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Making a smoky pit stop in Austin, Texas, this week, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. kicked off what he called a “national BBQ tour” with a visit to one of the Lone Star State’s most iconic barbecue joints.
“First stop on my national BBQ tour, I visited Terry Black’s to EAT REAL FOOD,” Kennedy wrote Thursday on X, sharing photos of himself holding a hefty beef rib and standing behind a counter lined with brisket, ribs and other smoked meats.
Terry Black’s Barbecue, which has five locations across Texas and one in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the state’s most popular smokehouses. It’s frequently landed on Texas Monthly’s list of the top 50 BBQ joints, according to local reports.
The visit comes as Kennedy continues his nationwide “Take Back Your Health” tour.
The HHS initiative is tied to the rollout of the new dietary guidelines for Americans and the Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” effort.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of Health and Human Services, visits Terry Black’s Barbecue in Austin, Texas, on Feb. 27, 2026. (United States Department of Health and Human Services)
Kennedy’s visit also came just hours before he delivered the keynote address at the “Eat Real Food” rally in Austin.
“I want to thank Texas for leading the country in MAHA,” Kennedy said at the rally.
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He discussed changes he wants to see in nutrition education at America’s medical schools, plus in military meals and baby formula regulation, local outlet KXAN reported.
An announcement could come as early as next week, he said, alongside major medical schools to begin “teaching 48 hours of nutrition” — and that he’s spoken with test makers about dedicating 15% of medical testing to nutrition.
Kennedy has highlighted the importance of meat and nutrient-dense foods in the American diet. (United States Department of Health and Human Services)
Kennedy also said Florida-based celebrity chef Robert Irvine is expanding efforts to revamp food offerings on U.S. military bases.
“He’s already in five bases. By the end of this month, he’ll be in 20 bases,” Kennedy said, according to KXAN. “We’re going to do them all.”
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The rally, presented by MAHA Action, was billed as part of a nationwide push championing whole, nutrient-dense foods over ultra-processed alternatives, according to a press release from the nonprofit.
MAHA Action described the event as supporting new dietary guidelines that the government introduced earlier this year.
Kennedy has long argued that many of America’s chronic health problems stem from what he describes as an additive-heavy, highly processed diet.
Earlier this month, Kennedy told thousands of cattle ranchers in Nashville that the “war on protein is over” and “beef is back on the menu,” Digital previously reported.
He also thanked America’s ranchers for producing “real, nutrient-dense food” as part of the administration’s updated dietary guidelines.
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The secretary has also spoken openly about his own meat-heavy eating habits.
Kennedy follows a carnivore-centric diet focused on steak and supplemented with fermented foods to support gut health, and has claimed he lost 20 pounds in 20 days and reduced visceral fat after making the switch.
Kennedy, 72, follows a carnivore-centric diet focused on steak and supplemented with fermented foods to support gut health. (Associated Press)
Medical experts caution, however, that the extreme diet might not be good for everyone.
Digital reached out to Terry Black’s Barbecue for comment about RFK Jr.’s visit.
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The restaurant, founded in 2014, says on its website that “we opened Terry Black’s to honor [our] hard-earned family know-how and to bring delicious Central Texas flavors to you with our own unique style.” Three siblings started the restaurant chain, named after their dad, Terry Black, beginning with their Austin location.
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