New Jersey native Glenn Gross is championing the East Coast’s barbecue movement one slab of ribs at time. He’s invading the PA comfort food scene with Fat Jack’s BBQ, ever-expanding his ‘cue joints to bring his finger-licking grub to a neighborhood near you, with current locations in Philadelphia (off Roosevelt Boulevard) and in Jenkintown, and several more popping up soon. Plus, he’s making the national competition circuit, completing stints on Destination America’s BBQ Pitmasters and in Vegas’ World Food Championships, plus so many more.
Just before he hit the stage at this weekend’s Philadelphia Inquirer Travel Show, we got up-close and personal to chat about his grilling gear, his quality products, being a celeb chef, and most importantly, why he is now our guru of ‘cue.
15 Questions with Fat Jack’s Glenn Gross:
Where did your love for barbecue start? Comb back to as early as you can remember.
Glenn Gross: When I was a kid, I always loved grilling. I used to do the grills for picnics and family gatherings, and deep down, I always enjoyed it. One thing led to another, and I got into the restaurant business. Back in the early ’90s when I was considering getting this all started, there were no real barbecue joints in the Philly area. There were no mom and pop spots, just chain restaurants were making what they called ‘barbecue’ but that wasn’t what real barbecue was. There was a definite need for something.
Where did it all start?
Our first place we had was a 10,000-square-foot bar and restaurant. We had live blues. First Fat Jack’s was called ‘Fat Jack’s BBQ and Blues.’ That turned into a bunch of additional restaurants. But, after some time, we realized they were too big to operate, and we decided to get rid of the restaurants and concentrate on just street fairs—something we had done part-time when we had the restaurants.
After a stint of street fairs, what made you decide to bring back the Fat Jack’s with a brick and mortar?
My son found a location along Roosevelt Boulevard and it felt right to bring back the concept. We’ve been cooking out of that spot now for three years. The guy who owns it is somewhat of a good samaritan—he’s now building me stores in Morrisville, PA and Hamilton, NJ. He’s partners with the guys over in Malvern, PA, and that’s how I got connected with them.
Speaking of your coming-soon Main Line restaurant, when can we expect that open?
As early as mid-March to late April. We are currently finishing up the construction and I’m getting the equipment we need.
What sets your barbecue product apart from other ‘cue joints?
We smoke all other barbecue restaurants. Here’s the difference: we put a little bit of ourselves into it. We’re a small chain and we pride ourselves on consistency.
What measures do you take to keep up consistency within your meats and side dishes?
Everything is about quality. I use top-of-the-line ingredients. I use a rib that costs me $.80 more than any other rib on the market. I use brisket that costs me almost $5 dollars a pound. Everything I do is quality—and it really does show in the finished product.
Some BBQ aficionados are anti-sauce, and others are all for slathering it. What’s your opinion?
I’m a sauce guy. It’s something I’ve always done and I like it. I’m confident in my [sauced] product and do what I do because I have won so many competitions in the last 15–18 years.
Speaking of these competitions…I hear you’re the king of BBQ competitions.
I can legitimately say that since 1992/1993 we have won over 150 awards. I don’t compete quite as much anymore as the restaurants take up a lot of my time, but the little bit of competitions I still do, we’ve done well.
Just back in November, we competed in the National Food Championships out in Las Vegas, where we were named the “Best Burger in the World.” And, in May last year, we did the Philly Burger Brawl, and won first place.
If I don’t place well I just say ‘hey—it wasn’t meant to be.’
Since you have an arsenal of competition experience, what advice would give to up-and-coming food competitor?
Don’t change anything that you do. Don’t try something new on the spot on the day of the competition. Do it right—don’t change anything, just improve what you do. Do what you do best. If you’re going to tweak something, do it before the competition.
I hear you’ve made a name for yourself on a particular TV show. Let’s talk about it.
I’ve gotten some national exposure by participating in the show BBQ Pitmasters. The premise of the show is they bring in the top pitmasters of the world and they compete against each other. Over 4,000 contestants applied for the show and only 20 got picked—I was one of them. I finished second on my season.
That’s awesome! You wouldn’t have been awarded second place if you weren’t doing something right. Congrats!
I lost first place by one point! But, the exposure I got out of it was great! People stop me on the street for autographs—ask me to sign a menu, sign a receipt. It’s very humbling because I’m just a regular guy! I wake up and go to work every day, and even the last two days, I’ve cooked open to close at our Roosevelt Blvd. store. I don’t think you see that many owners doing that anymore.
So, let’s get down to the meat nitty-gritties. What equipment are you slinging?
I generally use Southern Pride, which is, in my opinion, the Cadillac of the industry. When we took over our Jenkintown location, there was a big JR smoker. That’s a big Cadillac where you have to tend the fire and check it every 10–15 minutes. That’s not what I want to do.
Southern Pride smokers you set and forget. Obviously, you have to know what you’re looking for, but the product is so much better and we don’t have time to tend to a fire.
How long are your meats cooking in the Southern Pride smoker?
Our brisket runs anywhere from a low of 14 hours to a high of 18 hours. Ribs go about 4 hours. Little things like chicken breasts, that’s just 25 minutes. All depends what we are doing, like we do specials that take less time, like bacon-wrapped strips where we smoke ‘em and then grill ‘em.
You’re making an appearance at this weekend’s Philadelphia Inquirer Travel Show, presenting a cooking demo. What’s on the menu for your presentation?
I’ll be presenting some sauces and rubs, and I’ll also explain some our cooking processes. Since the meat takes too long, I can’t do that on the spot, but I can show some examples of our unfinished and finished products.
Will Fat Jack’s be offering food samples too?
Yup, we’ll have a booth there and will be offering pulled pork sliders on rolls from our friends at LeBus bakery.
Catch Glenn Gross and Fat Jack’s at Philadelphia Inquirer Travel Show on Jan. 25 and 26. Grab tickets here. The guru of ‘Q will be demonstrating on the Culinary Stage on Sat., at noon, and on Sun., at 2:30 p.m.
More details and menus at Fat Jack’s here.
- Fat Jack's Food Photos: Nina Lea Photography
- Fat Jack's Group Shot: Fat Jack's BBQ
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