About Us

I have been cooking for crowds since my college days. Whether that was a steak night with buddies or tailgate parties before Oklahoma State University football games, I always enjoyed the time spent with friends.

I would say my affinity for barbecue started back in those college days. The summer after my Freshman year at OSU, some buddies got me a job as a “Parts Welder” at the original Oklahoma Joe’s Smokers. I only worked there for the summer, but we took some scrap pipe along with parts and we made my first offset smoker over the course of a couple evenings after work. I got an Oklahoma Joe’s Smoker at cost! After that, we were always smoking briskets, pork shoulders, chicken or grilling steaks in the firebox.

I was an Animal Science Major at OSU and was introduced to meat and carcass evaluation in one of my core classes. I really enjoyed it and decided to try out for the Collegiate Meats Judging Team – yes, it’s really a thing! I grew up in the livestock industry; my parents both came from farming/ranching families and our family still raises cattle in Northwest Oklahoma today under the brand. As a result of being a “farm kid”, I was active in 4-H and FFA where I participated in showing hogs and cattle as well as livestock judging. I thought if I could do livestock judging, I could transition into meats judging. As a result of joining the meats judging team, I started a job at the Food and Ag Products Center Meats Lab at OSU to gain more experience and knowledge on breaking carcasses down into primal, sub-primal and retail cuts.

Upon graduation in 2001, I decided to stay and get a Master’s Degree in Meat Science. As a graduate student, I was also a Research and Teaching Assistant. As a result, I had keys to the buildings! It just so happened that the faculty parking lot immediately behind the building also served as a tailgating lot for the OSU Football games. It was almost a “no-brainer” to buy a tailgating pass. I made a deal with the Meats Lab Manager that I could use the facility and the commercial smokehouses as long as I cleaned the mess. We’d cook anything and everything we could get our hands on at the Meats Lab for the tailgate parties. I remember back ribs, sirloin kebabs, steaks, etc. It was such a great time getting friends together for the camaraderie.

Well, needless to say, college doesn’t last forever and upon graduation, I moved on to a career in the meat industry. Three states later, I met my wife in 2008, married in 2009 and now have 4 beautiful kids. As a result of bachelor life being over, I was required to start cooking more often and rediscovered my passion for cooking. I bought a trailer mounted offset smoker from East Texas Smokers and started catering as a side gig in 2018. I also started doing competition barbecue that lasted a short time until the kids got old enough to start their own activities.

In 2022, I decided to take the “part-time” catering into “full time” with the purchase of a kitchen equipped food trailer and 2 insulated cabinet smokers from Lonestar Grillz. We hope you enjoy Fathead’s Smokewagon BBQ as much as we do making it! Some of the best memories are made around meals and whether it’s a weeknight dinner at your family dining table, a business meeting or a wedding, we’re here to make your meal leave a lasting impression.

God Bless! Philippians 4:13