6 Incredible BBQ Events to Close Out 2021
This year, barbecue and food events have made a spectacular comeback compared to 2020’s long list of cancellations and postponements. Major competition barbecue events (like the American Royal) and consumer-facing barbecue events (like Pig Island NYC) have encouraged tens of thousands of smoked meat fans to return to many of their favorite annual experiences.
But alas, the year is not over and 2021 still has a lot of big events on the horizon. Here are six top-notch barbecue events around the country featuring incredible pitmasters and camaraderie.
The NYCWFF Backyard BBQ will bring pitmasters from around the country to New York. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
October 17, 2021: NYCWFF Backyard BBQ
The annual New York City Wine and Food Festival will bring its big Backyard BBQ back this year. Held at Pier 86, home of the Intrepid Museum, it will feature many chefs and pitmasters from around the country. Top pitmasters include Billy Durney of Hometown Bar-B-Que, Matt Abdoo and Shane McBride of Pig Beach BBQ, Ed Randolph of Handsome Devil BBQ, and Leonard Botello IV of Truth BBQ. MORE INFO HERE.
Brett’s Backyard Bar-B-Que is hosting a crazy good lineup of pitmasters at its unique space. (Photo via Brett’s Backyard Bar-B-Que / Facebook)
October 24, 2021: Brett’s Backyard Bar-B-Que’s Brett Fest
The Brett’s Backyard Bar-B-Que third anniversary celebration (aka Brett Fest) will be held this October in Rockdale, Texas with an enormous lineup of talent. Kerry Bexley, owner of famed Snow’s BBQ in Lexington, will be the Grand Marshall for the event and the celebration will feature over 40 BBQ joints from across Texas and beyond. Restaurants represented include 2M Smokehouse, Blood Bros BBQ, Harp Barbecue, Heritage Barbecue, and many more. MORE INFO HERE.
The KCBS World Invitation will be one of the largest competition BBQ events in the country for the remainder of 2021.
November 11-14, 2021: KCBS World Invitational
The Kansas City Barbeque Society’s biggest event for the rest of the year is the third annual KCBS World Invitational Barbeque Competition in Shawnee, Oklahoma. The event will bring together top champion pitmasters to compete for the title of “KCBS World Champion.” This event has been elevated and made bigger, with three full days of contests and events. There will be both an open contest and a Master Series contest. Plus, backyard teams will be eligible to compete in the open against Master Series teams without impacting their Backyard status. MORE INFO HERE.
The Troubadour Festival, from legendary organizer Chase Colston, will be a barbecue party for the ages.
November 6, 2021: Troubadour Festival
The first-ever Troubadour Festival (organized by Chase Colston) will feature an all-star lineup of musical acts and BBQ joints from all over Texas. More than 40 of the best BBQ joints will be there slinging smoked meats in Celina, so don't miss out. They include Dayne’s Craft Barbecue, Evie Mae’s BBQ, Goldee’s BBQ, Panther City Barbecue, Roegels Barbecue, Sunbird Barbecue, and more. MORE INFO HERE.
Pitmaster Anthony DiBernardo of Swig & Swine will be one of the hosts at Charleston’s first edition of the Holy Smokes fest, which celebrates barbecue and culture from the Carolinas. (Photo via Swig & Swine / Facebook)
November 13, 2021: Holy Smokes: Lowcountry BBQ Festival
The Holy Smokes BBQ Festival from Home Team BBQ, Swig & Swine, and Robert Moss will be held this November in Charleston. This big new event will include pitmasters from around the country including Chris Lilly of Big Bob Gibson BBQ, Patrick Feges and Erin Smith of Feges BBQ, Matt Horn of Horn Barbecue, and Rodney Scott of Rodney Scott’s BBQ. MORE INFO HERE.
Jacksonville’s first major barbecue festival will take place this December, with lots of great bites available. (Photo via Jacksonville BBQ Fest)
December 10-12, 2021: Jacksonville BBQ Fest
The inaugural Jacksonville BBQ Fest is happening this December at TIAA Bank Field, home of the Jaguars. The event is being put on by the same team behind the annual Q in the Lou, Kansas City BBQ Fest, and Denver BBQ Fest organizers, so there will be a lot of talent on display. Don’t miss this chance to grab an ice-cold brew and sample pure smoked bliss from award-winning pitmasters from across the country. MORE INFO HERE.
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There are many other events scheduled for the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022. We hope to be able to make it to at least some of these. If you’re looking for more, be sure to check out our full events calendar here. And if your event is not listed on our calendar, please email us and we can add it!
Sean Ludwig (NYC BBQ) and Ryan Cooper (BBQ Tourist)
Co-Founders, The Smoke Sheet
Our friends at MEATER have offered our readers a special 15% discount on full price items at MEATER.com through October 31, 2021. CLICK TO ORDER
—Gettin’ Basted was named the Grand Champion of the Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Barbecue.—
HOT OFF THE PRESS
Once again, smoke filled the hollow this past weekend in Lynchburg, Tennessee as the Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Barbecue took place after being canceled last year due to the pandemic. Pitmaster Brad Leighninger and his team Gettin’ Basted were awarded Grand Champion of the event, while Joe Pearce and the Slap’s BBQ team were named Reserve Grand Champion. This year’s competition did not include international teams or the Shade Tree backyard competitors, but it still drew 77 Masters Series teams from across the country. READ MORE.
The New York Times published their acclaimed list of “America’s Favorite Restaurants 2021” and included Blood Bros BBQ, with a location in the Houston suburb of Bellaire as well as a new location in Las Vegas. Blood Bros BBQ received praise for its “seemingly endless ideas for cooking Texas barbecue” and incorporating Asian flavors, while also serving excellent traditional smoked meats as well. Other notable restaurants on the list included Thai BBQ joint Eem in Portland, Oregon and old-school barbecue joint Jones Bar-B-Q Diner in Marianna, Arkansas. READ MORE.
Kansas City’s new $1.5 billion airport project will include two new barbecue concepts, the Kansas City Star reports. Last week, the Kansas City Council voted to approve a 15-year contract to run concessions at the city’s new airport terminal. Barbecue rub manufacturer Old World Spices & Seasonings, Inc. and Meat Mitch Barbecue Restaurant will be featured in the project, in partnership with the American Royal, Operation BBQ Relief, and the Kansas City Barbeque Society. The new terminal is expected to open in March 2023. READ MORE.
In a new column in the Houston Chronicle, J.C. Reid wrote about the evolution of whole hog in the Houston area and beyond. He notes great work done by Feges BBQ, Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden, Roegels Barbecue, and others. “Though whole hog is a religion among barbecue fans in Tennessee and the Carolinas, it’s never quite caught on in Texas, where brisket is king,” Reid writes. “Still, Texas pitmasters have persisted in experimenting with this style of barbecue because when whole hog is good, it is very good.” READ MORE.
Daniel Vaughn of Texas Monthly writes about Hecho En Texas in Cameron and notes that the family behind the truck has “cut prices and slashed menu items to keep prices affordable for the locals.” Owner and pitmaster Jamie Galvan left his job at a car dealership in January 2020 to start the truck and he doesn’t regret the move despite the challenges of the pandemic. READ MORE.
ADDITIONAL READS
The first stop of the Texas Monthly BBQ Fest: Road Trip Edition was held in Tyler, Texas last weekend.
Renowned Houston barbecue restaurant Roegels Barbecue is expanding with a larger second location in Katy.
The Examiner’s Bill Althaus had the chance to catch up with Kansas City pitmaster Tyler Harp.
Utah’s barbecue chain R&R Barbecue is expanding with a new location in Boise.
The second location of Ford’s BBQ is opening in the Oakhurst area of Decatur, according to Eater Atlanta.
Corky’s BBQ in Memphis is now under new ownership by BBQVC Food Group, led by 27-year Corky’s employee Jimmy Stovall.
BBQ Holdings, Inc. acquired the five remaining units of the Fresno-based Tahoe Joe’s steakhouse restaurants.
A possible Listeria contamination forced the recent recall of 3,000 pounds of packaged smoked pork from Nick’s Bar-B-Q in Nashville.
The owner of Toronto’s Adamson’s Barbecue said he is shutting down all three locations of the restaurant over vaccine passport rules.
Kevin Pang wrote about his favorite selections from the 30 regional barbecue chips he tasted from across the U.S. for America’s Test Kitchen.
Thank you to our sponsor DennyMike's, which offers outstanding seasonings and rubs for every situation. Learn more about DennyMike's here.
is past weekend, Dozier’s BBQ raised money for the Fulshear Police Foundation with its Pitmaster Party.—
WATCH
Cooking Wild Game with the Top Pitmasters in Texas — The Smoke Sheet
Dozier’s BBQ pitmaster Jim Buchanan gathered some of the best talent Houston has to offer to raise money for the Fulshear Police Foundation. The “Pitmaster Party: Wild Game Edition” that happened on Saturday, October 9th sold roughly 275 tickets and raised $10,000 for the foundation. The event also featured some of the barbecue family’s favorite vendors including Boerne Brand Hot Sauce and Treaty Oak Distilling. Buchanan challenged the pitmasters attending to use wild game in their dishes and be as creative as possible and everyone took the challenge to heart. With the live music, great weather, and cold drinks Dozier’s and those participating put on a great party for a great cause. This video was shot and produced by Conor Moran of On3Media in partnership with The Smoke Sheet. WATCH HERE.
LISTEN
YSB BBQ — The Pitmaster’s Podcast
YSB (AKA Your Steel Booty) is one of the hottest teams on the barbecue competition circuit right now, winning almost every contest they enter. The team is fresh off a third place finish at the American Royal. Hosts Rusty and Anthony talk to YSB about their recent experience at the Royal, Sterling Smith’s new cookbook, and much more. LISTEN HERE.
READ
Smokin' Hot in the South: New Grilling Recipes from the Winningest Woman in Barbecue — Melissa Cookston
With the grill and smoker as her go-to tools, chef Melissa Cookston shares her all-new, modern interpretations of traditional Southern ingredients and recipes. Melissa explains how the culinary traditions of the South — long a bastion of slow-simmered vegetables and deep-fried everything — have expanded in the last decade to embrace Southwestern flavors, Asian spices, and the French palate. The nine chapters venture beyond the competition and barbecue principles of her first book and focus on instilling flavor with fire, using fresh herbs, and diversifying seasoning components in recipes that reflect the New South. She fire-roasts homegrown green tomatoes for a spicy take on a traditional pizza sauce and uses a barbecue smoker to add Southern nuance to porchetta. Also included are recipes for Butterbean Pate, Asian Pork Tenderloin with Watermelon Rind Pickles and Minted Watermelon Salad, Deep South Burgers with Pimento Cheese, and more. She also covers the tools, techniques, and ingredients needed to be successful grilling or smoking at home. ORDER HERE.
—Adrian Davila shares his recipe for Tacos al Pastor, a dish with interesting origins.—
Tacos al Pastor
By Adrian Davila
This week, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we chose as our Recipe of the Week one of the most recognized street tacos in the Americas — Tacos al Pastor. The recipe for this dish comes from Adrian Davila, a third-generation pitmaster, barbecue chef, and restaurateur at his family’s acclaimed Davila’s BBQ in Seguin, Texas. This dish has its roots in trompo, which is the meat you see being sliced from a rotating vertical skewer. Lebanese immigrants brought the shawarma-style to Mexico, and in Greece you will find a similar recipe in a gyro. Both traditionally use lamb meat, hence the name, but in Mexico and South America, al pastor is made with juicy pork.
Reprinted with permission from Cowboy Barbecue: Fire & Smoke from the Original Texas Vaqueros by Countryman Press.
—Lots of must-attend barbecue events are scheduled for the rest of 2021.—
October 9-17, 2021: Texas Monthly BBQ Fest: Road Trip Edition — Texas
As we get ready for the release of Texas Monthly’s latest edition of the Top 50 barbecue joints lists, we’re taking our beloved annual barbecue festival on the road. Texas Monthly BBQ Fest: Road Trip Edition will feature a series of three Pit Stop events from the Rio Grande Valley to the Panhandle, while celebrating barbecue joints in every corner of the state with Texas Monthly BBQ Week, which features special prices and menu items at more than 60 joints statewide. MORE INFO HERE.
October 17, 2021: NYCWFF Backyard BBQ — New York, New York
The annual New York City Wine and Food Festival will bring its big Backyard BBQ back this year. Held at Pier 86, home of the Intrepid Museum, it will feature many chefs and pitmasters from around the country. Top pitmasters include Billy Durney of Hometown Bar-B-Que, Matt Abdoo and Shane McBride of Pig Beach BBQ, Ed Randolph of Handsome Devil BBQ, and Leonard Botello IV of Truth BBQ. MORE INFO HERE.
October 24, 2021: Brett’s Backyard Bar-B-Que Third Anniversary — Rockdale, Texas
The Brett’s Backyard Bar-B-Que Third Anniversary celebration is set to be held on October 24th in Rockdale, Texas. Kerry Bexley, owner of Snow’s BBQ in Lexington, will be the Grand Marshall for the event. The celebration will feature over 40 BBQ joints from across Texas and beyond, including 2M Smokehouse, Blood Bros BBQ, Harp Barbecue, Heritage Barbecue, and many more. MORE INFO HERE.
November 5-7, 2021: Austin Food and Wine Festival — Austin, Texas
The Austin Food + Wine Festival returns in April to spoil your palate with a handful of global and nationally renowned talent. This 3-day weekend in the culinary capital of Texas is the epitome of high spirits, with a packed schedule of hands-on grilling demos, tastings with top pitmasters, chefs, and sommeliers. Plus, there will be interactive demos and panels. MORE INFO HERE.
November 6, 2021: Troubadour Festival — Celina, Texas
The first-ever Troubadour Festival will feature an all-star lineup of musical acts and BBQ joints from all over Texas. More than 40 of the best BBQ joints in Texas (many on the Texas Monthly Top 50 list) will be there slinging smoked meats, so don't miss out. MORE INFO HERE.
November 11-14, 2021: KCBS World Invitational — Shawnee, Oklahoma
The Kansas City Barbeque Society’s biggest event for the rest of the year is the third annual KCBS World Invitational Barbeque Competition in Shawnee, Oklahoma. The event will bring together top champion pitmasters to compete for the title of “KCBS World Champion.” This event has been elevated and made bigger, with three full days of contests and events. There will be both an open contest and a Master Series contest. Plus, backyard teams will be eligible to compete in the open against Master Series teams without impacting their Backyard status. MORE INFO HERE.
November 13, 2021: Holy Smokes: Lowcountry BBQ Festival — Charleston, South Carolina
The Holy Smokes BBQ Festival from Home Team BBQ, Swig & Swine, and Robert Moss will be held November 13 in Charleston. The big new event will include pitmasters from around the country including Chris Lilly of Big Bob Gibson BBQ, Patrick Feges and Erin Smith, Feges BBQ, Billy Durney of Hometown BBQ, Matt Horn of Horn Barbecue, and Rodney Scott of Rodney Scott’s BBQ. MORE INFO HERE.
November 20, 2021: Tex Mex BBQ Festival — San Antonio, Texas
This event will be full of the best food, education, and entertainment ever assembled in one spot. The menu will be masterminded by Miguel Vidal of Valentina’s Tex-Mex from Austin, Tx. The food will be executed by some of the most talented pitmasters, chefs, and cooks coming in from all over the nation. Mark your calendar for an amazing experience! MORE INFO HERE.
December 10-12, 2021: Jacksonville BBQ Fest — Jacksonville, Florida
The inaugural Jacksonville BBQ Fest is happening this December at TIAA Bank Field, home of the Jaguars. Don’t miss this chance to grab an ice-cold brew and sample pure smoked bliss from award-winning pitmasters from across the country. MORE INFO HERE.
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