Our Story


Serving Austin Since 1998

Like most stories about grilling, our story starts with family. 

BBQ Outfitters was founded in 1998 when our founder, Bob Carroll, noticed that folks in the area didn’t have a dedicated barbecue equipment store – a surprise in a state as barbecue-obsessed as Texas! He hoped that by opening the 800-square-foot BBQ Grill Store in Rollingwood, he’d give both new and master grillers a place to hone their craft, test the latest products, and bring new recipes home to their families.

Led by Bob’s passion and enthusiasm for grilling, the little family-owned BBQ Grill Store grew into BBQ Outfitters, two 5,000-square-foot stores in Austin and San Antonio.

For nearly a quarter century, BBQ Outfitters has hosted Saturday cookouts at their stores, where they inspired new generations of grillers to pick up a spatula and debated charcoal vs. gas with barbecue veterans.

Now in its second quarter-century, BBQ Outfitters is under new ownership with Layne and Kristin Mayfield, who are excited about continuing the Carrolls’ legacy of igniting that grilling spark within their communities.

BBQ Outfitters’ Saturday cookouts remain a staple of both Austin and San Antonio stores, where pros and newbies alike can get together to learn tricks of the trade from visiting grill masters and our own in-house experts. And for anyone interested in just taking in the sights, we have outdoor kitchen ideas to inspire the barbecue top chef in all of us.

Our hope is that, at the end of the day, BBQ Outfitters can be a little part of your family’s story, too, possibly told while you’re smoking a brisket with your buddies or flipping some burgers on a Friday night.

Kristin Mayfield

Kristin grew up with a traditional barbecue Dad: cheeseburgers with John Henry’s seasoning were his specialty. Now, she’s one-half of that barbecue-obsessed couple on the street with too many grills and plenty of food to share. Her passion is following all the trends in outdoor kitchens, from concepts from Challenger and Danver to the latest furniture from Polywood.

Layne Mayfield

Like many of us, Layne’s first attempts at grilling with Dad as a kid were nothing to brag about… until he got his own offset smoker in college and, years later, the Big Green Egg. He has since tested his chops on a variety of grills, smokers and other cooking equipment, and will gladly talk about all of his favorite outdoor kitchen features with anyone who will listen.

PK Mayfield

She’s not ready to play with fire just yet, but she’s an excellent entry-level taste tester, and is always running a special on smiles.