Eddie Mitchell, the "Ed" in Ed and Tom's, cooks the meat, and he usually prepares sides like potato salad and beans too.

He starts at about 6 a.m., working with two mesquite pits. He said he favors a high heat method, cooking at 450 degrees or so, and he prefers seasoning instead of a rub that “cakes up everything on the meat.”

Tometra Mitchell, the “Tom” in the Ed and Tom's, works full-time, but she helps as well, along with their two children and a part-time worker during the lunch rushes.