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I woke up the next morning, and the house was all smellin' and I was [thinking], “Oh, I done burnt that sauce up!” And when I went in the kitchen and looked at the s—sauce, it was smelling so good…And I taste[d] it, and I said, “Mmm! I done hit a lick.”
'Leroy “Spooney” Kenter, Jr.

Mr. Leroy Kenter, better known as “Spooney,” started barbecuing at home in Kansas City, Kansas. When he returned to his native Greenwood, he knew he wanted to have his own place and make a name for his own brand of ‘cue and sauce. Located in a narrow space with smokers in the lot next door and just down and across from the Crystal Grill, a whole different clientele know and love Spooney's food, and they keep coming back. Spooney's secret is in his sauce, the recipe for which came to him after his first wife left him. The story is that Spooney sat at home alone, staring at the walls for days upon days. Then one day his eye caught the image of the crock-pot sitting on the kitchen counter. Then some ketchup. And then his mind started swimming with secrets and spices, culminating in his homemade sauce that was inspired by heartache. This man's barbecued ribs really will make you cry.

Edited Transcript

What follows is a portion of the original interview that has been edited for length. Download the FULL TRANSCRIPT in PDF form (108K) by clicking this link. (Adobe Acrobat Reader required)

Subject: Leroy "Spooney" Kenter, Jr., owner and pit master
Date: August 9, 2003
Location: Spooney's Bar-Be-Que
Interviewer: Amy Evans

Amy Evans: I have to do this [to Mr. Kenter]. It's Saturday, June-no, August ninth, two thousand three. And I'm with, uh, Spooney Kenter, here on Johnson Street in Greenwood, Mississippi. And a train's going by [beep of motion sensor on front door in background. The beep continues throughout the entire interview], and he was nice enough to meet me here this morning. It's about ten o'clock. And, Mr. Kenter, if you wouldn't mind saying your name and your age for -

Leroy Kenter: My name is Leroy Kenter, Junior. Uh, age of fifty-three. I'm a native of Greenwood, Mississippi.

And [short pause] how long did you live in Greenwood? You grew up in Greenwood?

I was born and raised in Greenwood. Um, [Short pause] I left here in nineteen seventy-five. Moved to Kansas City and I stayed there approximately-about twenty years.

Kansas City, Kansas.

[Laughs] And what took you out there?

Well, basically I just needed to make a move out of Ka--outta Greenwood. So, I had a cousin living in Kansas, and I went to visit him and decided to stay.

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So what'd you do when you went out there?

Well, basically I'd worked, uh, various jobs and eventually, I got into food business. Started working for different franchises, and from there, uh, as time went on [short pause] I decided to come on back to Greenwood for a while. And once I [short pause] got here, I decided to stick around and spend some time with my mother and my parents, rather. And I ended up openin' up my own little bidness here.

So how'd you learn to cook?

Basically, I already kn-knew how to cook. Uh, [short pause] but now, when you get to the volume, it-it--I learned that during the process of just workin' for them different franchises in Kansas City. And, as time went on, uh, one day the cook [short pause]--and I said the boss had a little misunderstanding, and [short pause] the cook decided that he wadn't gonna work anymore, and he asked me could I cook? So I spoke to him and told him, "Well, I can cook but, uh, I never cooked at a volume like that," so he tried me out. And from then on, uh, as time progressed, I got better. And then I decided to be the, uh, the main cook.

What kind of food were you cooking out there?

At that time I was cooking [short pause] ribs, rib tips, [short pause], turkey loaf, ham loaf, sausage, uh, [short pause] chicken, [short pause] hot wings. [Short pause] Those are basic foods that I was cooking. And also briskets. We cooked a lot of briskets 'cause we did a lot of combo sandwiches there.

Uh-huh.

Uh, turkey and ham, beef and ham, uh, [short pause] mixture.

And what year did you come back to Greenwood?

I came back to Greenwood in 1994.

And you decided right then that you wanted to open your own place?

Well, at the time when I got here, I decided to go back to college and finish to get my degree. I had went to Jackson State back in the si-uh, sixties. Matter of fact, sixty-nine. I left there in seventy-three, so. I came back and decided to go back and get my degree at Valley State, so I went back to Valley, and taking on that [short pause]--that course, I'll say. And from there, Greenwood still had a little more extra time on my hands, so I decided to try to do something constructive. So that's when I decided to start cooking out of my mom's kitchen. And from there I decided to open up a little--a little place right in front of it, my mom's house. And it wasn't generating the type of business that I wanted, so I decided to come on mid-way. So that's when I came down on Johnson Street to, uh, see could I expand the build--the business, rather. And [short pause] generate more money for one thing. That's the name of the game.

[Laughs]

And so your mom's house is over in Baptist Town?

Yes it is.

And you were selling out of her house or another place across from there?

No, uh, at the time I-like--doing a little light catering. Someone needs something, I'd cook it for them and whatever, but then I decided I'd just go business wise. That's when I had to go and go through the routine.

Um-hmm.

You know, get licensed and whatever, uh, to do it the proper way.

And so you opened over here in ninety-six?

I came down here approximately ninety-six. [Short pause] Yeah.

And you're open every day?

At the time, I was open nearly every day. Uh, bidness was going pretty good, you know, we had s--uh, several factories around here at the time. Uh, but due to the economy, some reason they decided to depart from Greenwood. So now I basically work--open up--especially weekends, but mostly I start on Thursday and go up until Saturday. But this particular year I'm a go for something different. I'm gonna open up everyday due to, uh, my situation on my other job, I think I'd be able to open up Monday through Saturday. Yeah

And your other job is working at Valley [Mississippi Valley State University]?

Yes, uh-huh.

You're a hard working man. [Laughs]

Get tired sometime. [Laughs]

[Laughs] But I know you like this business.

Well, this bid--this bidness here, it's-it's--it give me peace of mind, and it's something I enjoy doing, and I put pride in doing it.

Um-hmm.

And, uh, [short pause] I got a cousin who spoke to me, and he said sometime he come down here from St. Louis, and he see me back there working. He say I be at ease.

Um-hmm.

Uh, say he been watching me several times, he done seen me like basting turkeys and, uh, he say, "Now, he all right now."

Uh-huh

You know, so. I-I-I enjoy it, and--and what I get--what I like most about it, uh, when I get that smile off my customers face.

Um-hmm.

Uh, that joy that they have and-they be happy and, uh, I likes that.

[Short laugh]

I got-I-I--that's when I get my reward. Uh, you know money is-is-is he-is the biggest reward, but you know, everybody's put here for a reason, and [pause] some reason, I feel to understand my reason is food, so. That's where I get my pleasure from. Yeah.

Now let me ask you this: Kansas City's got a long-standing history of barbecuing that's different from Mississippi barbecue. So do you do, uh, somethin' different that was inspired a little bit by Kansas City or your own thing or--

Well, basically you know, um, believe it or not [short pause] most peoples, uh, from Greenwood, uh, I'll say the southern tip, they--they migrated to the North, uh, Midwest, and so when you really look at it you get the same cooking there, its just different people use different spices, and everybody have their own little technique. Uh, I'll use me for an example. Uh [short pause] It-it's two things that you do with it: you look and you keep your ears open. And put those two together and you'll come up with your own thing. So basically that's what I done, and as--the more you cook, the better you get. Uh, and I got a sayin'--uh, I always keep my ears open 'cause I'm g-I'm--I'm--I'm always willing for a suggestion. Not saying that I would use 'em, but I definitely will listen.

[Laughs]

Fair enough.

[Laughing]

So you told me before--I don't know if you wanna tell it again--about, um, your sauce.

Uh-huh.

When you came up with your sauce recipe?

Well, that sauce recipe is something serious.

[Laughs]

But, um, I won't get into details what you put into the details. [On a previous visit to Spooney's Bar-Be-Que, Mr. Kenter told me the story of how he came up with the recipe for his barbecue sauce. Here, I am trying to get him to retell it.]

[Laughing]

[Laughs] But, um--

It's a good story!

Yeah, it's-it's-it's-it's-it's-it's-it's for real.

Um-hmm!

That's the bottom line and, um. [Short pause] But the way I did come up with that, um, [short pause] my ex wife and I, we had went on a separation there, and during the separation, um, I was at home one night all alone and, uh, [ short pause] the walls got to starin' at me and got lonely for one reason, and one thing led to another, so I decided to just start doing something constructive--try to occupy my mind, so I just happened to look in the cabinet. Found a--a bag of catsup. A plastic bag and--and I decided to pour it into the crock-pot. And I looked at other items in the, um, cabinet and started putting various items in the catsup and-finally, I feel asleep. And I woke up the next morning, and the house was all smellin' and I was, "Oh, I done burnt that sauce up!" And when I went in the kitchen and looked at the s-sauce, it was smelling so good. It was looking--it had, uh, shall I say, brewed all night long. And I taste it, and I said, "Mmm! I done hit a lick."

[Laughs]

So-and I've been usin' that sauce ever since. And [short pause] it done paid off. You know-you know, I get a lot compliments behind that sauce. Uh, it's not too hot. Uh, I-I'll put it like that. I think it's just right.

Um-hmm.

You know.

Well, I know when I came over here day before yesterday, you were putting jalapenos in the sauce.

Yeah, that's jalapeno.

[Unintelligible phrase]

It has--it has its little bite.

Uh-huh.

You know, some people can't stand, uh, too hot. But they want a little hot. So I--it's just like a little in between. You don't loaded it up with jalapeÒos, you just put a little bit-just put a little bite in it.

Um-hmm.

You know.

Well, I love that story. 'Cause that's an illustration of the heart and soul that you put into your food.

Yeah

I think that's real important.

Yeah

So, um, I know you have on your menu ribs and chicken, and on your business card it says that ribs and chicken are your specialty, but what other kind of food you have here?

Now, basically [clears throat] those are my-basically--food items, ribs, rib tips, chicken. I do the hot wings. Um, but lately--I do the hot links. Uh, eventually, once I move up in to a different area. Uh, shall I say, a larger building. I plan to bring in some more, uh, products that I know, I believe that would go in this area here that I haven't had the opportunity to present to the--to the public but.--uh, I got this thing. It's this combo, which is dealing with beef, turkey and ham. Its-it's a good seller in the Midwest. Uh, and I plan to bring it through. Um, and then there's that Italian sandwich that, uh, [short pause] I know how to do.

Mm, Italian sandwich?

Yeah, its-- it's a good sandwich. Matter fact, um, l learned it in Jackson. I came to Jackson, uh, a while back and helped my brother open up a restaurant, uh, in Jackson. Uh, he had a club, rather, uh, called 100 Duncan. Down off of Mills Street, and he had a little kitchen area, so I came from Kansas City and opened it up for him. And, uh, one of his friends taught me about this Italian dish. It's-it's--it's a good sandwich. Uh, it went well there in Jackson.

Hmm.

So those are some of the other items like that I plan to put on the menu. Uh, add a little more variety there.

----------

Well, Spooney came up from [short pause]--my mother gave me that name indirectly. I'll say directly. Well, at the time when she was, uh, carrying me, you see, uh, [short pause] she told me there used to a song called "Wine Drinking Spooney Wooney." And when she was carrying me, she was kind of like be humming it all the time. So once I was born, they started calling me Wine Drinking Spooney Wooney. And as time went on, uh, I decided to bring it away from Wine Drinking Spooney Wooney and just call myself Spooney.

[Laughs]

And that's--that's how I ended up with Spooney. And believe it or not I'm--most people know me as Spooney. Uh [short pause] say the professional name, uh, is Spooney, but my real name, as you know, they call me Kenter. [Faint voices heard outside] So, that's-that's--that's about it on that Spooney.

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Well, do you have anything you might want to add that I haven't asked you?

Well, it seems like we done covered the majority of everything and, uh [short pause] I want to put-say thanks to all of my customers. For one thing. And I appreciate they business. And I hope-hope they continue to keep coming. And, um, [short pause] in time, uh, I h-I plan to, uh, have a free day. Uh, say give something back to the community.

All right!

Uh, I think t hat's good for your business too.

Um-hmm.

If—if, you know, if they support you, sometime you need to give something back.

Um-hmm.

You know, that's the way, uh—that's the way God wanted it to be anyway. So, you know, even though this is a business, you can't give it away everyday. But there has been times that I have still--I still have to give sometime. Because you have customers sometimes who might be short. You customers sometimes just come through and say, “Spooney, give me something.” And, uh, I'll use this for example: I had a litt—the young man come through yesterday, I was on the grill, he says, “Spooney, give me a piece of that rib.” So, uh, I looked at him. I say, “Come on in.” So I come in, and I fixed him a—about five little—little rib tips and gave it to him. I said, “Now, you got five partners with you now, so each one of you got your own tip.”

Um-hmm.

So, uh, he uh, [short pause] went on. Ate his little tip, and [short pause] I think that made him feel good. Made me feel good too.

Um-hmm.

Yeah.

And he'll come back.

Yeah.

You know, he's--he's -- then that guy says, “You know him, Spooney?” I said, “Most all these young guy know me.” You know what I'm saying. Look fellas, you know what I mean. You got to look at them too. If these--they going to be grown.

Yeah.

Then they pass the word on too.

Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah.

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