Robert J. Harris is the manager, pit boss, cook and spokesperson for Pack Jack Old-Style Barbecue in Sebastopol.
Tell me a little about your family’s background and how you got into barbecue.
Back in the Old West, when they took cattle on the trail to get their cattle to market, Pack Jack was known for having his seasonings when he was out on the trail. The cowboys were eating dry biscuits and jerky, so they would find Pack Jack by following the smoke – they knew they could get a good meal: world-famous Pack Jack beans and slow-smoked meats.
Pack Jack was a family member. When he was a kid, he grew up in Egypt, Texas and worked in the ranch kitchen. As he got older, he went out with the cowboys. He liked cooking so he took his kitchen out on the trail. Pack Jack came to California through an inheritance of property in Sebastopol. My parents were retired, and one day my dad came back from golfing with his friends and decided to cook some food. He started cooking and people started showing up and, boom, there is Pack Jack in Sebastopol. That was in the 1980s.
Do you serve any family recipes?
There are old family recipes handed down through the century – the links, sausage and the method of cooking the sauces. We have a Texas-style slow smoked pit at the restaurant – my dad designed it. His name is Donnie, and my mother’s name is Marie.
How does Texas barbecue differ from other barbecue?
With Texas barbecue you cook with indirect heat. You don’t cook over the fire so the fat drips away from the meat. It’s healthier and more flavorful. We use wood as flavoring – seasoned oak (or whatever hard wood is available) and natural tenderizers in our seasonings (that’s a secret).
Locals felt badly when the restaurant burned down. What helped you get through that experience?
My parents were retired when we opened that place, and everyone else in the family had other careers. The fire was quite a surprise, and I thought my parents were working too hard anyway. So I said ‘now you can stop that foolishness and relax and enjoy your retirement.’
They were having a good time running the rest-aurant, and a lot of people were asking when they would reopen. People liked their barbecue and food.
So the family decided to jump back in. It gave us the opportunity to be creative and make traditional family food. My three brothers and my dad are all involved.
What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received?
Everything is just like it used to be.
What do you love most about what you do?
I love to see the people enjoy the food.
Who inspires you and why?
My dad. He keeps the tradition going. It’s a family thing and it shows a lot of love. It’s a way of keeping the family close, together, and it’s also a way to show love to all the other people by feeding them good food.
I’m very glad to be doing this in this community. I’m meeting a lot of very nice people.
