The Legend Lives

Writer Deven Wilson | Editor Ashley Bowling | Photographer Baptiste Despois

Building barbecue pits out of riverbed stones with his family gave Pitmaster Ben Lambert a natural edge to break into the game with his trailer, JNL Barbecue. 

“JNL, that’s James Nolan Lambert. We named the place after my dad,” Ben, co-owner and pitmaster, proudly reminisces. ”People would drive from San Antonio to get a plate of my dad’s food.” Ben’s father passed when he was only 16. At the time, according to Ben, there was still so much more to learn about barbecue to make a career out of it. Eventually, he found himself in charge of brisket at Franklin Barbecue. While plenty of names have come out of the iconic spot off East 11th, Ben wanted to stand out from the pack of protégés. 

Taking all he learned, Ben shifted focus eastward to learn from the greats in the Carolinas and bridge the gap between two pillars of American barbecue. “I learned how to cook a whole hog from Rodney Scott (widely considered one of the best pitmasters in the nation) and Michael Letchworth (another legend),” Ben grins. More locally, he spent a few weeks studying with the team behind Bangers to get a grip on how to do sausage well. 

The fruit of this never-ending education blooms in the form of a drool-worthy tray of smoked meats such as his house-cured Smoked Bacon and vinegar-based Al Pastor Pork Ribs with tasty sides like Mom’s Green Beans that demonstrate he’s earned one of the top spots cooking east of I-35. Despite several years in their trailer and their former brick-and-mortar, Ben continues experimenting and learning. “I still don’t think I’ve ever seen a perfect recipe out of the 110,000 I’ve cooked so far,” he humbly shares. As Ben continues to improve upon barbecue perfection, it’s clear to all who congregate at JNL that every bite is like a lesson in what barbecue should taste like. If Ben should ever strike perfection in his pit, the world might not be able to handle it.

Local Tip: Try JNL’s Rum Banana Pudding.

Contact:
1505 Town Creek Dr.
jnlbarbecue.com