Before the line forms and the doors open at la Barbecue, Ali Clem is already moving through the space, checking in with her team, scanning prep lists, and making sure everything is in place for the day ahead: inventory, organization, and stepping in wherever she is needed. She’s part of the operation, not just overseeing it.
“I’ve been doing every part of this job for so long,” Ali says. “If someone needs a break or we’re slammed, I’m there on the line cutting meat. It keeps my skills sharp.”
As owner and pitmaster, she leads one of Austin’s most respected barbecue institutions, earning a Michelin star in 2024 and maintaining it in 2025. The recognition carries weight, but it does not change the rhythm of her day. She is still stepping into every role, filling gaps, and keeping the pace steady, both behind the scenes and directly on the line.
“It’s hard to accept that we have it,” she says of their Michelin star. “I’m the first female barbecue pitmaster in the world to earn one, and that is intense. But it’s not just me. It’s the whole team who earned it.”
When Ali first arrived in Austin, she expected to find her footing quickly in the restaurant world. Instead, she found herself starting over, bartending downtown and rethinking what she thought she knew. Barbecue came into her life through her late wife, LeAnn, who introduced her to the craft and the food truck that would become the bedrock of everything that followed.
“It’s hard to even accept that we have it. I’m the first female barbecue pitmaster in the world to earn one, and that is intense. But it’s not just me; it’s the whole team who earned the [Michelin] star.”
“We took over the truck and had to rebrand everything in three days: recipes, logos, all of it. Then reopen…with one smoker,” she recalls. “I was sleeping next to it at night, waking up every 20 minutes to tend the fire.”
In those early years, there was hardly any separation between work and life: just long nights, early mornings, and a commitment to figuring it all out in real time. The Austin barbecue scene was gaining momentum, and with it came a level of competition that demanded clarity and confidence.
“You had to stand out,” she explains. “There were all these new places popping up, and you had to give people a reason to come to you.”
What kept her on track was not recognition or long-term vision, but her genuine passion for barbecue and running a business. “I love it,” Ali grins. “The process, the challenge. It’s fun to take something and get it exactly where you want it.”
That same mindset carries through today. Even with a seasoned team and a permanent space, she continues to move through the restaurant with the same hands-on approach that defined those early days. And with more than a decade in, she understands how fragile success can be.
“One day you can be popular, the next you’re not,” she shrugs. “So I’m really grateful we’ve been able to grow and keep going this long.”
For Ali, the future is not something she tries to control too tightly. It is something she builds toward, piece by piece. “The possibilities are exciting,” she admits. “But I try to stay present. It’s about daily and weekly goals and seeing it all come together.”
“We took over the truck and had to rebrand everything in three days: recipes, logos, all of it. Then reopen with only one smoker. I was sleeping next to it at night, waking up every 20 minutes to tend the fire.”
By the middle of the day, the pace has picked up, and the tables are full. However, for her, the focus never shifts far from what is directly in front of her: the next cut, the next order, the next adjustment. After more than a decade, it is not about stepping back from the work you love but staying connected to it.
Before the Star
Before la Barbecue became a Michelin-starred East Austin institution, the fire was already drawing national attention. In 2012, Anthony Bourdain came through Austin with Daniel Vaughn, Texas Monthly’s barbecue editor, visiting the JMueller BBQ trailer — the same operation that would later become la Barbecue. It was an early signal that something special was happening around that smoker: not polished, not predictable, but deeply rooted in craft, patience, and Texas barbecue culture.
Advice : “Make sure you’re ready to dedicate your life to it. Really love what you do because you will be doing nothing but that for a long time.”
Favorite Part : “The people I work with and our customers”
Contact:
2401 East Cesar Chavez Street
labarbecue.com
@la_barbecue
