About Ali Clem
Ali Clem is the pitmaster and owner of La Barbecue in Austin, Texas — one of the most celebrated barbecue destinations in the country and among the first to earn recognition from the Michelin Guide. Ali took over La Barbecue after the passing of her partner John Lewis, who co-founded the trailer with her, and has continued to build it into a landmark of Central Texas barbecue. Under her leadership, La Barbecue has maintained its reputation for brisket, beef ribs, and house-made sides rooted in Texas tradition, while Ali herself has become a prominent voice in conversations about barbecue culture, women in the BBQ industry, and what it means to carry a restaurant’s legacy forward on your own terms.
Episode Overview
Andre Natera sits down with Ali Clem to talk about what it genuinely means to run one of Texas’s most beloved barbecue operations — the craft, the physical demands, the business, and the weight of legacy. Ali opens up about what Michelin recognition means for a barbecue trailer rooted in simplicity and tradition, how she approaches brisket and beef ribs at the highest level, and what it takes to show up every day in a physically punishing trade where the fire never stops. This is a conversation about dedication, identity, and what Central Texas barbecue looks like when it is done with full commitment.
What You Will Learn
- What Michelin recognition means for a Texas barbecue operation and how it changed — or did not change — the way Ali approaches her work
- How Ali took over La Barbecue and what carrying a restaurant’s legacy demands of the person left to sustain it
- The technical approach behind La Barbecue’s brisket — wood selection, fire management, timing, and the feel-based judgments that no formula can replace
- What it is like to be a woman leading a high-profile barbecue operation in a space historically dominated by men
- How Central Texas barbecue culture is changing and what La Barbecue represents within that evolution
- What the daily physical and mental reality of running a serious barbecue pit actually looks like from the inside
Connect with Ali Clem
Instagram (Restaurant): @labarbecue
Website: labarbecue.com
Listen and Watch
Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube
Support the Show
Represent the craft — shop Chef’s PSA merch at shop.chefspsa.com.