Goodstock Ambassador Feature: Mark Avalos, Pitmaster and Co-Founder of SLAB BBQ
Whether you learned about the Joint from a friend while hanging out at their summer backyard BBQ, saw one of their food trucks set out for delivery, or from Guy Fieri's, Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives; everyone who has experienced SLAB BBQ knows it's a distinctly different experience than your traditional Texas BBQ.
From the custom graffiti style artwork on the walls (by Austin art collective SprATX) to the menu items named after Hip Hop icons and the soundtrack to match, SLAB (an acronym for "Slow Low And Bangin'") dances to the beat of its Pitmaster, Co-Founder Mark Avalos.
Mark's culinary creations typically come in a bun, but they all embody one of the cornerstones of Hip Hop: the remix. This approach is demonstrated clearly (and deliciously) in one of Mark's personal favorite menu items, the B.C.B.C.
This "Brown Chicken Brown Cow" sandwich combines his perfectly smoked Goodstock Brisket with smoked chicken breast, but that's just the start of how Mark builds in epic flavor. This unique combination of meats is then topped with pickles, onions, mustard slaw, and two of their house-made BBQ sauces: Alabama-style Dank White, and Texas-style Backyard Red Sauce.
Mark strives to always serve food at SLAB that he loves to eat himself, but the business is clearly not all about himself. Mark founded SLAB with a team, including his friend Raf Robinson (who he met through Church), and the Joint clearly reflects their mutual love for BBQ, Hip Hop, and the community. The Research Blvd. location features a wall dedicated to honoring military veterans, and the two have focused the business around supporting the community any way they can. Having recognized how fortunate they are with the success of the business, they also give back as much as possible in a variety of ways, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic struck. SLAB has helped to feed 100 people in need every week since March 2020, and they look forward to continuing to help even more as they grow.
Goodstock is thrilled to partner with Mark, Raf, and the whole team at SLAB BBQ for all these reasons and more, and the feeling is mutual.
Mark had no real reason to switch his beef provider he told us, but after a few conversations with our team and a sample of Goodstock Angus brisket, he was sold.
"The real difference was in the customer service and relationship. You guys get it and what being a partner truly means. That was the biggest deciding factor for me. You're also local and this is important to me and to my customers. They want to know where their food is coming from and so having your marketing materials in the restaurant shows them we take care in sourcing our products."
Goodstock provides everything from table tents, to window decals, toothpick flags, quality metal signage, and even marketing and PR support. We made sure Mark and the team at SLAB could easily convey the high quality of the ingredients on their customers plates. Mark even made an appearance at the Goodstock butcher shop's First Anniversary event to share BBQ tips and tricks with the audience.
Looking ahead, Mark and the Goodstock team are excited about exploring opportunities to develop the partnership and help grow both businesses together.
About Goodstock Ambassador Program:
Goodstock is honored to partner with discerning chefs and pitmasters across Texas and beyond who recognize the difference consistently high quality craft beef can make for their businesses. Visit our Ambassadors page to learn more and meet all our crew.