BBQ WITH HISTORY, HUMOR, AND A LITTLE BOURBON
Where fire-cooked meat intersects with comedy, storytelling, and a damn good glass of bourbon.
Kentucky in My Roots. BBQ and Bourbon in My Blood
I grew up in the Bluegrass where food is a love language, hospitality is a way of life, and curse words slip into conversation like they’re punctuation. Fork & Embers is my way of sharing that world — the stories, the flavors and the attitude that raised me.
"Taking BBQ to a Whole Nuva Level"
- Joe
CRAFTED AT HOME. SHARED WITH YOU.
Every apron, every piece of gear, every product in my shop is something I personally design, test, and pack in my own home here in downtown Bardstown, KY.
When you order from Fork & Embers, you’re helping support my family and the work we’re building right here in the heart of Kentucky. You're also getting a quality product.
Meet the man Behind the pit
I grew up all over Kentucky but Eastern Kentucky is where I called home most of my life, but Bardstown is home now and forever. It is the Bourbon Capital of the World, and a place where Southern food, porch conversations, and a good pour tie everything together. I did not grow up around real BBQ, but the first smoked rib my brother in law David handed me changed everything. He gave me his tiny 14 inch Weber Smokey Mountain, and I turned around and made the worst Boston butt of my life on it. But that is how it starts. Good BBQ comes from experience, and experience comes from bad BBQ.
I got obsessive. I learned, failed, learned again, and fell in love with cooking over fire. I love kettles, WSMs, open flames, and anything that sparks that primitive excitement. I crack jokes, drink bourbon, teach a little history, and tell stories the same way I cook. Honestly, passionately, and with my whole personality showing.
Fork and Embers is different because I am different. I am not a chef with a fancy background or multiple bbq competitions under my belt. I am your everyday friend who loves fire, food, and having a good time. I also happen to obsess over learning anything new. When you watch my videos, I want you to laugh, learn something, and walk away feeling like you just hung out with someone real.
If you are new here, know this. I like to have fun, I take the craft seriously, and I work hard to make every video and product worth your time. If you love food, fire, bourbon, and a little storytelling, you will fit right in.