Our Story


One bite of our slow-smoked meats and you'll know the McKenzie Brothers are serious about preparing and serving the best barbeque to be found in the Lone Star State.

Our story of great Texas barbeque starts in 1984 when brothers Kevin and Darin McKenzie got jobs at a small town, family-owned barbeque joint. It wasn't a fancy place — just good barbeque served up right. It was a good first step — in the right direction.

With the help of barbeque legend Roland Lindsey of Bodacious Barbeque, older brother Kevin and his wife Lisa opened the first McKenzie’s BBQ in Huntsville in 1992. Their approach was simple: slow cook the finest quality meats in custom-made smokers constructed by legendary barbeque pit builder A. N. Bewley.

The McKenzie approach doesn’t feature bottled sauces or synthetic flavorings − just a simple rub of quality spices and the natural flavors of ribs, brisket and other meats slowly cooked to perfection. It’s a concept that proved popular with locals, building a reputation for consistent quality in an area of opinionated barbeque enthusiasts.

In 1995, younger brother Darin and his wife Kathy opened a second location in Conroe, attracting a loyal following from an appreciative community. The restaurant has won the “Best Barbeque in Montgomery County” title 14 years in a row and local media have proclaimed McKenzie’s BBQ as the standard by which all other barbeque in Montgomery County should be judged.

By popular request, big, juicy burgers were added to the menu, though barbeque remained the focus of the restaurant.

In 2009, a third McKenzie’s BBQ was opened in Montgomery. But don’t look for a statewide chain of McKenzie’s BBQ franchises anytime soon. Kevin and Darin take a very personal, active role in supervising every aspect of the operation. When your name is above the door, you tend to care about what is being served. We give a lot of credit for our success to our parents and our sister who is also in the barbeque business in Longview.

And now a second generation of McKenzie’s is getting involved in the business and learning the art and science of creating mouthwatering barbeque. The McKenzie brothers may not be world famous − but real barbeque enthusiasts in this part of Texas can sure tell you who they are. Whether you’re looking to satisfy a personal craving or catering a meal for 5,000, McKenzie’s BBQ is simply the choice for people who truly love Texas BBQ.