Beloved Lago Vista barbecue legend dies; community remembers his legacy
Lago Vista community grieves loss of business owner
The Lago Vista and Jonestown communities are grieving the loss of beloved business owner and barbecue legend John Baker.
LAGO VISTA, Texas - The Lago Vista and Jonestown communities are grieving the loss of a beloved business owner and barbecue legend, John Baker.
Remembering John Baker
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John Baker
What they're saying:
From starting out as a food trailer to an award-winning BBQ restaurant cherished by the community, his journey was nothing short of remarkable.
But he was more than just the pit master behind Baker’s Brisket, he was a beloved man whose impact reached far beyond the smoker.
"My dad certainly was not rich monetarily. But he's the richest man I know in terms of the relationships he's made and the people he's impacted," said Alec Baker.
That's how family and friends describe John Baker.
After spending 35 years in the corporate world, his son Alec says he discovered a true passion for cooking along the way.
"At dad's house, rarely would we go out to eat. It was always, ‘hey, kid, I made you a meatloaf. Hey, I made you a pork chop with some green beans and mashed potatoes. Hey, I made you this. I made you that,’" said Baker.
For John, barbecue wasn’t just food, but a passion and way of life.
"We had an opportunity to move out to Lago Vista in 2016. And right when he did that, he changed his license plate on his car to Barbeque Lago. And he called it his vision quest. You know, he was going to make this dream work. He was going to pursue this. And I was there with him alone every step of the way," said Baker.
In 2017, John and Alec opened a food trailer two days a week at the farmers market in Lago Vista.
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Immediately, the business received an immense outpouring of support from the community.
"John figured it out and was able to teach all of us how to make the brisket very well. But yeah, we've had the same menu for years. And it starts from the ground up," said Baker.
In October 2024, John and Alec opened a brick-and-mortar location, Baker’s Brisket Company in Jonestown. There, brisket became the true star of the show.
The business was dedicated to community outreach, providing meals for high school coaches on game days and offering "pay what you can" lunches for the community during the holidays.
"It has always been, what can we do for the community? What can we do to make our customers happy? What can we do to make this more affordable? You know, Baker's Brisket company is really based on family. The word family is not used very lightly here," said Baker.
The business was honored with the 2019 business of the year award by the North Lake Travis Chamber of Commerce, and John received the 2022 member of the year recognition.
But then, the unthinkable happened. John died on Saturday, Jan. 25.
Alec announced the business would be closed for a month, but they hope to reopen, honoring their father’s enduring legacy for years to come.
"I can go up from here. It's just, you know, it's going to be a hard road going forward. But I know he knows I can do it. I know he believes in me, and I know he's watching," said Baker.
A GoFundMe has been set up by the family. You can find it here.
A celebration of life is being held Thursday at noon at North Lake Church in Lago Vista.
The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin's Jenna King