Meet the Pitmasters

Founded by pitmaster Luke Tramel, Luke’s BBQ has quickly become a rising star in Oklahoma’s barbecue scene. Diners love the restaurant’s commitment to traditional slow-smoked meats paired with creative sides and house-made sauces. Luke’s journey began with backyard cookouts that evolved into pop-ups and eventually a permanent location fueled by loyal fans, world-of-mouth praise, and positive press, like being recognized as one of the Hidden Gems of Oklahoma BBQ by 405 Magazine.

Chef Levi Bouska is a second-generation butcher and third-generation pitmaster who competed in season 4 of BBQ Pitmasters and season 5, BBQ Pitmasters All Stars, with his father David Bouska. The Butcher BBQ Stand opened in 2015 as an offshoot of the renowned Butcher BBQ enterprise and uses the same recipes, rubs, and sauces as the award-winning competition team at Butcher BBQ. A popular destination for hungry travelers along Route 66, The Butcher BBQ Stand is listed among Travel Oklahoma’s Top 16 BBQ Hotspots and attracts barbecue enthusiasts from around the country.

Adam Green has been cooking since watching his father-in-law at a cookoff inspired him to explore it as a hobby. Countless hours of practice and perfecting his own recipes later, you’ll find him at the helm at Mac’s, an Oklahoma institution since 1985. Mac’s is known for serving premium meats and ingredients cooked the old-fashioned way over hickory and pecan wood using their homemade rub. Their award-winning sauce is made fresh weekly – a staple part of Mac’s tradition and taste that has earned the restaurants numerous Grand Champion awards and accolades, including a spot in the American Royal BBQ Hall of Fame.

Opened in July 2020 by Chef Tabb Singleton, Phat Tabbs serves up a melting pot of Kansas City and Texas barbecue creating a new and distinct Oklahoma barbecue identity. Chef Tabb Singleton is a 2024 James Beard Best Chef in the Southwest Region semifinalist and winner of the Chopped cooking competition on the Food Network in 2023 and Destination America: Deep Fry Masters on the Discovery Channel in 2013. He found his love for the smoker in high school, then moved to New Orleans, LA to work under the great Chef Emeril Lagasse and hone his culinary craft.

Chef Joe Zavala is no stranger to the pit: both his father and father-in-law were pitmasters, and every family gathering was packed with flavor. What started as a side hobby from his job as an IT consultant has evolved into a delicious full time gig, including stints as celebrity chef for the Dallas Mavericks and the Dallas Cowboys in 2021. Zavala’s brisket tacos were featured on Netflix’s Taco Chronicles, and the restaurant is a two-time winner (2021 and 2022) of the Dallas Observer’s “Top 100 Restaurants in Dallas”.

Wife and husband duo Erin Smith and Patrick Feges have been doing pop-up barbecue events since 2014, opening their first brick and mortar location in 2018. Their experience in fine dining, combined with Feges’ passion for barbecue, creates a unique blend of traditional flavors with modern, elevated interpretations that have been noticed by Texas Monthly, Thrillist, and Garden and Gun. Feges is known in Houston’s culinary community as “the Whole Hog Guy” and is a self-taught pitmaster and Purple Heart recipient.

Chef Joel Garcia honed his skills under some of Austin’s most legendary pitmasters before opening Teddy’s with his brother in his hometown, originally selling barbecue out of his driveway. Since 2017, they’ve been serving up delectable barbecue dishes from their food truck, locations in food halls and event spaces, and their brick-and-mortar location (opened in 2019). Teddy’s is listed as one of Texas Monthly’s Top 50 BBQ Joints 2025 and was highlighted as one of the 20 Best Texas Barbecue Restaurants From the New Generation by the New York Times.

Chef Cooper Abercrombie’s early training came from MeatChurch and Malcolm Reed videos, eventually expanding to learn from local community icons like Nomad BBQ and Goldee’s. His self-taught approach worked: today, Bar-A-BBQ has been recognized as one of Texas Monthly’s Top 50 BBQ Joints 2025 and is featured in the Texas Monthly Review. Bar-A-BBQ’s started small: in 2019, the restaurant began appearing at pop-up locations at events and festivals around Texas. The family owned and operated, brick-and-mortar location in Montgomery opened in spring 2023.