Fat Pat’s serves traditional Texas-style BBQ in the heart of the Upper Midwest. Fat Pat’s started in 2017 in Spring Grove, MN but owner Patrick Longmire Jr. has been honing his BBQ skills for years. His smoking knowledge and skill was born and raised in the heart of BBQ country, U.S.A.—Texas.

This story starts in Spring Grove, Minnesota. Young Patrick, son of the founder and owner of Red’s IGA, was bagging groceries and helping his dad process meat at the store while other kids were preparing for kindergarten. He went to school in Spring Grove, worked at the store and over the years he developed a taste in music. With a knack for bass guitar, Longmire Jr. headed south to Austin, Texas in 2010. After a few months in his new city, he was playing shows across the state, country and world.

Being in a country music band had many perks. One of them was eating BBQ at venues and festivals across the state. These places are where Patrick first experienced true Texas-Style barbecue—a style he began to mimic at home on his own smoker as often as possible. After several years of living in and traveling all around Texas, he felt drawn to spend more time at home with his young family and his growing passion for Texas BBQ.

After six years in Central Texas making music and smoked meat, Patrick decided it was time to take his favorite hobby and turn it into Fat Pat’s. You can find Fat Pat living and smoking meats with his wife and two young children in Spring Grove—the place where it all began.