Chef of the Week: Chef Evan LeRoy, LeRoy and Lewis, Austin, TX
Texas barbecue has always been steeped in tradition, but few pitmasters have done more to redefine what it can be than Chef Evan LeRoy. As the chef, pitmaster, and co-founder of LeRoy and Lewis in Austin, he has helped pioneer the new school barbecue movement, proving that barbecue is a cooking method rather than a fixed menu of brisket and ribs. By combining whole-animal butchery, responsible sourcing from Texas ranches, and techniques more commonly associated with fine dining, LeRoy has created a style that honors barbecue’s roots while constantly pushing its boundaries.
That vision has earned LeRoy and Lewis some of the highest accolades in American barbecue, including a Michelin Star in both 2024 and 2025 and the No. 2 spot on Texas Monthly‘s prestigious Top 50 BBQ list. In this week’s Chef of the Week, Evan reflects on his unlikely path into barbecue, why beef cheeks best represent his philosophy, what the Michelin recognition has meant for his team, and where he believes Texas barbecue is headed next.
1. Can you tell us about your journey into professional cooking? What first drew you to barbecue, and what made you decide to dedicate your career to it?
I started cooking professionally because I was a college student who needed extra money and I was interested in food. I got a job in barbecue initially because I was homesick in NYC and looking to change culinary jobs. I was drawn to barbecue because I saw the cuisine as something genuinely culturally important to Texas that nobody had yet elevated and I wanted to see what else we could barbecue. I decided to dedicate my career to barbecue because I became completely obsessed with the question of what else can we barbecue and how many different ways can we express the cuisine while remaining true to the origins of it.
2. Before opening your own restaurant, you spent years learning from some of Texas barbecue’s most respected pitmasters. Which experiences had the greatest influence on your style?
I didn’t have many mentors in the barbecue space specifically. I mostly learned on my own and from/with the people I worked with. I think at Freedmens and LeRoy and Lewis, we figured out a lot of things together as a team. My favorite experiences are getting to celebrate the wins with all the people who helped us get to where we are.
3. LeRoy and Lewis has earned a reputation for pushing the boundaries of Texas barbecue while respecting its traditions. How would you describe your philosophy as a pitmaster?
I would describe my philosophy as a pitmaster like a Venn diagram. We always have to have one foot in the “traditional barbecue” circle, and one in the “new school barbecue” circle. We stay focused on sourcing, creativity, and above all, excellent food.
4. You’ve become known for elevating cuts that many pitmasters overlook. What inspired you to move beyond the classic brisket-and-ribs formula?
I believe we as Texans should be the best at all forms of barbecue. We should know exactly the best way to smoke any cut of meat for barbecue.
5. LeRoy and Lewis was one of the first barbecue restaurants to earn a Michelin Star in the inaugural Texas Guide in late 2024. Now that you’ve had nearly two years to reflect on it, what impact has that recognition had on the restaurant, your team, and the business overall?
It has been the most impactful thing to happen to our business and our lives. We have gained the respect of chefs, industry vets, and diners from all over the world. We are busy almost all the time because of it. Our team and we as owners have also had to become better at our jobs. It has made us all better and busier.
6. Texas barbecue has never been more popular or more competitive. Where do you think the craft is headed over the next decade?
Many more different variations of barbecue. Different cultures and presentations. More non-BBQ restaurants will incorporate smokers.
7. Is there one dish on your menu that best represents your approach to barbecue? What makes it special?
Beef cheeks. Its undeniably barbecue, familiar, delicious. But you have never had anything like it before.
8. What’s one simple tip or technique that home cooks can use to noticeably improve their barbecue or grilling?
Season heavier, rest longer.
9. Running a successful barbecue restaurant requires both culinary skill and business discipline. What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned as a restaurant owner?
We can’t do anything we want to do, if the numbers don’t work.
10. If you are visiting another barbecue joint in Texas on your rare day off, what are you ordering, and who is cooking it?
Usually ribs or something different or special.
11. What advice would you give to aspiring pitmasters who hope to open their own barbecue restaurant one day?
Do anything else. If you must open a BBQ joint, make sure you have another goal beyond just getting open.
12. Looking ahead, what excites you most about the future of LeRoy and Lewis and Texas barbecue more broadly?
Seeing what else our amazingly talented team can do is exciting to me. Hopefully there are also kids growing up on our barbecue and a few of them will undoubtedly become barbecue cooks. I’m excited for what they come up with!
Chef Evan LeRoy | Instagram
LeRoy and Lewis
5621 Emerald Forest Dr, Austin, TX 78745
Featured image credit to Jessica Attie;
