For the past several weeks, 2M Smokehouse has represented San Antonio on Food Network’s new competition show, Pitmasters. On Monday, August 31, Grecia and Esaul Ramos, the duo behind the barbecue joint, will battle it out one last time for the show’s grand prize. We caught up with the San Antonio couple ahead of the show’s finale.
One of two teams left in the competition, Grecia and Esaul Ramos have navigated all the ups and downs of Pitmasters with stride, racking up several wins along the way. The barbecue competition tested the couple and brought out their strengths, including Grecia’s pastry chef background, which Esaul believes set their team up for success.
“I already knew that I was going to take her with me, because my wife was going to bring in a completely different skill set,” Esaul told MySA. “This is just me assuming that nobody was going to bring a pastry chef with them.”
San Antonio fans have been following along both at home on their TV screens and at viewing parties 2M Smokehouse has hosted at McIntyre’s Southtown every Monday night. After seven episodes, Grecia, Esaul and all their local supporters will gather one last time on Monday to watch the final episode of Pitmasters, a make-or-break moment for the team.
“It is an honor to be representing our city,” Grecia said during the interview. “I don’t think that I ever thought it was going to be in the cards, so seeing my parents and his parents proud of us every Monday is surreal.”
Their restaurant, 2M Smokehouse, has been a San Antonio barbecue staple for nearly a decade, earning a James Beard Award nomination and a recommendation from the Michelin Guide since opening. Baked by Chef Grecia Ramos is a newer concept based in Castroville, where the pasty chef brings her sweet creations to life. Both businesses have their own followings, which have been bolstered by Grecia and Esaul’s successful Pitmasters run.
“Walking down the street and people seeing us and recognizing us and telling us how thankful they are that we’re doing so well and how we’re representing the city, that just means so much to us,” Esaul said.
The couple’s 2M Smokehouse will host the final Pitmasters watch party starting at 7 p.m. on Monday, August 31. The episode airs on Food Network at 8 p.m. and will be available to stream on HBO Max the following day.
Dining and Cooking