Tacos of Texas

Chuck Charnichart: Barbs. Barbs. Barbs. I was hearing Barbs, hard Barbs a lot, uh, because I think Nicki Mosh had just released an album. Ah, that’s what I heard. Yes. And that’s the name of their fan base. Yep. And then I always knew that I didn’t want the restaurant to be named after me and the Barbs Bar Barbs. And I was like, ah, barbs VQ, yeah.

Mando Rayo: It just, it fits right. I love it. Yeah.

What’s up Taco World? I’m Taco Journalist Mando Rayo, and welcome to the Tacos of Texas podcast, El Cinco, produced by Identity Productions in partnership with KUT and KUTX studios. And we’re back exploring taco culture in Texas through the eyes of the people in the lone star steak. So, grab a tortilla and a slice of brisket and get ready for some muy tasty.

Tackle conversations. Cue the Cumbia

in today’s episode of Backwards of Texas. We’re talking women in barbecue and what it takes to stand out in a male dominated world. Our guest is Pitmaster Chuck Charna, chart of barbecue, who’s making waves in the barbecue capital of the world and was just named one of Texas monthlies. Top 50 barbecue joints.

What’s up? Ante Mando here. Bringing you stories from the fire, the smoke, and the soul of Tejas. Now when we talk barbecue, you probably think brisket, pit masters and old school dudes with big valleys like mine and bigger egos. Uh, same. Too often we see the list of best barbecue places across Texas, and hardly any of them mention any women.

It’s usually a side mention like, oh, and he started this with his wife. Or maybe they take photos of the same women over and over again, just like in the ROS world. Women don’t get enough recognition. Women have played significant roles as community organizers and cooks in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Women were key figures in organizing community barbecues, especially in Texas and the American South. They often prepare size desserts and supported large scale cooking events for church fundraisers, political rallies, and social gatherings just like in Mexican households preparing all the while the men get all the credit, they also serve as a family tradition keepers.

Women help pass down family barbecue recipes, marinades and techniques shaping regional barbecue identities over generations. Unfortunately, their roles have been undertold. Or under recognized. But today we’re flipping that whole narrative. We’re gonna meet the young woman who’s not just kicking open the doors of the barbecue tradition.

She’s built her own smokehouse in the barbecue capital of Texas in this small town called Lockhart, Texas.

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Today on the show we’re serving up something special with Chuck Char. Chart. The bold young pitmaster owner of barbecue only open on Saturday and Sundays from 11:00 AM to sold out and trust us. It goes fast. Chuck brings a real grande Valley twist to the classical. Texas Barbecue. Let’s dig in. Chuck, welcome to the re This is our taco podcast studio.

Uh, you know, I didn’t, I didn’t bring any tacos today, but we have some habaneros that you can taste. All right. I’m hungry. Yeah, yeah. You know, we, I was just, um, your shop this weekend. How did it go? It was your two year anniversary, right? It was

Chuck Charnichart: our two year anniversary, and it was a, the. Biggest party that I could ask for.

And the food was really good.

Mando Rayo: It was, it was super tasty. I mean, we were talking about, you know, the pork ribs. It had like this sweet glaze on it. The brisket was just like so tender, the bark on it and the green. Spaghetti tell, tell us about your menu. Tell us about your menu.

Chuck Charnichart: Yes. Uh, um, our menu, it has like the classic barbecue meats, brisket, pork, ribs, Turkey, uh, sausage, and then our sides is where we really try to, uh, show what we’re about.

I’m from Bronzeville, Texas. Bronzeville, shout out to Bronzeville. 9, 5, 6. And my mom has really good sson. Oh, yeah. Yeah. And I, I was inspired by her and all my cooking and her flavors. And the green spaghetti is her recipe. Yeah. The chicken moles, her recipe, and I, I tweak it a little bit, but like ultimately she inspired me to, to share these roots.

Mm-hmm. Because. To me, these dishes are so, so good that I, it feels like an obligation to me to share it to other people. Yeah.

Mando Rayo: Love it. Yeah. No, I love it. Yeah. Can you explore more a little bit about your mom’s inspiration, the recipes, and, and why share it and, and how did you get a Lockhart?

Chuck Charnichart: Um, my mom’s from San Luis.

She grew up in a Rancho with like 16 siblings and, um, no TV back then. Yeah, no TV back then. Um. She couldn’t really work because she has like a her hands shake. Mm-hmm.

Mando Rayo: So

Chuck Charnichart: whenever she did try to get a job, they would let her go ’cause she would shake too much. Okay. And so she would stay at home and I was very fortunate that mostly every single meal that I ate growing up was cooked by her.

’cause lunch and dinner, we always had something to eat. Yeah. Even though if it was something very simple, um, and when it was very simple, she never felt to say, you know, when I was a kid I would eat a tortilla with a sprinkle of salt and I was fine. Yeah. Right. So, you know, all of that, like, it really hits and makes you realize like what.

Life is, and, um, just trying to make it the best for others. Mm-hmm. And for yourself. And she just cooked and cooked and cooked. And then when I, I got to go to UT Austin for college.

Mando Rayo: Mm-hmm.

Chuck Charnichart: And being away from home made me realize about how. How much, uh, flavor and culture I was like losing. Yeah, right. Once you hit Austin, watch out.

Yes. It’s definitely has gotten so much better now. I think we can find very similar tacos to like Mat Moto style. Yep. And all that, that hits the spot. Chat being nice.

Mando Rayo: Yes. And so, so you went to to school and, but I hear that you also went abroad. Yeah, tell us about that.

Chuck Charnichart: So I got to go to UT Austin. I was studying business and marketing and.

The way that I stumbled into barbecue Yeah. Was my freshman year I was working three jobs and then I saw this Craigslist post for Franklin Barbecue. Like a front of the house. Yeah. And it was, the pay was. More than me working those three jobs. So I was like, yes. Like this is what I need. And I got the job and I didn’t know what I was falling into.

I, I worked there for about three years, but I think what what got me is that, um, I worked the line, so I got to talk to everyone in line every day, and I got to know all these people from all over. And after they finished eating, they had just so much appreciation and gratitude towards the food and the moment and it really, it just like opened my heart.

Mm-hmm. And it just felt like something that I wanted to be around with forever.

Mando Rayo: Yeah.

Chuck Charnichart: And not only that, it was more also like the challenge of not. Being like allowed to cook barbecue and mm-hmm. And well,

Mando Rayo: what, what do you mean not being allowed to cook barbecue?

Chuck Charnichart: Uh, like your intro where it’s like, yeah, it’s the typical old school barbecue dude.

Mm-hmm.

Mando Rayo: The,

Chuck Charnichart: the pan with a big eagle was like, that was very much the thing back then. And you rarely saw maybe one or two, three women mm-hmm. In barbecue across all Texas. And now it is, it has changed. I think also, um. A lot of, um. The men in barbecue have sort of allowed their, their wives to share the spotlight with them as well.

Sure. Yeah. And I think that’s really awesome because it, and at the end of the day, I’m pretty sure it’s like the woman who says, yeah, at the end of the day, you

Mando Rayo: know that who, who’s the boss? You know what I mean?

Chuck Charnichart: Yes, I agree. I do think that they give them the feedback on the spices on how it tastes. Like they have a very.

Important role in their business. Yeah, no kidding.

Mando Rayo: Yeah. You know, in my house, I mean, you know, uh, obviously my name is Mando, but in my house, my wife Hey, Amanda Uhhuh. She’s Uhhuh. Yeah. And so, uh, before you got to Lockhart, had you envisioned open up your own barbecue joint or how did that happen?

Chuck Charnichart: Yeah, so. I worked at Franklin Barbecue and then the pandemic happened.

I was graduating in 2020 when the pandemic was started, and I had this idea of going into, um, working for a nonprofit for ai, really liked AI design. Mm-hmm. And I thought that’s what I wanted to do. Then I got a. Few months of working Yeah. In it. And it is something that I’m passionate about, but I just, I need it to work with my hands.

Like I need it to be present and, and touch and create and grow. And so then I left to Dallas to go to Fort Worth and work at Goldie’s Barbecue. Mm-hmm. And working at Goldie’s during the pandemic super slow, they were selling maybe three to five briskets Wow. A weekend. And, um, they gave me the opportunity to come and learn and, uh, nothing much was really going on.

And Johnny uh, one of the owners from Goldie’s Barbecue, he got offered a consulting job to go to. Egypt and help open a barbecue restaurant there.

Mm.

And he brought me along and I got to cook in Egypt for three months. Wow. It was the most wild experience. I bet. Bet. Yeah. Ever. I think that was sort of the catalyst for me where it was so challenging and that I had to come back to Texas and I had no excuse for myself to not open my own thing because if I went through that Yeah.

For someone else. So I’m bet like, no. Yeah, I need to do this for me. For yourself,

Mando Rayo: right? Yes. Yeah. Love that. So what, what, like you talked about those challenges, what were they? Mm-hmm.

Chuck Charnichart: Like, I don’t believe that you did this work. Ah, sure. Um, just always ex always like have these like, like version of me in their head.

Yeah. That cannot accept like my work for what it is. Right. And um, yeah, Johnny really fought for me to make them see yeah, my worth and what I can do. And, um. It, it felt like torture to sort of like, sh do my bust every day. And it not be enough. Not be enough.

Mando Rayo: Yeah. But you are right because look at you like opening up a, a shop in Lockhart on your own and for you, right?

Yes. Yeah. So, so tell me like, how did you land in Long Heart?

Chuck Charnichart: Well, I wanted it to be close to Austin, um, but I didn’t want it to be in Austin. I think like we were like. Lockhart is the barbecue capital Yeah. Of Texas and the affordability. Yeah. And, uh, the community nice because it’s the community there.

All the, all the shops on the squares and stuff, it’s all real People who are not like, uh. Hospitality groups or corporations, they’re all artists. There’s lots of art galleries. Sure. And it’s really cool because, uh, all these artists are able to do what they actually want to do. Mm-hmm. And they get to do it in Lockhart.

And I think that’s what has brought a lot of creatives out there, musicians and foodies like me. Right, right,

Mando Rayo: right. You’re, you’re, you’re, yeah, you’re creating your own. And, and in a sense, s Lockhart does have kind of that small town, just like, you know, originally from El Paso. Even though El Paso’s a big city, it does have this small town vibe.

So it’s all like, it makes sense, right? Bordertown border. Bordertown. Yeah. So let’s go back to like, you know, what was your first day like, I guess when you opened

Chuck Charnichart: the first day? Uh, it almost feel, felt like I wasn’t present, like I was just doing and doing and doing and just making sure that things happen.

Yeah. Uh, until the day was over where? Like the worms were, they didn’t have any more meats and yeah, you’re

Mando Rayo: like, oh,

Chuck Charnichart: oh, it’s a thing that really happened. It’s a thing, right? Yeah. Um, my mom couldn’t stop crying and I was just like, I can’t see you. Like I, I need to work. Like I, because then I’m a crier too, and if I, if I see someone cry, I am going to cry too.

Aw, that’s right. Yes. Yeah. And it was also, it was, it was mostly that too. I think I was sort of like. Put a shield on myself, Uhhuh, because if I let my emotions get to me, then it would game over. Yeah. Yeah. Like that bark. Right. Uhhuh, you gotta put a,

Mando Rayo: that bark on it.

Yes.

So tell me about, like, does your mom have a role still today in that, in developing, helping with the recipes?

You, you, you did mention the green spaghetti. Mm-hmm. Right? So does, what role does she have and as well as, you know, the, the partners that you have in, uh, your smokehouse? Yeah.

Chuck Charnichart: Mm-hmm. So. My mom, every now and then I’ll ask her. Well, um, every now and then I’ll, I’ll ask her about a dish that she makes and, um, specifically just the most recently one, the chicken mole.

Mm-hmm. Um, she has her own recipe that, uh, back in, in Matmos, she sells her mole and like ref the Pepsi plastic bottles of two liters. Oh, love it. Love it. Yeah. Yeah. Fur and pests and stuff and

Mando Rayo: concentrate.

Chuck Charnichart: Yes. And everyone over there in Matmos likes it. Mm-hmm. And I really like it. Uh, and it had just been a while since I had more or less so I had, I felt like I, that was a new thing that I wanted to bring onto the menu.

Yeah. And she came and spent a week with me to, to recipe test the mole. And since then I’ve sort of tweaked it every week, but what I really want to make it is, uh, make it for the pork belly that mm-hmm. Um, we’re gonna get a rotisserie soon and that’ll help us cook more food. Yeah. And open one more day.

Yeah. And I wanna add pork belly to the menu with the mole. Mm-hmm. Sauce. I feel like that’s gonna be super yummy. Yeah. And then the chicken. I wanna go back to like just the classic Voya Salad chicken. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. There you go. So it almost feels like, for me with Barb’s, it’s like I get to put on the menu like my favorite foods from growing up in the valley.

Like a, yeah. A good Voya salad. Nice. Spa Verde. Uhhuh. Like aita. Yep. With a rose and corn. Like

Mando Rayo: love that. Well, I love that. Like, you know, it’s part of that new school of barbecue where you’re infusing your own lived experience mm-hmm. And the flavors of home into like what, what that classical, uh, Texas barbecue is.

Yeah. And so when you were developing your, your menu, did you start like that or were you like, well, let me start with traditional barbecue.

Chuck Charnichart: Um, yes. Right from the start, I knew that I wanted things to be very different. Yeah. Uh, in our popup days, my barbecue sauce was like a, almost like baby food, like it was all like the healthiest fruits and just like a really healthy barbecue sauce, uhhuh, because it’s, it’s.

It’s wild how much sugar goes into barbecue sauces and like, same thing with right Uhhuh, but we’re still gonna drink it. We’re still Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, but I think in the beginning with Barb cq, I had the mentality where I wanted to make a. Very healthy. Mm-hmm. And, um, nourishing sides to go with, like the heavy foods.

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And so we had the, the no PATOS with the pico. Mm-hmm. That was almost like a, a vegan ceviche to me. That’s how I describe it. Um, yeah. And then it developed to more. Valley flavors as I went on. Mm-hmm. Like, uh, back then my pork ribs. Uh, and then also parts of our menu is sort of pop influence.

Mando Rayo: Yes. I did get that,

Chuck Charnichart: like pop music influence. And so back then in our pop-up stays, uh, our ribs were called Heaven or Las Vegas, uh, tribute to a COC two twin song and the heaven ribs were sort of like a sweet sweeter sauce. And then the Las Vegas were like a spicy

Mando Rayo: Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Love it. Love it. And so, uh, barbs.

Mm-hmm. What about the name?

Chuck Charnichart: Yes. Barbs. Um, uh, the Barbs. Barbs. Barbs. I was hearing Barbs hard Barbs. A lot Uhhuh, because I think Nicki Mosh had just released an album. Ah, that’s what I heard. Yes. And that’s the name of their fan base. Yep. And then I always knew that I didn’t want. The restaurant to be named after me thought that’s, that’s too silly.

Like I always think of an operation as communal and I don’t want it to be about me. And the Barb sparks barbs and I was like, barbs V. Cute. Yeah. It

Mando Rayo: just. It fits right. I love it. Yeah. Well, you know, it’s funny ’cause like when you go to a barbecue place in Texas, like, you know, has a country music, take me to Texas, you know, but no, you like, you’re like blasting out Bad bunny.

And, and I was like, Hey, I, I think people are gonna be ready for the party before, before they eat the barbecue. Yes. So I love that. Like even if, uh, you know, people that didn’t know that they had, there was a maybe, uh, the, the roots of Latino, your Latino roots, right? Mm-hmm. Uh, of, uh, of your Mexican roots.

Um, it’s there. It’s like sprinkled across. Mm-hmm. Is that important for you?

Chuck Charnichart: Absolutely. I think, um, like I am for my, for my siblings, I’m the first one born here. Mm-hmm. And it always felt like, um, I had an advantage compared to them. And, um. It makes me really happy that, um, like I think my mom just cries at any second mm-hmm.

When she thinks about bars, because I’m living her dream. Yeah. And I’m getting to do the things that she didn’t get to do. Mm-hmm. And, and like. From my perspective, it’s like, um, we had a, a tough childhood, but my mom had an even tougher childhood. And it’s like my, it feels like my, my mission to try to make it, uh, to try to, um, diminish as much like troubled childhoods as possible.

Yeah, yeah. Yeah. And if I can do that with food, right, it makes someone happy. Buy food. It make, it means the world to me.

Mando Rayo: Love it. Love it. Well, I feel like do, if you, if you grew up on the border. And, and definitely you have a tough upbringing, you know? Um, I mean, I grew up in the projects and you, you kind of had like this idea around like, you gotta, you gotta make everything work.

You

know what I mean? So is there certain things that like. Uh, certain experiences from your childhood that you’re like, oh, you know what, that’s what I learned and this is what I’m using now. That’s my superpower.

Chuck Charnichart: I think it’s like seeing, like my parents struggle so much that it was like ignited the, the biggest fire in me to push.

And, um, like, uh, I started working at 16 at Taco Bell. Yeah. And then I, like, I remember. Like accidentally stumbling upon like one of my dad’s paychecks from like, he worked at a seafood restaurant, Uhhuh at the island.

Mando Rayo: Yeah.

Chuck Charnichart: And it was the same like 7 25 an hour. And he had, I know that he had been working there since I was born and I was like,

Mando Rayo: yeah,

Chuck Charnichart: like, because then I was 16 and now I, at that age I understood like financial stuff and life and um, that like seeing that paycheck with my dad working at the restaurant first.

16 years already. Mm-hmm. And it’s still being 7 25. It’s like,

Mando Rayo: damn,

Chuck Charnichart: damn. Yeah. It was, it was a huge realization for me. Yeah. And, um, and then also just like, uh, go getting out and moving to Austin and. Really like that teenage angst of like, oh, my family was never around, blah, blah, blah, blah. Like, then, uh, in college I realized that they weren’t around ’cause they were so stressed and they did whatever they could.

They had multiple jobs

Mando Rayo: probably, and just, yeah, it is, it is a hard, it’s a hard life. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Nice. Nice. It feels like there’s always been like a sense of community as you were growing up, even though you found a community in Austin, you found a community, uh, in, in, uh, Fort Worth and now, now in Lockhart.

So tell me about like your community in Lockhart, your, your partners and, and everybody that helps you run the shop. It was a, I mean, I went there and everybody was like, it’s all women. And no, I did see one guy in there, but it was awesome. I loved it.

Chuck Charnichart: It, it was mainly all women for a good amount of time, and now we have, uh, three boys.

Um, but they, they, they know like they, they love it. Yeah. Like they, um, they’re very unique and they’re very special. But, um, my team in general is very special. Uh. They’re a bunch of 20 year olds. Yeah. And I love that I can do what I can to help them grow and push them and like see their worth. And I’m, I’m happy to teach them Yeah.

And help them do whatever they wanna do. And I’m, I tell them like all the time, like, um. You know, like I’m only doing this for a few more years and then it’s up to y’all if y’all would like to continue, or if not, I’ll help y’all open whatever you want to open and see from there.

Mando Rayo: Yeah, I love it. Love it in the sense you’re being there for somebody that maybe wasn’t there for you.

Chuck Charnichart: Mm-hmm.

Mando Rayo: Right. Yeah. I love that. Um, and you know, I think we talked about this earlier, but uh. This idea around women in barbecue. I, I’ve seen it, I’ve seen the list and whatnot. It’s always like, uh, like I said, a, a side mention. And so what does that mean for you to, to actually, you know, it feels like you’re putting like the stake, a stake in the ground, right.

And say, Hey, this is us. This is who we are. Um, you know, and, and I even see it, you know, you’re L-G-B-T-Q, uh, friendly and welcome and inclusive environment, which is, you know, maybe different from what people think of that male dominated barbecue world.

Chuck Charnichart: Absolutely. I do think that it makes me so happy that our restaurant brings out.

A very different crowd compared to other barbecue restaurants and the people who want to come and support. Mm-hmm. Like this women-owned business. Yeah. And, uh, for me to be so young, I think it mm-hmm. It really messes with people’s heads.

Mando Rayo: That’s a good thing, right?

Chuck Charnichart: Yes. Yes. Hopefully it’ll click one day.

Yeah. Right. Right. But um, yeah, the people who come to restaurant are the ones who want to come and they come with so much love and support. And every now and then we’ll have like the classic barbecue dudes and I can spot ’em out from a mile away. Yeah. Like you come in and you already have this like negative like.

Attitude and like negative, like perception of what the food is going to be. Right. Right. And I am not gonna be able to change that because that’s on you, you know? Yeah, yeah. Totally.

Mando Rayo: Yeah. It’s your time to grow.

Chuck Charnichart: Yes. But, um, I do think it’s a, a, a very tough field. Mm-hmm. Like the physicality of it, the, the long hours, the, but at the same time, it’s.

It’s really nice mm-hmm. To, to be able to dedicate so much time to food and mm-hmm. Um, what we do, um, in terms of the men and the woman, like in barbecue, like, uh, I think at the beginning when we first opened Barb pq mm-hmm. The news, the headlines were focused on like woman owned barbecue. Sure. But it, it sort of was, um.

Like it back stabbed us because then it became about us being women in barbecue instead of it being about the food. About the food. Yeah. Yeah. And, um, uh, you know, I just had to let time go by because Yeah, yeah, yeah. It’s just, it, it, it. Brought out a lot of like meanies. Oh man. We like, uh, I, we found ourselves in like this, like gun forum.

Like what? Saying something about like us Oh my God. In Lockhart. And we were like, okay, are we, yeah. It’s crazy. Do we need to get like a

security guy? I know, right? Yeah. It’s, I mean,

Mando Rayo: you know, the thing is like the egos of. Men, I would say they get scared when there’s something new and I think we just need to be more open to, you know, it takes all kinds of people.

Absolutely. It takes all kinds of people, you know, and, and you’re doing it.

Chuck Charnichart: What helped me the most is surrounding myself with people who believed in me since day one. Mm-hmm. And sort of saw myself before I did and did. Everything that they could to help me move along the ladder. And, um, um, I think, uh, I mean I worked at six barbecue restaurants.

I’ve been working in barbecue since 2017. Mm-hmm. But I didn’t get to start cooking until like 2020. Mm-hmm. So. Compared to a guy, you know? Mm-hmm. Like a guy can go into any barbecue restaurant and probably get the pit job right then and there, right? Yeah. For a woman, it’s probably gonna take a few years.

Yeah. But that is changing. And, um, I think my, my, my word to everyone out there is just to continue pushing. Yeah. And if they. They feel like they think I’m someone that they, that I can help them in some way, then come to me and we’ll see what we can do. But, um, this is, for me, with the barbecue, it feels like a stepping stone.

And uhhuh, I’m excited to. Don’t know, like a part of me wants to go to Mexico and help my other family there.

Mando Rayo: Mm-hmm. Maybe

Chuck Charnichart: help open a barbecue restaurant mm-hmm. So that we can like start our, our get rid of our generational poverty. Yeah. Yeah. And then the other part of me wants to go to somewhere like Chicago and New York and live like a big city life and surround myself with other like foodie people and see what, what else we can do.

Mando Rayo: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, I tell you, uh, the world is your, is your pet, right? Yes. Uh oh. You know what, uh, one thing came to mind is, uh, Sonic the Hedgehog.

Yes.

Tell me about the significance because it’s all over, you know, your, your place and obviously there was a, a, a real life one when I went to go.

Chuck Charnichart: Yes. That was in the costume.

That was my dream come true. To have like the, you know how the kids’ birthday parties when they bring out the costume Yeah. And they start dancing, like, it was, it, it,

it hit my heart. Oh. Like, it was so nice. And, um, Sonic comes from, um. Like memes. Yeah. Like there was just a bunch of sonic memes that were being sent to me.

Mm-hmm. And then it just became a thing ah, like people started giving us sonics, like all my friends. Ah. And so all the sonics that we have at the restaurant are not like my purchase. They’re all gifts. Oh, okay. They’re all gifts. Okay. So in some way, like. I’m not super obsessed, but it is. Yeah. At the end of the day, I love that we have sort of like a mascot or a character.

Yeah.

Mando Rayo: I love that. You know, as I was waiting in line and, and I saw it everywhere, you even had a sonic, uh, pinata and, and, and. See you work behind the line and you’re moving pretty fast. So I was like, I was like, maybe it’s because she’s way so fast.

Chuck Charnichart: Yes. There is correlation there. Right, right, right. I look at him and I’m like,

Mando Rayo: gotta go faster.

Yeah, you gotta go faster.

Chuck Charnichart: Yes.

Mando Rayo: Love it. Love it. Um, what do you think needs to change in the barbecue culture and who’s doing it? Right.

Chuck Charnichart: Um. I think a goldie’s barbecue. It was these five young group of guys who spent a good amount of years in Austin all working at different barbecue restaurants and taking it all in and moving back home and opening this barbecue restaurant.

And they got number one at like 26 years. Yeah, 26 years old. And these guys are the most like humble, playful, open-minded people that. First took me in and, uh, I was able to learn from them and then use their space as sort of like my, my, my classroom uhhuh. Like I, I wrote down so many notes every single day.

I had like a big post-it note where I would write down every single thing that I did. And all of the notes that I have back then is like things that I wouldn’t do today, Uhhuh, but you know, they let me like have my errors there and they let me learn. That mentality of being so open-minded mm-hmm. And sharing everything.

They also try to be like as philanthropic. About philanthropic? Yeah. Is that the word? Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Philanthropic as possible. Um, they gave out like a hundred briskets when they were number one. Wow. That’s awesome things.

Mando Rayo: And I think part of that, at least from my experience and, and seeing what’s out there and, you know, seeing like the, the list from say, I don’t know, maybe 10 years ago, uh, it’s, and now it’s a lot of new schools.

So do you think it has to do with. With, um, a new generation of pit masters that people are more open and more, um, willing to share, you know, uh, their craft.

Chuck Charnichart: I think so. I think, uh, this like younger generation coming into barbecue is sort of more lax, where it’s like, why, why do we need to be serious? Like, we can have fun, like, and we can share these things and it doesn’t matter if someone’s better than you.

Like I, I’ll be. Proud to like have someone learn from me and then become better. Like that would make me so happy. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. So it’s just like all these like, uh, these walls are being taken down. That’s cool. Yeah.

Mando Rayo: Yeah. So speaking of walls, your real name is not Chuck, is it?

Yes, it is. It’s not, it’s not.

Tell me, tell me, uh, how did you come up with that and, and why do you use it?

Chuck Charnichart: Yeah, so my real name’s Teresa. Yeah. But, um, I was never actually called that, my parents never called me that, they always called me Ra.

Mando Rayo: Oh.

Chuck Charnichart: So that name didn’t really stick to me, shorty. Yeah, shorty, I was shorty. But when I started working at Goldie’s, um.

One of the guys laying his dad’s name’s Chuck. Mm-hmm. And he’s like the, the classic chuck, you know? Mm-hmm. He is, works at the ranch. He has that big belt buckle. He is real old school and he’s really cool. And, um, they started calling me Chuck Junior. Mm-hmm. Uh, just ’cause, I don’t know, it was just funny.

Were big trolls over there too. Yeah. Okay. And that’s why I love them so much. And it just became a thing like, oh yeah, like Chuck, like this resonates with me. Mm-hmm. Like this. This field that I’m, I’m in and like, um, it’s sort of like my artist name. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Love

Mando Rayo: it. Love it. No, that’s, that’s beautiful.

Well, Chuck, thank you so much for being on the show. I really appreciate it. Love hearing your story and your background and what you’re doing and how you’re trying to mix it up, uh, with Texas Barbecue.

Chuck Charnichart: Thank you, Mando.

Mando Rayo: Well, it was such a pleasure to have Chuck Char. See now I know how, how to pronounce her name because it’s in Espan. So I love, uh, having her on and I’ve been a big fan of barbecue for a while now, and just this idea around somebody, you know. From the Valley and finding her own way and understanding, you know, those lessons we all learned, uh, living along the border and what that means for us.

And then, and then finding our way into this, uh, Texas barbecue world, if you will, as well as, uh, you know, being a woman. In this, in this area, in this space where it’s male dominated and she’s doing it and she’s doing it in new ways and she’s doing it in her own way. And I love that. So for that, I want to say, you know, if you haven’t been out there, you gotta go to Barbecue and Lockhart, Texas.

With that, I wanna give the shout outs to some of the women owned barbecue places, uh, some that you may have heard of, some may not. La Vaca Barbecue out of La Vaca and Victoria Texas Love Barbecue here in Austin, Texas. And barbecue bands out of New Braunfels, Texas. This has been Tacos of Texas podcast.

Developed and produced by Identity Productions. If you enjoyed today’s episode and are craving more taco content, go to our website at Identity Productions or follow us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube at Identity Productions and United Tacos of America. This is your host El Taco, journalist man.

On the next Proximo Tacos of Texas, join us for a conversation with Joel Fried and es Tejada from El Dorado Cafe and what it takes to run the back of the kitchen, as well as what Cora’s role of a restaurant success is.

Louisa Van Assche: The Tacos of Texas Podcast is presented by identity Productions in partnership with KUT and KOTX studios.

Our host and producer is Mando. Our audio is mixed by Nicholas Weden. Our story producer is me, Luisa Vana. And our creative producer is Dennis Burnett. Music was created by Palosa in Austin, Texas, and King Benny Productions located in the Quinto Barrio of Houston.