Meet Jake Wood: Father & Pitmaster

Chef/owner Jake Wood of Apex, NC began his restaurant, Lawrence BBQ as a way to honor his late grandfather, Allen Lawrence. Lawrence BBQ has quickly become a “must visit” restaurant in the city of Durham, NC as Wood has worked hard to make it in the world of BBQ within the last two years.

Wood’s concept for Lawrence BBQ draws from his ancestors as he grew up learning the traditions of his past by his grandparents. They taught him how to harvest, fish, and butcher pigs. He works to pay those traditions forward by honoring his grandfather’s family name by using the name “Lawrence” as the name of the establishment and by incorporating shared family recipes into the restaurant.

Wood drew the inspiration and love of food from his upbringing, but went on to classically train and became a fine-dining chef where he spent his days using the finest resources to plate meals. Wood has taken his life experiences to cultivate Lawrence BBQ. He continues to use his expertise and training to bring elevated takes on classic Southern favorites.

Wood is a very devoted son, as well as father as he works hard to provide for his wife, daughter, and son, Lawrence, who, like his restaurant, is named for his grandfather. He takes pride in sharing his success with his family, but also with his work family and the people around him. Lawrence BBQ is not only a restaurant, but a family.

\When you step foot into Lawrence BBQ, you are stepping into Wood’s home and he works to keep the traditions alive while bringing in new memories to the community by way of food. Lawrence BBQ is an establishment built on tradition, family bonds and passion.

Wood looks forward to the expansion of his legacy as he plans to officially open his third restaurant concept, Leroy’s Tacos and Beer on March 25th.

Please see below for a recipe on how to marinate meat the Jake Wood way for your Father’s Day celebration.

A.P. Rub/Seasoning Recipe

Yield: 4 quartz

Combine ingredients listed and rub on meat for great and delicious flavor.

40 Oz – Lite Browns Sugar
20 Oz – Chili Powder
20 Oz – Coarse Kosher Salt (Mortons)
10 Oz – Ground Cumin
10 Oz – Ground Yellow Mustard
10 Oz – Coarse Ground Black Pepper
10 0z – Granulated Garlic
10 Oz – Granulated Onion
5 Oz – Smoked Paprika