By Adrienne Dale

Special to the Pflag

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It is something Anthony Alexander has been doing for nearly all his life with great pleasure and now it is something that will allow him to not only give back to the community, but also allow him to realize a dream he wasn’t sure he really saw coming.

That something is barbecue and this month the Pflugerville Chamber will be hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Big Brotha’s Smokehouse. The restaurant opened about six months ago off of Pecan Street, near Pflugerville High School.

Alexander has been around barbecue since the young age of 10, learning the concept from his family, starting with stacking the wood to how to cook the different meats.

“By the time I was 16, I could smoke a brisket with no problem,” Alexander said.

Cooking for others was a natural progression for him.

“It started out with one person saying, ‘Can you cook this for me?’” Alexander said. “Then before I knew it I was cooking for more and more people. Then it came to the point to where I started doing fundraisers.”

From there, Alexander started a mobile vending service, selling in barbershops in East Austin and parking lots.

It was through those connections that he was able to also start catering around town as well.

After catering for some years, Alexander met up with old high school buddy Jacques Gordon.

Gordon’s wife, attending a party that Alexander was catering, saw the pair had the same business name. Gordon, also known for his Big Meats Catering fare, took the time to catch up with his friend and a business venture developed.

“I talked to him on January 17th the week before my birthday,” Alexander said. “By the 24th, we had made a deal to go into business together.”

Alexander soon found it harder and harder to stick with his state job.

“I knew I had to give this my all and just go for it,” he said.

With the support of his wife and family, Alexander was able to find the location he thought would be best for the new business.

“I didn’t want to live in the shadow thinking about what I could have done,” Alexander said. “This was something for me and for my kids. I’ve always encouraged them to do what you want all you have to do is try. It’s a formula: persistence and opportunity. If you persist enough, the opportunity to succeed will come along.”

In keeping with the newly created partnership, Alexander runs the day-to-day, but has help from his family as well as from the Gordons.

Alexander’s wife bakes up different desserts for the restaurant, which usually sell out within the first hour of opening daily.

“We have some people who come in and pick up the entire cobbler first thing,” Alexander said. “I can’t just turn them down, but sometimes there isn’t any left for the lunch rush patrons.”

Gordon’s wife joins Alexander’s wife in cooking and coordinating Soul Food Sundays.

Usual daily fare will include turkey, whole chicken, sausage, ribs and brisket. They are sold by the pound, ranging from as low as $8 to $14. Dinner plates are also available with the choice of two sides. Those prices range from $8-$12.

There are also lunch portion sandwich menu items, featuring the meat and allowing for those with a smaller budget.

Sunday provides a bigger range of food available.

On those days patrons can choose from a variety of a meatloaf, beef tips and rice, pork chop, fried fish or fried rib dinners. The dinners also include a choice of sides ranging from mustard greens, candied yams, green beans, mashed potatoes, seasoned rice, black eyed peas, spicy macaroni and cheese, pinto beans, cole slaw, French fries, fried okra and creamed corn.

“I want to build a legacy here,” Alexander said. “I would like to still be in business here for at least 40 more years. I want to keep this place very simple, very Mom and Pop because at the end of the day it is a family run business. Yes, I have investors, but it’s a family run business and I want the community to be able to have that place to go to.”

Hoping to put Pflugerville on the culinary map, Alexander said he already has a challenge sandwich ready to be submitted to the Food Network.

“I’m hoping to be open a few more months before I go through with it, but I feel that Pflugerville needed a place like this,” Alexander said. “People around here needed a place to go that didn’t require them to drive a good distance just to get some good barbecue.”

Hoping to continue a good rapport with the community in which he feels has become a part of, Alexander takes his food to the local senior center at a lower cost. It is those kinds of actions that are spreading the word around about his place.

“We heard about this place a couple of months ago from a friend,” Sue Pierson said. “Now all of our family comes by. Their turkey legs are some of the best around. I love their brisket nachos. All of the food is good. We have ordered some of the party packs and not one thing was bad.”