Mr. Levi and MyTFine Soul Sauce are heading to the historic Detroit Masonic Temple for the 1st Annual Detroit Hot Sauce Festival, August 1st and 2nd. Levi will be on hand with the habanero Soul Sauce for anyone ready to test their heat tolerance — plus samples, live entertainment, and hands-on classes all weekend, all ages welcome.
Detroit’s most versatile sauce, now proving it can bring the fire too. Come find us at the Temple and see for yourself.
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Fox 2 Detroit – Cooking School • May 25, 2026
Barbecue season started the right way this year — with a warm welcome from Lee Thomas and Maurielle Lue on Fox 2’s Cooking School, where Mr. Levi prepared chicken sliders built on MyTFine Soul Sauce. The in-studio appearance has become a seasonal staple for the brand, kicking off the six-week run from Memorial Day to Independence Day that’s become Team Soul’s own Super Bowl.
Brooklyn Street Local • February 2026
Brooklyn Street Local (1266 Michigan Ave, Detroit) featured MyT Fine Soul Sauce in their February “Poutine for the People” dish — a Jerk Chicken Poutine created by Chef Reniel of Flavors of Jamaica. This wasn’t just barbecue sauce on fries. The Soul Sauce anchored an unexpected flavor combination: hand-cut fries, cheese curds, beef gravy, jerk aioli, jerk chicken, caramelized pineapple, and fresh herbs. Proceeds from each $17 poutine benefited the Detroit Black Farmer Land Fund.
Capital City Market – Lift Up Local Series • May 2, 2025
The most comprehensive profile of Mr. Levi and Soul Sauce published to date. Written by Pamela Patton, this feature documents the complete journey: from grandfather Ottway Clemons’s Tennessee pit master legacy to trunk sales between music sets, from Belle Isle demonstrations to Eastern Market’s communal kitchen, to 90+ retail locations. The piece reveals Mr. Levi’s multiple talents — painter, kalimba player (like Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fire), mechanic-turned-sauce-maker — and explains why it’s called “Soul Sauce” instead of barbecue sauce: because it works on morning omelets, fish, shrimp, turkey chili, and meatloaf.
Fox 2 Detroit – Cooking School • May 23, 2025
Mr. Levi returned to Fox 2 to demonstrate how MyTFine Soul Sauce moves seamlessly across six dishes: Sloppy Soul Sliders, Soul Beans, Pulled Pork Tacos, Beer Can Chicken Breast, Bloody Mary, and salmon with the upcoming dry rub. The segment proved the “everything sauce” positioning — appetizers to entrees to drinks — and teased the dry rub product line launching soon. Mr. Levi also shared his participation in Meijer’s Grow Academy program for emerging brands.
WDIV Local 4 – Click On Detroit • July 6, 2024
Vice President Antisia King and her son Brandon joined WDIV to showcase the family legacy behind MyTFine Soul Sauce. The spread included smoked salmon salad, pulled pork tacos, barbecue chicken legs, turkey sliders, soul hummus, habanero cornbread, and a Bloody Mary — all built around the sauce. Antisia emphasized versatility: “It takes everything to a different level” because of the seasoning depth. Brandon, carrying on his great-great-grandfather Ottway Clemons’s Tennessee pit master recipe, called the soul sliders his favorite.
WDIV Local 4 • January 28, 2024
Perfect timing for Lions playoff season — WDIV featured MyTFine Soul Sauce as a tailgate essential, complete with the American Coney Island “Soul Dog” partnership. The segment showcased wings tossed in mild and habanero, sloppy soul sliders, barbecue chicken Cobb salad, and soul hummus with roasted cauliflower. Levi shared the trunk-to-stores origin story and unexpected uses: chili, spaghetti, soul pizza, meatloaf, even as a steak sauce. The message: throw out the ketchup — this is your new condiment with soul.
CBS Detroit • August 14, 2023
Levi Johnson appeared on CBS Detroit’s morning show to share the origin story behind MyTFine Soul Sauce — born from a career shift, built on his grandfather’s Tennessee pit master recipe. The segment featured live tastings of all three varieties (mild, spicy, habanero) on ribs, meatloaf, and beer can chicken, plus the Bloody Mary recipe that proves this sauce works beyond the grill. The appearance showcased the brand’s growing distribution across Michigan’s independent retailers and major grocery chains.
Under the Radar Michigan • January 13, 2022
UTR Michigan profiles Levi Johnson as a “renaissance man” — accomplished philosopher, musician, artist, writer, and creator of MyTFine Soul Sauce. Filmed at Trenton Theater, the feature showcases Levi’s found-object artwork, live performance with Pearl Handle Necktie, and the Tennessee pit master heritage behind the sauce. Host Tom Daldin calls him “one of the kindest and coolest cats you will ever encounter.”
Beautiful Machine Magazine Polo Classic • August 5, 2021
Levi Johnson Jr. was honored with the Legacy and Entrepreneurship Award of Excellence, presented by Senator Marshall Bullock at the Polo Classic hosted by Beautiful Machine magazine. The award recognized Mr. Levi’s entrepreneurial journey — from Tennessee pit master family tradition to building MyTFine Soul Sauce into a Detroit brand available across Michigan.
Launch Detroit Entrepreneur Marketplace
MyTFine Soul Sauce is featured in Launch Detroit’s Entrepreneur Marketplace — a directory connecting Detroit entrepreneurs with resources and visibility. The profile documents the origin story: Levi Johnson Jr. grew up watching his grandfather Ottway Clemons, a Tennessee pit master sought after for his barbecue and special sauce, then added his own tweaks to create something new. No high fructose corn syrup, no preservatives — just natural ingredients that work as shrimp sauce, spaghetti sauce, Bloody Mary mix, meatloaf topping, and more.
