My quest for great BBQ all started back in 1999.? My wife and I, newly married, moved from Omaha to KC.? You would think that KC would be capable of providing the BBQ I was after with places like Little Jake?s, Winslow?s, Arthur Bryant?s and Hayward?s but as delicious as it all was (and is), the simple fact was, I missed my dads BBQ.

Luckily we were not too far away and would come back to Omaha about once a month.? My brother and his wife would make it in from Des Moines and every time my pops would make sure to have some BBQ ready for us.? It was a thing of beauty really, I had great BBQ while in KC and once a month I would see my family and get some of my father?s BBQ, at least until we moved to Atlanta that is.? No more monthly trips home and no more KC style BBQ.

I had no choice, I had to learn to do it for myself.? I had purchased a Weber kettle shortly after moving to Atlanta.? I had seen my pops smoke meats on one and knew if anyone could teach me he could.? Both my dad and brother were valuable resources in my learning to cook BBQ.

Before I knew it, I was turning out pretty good ribs, pulled pork and brisket.? All my practicing paid off in more ways than one.? We met some wonderful people thanks to the smell of that hickory drifting throughout the apartment complex.

We?moved back to Omaha after 7 years of being away.? At this time my dad, brother and their good friend Jeff (Hefe) had been competing in local BBQ competitions for about 8 or 9 years.? I was interested in competing as well and was invited to join their team.? I declined.? They had been together for a long time and I didn?t want to interfere in any way.? Besides, I had my own recipes at this time and, being a bit stubborn sometimes, I decided I wasn?t going to have a ?seasoned? BBQ team tell me how to cook BBQ.

Framps and I decided to start our own team and just like that, Louie Hewis & the Q was born.? Framps and I have been friends forever, as a matter of fact we grew up right next door to each other.? He was and always will be my ?little brother??????All in the family indeed.

We?ve picked up a couple of new guys along the way.? Family?? Yup!? I met Chris when he was 7 years old and Logan, I feel I?ve known a lifetime.? Framps has known both of them for as long as I can remember.? We?ve since changed our team name to make the team more ours and I believe we will be competing until we?re too old to do it anymore.? We?ve all got kids, and who knows, maybe someday one of them will join the team or better yet, start their own team and compete against us.