Texas Women on Fire

Meet the trailblazers redefining barbecue in the Lone Star State

- ROBERT MOSS

"THERE ARE A LOT OF STRONG WOMEN in the barbecue world," says Sawyer Lewis of LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue in Austin. "They're making big things happen and being taken seriously."

These innovators can be found shoveling coals in smoky pit houses, serving guests out front, and running the day-to-day operations behind the scenes. They're teaching others the secrets of barbecue and live-fire cooking online, on television, and at in-person events too. Much of this energy can be found in Texas, a place that's long been a bastion of Southern 'cue traditions. Here are just a few members of this new generation of Lone Star State women who are shaking things up and shaping the future of the industry.

Sawyer Lewis
LEROY AND LEWIS BARBECUE

"People are usually surprised to see that I'm a woman," says Sawyer Lewis, who's the "Lewis" in Austin's LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue. "I kind of have a gender-neutral name, so I get a lot of emails saying, 'Hey, dude; thanks, man; or Mr. Lewis..." Others assume she's the wife of her business partner, Evan LeRoy. "A lot of women in the industry are also married to the pitmaster," she explains. "That always throws people off." Defying expectations is nothing new for Lewis, though. She came to the role from the world of fine dining and was general manager of Contigo, an Austin restaurant with a Texas-themed "ranch-to-table" menu featuring ox-tongue sliders and rabbit dumplings. While working at Contigo, she struck up a friendship with LeRoy, who was pitmaster at Freedmen's Bar, and the two decided to open a place of their own.