Heim Barbecue x Edgevale
Photo by Natasha Teague
“You never know when you’re gonna get some hot grease dripped on you, or a hot shovel to the leg. You gotta have the right gear to produce great BBQ.”
— Travis Heim, Pitmaster of Heim Barbecue
We recently took a trip down south to Heim Barbecue in Texas to visit our friend Travis Heim and give him the first crack at putting the new Edgevale Cast Iron Apron through the wringer.
Heim BBQ had a humble beginning. Eric and his wife Emma first started slinging their farm- to-smoker barbecue from a food truck they bought together that completely drained their bank account, and within just a few short years, they’ve skyrocketed into one of the most sought-after BBQ spots in Texas.
Photo by Natasha Teague
Tell us a little bit about what goes into making "farm to smoker" barbecue. I've heard you say you try to treat your restaurant like having someone over to your home. Why is it so fundamentally important that you know where and how your meat is being sourced?
“Farm to Smoker” is our commitment to provide our customers with the highest quality, best tasting, humanely and ethically-raised meats possible. We want to source from farms and ranches who care deeply about the well-being of their animals, and who go above and beyond to provide a superior quality of life because in the end we believe that will create healthy, happy, and delicious meats to provide our guests.
You built your first smoker at 15-years-old. Tell us a little about the process of building that one. You used a trash can, right? What goes into making a quality smoker? Any tips for someone trying to build one at home?
Haha we basically took a galvanized trash can and cut a whole in the bottom to slip in an electric hot plate where you could set a tray of wood chips for smoking. Cut a couple holes in the side to secure racks and a hole in the top for exhaust and you have a smoker! I wouldn't recommend building one...there's too many other good options you can buy now a days!
Photo by Natasha Teague
Your family had a big influence on your early interest in barbecue. What do you think it was that first drew you in?
My grandfather would always cook ribs for family events and I wanted to emulate him more than anything. Growing up my mom and grandmother were great cooks, which I didn't really realize until getting older and eating food at friends houses. One time after I had been barbecuing for a few years, my grandfather asked me to cook the ribs for a family event and that was a huge deal for me.
Without giving away too many secrets, is there one key piece of advice you can give us to help make great barbecue at home?
The key to great BBQ is fire management. No matter what you're cooking, you need a hot, consistent, clean fire that will give you great smoke flavor but will not be overpowering.
Let's say we're trying Heim barbecue for the first time, what's the one thing we absolutely have to order? What are you proudest of?
We're known for our Bacon Burnt Ends, which is a double smoked pork belly thing that's sweet/salty/delicious. Now there are places all over the world cooking bacon/pork belly burnt ends so it's pretty awesome that those started from a crazy idea in our backyard when we were doing pop-ups, pre food truck days.
Our team puts a ton of love and effort into the Texas BBQ staple smoked brisket, if you don't have good brisket you won't be successful in Texas. All of our sides are homemade/made-from-scratch whether is our pinto beans, loaded baked potato salad, green chile mac n' cheese, or our double-fried hand cut french fries, we want to provide great sides that are equal to the great smoked meats on our menu.
Travis Heim in the Edgevale Cast Iron Apron
Cooking barbecue seems like it can be brutally hot, demanding work. You've mentioned having to put in as much as 24-hours worth of work just to prepare meals for people. How did the Edgevale gear hold up?
BBQ can be tough. In our smokehouses, when it's hot outside, it’s hot in there. When it's cold, it's cold in there. You're fighting the elements, temperature, humidity, airflow, wood, etc. The last thing you need to worry about is your clothes.
The Edgevale gear was great, and held up well. You never know when you’re gonna get some hot grease dripped on you, or a hot shovel to the leg. You gotta have the right gear to produce great BBQ.
You decided to start Heim after getting laid off, and you and your wife began selling your first barbecue out of a food truck you found online. Now you have two bustling restaurants. What gave you the confidence you needed to start pursuing your dream?
I don't know if I had confidence when we started to be honest...I had always been passionate about BBQ and was basically at rock bottom. My wife, Emma encouraged me to follow my dreams and even if it didn't work out, at least we could say we tried. There were a ton of challenges along the way, 20+ hour days, 100+ hour work weeks, broken equipment, rival businesses trying to shut us down, trouble sourcing the meat, ingredients, wood we wanted...we've come a long way from opening the food truck with $100 left in our bank account.
For someone who wants to build a business—is this something you’re passionate about? Would you work in this type of business whether you made any money or not? If you are passionate, to the point of obsessive about this business, and are willing to work harder than anyone else, you'll be okay. If not, don't do it.
What's next for you and the rest of the team at Heim?
We're opening our third location in Dallas this fall, and looking for other areas where we can provide a great place for the surrounding community to hang out with friends, family, strangers, etc. and eat great BBQ! I don't care about awards, my goal is that every guest that comes to our restaurants has the best experience possible: exceptional, friendly service, with great food served in a welcoming, inclusive environment.
Photo by Natasha Teague