By Matthew Ziemnicki

Grant Pinkerton, an esteemed member of Forbes 30 under 30 and listed on Texas Monthly's Top 50 BBQ Restaurants, returned to the Kappa Sig house for the first time in over ten years. Grant shared stories of his life, including why he chose Kappa Sig, his road to recovery, and his entrepreneurial spirit. 

Coming to UT Rush as a summer freshman, Grant recalls, "It was the people that made me comfortable with pledging Kappa Sig. I knew a few guys from Lamar High School and West University Little League Baseball." He quickly made friends with guys from all over the state through rush.

Grant said he struggled with addictions as an upperclassman in college. Still, he persevered with his studies in Rhetoric and writing and graduated from UT Austin in 2013. After graduation, he moved back to Houston in search of a career. His idea stemmed from "a childhood love of meat, fire, and old Texas traditions." He saw the vision for a craft barbecue renaissance that was budding in Central Texas.

"Social media hadn't become what it is today," he said. "The craft barbecue scene in Houston hadn't taken off yet. BBQ is a familial outing, and people are fiercely loyal to the type of barbeque they grow up with. I was not even going to try to convince anyone over 35 to try my barbecue. I would go after people right out of college with young families by using social media. I made it a mission to go after the younger demographic."

In 2013, he began a relentless quest to serve the Houston community with high-quality meats using his old family recipes. "Fake it til you make it! Just keep going with an idea, and every door that opens, keep running through it," he said. "I had already been to the lowest place on Earth; I'm no longer afraid to take chances. As Darrell Royal said, 'success happens when luck meets preparation'".

He opened a brick-and-mortar, Pinkerton's BBQ, in Houston Heights in 2016. With the brand's rising popularity, he opened Pinkerton's Barbecue in downtown San Antonio in 2021. In 2024, business soared to new heights. He joked that he could no longer buy briskets at Costco, like when he started smoking meat in his parents' driveway. Grant is now cooking and selling 180 briskets daily between both restaurants, and his sauces can be purchased online and at HEB.

In 2023, Pinkerton celebrated ten years of sobriety with a heartfelt public announcement. He had an in-depth news piece with CBS expressing how he wants to help destigmatize people with addictions. It is important to remember that we are allowed second chances in America.

He and his lovely wife, Sarah, have a daughter, Charlotte, who just turned one. Grant graciously donated his restaurant space and BBQ for Tau rush events last summer and plans to provide it as a venue for future rush events. Earlier this month, he was awarded Reserve Champion Chicken out of 285 entries and the Grand Champion Dutch Oven Winner at the World BBQ Championship cookoff at the Houston Rodeo. His pecan pie cheesecake recipe won the Dutch oven category.

He has now won countless awards in the food and beverage industry. "Anytime I win outside of Texas and take the stage," said Grant, "I tell people I'm a Texan, and we do it best!" In his downtime, he enjoys hunting and fishing, Texas Football, and, of course, barbecuing. 

Distinguished Alumni Speakers' Night Spring 2024