Today we’d like to introduce you to Nick & Kendra Jones.
Hi Nick & Kendra, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Owners, Nick and Kendra Jones have a love for people and a heart for food. With a goal in mind they had a dream to combine the two and that is when Brazen Que was created.
Together Nick and Kendra have worked for group homes from Texas, California to the Midwest. During this time Nick followed his passion to perfect the art of smoking meats. They have fed people from all over the world for many years.
After Nick battled cancer in 2023 they both realized life is too short to not pursue their dream. They took a leap of faith and the Lord provided a place in Livingston, TN.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Smooth?! Anything but smooth. One of our biggest challenges has been trying to educate people about Texas Style BBQ and the concept of being sold out. Many people don’t understand how labor intensive the craft is. They also don’t understand that you can’t just throw on a brisket in the middle of the day for it to be done by supper.
We don’t smoke with electric or propane in anyway. We don’t flip a switch, set a temperature or use pellets. Our smokers are made custom out of 500 gallon propane tanks. It takes skill, patience and mastering the fire, this is why there is the term “Pit-Master.” Nick (co-owner) is our only Pit-Master because he is the master of that pit and with that comes a skill that not just anybody has. We only cook with white oak, the old school way. We get top of the line meats from prime black angus briskets to the best cut of pork we can find. This comes with a price and this can also be a struggle. That’s why our food may cost more than the BBQ down the street but we don’t cut corners, we are CRAFT BBQ.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Brazen Que LLC?
What you should know about our business is that we are Central Texas Style Craft BBQ. Live fire cooking, using white oak. We specialize in providing the best quality BBQ you can find. Each of our crew members hustle everyday to bring top tier hospitably while providing our customers with the best service.
The main thing that we are known for is for our brisket and our premium meats. We are set apart from the others because we don’t cut corners, we don’t slack on quality and our style isn’t like the typical Tennessee BBQ. Everything from our sides to our sauces are made in house. Nothing is store bought (besides our buns and slices of bread). We like to say that we are well rounded in all areas.
We are set apart because we are unique. When you come into our restaurant you are warmly greeted. We serve market style, meaning we slice the meat right in front of you which ensures freshness and quality. Our sausage chef makes our sausages in house by grinding our meat and fat, the precision of melding our spices, knowing the science behind the blend and delivering top quality sausages.
As owners we are proud of the brand we have created because we have hustled hard to create something so special, so different and so unique. Everyday when we hear compliments about our food, our crew and the atmosphere we have created we are reminded of how proud we really are of those accomplishments. For years we have worked at our skill and have combined bold flavors together so that we can now live this dream. We are proud of our hard work and dedication that Brazen Que’s foundation was built on.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
We see the BBQ industry finding ways to use cheaper cuts of meat in more creative ways because of the ever rising cost in meat. Sadly we see a lot of BBQ places veering away from craft BBQ into more of an automated BBQ by using rotisserie style smokers, cooking with electric or propane. The art of Craft BBQ is slowly dying due to lack of motivation, no passion for the craft and people just wanting to make a quick buck.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.brazenque.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/brazenque
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/brazenque
- Yelp: https://yelp.to/dKnD2LvpBA
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@brazen.que
