TIL a BBQ joint in Austin has a 'pitmaster' who's actually a robot arm

I was at Franklin Barbecue last week and saw this huge metal arm doing all the brisket flipping in the pit room. The guy running it just stood there with a tablet, I mean idk maybe it's just me but that felt weird. Has anyone else seen a setup like that and does it even count as a pitmaster?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_lucas2mo ago

Wait, a robot arm is running the pit at Franklin's? That's like finding out the Pope uses a hologram for mass. Isn't the whole point the human touch, the guy who just knows when the meat is right? What's next, a vending machine that serves you the slices? That just feels wrong for real barbecue.

wren_thomas162mo ago

Oh, hold on, I saw that story too. The robot arm is just for moving the briskets in and out of the smoker, not for the cooking itself. A person still handles all the seasoning, the fire, and decides exactly when it's done. It's more like a fancy oven mitt than a pitmaster replacement. The human touch is still running the whole show.

patricia_singh816d ago

The guy who just knows when the meat is right" is exactly what stuck with me too, but I actually see it different. Look, a robot arm that just flips things doesn't know squat about the meat, it's just following orders from a tablet. The human still decides when it's done, still sets the fire, still rubs the brisket. Calling the robot a "pitmaster" is just a dumb headline to get clicks, the real pitmaster is still the person holding the tablet and making the calls. It's just a tool, not a replacement for the actual craft.