The Greatest BBQ Pit at the Troubadour Festival
At the Troubadour Festival, one pit stole the show — and Barrett Black had pit envy. @B4Barbecue rolled into College Station with a one-of-a-kind, bomber-style smoker named April May, hand-built in Canada and loaded with serious firepower. From pastrami lengua to smoked rye crustinis, this pit brought both beauty and bold flavor.
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At the 2025 Troubadour Festival in College Station, there was plenty of smoke, meat, and music, but one pit had everyone stopping in their tracks. Barrett Black of The Original Black's BBQ took viewers on a walk-through of what might be the greatest custom BBQ rig at the festival, built and operated by Nolan Beltro of @B4Barbecue out of Mabank, Texas.
Barrett got a first-hand look at the massive bomber-style offset pit, complete with 1959 Cadillac taillights, hot rod fenders, and a built-in griddle. “I got pit envy,” Barrett admitted as Nolan showed off the features, including a direct-heat cooker for whole pigs and burgers, and a fire control system built around precision downdraft exhausts.
Nolan served up bold dishes like pastrami lengua (beef tongue) and Jamaican oxtail, and even made house-smoked rye bread crustinis to top it off. The pit, affectionately known as April May, was hand-built by Canadian fabricators Nick and Will and driven all the way from Ontario to Texas just for the festival.
As Barrett said, “It works for you, it works for you.” And at Troubadour, it absolutely did.