Tina the Llama was nowhere in sight, but Napoleon Dynamite, Pedro and Uncle Rico came and got some dinner in Fort Worth last weekend — so much dinner that they could barely pick up their full tray of brisket, sausage and dino ribs at Terry Black’s Barbecue. (No tater tots, though.)
“Napoleon Dynamite” stars Jon Heder (Napoleon), Efren Ramirez (Pedro) and Jon Gries (Uncle Rico) recently got together in Fort Worth to enjoy the Texas barbecue classic, Terry Black’s. A TikTok video from the restaurant on March 21 shows Heder and Ramirez ordering practically every meat on the menu.
“I hear you’re the man to come to, to put some hot meat in our mouth,” Heder said to a Terry Black’s employee. Clearly, he wanted something more than a “dang quesa-dilluh.”
Then, Gries walks up with a tray of practically every side offered at Terry Black’s. If you didn’t know, Gries was a vegetarian while filming “Napoleon Dynamite.” He had to eat steak often while shooting, which paid off for his iconic scene where he throws a steak and hits Dynamite in the face, knocking off his glasses.
Jon Heder (left) and Jon Gries (right), famously known for their roles in “Napolean Dynamite,” grub on barbecue at Terry Black’s in Fort Worth. Screenshot from Terry Black’s TikTok
Twenty-two years later, Napoleon Dynamite poses the same question: “Well, what is there to eat?”
What did Napoleon Dynamite order at Terry Black’s?
When the Terry Black’s employee holds up a dino rib, Heder asks, “Is this Tina?”— referencing the infamous llama that Napoleon calls a “fat lard” when trying to feed her a dinner of leftover casserole.
“I’m here for the sides,” Gries says as he walks up with a tray of mac and cheese, green beans, pinto beans, rice, corn, potato salad and coleslaw.
Efren Ramirez (left) and Jon Heder (right), also known as Pedro and Napolean Dynamite from “Napolean Dynamite,” paid a visit to Terry Black’s in Fort Worth. Screenshot of Terry Black’s Tik Tok
Once their tray was stuffed with Terry Black’s brisket, pork ribs, dino ribs, sausage and turkey, Heder and Ramirez both carried the tray off the table, grunting.
From the looks of the video, the three seemed to have ordered every single meat and side menu item. In classic Napoleon fashion, the actors were “freakin’ starving, gosh!”
What is the ‘Napoleon Dynamite’ cast doing now?
The 2004 comedy shows the painfully awkward life of curly-haired Napoleon Dynamite trying to help his new friend, Pedro, win class president at their high school in Idaho. Dynamite’s dysfunctional family included his weird Uncle Rico, a bachelor who sold breast implants.
Heder, Ramirez and Gries have been celebrating the 20th anniversary of “Napoleon Dynamite” with “Napoleon Dynamite” Live, a touring show where the three host a Q+A after a screening of the film.
Heder is most commonly known for the movies “Napoleon Dynamite” and “Blades of Glory.” Most recently, he starred in a 2024 comedy called “Tapawingo.”
Ramirez is also most well-known for his role as Pedro. But he continues to act and also tour with Heder and Gries for ”Napoleon Dynamite” Live.
Gries is also most well-known as Uncle Rico but in 2021, landed the role as Greg Hunt on the Emmy Award-winning “The White Lotus.”
It is unclear what the trio was doing in North Texas, though they did visit Arlington in February for “Napoleon Dynamite” Live.
🔥 In case you missed it…
This story was originally published March 25, 2026 at 1:47 PM.
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Ella Gonzales is a service journalism reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She is part of a team of local journalists who answer reader questions and write about life in North Texas. Ella mainly writes about local restaurants and where to find good deals around town.