Debby Portillo, 2Fifty TExas BBQ
In the D.C. dining world, few names carry the weight — and smoke — of Debby Portillo, co-owner of the nationally acclaimed 2Fifty Texas BBQ.
A third-generation restaurateur and a 2025 RAMMY Award winner, Portillo has transformed a family legacy into one of the D.C. region’s most celebrated culinary destinations. With 2Fifty Texas BBQ recognized by The New York Times, Eater DC, Washingtonian, and the James Beard Foundation, Portillo has carved out a place in the Mid-Atlantic food scene through grit, generational wisdom, and an unwavering commitment to purpose-driven hospitality.
In this Q&A for Whisk Takers Zine, Portillo reflects on the women who shaped her, the challenges behind building a restaurant in a new country and language, and the dishes closest to her heart, like 2Fifty’s beloved brisket beans, rooted in her mother’s recipes. She also shares advice for women entering the food and beverage industry, insights into leadership, and her vision for creating kitchens where staff are supported, seen, and able to thrive.
What is an experience that defined you as a woman in the food and beverage industry?
I spent my weekends and summers helping in my family’s restaurant. As a little girl, I remember watching in awe as the women in the kitchen carried heavy pans without flinching, moving confidently through the heat and chaos. They were fierce, capable, and unafraid of fire, both literal and figurative.
What stayed with me even more were the stories they told to each other. They talked about juggling their jobs with motherhood, marriages, and everything else life threw their way. I didn’t realize it then, but I was being mentored by women who knew how to make things happen even when the odds were stacked against them.
Those early years taught me how to lead with compassion. Today, as a restaurant owner, I understand that people show up to work because it pays the bills, but they stay, grow, and thrive when they feel seen and supported. That’s the kind of workplace I try to build. One where people don’t have to choose between professional success and personal well-being.
What professional achievements of yours would you like to highlight?
I’m the third generation of women in my family to own and manage a restaurant. It’s what I was raised to do. Everyone expected I would carry forward my family’s legacy, running the next generation of their restaurant. But no one expected me to build my own.
I did it. On my own. In a different country. In a different language. With different laws and challenges while raising a family. And not just that, I did it with purpose and identity. I helped create a place where people gather, where the food tells a story, and where the work reflects more than just tradition. It reflects evolution.
That journey is something I’m deeply proud of.
What is your advice for other women who hope to enter the food and beverage industry?
Don’t wait to be seen. Show up and claim your space. Your ideas, your leadership, your intuition — they matter.
And if the industry doesn’t offer you a lane that fits, don’t be afraid to build your own road. Whether you're front of house or behind the line, your voice shapes the culture. Speak up. Ask for what you need.
What are some of your favorite dishes in your restaurant?
I’m really proud of our brisket beans. The recipe has evolved and gotten better over the years, but every time I see our kitchen staff preparing them the way my mom taught me, I feel this beautiful mix of pride and nostalgia.
That dish carries memory, comfort, and a sense of place. It makes me proud of the girl I was when I first learned to cook and the woman I’ve become because I never stopped learning.
What sets you apart from others in the food and beverage industry?
I’m the product of generations of strong women who taught me everything I need to survive and thrive in this industry.
I learned how to cook from my mom. I learned how to go out of my way to be helpful from my aunt. I am fearless like my paternal grandmother, frugal like my maternal grandmother, and just cutthroat enough thanks to my gen X aunt. Every woman in my family passed me something essential, something unshakable.
That’s what sets me apart. I’m not just in this industry. I was built for it.
Who are some women in the food and beverage industry you'd like to shout out?
Ana María Jaramillo. She is SuperWoman. She's kind, honest, smart, she has a PhD, and still manages to cook with so much heart. She cares deeply about people and does so much for the immigrant community. She’s not just building food. She’s building bridges.
Any Final thoughts you’d like to share?
Women belong in every room where decisions are made. Not just as a supporting role or a love story, but as architects of taste, culture, and innovation.
I’m proud of our smoke, but I’m even prouder of the fire I’ve helped build from scratch.
Debby Portillo | Instagram
2Fifty Texas BBQ | Official website | Instagram | Facebook
