In this new series, TCU Magazine visits with alumni in the food and beverage industry. Send recommendations to tcumagazine@tcu.edu.

Reginald “Reggie” Robinson ’15 MEd is the chef and co-owner of Lil Boy Blue BBQ, a Texas-based pop-up that honors his grandfather’s legacy by creating authentic food and proudly sharing it. He also serves as a sous chef at The Potter’s House of Dallas. Robinson brings heart and hospitality to every plate, especially through Tha Cool Kids Supper Club, an intimate, subscriber-first dining experience designed to build community around shared meals. Through curated menus, personal connections and what he calls “serving love,” Robinson encourages guests to slow down, connect and experience food intentionally.

Was food always a part of your upbringing? What are some of your earliest memories tied to barbecue or cooking?

Food is the only thing I’ve done consistently, and it may be the only thing I’m good at. I am a professional eater, so, in that way, I’ve always been fascinated by flavors, textures, stories and the way food elevates our sense of self.

My brother and I spent a lot of time at Grandma and Grandpa’s house when we didn’t have school. Grandpa would always have the smoker going. He was a butcher, and he would always have different cuts of meat, and he would give us these tales from the pit.

What has it meant to work alongside your brother and carry on your grandfather’s legacy?

We decided that the best way I can love you is to serve you, and that the best way I can serve you is to love you. So, our mission is just that. 

We’re obsessed with serving love and loving serving, and to be able to partner with my brother and bring that into full manifestation has been mythical. 

Reggie Robinson brings intentionality and experimental flavors to the menu at Lil Boy Blue BBQ. Courtesy of Crystal Wise

How did you and your brother go about putting together the menu? There are some unexpected items on there, such as seafood and desserts. What inspired you to branch out beyond traditional barbecue?

My brother is such a rich artist. He paints. I’m of science; I was pre-med as an undergraduate student. So, what happens is we bring art and science together with our love of food.

We’ve been all over the U.S., and we’ve gone out of the country, just to experience their food. There’s a story in every ingredient, and we’re junkies for those stories. What we will do is bring those stories and experiences back to folks who don’t have that access, and that’s what happens with our menus.

Do you have a preferred wood for smoking?

It’s oak. In that way, we are purists. I prefer live oak, but red oak gets it done. 

What oak does whenever you burn it in specific temperatures is it releases these vanilla notes, it releases these caramel notes, that interact with whatever meat you’re cooking.

Barbecue has always been local, in that you use the wood available. For us, and that sort of Central Texas Hill Country, it’s oak.

How do you approach building community, whether through pop-ups, social media or customer relationships?

I think the first part is getting rid of transactions. In our capitalistic sort of society, it’s “You give me the good, I give you the money,” and we try to mitigate that as much as possible.

We believe in unreasonable, unrealistic hospitality. We want to show up and under-promise and over-deliver; that’s one of the lessons Grandpa taught us.

What has the reaction been like from the community? Are there any regulars or particular memories that stand out to you?

There was a moment at one of our supper clubs, where we had fried some chicken. A lady came up to me, and she had tears in her eyes, and she said, “This is not only the best fried chicken I’ve had, but it reminds me of my grandmother.”

When we do what we love and we do it brilliantly, we remind people of their past, their heritage, their legacy, their inheritance. Food, for us, is the great equalizer.