Five-time world barbecue champion Myron Mixon continues building a presence in Northern Virginia. “The winningest man in barbecue” recently opened a new 2,500-square-foot fast-casual restaurant, Myron Mixon’s Pitmaster Barbecue, in Dunn Loring.
At the new spot, diners can order from the counter and then dig into the lip-smacking classics Mixon is known for like pulled pork, pulled chicken, wings, ribs, and brisket as well as mac and cheese, cupcake cornbread muffins, and peach barbecue baked beans.
“Dunn Loring is a great food place,” Mixon says. “It’s upscale — and that’s what we’re looking for when we put in restaurants.”
“This new restaurant is different than anything we’ve ever done in a fast-casual,” says Mixon, who is hoping to capitalize on the area’s foot traffic. The restaurant is within walking distance of the Dunn Loring–Merrifield Metro station.
Mixon learned the smoky nuances of the art of barbecue from working in his father’s takeout barbecue business, Jack’s Old South, in Vienna, Georgia. The 61-year-old entered his first competition in Augusta, Georgia, in 1996, and since then, he has won more barbecue championships than anyone else in the world. That equates to five world titles, over 200 grand championships resulting in more than 1,800 total trophies, 30 state championships, eight Team of the Year awards, and 11 national championships.
“When I was competing all the time, I used to run 45 to 48 contests a year — I did that for 15 years,” Mixon says. “The contests, and winning, is what started everything else for me — the TV shows, the cookbooks, the restaurants.”
Over the past decade, Mixon has felt the tug to share his expertise through a variety of mediums. The grill master has five cookbooks to his credit and stars in several barbecue shows on Discovery and the Cooking Channel. He promotes a successful line of sauces and barbecue rubs, and a line of smokers. He loves to teach and has a cooking school in Unadilla, Georgia, where he’s also in his third term as mayor.
“Cooking school is a big part of my business and I’ve been doing classes since 2005,” Mixon says. “The teaching part I enjoy more than anything.”
The expert has one important tip for barbecue warriors at home: use a meat thermometer. Though Mixon notes his father didn’t need to use one, most grillers benefit from checking meat temperatures while cooking.
“If you cook with a meat thermometer, you’ll never be overcooked or undercooked,” Mixon says. “I may lie to you about a bunch of stuff … but I’ll never lie to you about barbecue and barbecue information. I’ll never lie to you about that.”
2670 Avenir Pl., Vienna
Related stories:
- Here’s Where to Find the Best Barbecue in Northern Virginia
- Barbecue Champ Myron Mixon Shares His Award-Winning Recipes
- 5 NoVA BBQ Side Dishes That Are Meals in Their Own Right
Feature image courtesy Myron Mixon
This story originally ran in our April issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
