Born and raised in Dallas, Warren, 57, moved to Northern Virginia in 1986 for a job and later to Richmond after meeting his wife, a Richmond native.

The relationship with ZZQ started with its pop-ups several years ago and intensified to the current near-daily experience once ZZQ opened in Scott’s Addition. It helps that his job is a stone’s throw from those hallowed grounds.

“The first time I tried it, it was amazing — it was what I waited 30 years for,” he said. Some people have leg days and arm days at the gym, “I have brisket days, pastrami days and rib days,” he said — specifically, brisket on Wednesdays and Thursdays, pastrami on Fridays, and ribs on the weekend. Moderation is key, and he keeps his meals to small meat-only portions most days, though he’s tried nearly everything on the menu.

The ZZQ staff knows to keep his banana pudding free of whipped cream.

Food may be the catalyst, but it only takes a few minutes to realize that it’s more than the tender, smoky barbecue that offers nourishment for Warren. There’s a vibe inside that space that speaks to his Texas heart.