Meet Bryan Hull | Owner/Cook Secret Pint BBQ

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bryan Hull and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bryan, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
The time commitment to the craft. Once a pop-up starts, there has easily been up to 40+ hours of prep and cook time leading up to it, but I think people are beginning to be better educated about the process that goes into bbq – especially craft bbq. By the time I slice into a brisket at a pop-up, it’s been 24-30 hours from the time that prep began on that single piece of meat. For sausages, the prep time is even longer with an intense process that takes place over 3-4 days because they are house made. While it is a time-consuming commitment, it is worth it to know I am putting out bbq that I am proud of.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’ve been cooking bbq in some capacity since I was 14 or 15. I fell into Central Texas offset style cooking around 2011-12, but I really didn’t think of it as something more than a hobby until 2018. That was when I was able to purchase a bigger smoker that allowed me to cook with full wood splits. From there, I cooked on it for about a year before I started the underground bbq pop-ups. I did four pop-ups in 2019 while also traveling to Texas to try different bbq spots and learn as much as I could.

I was gearing up to hit the actual pop-up circuit in 2020, then COVID hit. This is where I learned to pivot, which has been incredibly valuable. Instead of waiting for everything to fully open up, I took a chance and started offering monthly bbq deliveries during the latter half of the year. During that time, I learned a lot about timing cooks and planning ahead for deliveries, which has helped me become more prepared for pop-ups. There was definitely still a learning curve when it came to doing pop-ups, but it would have been a nightmare without those 5 months of deliveries. I also learned to pivot the menu if I have to. I am so stubborn with the style and standard of food that I want to serve that I would rather strike something off the menu than serve subpar food.

At the end of the day, I am grateful for the customers I have, and I owe it to them and myself to serve the highest quality bbq that I can. I am blown away that they are willing to wait in line to have our food, which is something that I loved about the Texas bbq scene. In Texas, people would line up at a bbq spot long before the doors would open, but the thing is – the food was always worth it. That’s what I want to bring to Atlanta and what I’m striving for. I want people to feel that the wait was worth it, and in order to do that, I have to cook the absolute best bbq possible. Despite the long hours and manual labor, I am a firm believer in never compromising the process. I cook the old school way with locally sourced wood and no assists, and I think that makes a huge difference in how my bbq tastes.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
It depends on the friend. I could definitely provide some strong recommendations on where to eat. Buford Highway is a must with some great options like Northern China Eatery, Supermercado Chicago, and Lee’s Bakery. If they wanted to stay closer to the city, I would definitely take them to Gaja in East Atlanta Village, Porter Beer Bar in Little Five Points, and Ticonderoga Club at Krog Street.

Outside of food recommendations, I’m honestly the worst person to ask, but if I had to make some suggestions on other things to do, here’s what I would suggest.

If they are a beer drinker, I think Atlanta’s brewery scene is really coming into its own. If they enjoy live music, I would try and get them into some shows at the Earl or Variety Playhouse. Depending on the friend, I could see a trip to the Clermont as a must.

If it was fall night with a game going on at Bobby Dodd, I would suggest sitting on the visitors’ side of the stadium so you can see Atlanta in the backdrop. There’s honestly nothing better for me, but Atlanta United games do come close though

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
This would be a pretty long list of people who have helped me get Secret Pint BBQ to where it is today. If I had to pick one person, it would have to be Rick Venutolo. Without probably knowing it, he is one of the catalysts for Secret Pint being where it is today.

Back in 2019, I started a series of invite-only BBQ’s that I set up in friends’ driveways after being inspired by what was happening with the underground bbq pop-up scene in LA and Texas. I put out a message on Instagram about it, and Rick was the first non-friend to come. On a 50-degree rainy day in March, Rick drove all the way out to Douglasville to try some random person’s brisket and ribs. From there, he has introduced me to a lot of people I consider close friends. I am lucky to know Rick and have him as a friend, and I know a lot of other people in the Atlanta food community who feel the same way.

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