Photos by Linda Smolek
Follow the Smoke BARBECUE AND BEER JOINT SHINES IN QUIET CORNER OF EAST SACRAMENTO
J
ames Lee’s friends call him “Panda.” As far as I can tell, everyone is his friend. But if you forget Lee’s nickname, reminders are everywhere: on his panda-themed shirts and the panda mural painted on
GS By Greg Sabin Restaurant Insider
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the side of the barbecue joint he owns with Julio Peix. You’ll find Lee at the smoker most days. He smokes brisket, ribs or pork belly. He throws a little smoke onto his signature meatloaf or even tofu. If the smoker is going, he’s there. “I’m usually onsite by 1,” he says. “Just after lunch?” I ask. “No,” he says, “1 a.m.” The work of the pit-master, you see, starts long before you take a bite. When Lee rolls up to Lefty’s Taproom on Elvas Avenue, his first task is to start his “coal bed.” He says it takes about one hour to get a good coal bed started. Then he can put on his meats.
It’s another eight to 10 hours as he slowly feeds in small pieces of wood to get the right amount of smoke without affecting the overall temperature. “I’ve lost all my arm hair,” Lee says. “Feeding wood in that smoker totally does it to you.” He holds out his left arm, of course. The name of the joint, Lefty’s Taproom, comes from the fact that both he and Peix are left-handed. This is Lee’s first run at restaurant ownership. He’s a civil engineer by trade, but got the barbecue bug a few years ago. Starting with just a Webber kettle in the backyard, then a pellet smoker, he quickly gained the skill and
confidence to offer some of the best barbecue in the area. I ask if he has any local mentors or teachers. I picture Lee sitting at the foot of a grizzled, whiskered old-timer wreathed in smoke, skin permanently smudged from decades at the smoker. “Mostly trial and error,” he says. “And YouTube. There are a lot of good videos out there.” Partnering with Peix, who previously co-owned Dad’s Kitchen, seems like it’s working. Peix’s influence has made Lefty’s a homey, festive outpost. You’ll find old beer advertising signs and a Skee-Ball machine. Same as Dad’s Kitchen, you’ll find an incredible beer selection.
