Cooper Abercrombie
Bar-A-BBQ | Montgomery, TX
September 2025
Born and raised in Montgomery, Texas, Cooper Abercrombie grew up as the son, grandson, and great-grandson of Texas high school football coaches. He initially followed in their footsteps—playing college football at East Texas A&M University—but his true passion was sparked later in life, with the purchase of a backyard smoker. What began as a hobby snowballed into a full-time obsession. While working remotely in sales, Abercrombie spent his off-hours trailing at acclaimed spots like Goldee’s in Fort Worth, soaking up knowledge from pitmasters and blazing his own trail into Central Texas-style barbecue.
In 2018, he began popping up under an E-Z UP back in Montgomery, eventually scaling to a trailer, and finally opening Bar-A-BBQ in 2022. With help from his brother, wife, and father, Abercrombie has built a high-output, family-run operation forged through repeated trial and error. His brisket is partially cold-smoked and rested in tallow. His pork ribs, seasoned with 16 mesh pepper and a sweet-spiced glaze, are dialed to the minute. Even the dessert—a cornbread bread pudding born out of waste reduction and childhood nostalgia—glistens with honey butter and spirit.
In a corner of the industry that can be notoriously secretive, Abercrombie is an open book, offering recipes and mentorship to anyone willing to learn. His open-door policy welcomes anyone in need in the community to come into Bar-A-BBQ for whatever they’re looking for. Whether it’s hosting barbecue classes or donating to local kid’s fundraisers, Abercrombie has built a business that feeds—and gives back to—the small town that raised him.
