Diving Into BBQ Sauce with Gabrick Barbecue Sauce Co.
When Mark Gabrick closed his barbecue trailer near Austin last year in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, he had a decision to make. What should he do next? After researching the sauce business day and night for several months, Gabrick decided to try marketing his barbecue sauce.
Now less than a year later, Gabrick’s sauces are available in hundreds of locations of the grocery chain H-E-B. We wanted to talk to Mark about Gabrick Barbecue Sauce Co. and find out what it was like to pivot to a new business model in the middle of a global crisis. Here’s what he had to say.
Mark Gabrick pivoted from smoked meats to sauce last March.
Ryan Cooper: What’s your background with barbecue? How did you get into it?
Mark Gabrick: I have been around barbecue for as long as I can remember and have early memories of picking up fallen hickory sticks at Antioch Park in Kansas City when I was 5 years old and grilling with them. Later, many memories involve eating at the original Arthur Bryant’s and other now-famed places with my Dad and uncle. It has always been a part of our family to grill or smoke as often as we can and barbecue is the go-to comfort food for our family.
Later on in life, I decided to consider it as a career path when I was returning to the United States after living in Europe. While living abroad, I had a smoker shipped over and began to introduce my creative department to American-style BBQ. They were hooked and I was hooked on cooking for them. That eventually led me down the long road of wanting to build it into a restaurant someday with the dream of having it as a place our whole family could work at. In the early 90s, I was enticed by visiting Mike Anderson’s BBQ in Dallas and seeing his parents, him, and his wife working the restaurant, serving customers, and doing it with the food that I loved. Their family restaurant model became the blueprint in my mind for many years to come.
RC: You live in Texas but also spent quite a bit of time in the Kansas City area. Can you give your thoughts on Texas vs. Kansas City-style BBQ?
MG: I have now been out of Kansas City for so long that it would be difficult for me to give an honest evaluation of what Kansas City barbecue has become. I can say that I appreciate any place that reveres barbecue as much as Texas does, but KC will always have a special place in my heart as that is what I grew up on. Judging from photos alone, Texas wins hands down every time.
For sauce though, how can you not like a piece of chicken that’s been covered in a thick and bold KC-style sauce? I have vivid memories of being at my grandmother’s house in Westport where she used to make food like that.
Gabrick Barbecue Sauce Co. sells three varieties but more are on the way.
RC: You recently launched a line of sauces. How did that come about and what are the different sauces you offer?
MG: The sauce route was an unexpected pivot when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in March 2020. After our Mayor’s closure order was issued in Austin, we erred on the side of caution and shut down the very next weekend. There was so much uncertainty about what was coming our way that we wanted to keep our family and our customers safe. My boys often helped out on the weekend to earn extra money, and I was not going to put them in danger being exposed to something no one really knew about.
And then I prayed. I started to think, "What do I currently have that I can offer?" People had often asked me about where they could buy my sauce, but I never had a desire to really bottle it until then. I fell back on my advertising background and researched the sauce business day and night. I put together a presentation and pitched it to our local grocery store two months later. It was quiet for 6 weeks, but I kept plugging away reading everything I could on the grocery industry and tweaking what I had. Then the phone rang and I got word that the President of H-E-B loved the sauces and said all three flavors were in. We launched with Texas Tang, Sweet Heat, and Rebel Red, which is our spicy version. These are the exact same sauces we were using at our catered events and food trailer.
Mark Gabrick models his popular Texas Tang sauce.
RC: Do you plan on any additional sauces to the lineup? What do you have planned for the future?
MG: Yes, we have two more flavors coming. The fourth is almost finished and undergoing some final adjustments and will in some way pay homage to my time in KC in that it is thicker and bolder. It will still have some noticeable undertones of being Tex-ified. I like it, it’s very different from anything currently out there, and yet it’s not polarizing in any way.
All of the sauces will be based on places where I have lived that have in some way influenced my BBQ journey. I never want to put a sauce out on the market to just make a quick buck, or try to represent a region that I have not actually lived in. It needs to have some relevance to me, it needs to be made with the best ingredients that I am able to source, and it needs to work with the meats that are being cooked in my state. So if there’s a Texan who’s cooking a brisket this weekend and they want to offer up a dipping sauce to their guests, then Texas Tang is going to work really well for them.
Gabrick Barbecue Sauce can help liven up meats, sandwiches, and other items.
RC: Where can people get your sauces and how can they find out more about Gabrick Barbecue Sauce Co.?
MG: If you are in the state of Texas, you can find our sauces at over 200 H-E-B grocery stores and HEB.com has a store locator. Out of Texas residents who wish to order directly from us can order from our website.
As a bonus to the readers of The Smoke Sheet, customers who purchase all three of Gabrick Barbecue Sauce Co. sauces can get an additional 20% off their order when they use the promo code: BBQTOURIST in the checkout field, until July 4th, 2021. This 20% discount applies to residents outside of Texas only.
Ryan Cooper (BBQ Tourist)
Co-Founder, The Smoke Sheet
—The Smoke Sheet is honored to be named as the #1 BBQ Blog at last week’s NBBQA Awards of Excellence.—
HOT OFF THE PRESS
The National Barbecue & Grilling Association (NBBQA) virtually hosted its annual Awards of Excellence last week, honoring top sauces, rubs, media, and more. The Smoke Sheet was honored to be named the #1 BBQ Blog for the second year in a row. Thank you to the NBBQA and congrats to all of our fellow winners. WATCH THE AWARDS HERE.
This week, barbecue author Robert Moss published his list of “The South's Most Legendary Barbecue Joints 2021” in Southern Living. This list is particularly good because it does not lean on typical heavy hitters and instead focuses on several under-the-radar picks, including Archibald’s BBQ in Alabama, Gary Lee’s Market in Georgia, and Kream Kastle in Arkansas. READ HERE.
Barbecue legend Ed Mitchell and his son Ryan have launched a new delivery-only BBQ service in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Mitchell family is best known for their famous eastern Carolina-style barbecue and originally wanted to open a full-service operation. But the pandemic changed their plans, so the new service operates (for now) as a ghost kitchen on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and delivers via DoorDash, UberEats, and Postmates. READ HERE.
In a new Bloomberg report about Brazilian beef producer Marfrig Global Foods, it notes that American producers of pork, beef, and poultry, “are set for a record year of output, and U.S. consumers will eat more meat in 2021 than in any other year except last year." The average American is expected to eat 224.8 pound of meat in 2021, according to the report. READ HERE.
Eater San Francisco recently spotlighted Gracie’s Family BBQ, which has been serving up high-quality barbecue in Vallejo, California for 22 years. The story notes that owner and pitmaster Ken Ingersol, “has never been to Texas, Kansas, or any other state that takes pride in its barbecue, but you wouldn’t know it from the way the menu tastes: Gracie’s, which is named for Ingersoll’s daughter, cooks most everything from scratch. Gracie’s offers classic barbecue fixings: chicken, baby back ribs, pulled pork, and burnt ends are each smoked or roasted and smothered with Gracie’s barbecue sauce.” READ HERE.
After Chicago barbecue legend Hecky Powell died last May from COVID-19 complications, his family has continued in building the legacy of Hecky’s Barbecue. “I’m just extremely proud that I can push on and continue with his family and our family, the legacy,” Hecky’s sister Patsy Powell said. “He left an empire, and I just didn’t realize that as much until being back here in Evanston. People come in with these stories, like, ‘I’ve been coming here for 30 years, I’ve been coming in for 25 years.’” READ HERE.
ADDITIONAL READS
Daniel Vaughn of Texas Monthly spoke with many unhappy barbecue restaurant owners about Texas dropping its state-wide mask mandate.
Doc's Smokehouse and Craft Bar, which has locations in IN, IL, and WI, will soon reopen its four restaurants after closing them in October due to the pandemic.
Travel blog The Fearless Foreigner recently spotlighted its list of “Best BBQ Cities in America,” which includes a few surprising entries.
Whole-hog barbecue legend Rodney Scott spoke to Greg Morago of the Houston Chronicle about his exciting new barbecue cookbook.
Guess Family Barbecue in Waco, TX was given a donation of 17,000 pounds of chicken from the Drew Barrymore Show. The joint then gave away much of the donation to local people in need.
Mt. Zion, IL-based food truck Notorious P.I.G. BBQ, which has won an audience nationally for its rubs, will soon open its first brick-and-mortar store in order to sell raw meats, wraps, sandwiches and more.
Garland, TX barbecue staple Meshack’s is trying to recover from burst pipes and theft during winter storms. You can donate to help them here.
Panther City BBQ in Fort Worth is serving up excellent pastrami, 360 West reports.
—Matt Horn has cemented himself among California’s top pitmasters.—
WATCH
How Pitmaster Matt Horn Developed His Signature ‘West Coast-Style' Barbecue in Oakland — SmokePoint
Horn Barbecue pitmaster Matt Horn fell in love with barbecue from a young age, when he learned to get a feel for how to make juicy, tender, and smoky brisket, ribs, and other meats from his grandfather’s smoker without even using a thermometer. Now, he cultivates his “West Coast-style” barbecue, inspired by a combination of Central Texas barbecue, traditions from the deep south, and Horn’s Bay Area roots, at his restaurant in Oakland. WATCH HERE.
LISTEN
Which Is The Best Barbecue Joint in Texas? — Tales from the Pits
Tales from the Pits hosts Bryan and Andrew recently asked their followers on Instagram which barbecue spot was the best in Texas. They received a variety of answers that spanned the entire state, so they decided to have fun with it by debating the pros and cons for each spot. It’s the kind of age-old debate Texas Monthly attempts every four years and Texas barbecue fans continually argue about. LISTEN HERE.
READ
Rodney Scott's World of BBQ: Every Day Is a Good Day — Rodney Scott and Lolis Eric Elie
Rodney Scott was born with barbecue in his blood. He cooked his first whole hog — a specialty of South Carolina barbecue — when he was just eleven years old. At the time, he was cooking at Scott's Bar-B-Q, his family's barbecue spot in Hemingway, South Carolina. Now, four decades later, he owns one of the country's most awarded and talked-about barbecue joints, Rodney Scott's Whole Hog BBQ in Charleston. In this modern American success story, co-written by award-winning writer Lolis Eric Elie, Rodney Scott details how he made his way from the small town where he worked for his father in the tobacco fields and in the smokehouse, to the sacrifices he made to grow his family's business, and the tough decisions he made to venture out on his own in Charleston. Rodney Scott's World of BBQ is an uplifting story that speaks to how hope, hard work, and a whole lot of optimism built a rich celebration of his heritage — and of unforgettable barbecue. PRE-ORDER HERE.
—The triple pork breakfast fatty from Hey Grill Hey will fill the largest of appetites.—
Monster Triple Pork Breakfast Fatty
By Hey Grill Hey
This “Triple Pork Breakfast Fatty” from Susie Bulloch of Hey Grill Hey will fulfill all of your breakfast goals. Sharp cheddar is wrapped in scrambled eggs spiked with diced ham (pork #1). That layer is lovingly wrapped up inside of sweet pork sausage (pork #2) and the whole thing is snuggled up in a beautiful bacon blanket (pork #3). A nice dusting of Bulloch’s Best Sweet Rub and a little BBQ sauce brings it home.
—Early 2021 may be light on larger barbecue events, but we expect many to happen later in the year.—
March 12-13, 2021: American Royal Backyard BBQ & Steak Cook-Off — Kansas City, Missouri
The inaugural American Royal Backyard BBQ & Steak Cook-Off will be hosted at the American Royal Complex in the West Bottoms on March 12-13, 2021. The Backyard BBQ and Steak Cook-Off are two separate contests and teams are allowed to enter either one or both as long as you meet the Kansas City Barbeque Society definition of a Backyard Cook Team. MORE INFO HERE.
April 21, 2021: Brisket King NYC — Brooklyn, New York
If you love brisket, you won’t want to miss Brisket King NYC 2021 in Brooklyn. The event will be held this year at the outdoor space at Pig Beach NYC in Brooklyn. More than 15 chefs and pitmasters will be there serving up their takes on brisket and pastrami, including Blue Smoke, Central City BBQ, Morgan’s Brooklyn Barbecue, and others. MORE INFO HERE.
May 12-15, 2021: Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest — Memphis, Tennessee
This four-day competition will be held in Tom Lee Park on the banks of the Mississippi River in downtown Memphis. Teams travel from around the world to compete for the title of World Champion and a share of the more than $115,000 in prize money. Teams will compete in the championship pork categories of Ribs, Shoulder, and Whole Hog, as well as the ancillary competitions of Hot Wings, Sauce, and “Anything But Pork.” MORE INFO HERE.
July 9-11, 2021: Windy City Smokeout BBQ & Country Music Festival — Chicago, Illinois
Get ready for beer, BBQ, and country tunes, because the Windy City Smokeout BBQ & Country Music Festival is returning to Chicago. The Windy City Smokeout is one of the largest barbecue festivals in the U.S. and typically features the world’s best pitmasters and more than 15 musical acts. Read our to learn about the experience. MORE INFO HERE.
August 26-30, 2021: AmazingRibs.com Meat-Up in Memphis — Memphis, Tennessee
Join Meathead Goldwyn and the AmazingRibs.com crew at the Meat-Up in Memphis. The Meat-Up will be based in the historic Peabody Hotel. Things will kick off with a whole hog cooking demonstration Friday afternoon followed by a welcome dinner at the famous Rendezvous. Saturday will be a day of pork-centric seminars in the hotel, with special porky meals. Sunday, attendees will board buses and visit four BBQ joints for a deep dive into the historic tastes of Memphis barbecue. MORE INFO HERE.
NOTE: Due the pandemic, it’s possible these dates and details might change. For the latest details, please check out our full events calendar.
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