Pitmaster IndexRoy Perez
Former Head Pitmaster (retired 2026)
Roy Perez
Kreuz MarketLockhart, TX
Roy Perez, a Lockhart native, was hired at Kreuz Market as a sausage cook on March 25, 1987, at age 24, by owner Rick Schmidt. He learned every part of the operation and became head pitmaster when Schmidt retired in 2011. When Kreuz moved to its current building in 1999, Perez carried hot coals from the old pits to start the new fires. He was inducted into the American Royal Barbecue Hall of Fame in 2025, and he retired in 2026 after 39 years at Kreuz Market.
Technique
Kreuz Market seasons its meats only with salt and pepper and smokes them over post oak without wrapping. Perez cooked brisket, shoulder clod, ribs and other meats there, and kept handwritten journals of what the pits cooked each day starting in 1987.
Recognition
- Kreuz Market — Top 5, Texas Monthly Top 50 BBQ Joints (2008)