For Greg Gatlin, there is no separating family and food. The already legendary Texas pitmaster and award-winning restaurateur probably could have done or been anything. A sharp mind, a quick, big laugh, a way of remembering everybody’s name—that’s Greg. But food and family: Those are the two things that have always mattered to him most.

As founder of internationally acclaimed Gatlin’s BBQ and recently opened sibling restaurant Gatlin’s Fins & Feathers, Greg smokes, grills, fries, and bakes to bring generations around the table.

In 2010, Greg launched Gatlin’s BBQ with his parents, and the brisket alone has achieved folkloric renown. Greg learned to smoke a brisket from his father, and today’s recipe is rooted in those early hours of tutelage by the pit. The restaurant has become revered for its dependability: Ribs, sausage, dirty rice, a burger—it is all, always, sublime. The Food Network, Texas Monthly, the Houston Chronicle, and others have heaped accolades on the family-owned and operated gem.

Introduced in 2022, Gatlin’s Fins & Feathers is a neighborhood joint offering plates of comforting Americana: fried yard bird, fresh Gulf seafood, and more. Just days into the restaurant’s operation, Thrillist pointed to Fins & Feathers as one of Houston’s best spots for fried chicken, and then followed that nod with inclusion in its ranking of the city’s best seafood.

A Houston native, Greg grew up in historic Independence Heights and attended Rice University, where he also played football. Today, Greg lives with his wife and children not far from his childhood home. You’ll find him in his restaurants just about every day, greeting guests, working with his family, and prepping some of the best food in the country, usually with a giant grin.