Today we’d like to introduce you to Josh Cervantes
Josh, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
During the Covid years, I wanted to learn how to cook. I began by YouTubing “How to hold a knife properly”. I learned how to make a few dishes and eventually asked my dad to borrow his smoker. The smoker was rusted out and full of holes, so I decided to build one. After a bit of saving, I bought a MIG welder, sourced parts through marketplace and made some friends down at the metal yard. I learned how to weld and found a deep love for barbecue. Coming from the corporate rat race and a busy volunteer schedule I knew when I lit my firebox I had nowhere to be for the next 12 to 16 hours. I loved watching the fire. I loved how slow everything was and I worked hard to understand Barbecue at the highest level.
I started taking Brisket to our Thanksgiving potlucks. My coworkers told me I should sell my food so I told them they should come buy my barbecue. Nov. 19th 2022, We held our first pop up out of a friend’s house and sold out in 30 minutes. I can remember the feeling when I first saw people sitting out back, laughing and enjoying our boxes of Barbecue. I immediately knew I wanted to leave my corporate job and never go back. I began working on a menu and name during my downtime at work and eventually was challenged by my mentor to find an industry job I could train in. I decided to go all in so I began constructing a mobile 500 gallon smoker for our company.
I wanted to work at the best spot I could find. During this time I discovered a need for a pitmaster position at this local spot 2M Smokehouse. I was a huge fan of their story/craft so I decided to throw my name in the hat. Esaul Ramos, owner and founder of 2M, invited me to stage a morning shift to see if I would enjoy the job. After that 4 hour workday I got in my truck, immediately called my I.T. boss and put in my two weeks before I left the parking lot. I took the opportunity to work at a 2x James Beard semi-finalist, Texas Monthly top 50 and, currently, a Michelin Nominated Barbecue Shop.
It is currently 1 year and three months into my professional barbecue career. I have trimmed/smoked 5,985 briskets through misty 10 degree winds along with humid 110 degree days and I love every bit of it. I met an Argentinian chef, Mike Angelo Torres, who runs a live fire catering company called Gold Epicure. I also have the privilege of working as a part time Sou chef learning to cook exotic meats and the argentinian style of Barbecue. 2M forged me into the pitmaster I am and Gold Epicure challenges my creativity as a chef.
Working with Gold Epicure I discovered more creatives who ran pop ups and small businesses around town. Juan Mesa (of Mixtli), Justin Rosas (Rose Coffee), Lorenzo Sixtos (Kewtieboy Sandos), to name a few who have really inspired me. I experienced Kewtieboys at Eightball Coffee and saw how much the community cared about something that is from and for them. The coffee community is wholesome in this city so our team decided to develop a small breakfast menu to partner with any local coffee shop that would have us. Our goal was to meet more people and this was the best decision.
I am so grateful to say my dear friends (Heggel and Natalie Rafaelano) run Spotted Bexar alongside me. They have been present every step of the way Mentally, Emotionally and Spiritually. I can truly never repay them for their kindness. Through depression, anxiety and persistent suicidal ideations I am grateful to have a support system that I am learning to depend on. They give encouragement, guidance, comfort and gentleness especially through the hard days. Someone told me “Community is forged it is not found”. There is nothing I have done to deserve them, so all that is left is gratitude. So I thank God.
We currently are residing every 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month at The Ranch Motel serving our breakfast menu. We began booking festivals alongside weddings and private caterings throughout Texas. We are still expanding our menu and connecting with more locals. We have found that our purpose are the people, therefore everything we do is from and for the Culture of the city.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We had absolutely nothing at the beginning. My dad gave me pieces of butcher block he had from different jobs, so I used them to make cutting boards. We needed tables outside, so we found and refurbished free picnic tables from marketplace that looked like they were pulled out of a meth lab. When I began construction on our 500 gallon smoker, the decommissioned tank still had propane inside of it, nobody told me. I used a small weed burner connected to a 10 foot hose and burned out all of the pressure. It took me six hours and ten minutes for the flame to finally die down. We popped the bolts/gauges off the top and filled the entire thing with water, this took an hour and ten minutes. When I cut into it with my angle grinder I could feel the micro combustions from the leftover pockets of propane gas. When we finally were able to get a trailer, we had to use an engine hoist and come along strap to load it. When attaching the cooking chamber I used a car jack and 1/4 inch 2×2 steel tubing to leverage it into place and weld it onto the frame. Everything is hard work and I feel like everything was an OSHA violation.
Our time is currently extremely limited. All of us either work or go to school full time and even serve in the military. We have limited hours/ days a week to source, prep, cook, hold, transport, present, sell, clean and store all of our equipment and products. I was without transportation for a season so I hosted multiple pop ups to replace my rack and pinion for my previous vehicle so I could get to work. We have either built or sourced every commercial item/equipment we own. Through the relationships we have throughout the city, they have either partnered with us financially or generously to give us 2nd hand equipment or some sick deals. Food cost is high, the hours are long, balancing our events and schedules are never easy.
We are all from very humble families financially speaking. My family grew up picking fields and worked hard all of their lives. Their work ethic was instilled in me growing up and ironically after dropping out of college, I believed I could build or create anything I wanted. I still believe this.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We sell Texas Craft Barbecue. Although we have a bigger lunch menu, we are mostly known for our breakfast menu. Our two most known items at this time is our Flaky Brisket Biscuit with Blackberry Jam and Honey along with Brisket Tacos with Creamy roasted Poblano Salsa and Pico de Gallo. I am most proud of our team in the way we engage with people. We actually care about people’s days, what they’re doing later and what’s been going on, it’s an easier way of having regulars we know.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
There’s an old proverb that says “Walk among the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm”. I believe your definition of successful people really matters. To me a successful man is one who loves their family/people and whose people/family love them back. This is not as common as you would think and it takes a lot for this to be a reality. Integrity, Love and Respect these are the things that last. Find someone older and wiser than you, take the good, leave the bad and learn how to apply wisdom.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spottedbexar?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
