Leonard Botello IV is the owner and pitmaster behind Truth BBQ. He opened the original Truth BBQ in 2015 in a small shack off a rural highway in Brenham, Texas. Armed with a used Klose pit, and as a complete unknown in the barbecue world, Botello surprised the industry when in 2017 Truth BBQ landed the No. 10 spot on the coveted Texas Monthly Top-50 Texas BBQ Joints list. In 2019, Botello opened a location of Truth BBQ in Houston, doubling down on his authentic Central Texas-style cooking with relentless attention to detail. Botello has hosted dinners for No Kid Hungry and the James Beard House, and won an episode of Food Network’s Chopped. In 2021, Truth BBQ ranked No. 3 on the Texas Monthly Top-50 Texas BBQ Joints list.