Mack Sevier

Mack Sevier (1944-2015) was an American pitmaster and restaurateur known for opening Uncle John's BBQ and being pitmaster of Barbara Ann's Bar-B-Que.

He supplied meats to many famous South Side restaurants, including Harold's Chicken Shack and Mumbo Bar-B-Que. In the late 1980s, Sevier decided to quit the butcher business and become an apprentice pitmaster. Sevier is known for his trademark use of the aquarium smoker, a staple of Chicago barbecue. Writing for Saveur, Kevin Pang called him "Chicago's king of the hot link". Hunter Owens of Saveur wrote that "If someone were to carve a Mount Rushmore of Chicago barbecue pitmasters," Sevier's face would be included. Pitmaster Gary Wiviott said that Sevier was an "artist" whose "medium was fire and meat." and diabetes which cost him the use of his fingers. After his retirement, he continued to cook for fundraisers and church picnics. He died of complications including heart and kidney failure at Holy Cross Hospital on June 1, 2015.

Personal life Mack was married to Shirley Sevier for 49 years, until his death in 2015. At one point, he was a deacon at his church. Mack, a "gentle hulk", stood 6'3 and weighed over 300 pounds, with a reputation for a "herculean" handshake. He was described as being "shaped like a defensive tackle with an ever present Kangol hat."