A taste of Texas: McKnight plans to open Z's Craft BBQ in Grundy Center

Zardrell McKnight grew up in Richmond, Virginia, and currently resides in Dike, but the Lone Star State has always held a special place in his heart—specifically, its cuisine. In the next few months, McKnight plans to launch Z’s Craft BBQ, a Texas-style joint with freshly smoked meats and homemade sides, right here in Grundy Center, and he spoke to The Grundy Register about the future of the business during a phone interview last week.
           
McKnight, a 21-year-old lifelong barbecue enthusiast, will utilize a commissary kitchen at the Grundy Community Center and run a food truck when he opens in December or January, and he saw a golden opportunity thanks to relatives who live in the area and the lack of a true Texas-style restaurant in Des Moines, Waterloo/Cedar Falls or Cedar Rapids. As a youngster in Richmond, he watched his family prepare meals together and instantly discovered a passion.
           
“My Dad would cook on the grill, do all the meats, and my mom would do all the sides. My sister would make the Kool-Aid, and my brother would bake the cookies,” he said. “It was always delicious, of course, and by the time I was 10 or 12 years old, my dad start teaching me about barbecue because I was in the Boy Scouts, and from there, I just fell in love with it.”
           
By high school, McKnight had already started testing out his own rubs and recipes, and he began researching Franklin BBQ, the legendary establishment in Austin, Texas, known for its brisket, pulled pork and long waiting lines. Texas BBQ is distinctive for its “pit” technique, the focus on indirect smoking at a higher temperature and less emphasis on sauce than styles like Kansas City, Memphis and the Carolinas.
           
McKnight does the butchering himself, chooses his wood and charcoal and involves himself in every step of the process, and he’s hopeful that that dedication will pay off in a region where’s he somewhat of a newcomer. 
 
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