] unfortunately you can't sell five dollar barbecue sandwiches anymore and make a living which

[00:46:23] is not realistic man so yeah you gotta you gotta move move the thing ahead and hopefully we are

[00:46:29] able to come back to to a point where like people are building pit houses and you know concrete

[00:46:34] block pits and stuff like that going forward but uh yeah I think I think eastern style and

[00:46:40] sam jones barbecue like specifically that bite is pretty gnarly fantastic so do you want it

[00:46:48] with or without sauce I like both and it just depends on like you know uh who cooked it and who made

[00:46:57] the sauce right if I if I've gotten got to choose but um I'm a fan of both I get the end of the

[00:47:02] day man if it's good I'm okay with it you know I don't really care much about the house and the

[00:47:09] wise is you know when I'm eating it like I just want to just bite man so uh that's the rule for me

[00:47:16] yeah that's what it's all about said last one is barbecue a verb or noun

[00:47:20] uh I guess we'll say a verb and that my friends is the lowdown from the man at Lawrence

[00:47:34] barbecue Jake Rood Jake thanks so much for joining the low and slow barbecue show can't wait to see

[00:47:39] you at the Carolina barbecue festival April 5th and 6th at Victoria yards looking forward to it man

[00:47:45] thanks so much thank you you've been listening to the low and slow barbecue show on the mesh.tv

[00:47:53] network of podcasts be sure to visit us online at lowslowbbqshow.com you can learn more about the

[00:48:00] Carolina barbecue festival and the other pitmasters participating in this year's event at lowslow

[00:48:05] bbqshow.com you can also hear from Operation Barbecue release CEO Stan A's you can also hear

[00:48:12] from other Carolina pitmasters like Keith Henning from Black Power Smokehouse as well as Gary

[00:48:16] and Kurtman from John G's barbecue we talked about him during the show Elliott Moss from Moss

[00:48:21] and more barbecues on the list as well these great Carolina pitmasters will all be at the Carolina

[00:48:27] barbecue festival April 5th and 6th that's a Victoria yards and Charlotte visit lowslowbqshow.com

[00:48:34] for all the details if you like what you hear in the low and slow barbecue show please follow us

[00:48:39] and subscribe in your favorite podcast stream we'd love it if you could give us a five star rating

[00:48:44] and more than anything please share the show with your friends special thanks to Jake

[00:48:49] group from Lawrence barbecue thanks as well to our producer Andrew Moose and the whole team at

[00:48:53] the mesh.tv network of podcasts most especially thank you for listening to the low and slow barbecue

[00:48:59] show remember for the best barbecue and the best barbecue podcast make it low and slow

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