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Lockhart BBQ family faces off for new TV series
1/22/2010 6:38 PM
By: Russell Wilde
For more than 100 years, the hallway at Smitty's Market has lead to some of the best barbecue in the state. It was also the home to Kruez Market, which relocated to a bigger building about 10 years ago.
Cousins have run the two restaurants for years--but now the family rivalry is about to be featured on a new Travel Channel series.
"They build up the drama, of course, as any reality show would, but it has been fun," Kruez Market manager Keith Schmidt said.
More BBQ fun
Last year, Russell served up a special series taking a look at the stories behind our local barbeque businesses.
Click here to check it out.
While the family history is the stuff of barbecue legends, smoked meat is big business for the city of Lockhart. Chamber of Commerce Director Wayne Bock said more than a million helpings of smoked meat are served up in the city's four BBQ joints every year.
"We don't have a river or a lake so our draw is barbecue, and because our barbecue is so good people travel here," he said.
There have been other TV shows that have featured the Barbecue Capital of Texas, but this will be the first time the city will have 30 minutes of national exposure.
It is exposure that could mean thousands of additional visitors and lots of attention for the pit bosses.
"Get lots of flack from customers and locals about being on TV and being a celebrity, but we try to keep everything real simple," Smitty's Market Pit Boss John Fullilove said.
Hundreds of Central Texans have shown their support during the three days of filming. Scmidt says preparing to face off with his cousin has been business as usual.
"We got our brisket on and we got our sausage on, and when they tell me they're ready to have the meat brought over I'll put it together just like I was taking it to a catering or something," he said.
The show will declare a winner, but that won't settle any arguments in Texas.
"No winners really in barbecue in Texas. It's an argument you really can't win in this state," Fullilove said.
The show is part of a series currently in production. The name of the show hasn't officially been set yet. The Lockhart episode is expected to premiere in March or April.
Lockhart BBQ family faces off for new TV series
1/22/2010 6:38 PM
By: Russell Wilde
Cousins have run the two restaurants for years--but now the family rivalry is about to be featured on a new Travel Channel series.
"They build up the drama, of course, as any reality show would, but it has been fun," Kruez Market manager Keith Schmidt said.
Click here to check it out.
"We don't have a river or a lake so our draw is barbecue, and because our barbecue is so good people travel here," he said.
It is exposure that could mean thousands of additional visitors and lots of attention for the pit bosses.
"Get lots of flack from customers and locals about being on TV and being a celebrity, but we try to keep everything real simple," Smitty's Market Pit Boss John Fullilove said.
Hundreds of Central Texans have shown their support during the three days of filming. Scmidt says preparing to face off with his cousin has been business as usual.
"We got our brisket on and we got our sausage on, and when they tell me they're ready to have the meat brought over I'll put it together just like I was taking it to a catering or something," he said.
The show will declare a winner, but that won't settle any arguments in Texas.
The show is part of a series currently in production. The name of the show hasn't officially been set yet. The Lockhart episode is expected to premiere in March or April.
