I’m Leslie Roark Scott and Ubon Roark was my grandfather. Our BBQ sauce is from his recipe and goes back at least five generations. It’s a sauce that was created in southeast Missouri, so it’s got a Memphis flair with a nod to Kansas City. Ubon’s BBQ Sauce is where we got our start in the professional world of BBQ.

My dad, Garry Roark started catering in the mid 1980’s, BBQ sauce production in 1986, competing in 1989 and opened the restaurant in Yazoo City in 2003. In 1990 I joined the cooking team and in 1992 was the first female to win a grand championship in the Memphis circuit. We’ve been at this a long time!

We’ve participated in BBQ contents all over the country including, Memphis in M Jack Daniels and Best of the Best.

Ubon’s Barbeque of Yazoo is nationally recognized. Garry Roark is one of the featured Pitmasters at the Big Apple Barbeque Block Party. He has appeared on Fox and Friends, featured in award winning cookbooks (including Peace, Love and Barbeque), and holds dozens of awards from his years as a competition pitmaster.

Our relationship as a father daughter team, while not unique, is rare. My role is as a partner in the restaurant, catering and sauce business as well as rib cook/chicken cook for the competition team. Daddy is kind enough to share his spotlight with me whenever possible. Honestly… he’s our shining star. He’s taught hundreds of people how to cook, shared his methods and his ingredients. At this point he’s one of the Grandfathers of Barbeque. I can’t say factually that we’re the longest running team, but my guess is that we’re one of them.