“MY JOB IS TO HONOR THE LEGACY AND HISTORY OF TEXAS BARBEQUE WHILE PUSHING THE INDUSTRY FORWARD WITH A YOUNGER CLASS OF BARBEQUE COOKS. I’M MOST PROUD WHEN A CUSTOMER RECOGNIZES AN EXPERT COOK BY ONE OF MY GUYS IN THE PIT ROOM. WHEN THEY CAN DO IT AS WELL AS I CAN, I’VE SUCCEEDED.”
Leonard Botello IV
Owner & Pitmaster
Leonard Botello IV is the owner and pitmaster behind critically acclaimed TRUTH BBQ. Botello opened TRUTH BBQ Brenham in a small shack off a rural highway that runs between Austin and Houston in the summer of 2015. Armed with a used Klose pit as a complete unknown in the barbeque world - Leonard surprised the industry in 2017 when TRUTH BBQ was awarded #10 on Texas Monthly’s Top 50 Texas BBQ Joints list in 2017, and was recently ranked in the top 3 on the 2021 Texas Monthly Top 50 BBQ List. An expert in the art of live fire cooking, Leonard is known for his authentic Central Texas-style barbeque, dedication to the history of Texas ‘cue, and his relentless attention to detail. Obsessed with the perfect cook, Leonard spent years sleeping next to his smokers before heading inside to cut for the line that had queued outside.
In January of 2019, Botello opened his second location, TRUTH BBQ Houston, in the historic neighborhood Houston Heights. Here you can find Leonard pushing the boundaries of traditional barbeque with dishes like Carolina Style Whole Hog, Boudin Smoked Sausage, & Pastrami Brisket. A defining factor that has always set TRUTH BBQ apart from the crowd is TRUTH’s commitment to making everything from scratch, daily, in-house. Most days, you’ll even catch the sausage being made when in line to order.
Through the universal love of Texas barbeque, Leonard has had the honor of hosting dinners for esteemed organizations such as No Kid Hungry and The James Beard House; he’s been featured at New York City Wine & Food Fest multiple times, as well as appearing on Food Network’s Chopped; winning his episode. He has become a mainstay on a variety of “Best BBQ” lists from Thrillist, Buzzfeed, and Texas Monthly. When not manning the pit room and line at TRUTH BBQ, Leonard is often found cooking with friends across the US at various food and wine festivals, or starting fires and building pits in his backyard as he continues his education in all styles of BBQ and live-fire cooking.
Abbie Byrom-Botello
Chief Operating Officer
Most people in Texas barbecue come to the field through family tradition, restaurant experience, or a personal passion for smoking meats. Abbie Byrom-Botello took a different path—she married into it.
Byrom-Botello met Leonard Botello IV, founder of TRUTH BBQ, in New York City in 2014. At the time, she had no background in barbecue and no connection to the Texas food world. Over time, she became deeply involved in both.
Byrom-Botello holds a degree in journalism from North Carolina State University and began her career in broadcast media across TV and radio programming. She then transitioned into the restaurant space, serving as Director of Marketing for multiple New York City–based fast-casual groups, where she led brand redesigns, visual identity development, new store openings, and new menu rollouts. Afterward, she moved into technology and hospitality marketing at SAMSUNG Electronics, focused on launching the premium Chef Collection in the U.S. During her long tenure with SAMSUNG, she managed major marketing initiatives, chef partnerships, New York City Wine & Food Festival sponsorships, and branded collaborations with Martha Stewart, Food Network, Molly Sims, Jenna Bush Hager, and others. After relocating to Texas, she launched a successful hotel and lodging business in Round Top, which she later sold.
Today, she serves as Chief Operating Officer for TRUTH BBQ, overseeing day-to-day operations, business development, staffing, marketing strategy and events, brand partnerships, and charitable initiatives. Bringing a strong background in public relations, brand positioning, and operations, she has been instrumental in TRUTH BBQ’s rise to national prominence. Under her and Botello’s leadership, the brand has grown to include TRUTH BBQ in Brenham and TRUTH BBQ in Houston and TRUTH BBQ at NRG Stadium, home of the Houston Texans.
TRUTH BBQ has received widespread acclaim, maintaining a place in Texas Monthly’s Top 10 BBQ Joints for 10 consecutive years and earning Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition in Texas’ first Michelin Guide in 2024, an honor the brand has now received for two consecutive years.
Byrom-Botello’s marketing and operational leadership has played a key role in shaping TRUTH’s identity as a leading name in modern Texas barbecue. She is especially proud of increasing the number of women on the team, helping open career paths for women in a male-dominated industry. Byrom-Botello also serves on the executive board for Sky High for Kids, a Houston-based nonprofit dedicated to combating pediatric cancer. Outside of work, she’s a devoted dog mom to three English Bulldogs: Waylon, Dolly, and Willett.