As a child growing up in Virginia, Reid Levin remembers passing roadside smokers on family road trips.
"There were always smokers on the side of the road," he said.
Later, while attending college in South Carolina, Levin developed a taste for mustard-based barbecue that stayed with him through moves across the country.
"It all started from a place of nostalgia," he said. "You move around a lot, and you want things that are comforting."
That nostalgia eventually led Levin to launch Slow Burn BBQ in Ashland.
Before opening the business, Levin worked in media and the surfing industry in California.
When he moved to Southern Oregon, he found himself missing the barbecue flavors he grew up with. He bought his first cabinet smoker and began teaching himself barbecue techniques.
Unable to find sauces that matched what he was looking for, Levin started experimenting in his own kitchen.
Levin began dissecting sauces he liked, measuring ingredients and testing batches until he could recreate those flavors. Over time, he developed recipes built around vinegar and mustard rather than the sweeter, sugar-heavy styles common on supermarket shelves.
"It really was born out of just not being able to find anything here that I really liked," he said.
He quickly learned that barbecue requires constant adjustment. Over the winter, Levin often arrived before sunrise to start cooking. Some mornings were dark, windy and just above freezing. Rain and occasional snow added another challenge to managing a fire and maintaining temperatures.
"There's so much playfulness in barbecue," he said.
He said one of the things he appreciates most about the food scene in the Rogue Valley is its collaborative spirit. Through partnerships with local chefs, bakers and food producers, Levin said he has found a community that regularly shares ideas, supports fellow entrepreneurs and works together on events.
"When each of us do well, we all do well," Levin said.
Guest
- Reid Levin, owner, Slow Burn BBQ
