BBQ in 2025: Uncertainty and Reinvention
Barbecue pop-ups, food trucks, and restaurants that push the envelope on flavor will find success this year.
As the new year begins, it’s a good time to look at where the barbecue world is now, and where it’s heading in 2025.
Several of our barbecue friends have posted their thoughts and predictions for the year, and our thoughts were recently featured in a roundup of 11 grilling trends for 2025 from BBQ author and television host Steven Raichlen.
Our trend/prediction is as follows:
“Expect More BBQ Pop-Ups and Food Trucks: With some notable restaurant closures in 2024 and high prices continuing for brick-and-mortar BBQ joints, pop-ups, food trucks, and takeout eateries are surging. These smaller operations are gaining more traction due to lower overhead and allowing pitmasters and chefs to stay fresh and creative. Pop-ups and trucks can also be more flexible regarding menu changes and focus on what resonates with their patrons. Noteworthy examples include Dampf Good Barbecue in North Carolina, Rosemeyer Bar-B-Q in Texas, Smoak Craft BBQ in Kansas City, and Smoked Spice BBQ in New York.”
Expanding on this, we have heard from many restaurant owners that high prices have made it tremendously hard to keep going as is. We expect more closures will come but on the other side of the conversation is the reinvention and innovation that will also happen.
It’s not just lean pop-ups and food trucks that are going to succeed in this environment. Restaurants that continue to push the envelope with new flavors and ideas (such as Asian and African dishes) will keep people coming back and wanting more. Now’s the time to go wild and make 2025 memorable.
We wish you a new year filled with good fortune and great smoked meats.
Sean Ludwig and Ryan Cooper
Co-Founders, The Smoke Sheet
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