Katy Pitmaster’s Wish: Eat Brisket and Go Fishing

CHEF RANDY DUNCAN WON BOTH the judge’s top award and the people’s choice award at the 2018 Houston BBQ Throwdown, and last month, his family-owned food truck Daddy Duncan’s BBQ announced it would open its first brick-and-mortar location in spring 2019 at Katy Hockley Cut-Off and Clay Road, right behind the Four Seasons Park.

It’s been a good last few weeks for him.

Duncan told Houstonia he was in a bidding war for the two-acre land because the area is extremely popular. Strip centers and new home construction (with prices ranging from $350,000 to $500,000) are being proposed.

“It’s unrestricted land—we can do whatever we want,” Duncan said. “We can have a fishing spot and put our barbecue pit.”

A graduate of Houston Community College’s culinary arts program with a bachelor’s in hotel and restaurant management from the Conrad N. Hilton College at the University of Houston, he said Katy was chosen for its first location because it’s where he’s built a life for his family, and Daddy Duncan’s BBQ’s “Central Texas” barbecue style has a large following.

“We chose the area because it has a country setting,” he said. “We planned to find land instead of leasing out a shopping center—to build our own, we own the land, we own the building, and so forth.”

The space will feature a 1,500-square-foot barn for inside-eating customers, plus picnic tables, a fishing pond (he wasn’t joking), and a stage for live music. He hopes to sell local beer, but it’ll likely be BYOB when it opens. Duncan also said he will make sides in-house but wants to partner with other local vendors to supply bread.

“It’s similar to what you would see in the Texas Hill Country,” he said. “It will be a place where kids can run around. Two acres is quite a bit of land, so we might have movie nights and different [events] like that. 

Daddy Duncan’s BBQ currently offers smoked brisket, pulled pork, pork belly mac and cheese, braised beef cheek barbacoa, brisket-topped nachos, baked potatoes, and boudin. He said he plans to bring the same dishes to the brick-and-mortar space.

Meantime, next month Duncan will travel to Austin for the HOU-ATX BBQ Throwdown on December 9. Maybe that good luck streak will continue.

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