Lance McWhorter is a seventh-generation East Texan who has had the honor of serving in the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy, as a firefighter/EMT, and as a high-threat security contractor in the Middle East after spending his younger years cooking in restaurants.
After his service and return to the professional kitchen, he led several restaurants in the Texas Hill Country and in the Deep East Texas port town of Jefferson. McWhorter then joined the bustling culinary scene of Dallas, where he had the opportunity to learn from some of the best chefs in the industry. He worked at legendary establishments such as FT33, Macellaio (now Lucia), and SĒR Steak + Spirits, and also participated in pop-ups and restaurant takeovers at local favorites like Petra and the Beast and Taco y Vino.
In 2019, Chef McWhorter moved to Tyler, the neighboring “big city” to his familial home of Athens, to open his first restaurant as a chef and owner: Culture ETX. In 2022, he expanded the venture by adding The Plaid Rabbit Social Club & Speakeasy, accessible through the restaurant. After five successful years, he transitioned the interior design and concept of the restaurant to Heritage East, a more elegant and upscale version of Culture ETX. This new concept focuses on honoring the food of his ancestors and introducing the world to elevated East Texas cuisine.
You may recognize McWhorter as the winner of the Emmy Award-winning TV show The Texas Bucket List’s “Bite of the Season” for his Heritage Pork Chop, a version of which is always on the menu. He is also the reigning Dallas “Prince of Pork” from the prestigious fine dining, heritage-breed pork cooking extravaganza Cochon555. Additionally, he showcased his talents on Food Network’s hit series Chopped, where his now-famous chocolate mousse was first revealed to the world (don’t worry, it’s always on the menu too).
McWhorter lives in Tyler with his wife, professional barbecue pitmaster Bailey, and their three dogs: Rio, Dookie, and Ivy.
