Albuquerrque master barbecuer Pete Powdrell dead at 86

[RebLem]

Albuquerque restaurateur Bernice "Pete" Powdrell dead at 86

Staff report
Originally published 08:15 a.m., December 4, 2007
Updated 11:50 a.m., December 4, 2007 || Albuquerque Tribune

In his signature overalls, Bernice "Pete" Powdrell greeted customers at his famous Mr. Powdrell's Barbeque for decades.

Though Powdrell died Sunday at age 86, his son Joe Powdrell said his father's spirit lives on in the community and the restaurant.

"I tell you, I can't walk in that place and not smell him," Joe Powdrell said.

Joe Powdrell is the middle son of the Powdrell family's 11 children.

His dad was one of 12 siblings raised in poverty in Texas. The elder Powdrell was schooled only through the second grade, but that didn't mean he stopped learning, his son said.

"He learned from everybody. That was his curriculum - drawing from every experience and not being biased with your relationship from other people," Joe Powdrell said. "He said to treat everybody as having something significant for you, not just money. Everybody knows something - find out what he knows."

Born May 12, 1921, in Crosbyton, Texas, Powdrell and his wife, Catherine, moved to Albuquerque in 1958 to join other family members, find work and raise a family.

In 1962, he used his grandfather's secret recipes to found Mr. Powdrell's Barbeque in the south Broadway area, creating an Albuquerque institution in the process.

Powdrell's was a hit with residents and visitors alike, and consistently has been named a top stop for barbecue. The restaurant now has branches on Central Avenue Northeast and Fourth Street Northwest.

Powdrell's recipe for success was honesty and hard work, Joe Powdrell said.

And "the law of God."

"He was a very spiritual man, very allegiant to God's law, and those laws are basic laws: You will reap what you sow," Joe Powdrell said.

Powdrell was a founding deacon of the Macedonia Baptist Church.

Catherine Powdrell, his wife of 65 years, and two of his children preceded him in death. He leaves behind 10 brothers and sisters, nine children, 35 grandchildren, 31 great-grandchildren, eight great-great-grandchildren, and a host of other relatives and friends.

http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2007/dec/04/albuquerque-restaurateur-bernice-pete-powdrell-dea

I visit the Central Av restaurant fairly often for lunch or, occasionally, dinner. I remember Pete Powdrell coming out in his motor chair and greeting customers mid-meal, asking what kind of day they were having. I told him once that, actually, I had been having a pretty lousy day up to then, but that I felt renewed and refreshed by his wonderful food. He seemed very pleased with that.

Actually, in my opinion, it is the Central Av location which is, although the smallest of the three locations, the most influential in spreading the Powdrell reputation far and wide. Reason: its close to Kirtland AFB, and folks stationed at the base, from all over the country, can often be seen in their work uniforms eating lunch there.

Oh, they make great breaded catfish, too. RebLem