Two regular guys talking to the biggest names in BBQ. Tips, techniques, recipes. We even cook against some of the best in the business in KCBS and SCA on occasion.
We dive into the world of steak cooking on Episode 368 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast with a couple of big winner at last weekend's Hornersville Watermelon Festival in southeast Missouri. First up is Dan Wright of Take it Easy BBQ from St. Louis. While he's won big in KCBS and the Rib Cookoff Association, Dan came up big in SCA entry by earning a rare triple golden ticket (steak, ribs and beans)…
The current KCBS Team of the Year leader is not as well known as those giving close chase. On Episode 367 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Brian Kennish of B's Que Crew from Richmond, Va., via Philadelphia, tells us about his family team's long-time love of cooking and competition and why it's picked up the pace the last couple of years to become a national contender. We also take a trip to…
One of our favorite BBQ people returns to the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast to make Episode 366 a dandy. It's Bill Purvis from Chicken Fried BBQ out of Magnolia, Texas. Bill highlights his exciting weekend in Rhode Island where he pulled off BBQ's version of a buzzer-beater by winning the Grand Championship along with Rhode Island's auto bid into the Jack Daniel World BBQ Invitational. Along with…
On Episode 365 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we visit with two of last weekend's big winners on the competition circuit. First up is Brad Bess of Rowdy Pig BBQ, who enjoyed a spectacular doubleheader at Smokin' on the Osage in Osceola, Missouri. He scored 707.3944 both days - a remarkable feat that earned him Grand Championship honors on Day 1 and RGC on Day 2 to Bad Dog BBQ. Brad, from Bonne…
We've seen countless top-notch competition BBQ teams leave the sport over the last several years, but on Episode 364 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast we tell you about one who's coming back after an extended break. Sanj Kirubakaran of Thump and Strum BBQ blazed to four Grand Championships and five RGCs from 2013-19 and, after feeling burned out, Sanj took time away. Now he is back with a renewed…
Episode 363 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ podcast takes us to Las Vegas where we go "Under the Radar" with the up-and-coming competition team Big Juicy BBQ. Thomas and Michelle Bolling have found a passion for open-fire cooking and, less than two years after their first contest, they've been hitting their marks and taking consistent top-10 walks. With a scheduling conflict leaving an open segment, we…
We're always looking for up-and-coming BBQ teams and this week on our "Under the Radar" segment we go to Kansas City. Episode 362 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast tells the story of Bald Beauties BBQ. Teammates Michael Bridges and Brian Studdard are making big strides on the circuit while also representing one of Kansas City's oldest BBQ restaurants, Sneads. Bridges does the comp cooking while…
There's no question that team participation in BBQ competitions has been trending downward in recent years. There are no magical solutions as various factor come into play, with economics probably No. 1. On Episode 361 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we take a stab at examining - from a contest organizer's point of view - what makes for a good comp, a not-so-good comp and all points in between…
Episode 360 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast takes us to northeast Arkansas for a visit with one of the USA's most-respected, across-the-board pit masters. John Lindsey spent time on the KCBS circuit as All Q'ued Up BBQ before becoming a champion on the Steak Cookout Association for several years. He's opened a catering business in recent years that has been a hit and now is venturing more into…
Mat Bonville hasn't been doing competition BBQ for long, but the pitmaster of Phantom Smoke & BBQ from Kipling, Saskatchewan had a memorable cook at one of the world's foremost contests a couple of weeks ago. Bonville scored a whopping 707.97 at the KCBS World Invitational in Lebanon, Tennessee - roughly a 24-drive from home - to earn Reserve Grand honors and qualify for next spring's BBQ World…
Living six hours apart as competition teammates can be a challenge. But brothers Joe and Jeff Rouse have been able to overcome the geographic challenge to become one of the nation's top KCBS Backyard teams in recent years and, this year, are making waves in the four-meat Masters series as well. On Episode 358 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast we go "Under the Radar" to find out more about Joe (from…
Episode 357 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast brings back our popular "Under the Radar" segment where we find out more about up-and-coming competition teams. Jordan Williams and Richard Smith comprise BBQ Pit Bros out of Des Moines, Iowa. They began cooking KCBS backyard comps in 2021 and, after multiple Grand Championships and Reserves, the team has taken the plunge into the KCBS 4-Meat Masters…
A few days after making history at one of the world's biggest BBQ competitions, Heath Riles joins us on Episode 356 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast to discuss his repeat Grand Championship at Memphis in May. It was the first time in 42 years that anyone has repeated their World Championship at Memphis in May and Heath breaks down what the accomplishment means to him and his Heath Riles BBQ brand…
North Dakota is not the warmest open-fire cooking climate in the country, but Nick and Shannon Holman are doing their best to put the Minot, N.D. team Burnt Trees BBQ on the competition map. The husband-wife duo last week came away from the 77-team Minnesota in May with a Grand Championship, their fourth in 50 career KCBS competitions. Consistency is a key for the couple, who have turned countless…
Memphis in May is just one week away and on Episode 354 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we talk it over with one of the top contenders to take home the big trophy. Tim Scheer, whose Blues Hog team captured Whole Hog and overall Grand Championship honors in 2022, gives us a preview of the preparations. Those include the final days of feeding the three hogs that he raised on his east-central…
After lots of anticipation and patience, it's official. The American Royal World Series of BBQ has new dates (Oct. 1-4) and a new home (the under construction American Royal Association complex in Kansas City, Kansas). On Episode 353 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we visit with American Royal Association CEO Pat Macy about the move and what went into bringing the event to its new complex which…
On Episode 352 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we talk it over with two big winners from last weekend. First up is the story of fast-rising High on the Hog BBQ out of St. Louis, which won its first KCBS GC in Edina, Missouri, in just its sixth KCBS competition. Shawn Campbell and Rich Alexander reveal how they've been able to achieve big-tie success in just their second full-time season. The…
The guys from Blind Fox BBQ haven't been doing competition cooking for long, but it's clear they rise to the occasion in big contests. Two years after finishing sixth at their first American Royal World Series of BBQ Open (444 teams) Joe Rickfels and Adam Burch won their first Grand Championship at last weekend's 103-team Smoke in the Spring in Osage City, Kansas. Not only was it the first GC, it…
There are many tremendous cooks in the Backyard Division of the KCBS who often are overlooked in a competition world in which the Masters division gets most of the attention for master all four meats. On Episode 350 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast we talk it over with one of the best in the two-meat (chicken and ribs) division and that's Bill Toth whose Dawg's BBQ out of Minneapolis, Minn., is…
Everywhere Paul Russell goes in competition BBQ from his home base in Conway, Arkansas, he consistently gets the question about his team's unique name. But Kermit's Ex BBQ is more than a neat name and logo, it's also a consistent contender on the KCBS circuit. On Episode 349 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we visit with Paul about his latest success, a Grand Championship at the Kickin' It On…
Think you need a fancy toy hauler or trailer to succeed in competition BBQ? To that, we present Drew Davis, the king of canopy cooking. On Episode 348 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Davis and his simple approach with Razorracks BBQ proved again last weekend - winning the 125-team KCBS Smoke on the Shores in Lebanon, Tenn., that less can be more. Drew, one of the nation's best comp cooks for…
It's fun to talk it over with one of America's top up-and-coming competition pit masters on Episode 347 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast. Chase Muninger of Munny's Stove BBQ in Wichita, Kansas, has won five KCBS Grand Championships since 2024 with his latest in a stacked 37-team field at Boots, Brews & BBQ in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Chase talks about his background in barbecue and how the…
It's fitting that on Episode 346 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast - our 500th show when combined with three years on local radio - that our long-time friend Brad Leighninger joins us. Brad came on the show often in 2016 when we started the show and those who follow competition BBQ will enjoy the various topics that he touches on, including thoughts on the current state of KCBS and its leadership,…
We've met J.P. Parran on the competition circuit and he's truly one of the most enthusiastic people out there, guaranteed to bring a smile to all and some great BBQ to the judges. On Episode 345 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, JP stops by to talk about his BBQ journey and how he and wife Colleen, who form Bourbon and Blues BBQ out of Wilmington, N.C., have made a successful leap from the KCBS…
On Episode 344 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we take a trip to Texas to learn about up-and-coming team Smokin' Aces BBQ. Led by friends Matthew Frazier and Justin Payne, Smokin' Aces is fresh off a Champions BBQ Alliance Grand Championship in Giddings, Texas, boosting the team to second in the early season CBA points chase. Matthew and Justin break down how they got started competing and how…
As the 2026 competition season gets rolling, a team to watch is Can Country Outlaw led by Jason Halterman. After a breakthrough 2025 season, which saw Can Country Outlaw win three KCBS Grand Championships plus a first-place 180 brisket at the American Royal World Series of BBQ Invitational, Jason is looking for even bigger things in 2026. On episode 343 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we visit…
Call this one the bonus show! Unplanned, but here we are! Episode 341 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast is our annual Super Bowl preview edition, from both football and foot angles. Representing the Seattle Seahawks out of the Pacific Northwest is Seattle Food Truck owner Jason Hester, Rolling Smoke BBQ & Co. Jason gives his game breakdown and offers up some Seattle-themed food ideas for game day…
Episode 340 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast features Chris Salsberry, whose Fred Vegas Smokers captured the Grand Championship at last weekend's 63-team Lakeland Pig Festival. That earned Chris an auto bid into the inaugural BBQ World Cup in 2027, an event that he says is getting people excited in the competition world. We learn about the origin of the name Fred Vegas Smokers while Chris takes us…
On Episode 339 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we welcome our friend Richard Fergola back to the show. The pitmaster of Fergolicious BBQ already has had an eventful 2026 with a vacation to Kenya before teaching a full-on competition BBQ class in Louisville. Now "Fergie" is off for a 10-day BBQ excursion to Costa Rica and Panama. There's never a dull moment when Fergie is around and he also…
Season 8 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast begins and we're thrilled to be back, looking to bring open-fire cooking knowledge to our listeners. That's best done by having great guests and we kick off the new year with two of the best. Leading off Episode 338 is Bill Purvis of Chicken Fried BBQ, who's not only a world champion but one of the best content producers around. We visit with Bill about…
While we're on a holiday break before starting Season 8 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, it's a special edition with two of our most-listened-to guests from 2025. First up is Brad Leighninger of Gettin' Basted with a recap of his runner-up finish on the Food Network show BBQ Brawl. The July conversation also touches on Brad's in-progress run to an unprecedented 4th KCBS Team of the Year title … A…
We wrap up Season 7 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast with champion guests from from far north and south of the competition spectrum. First up at the 8:30 mark on Episode 336 of the show is Janice Smella, head cook of SmellaQue out of Calgary, Alberta. Smellaque recently was crowned Team of the Year in the Canadian BBQ Society for the fifth time. Janice reviews her 11-year history in competition…
Not to toot our own horn, but the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast has a pretty good track record when spotting upcoming talent in our "Under the Radar" segment. This week's featured guest, Dan Wright of Take it Easy BBQ, is the latest example. Since appearing on the show in March, Dan posted his first two KCBS Grand Championships, 11 top 10 overall finishes and a sixth-place in the KCBS Chicken Team of…
On Episode 334 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast , we visit with the husband-wife due of Dave and Shirin Mara of Meat Candy Q out of San Diego. It was a banner 2025 season as Meat Candy Q won California BBQ Association Team of the Year honors for the third time in four years and also wound up seventh in the KCBS Team of the Year standings. They had a remarkable stretch of 15 consecutive top-10…
Before getting to the preview of Episode 333 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast , we send wishes for a "Happy Thanksgiving" to all. May your feast be plentiful and your family time blessed, not only on Turkey Day but every day as we head down the home stretch of 2025. Leading off the guest lineup this week is Chase Willard, pitmaster of Squealin' N Dealin' BBQ out of Independence, Missouri. Chase…
The 2025 competition BBQ season was another great one for Bill Heyen and wife Andrea of Triple H BBQ from Gillespie, Illinois. But beyond three grand championships and four RGCs, with a scoring average a fraction under 700, Bill uses the word "blessed" to describe a season that concluded with a Grand Championship at last weekend's Atlanta BBQ Store Classic. Bill battled back from a tumor near his…
We came, we cooked, we survived. On Episode 331 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, it's a review of the 45th American Royal World Series of BBQ where conditions were challenging for Sunday's 401-team Open. The Tailgate Guys team didn't come away with any coveted ribbons, as we had done in three of our four previous visits to the world's largest BBQ competition, but we had a respectable showing in…
With Thanksgiving knocking on the door, it's time to plan a menu and possibly incorporate the grill or smoker to make the big feast even better. On Episode 330 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, award-winning pitmaster, judge and BBQ promoter Christie Vanover of Girls Can Grill offers some ideas from her book: "Holiday Grilling: 111 Recipes to Celebrate the Season." Christie also reviews her BBQ…
Episode 329 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast is our 45th American Royal World Series of BBQ preview. First up is a conversation, beginning at the 6:30 mark, with American Royal BBQ Manager Kayci Vincent and director of communications Allyssa King about what teams and spectators can expect from the world's largest BBQ competition. The fun is set for Nov. 6-9 at Kansas Speedway. Then we bring back…
When you talk about consistent excellence in competition BBQ, few teams stand out over the last decade more than Rooters-N-Tooters from Tennessee. On Episode 328 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we talk it over with Paul Keltner about Rooters-N-Tooters sustained success, which includes three KCBS Grand Championships in 2025 - including last weekend's Royal Oak Invitational - plus overall top-10s…
Since the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast began a decade ago, one of our mantras has been "we talk to champions." Episode 327 features the latest BBQ world champion. It's Ryan King of Kings BBQ out of Jacksonville, Florida, the Grand Champion at last weekend's Jack Daniels World Invitational in Lynchburg, Tenn. Beginning at the 10:22 mark, Ryan tells us about a cook that placed him among the legends -…
We visit with a Hall of Famer on Episode 326 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast. Donny Teel and Buffalo's BBQ is a legend from Sperry, Oklahoma, winning more than 100 competitions over a three-decade career including Grand Championships at both the American Royal World Series of BBQ Open and Jack Daniels World BBQ Invitational. Donny will be inducted into the BBQ Hall of Fame next month during the…
We all know how important it is to keep those cooking grates clean. On Episode 325 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we talk it over with Marvin Weinberger, an entrepreneur who's developed a handy and effective tool called the GrillFighter to get the job done. We visit with Marvin about his background as an inventor and why coming up with the GrillFighter was important to him. Marvin's segment…
Sam Dodson of Bull in the Ring BBQ had been knocking on the door of his first KCBS Grand Championship, with a series of top-10 finishes and a recent runner-up finish. Last weekend in Ponca City, Oklahoma, Bull in the Ring scored the big prize and on Episode 324 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast we visit with Sam about the journey and some of the keys in getting to a consistently elite level. Sam's…
A few days after B'Mackin BBQ set a KCBS record with a near-perfect cook at the Burnt Offering BBQ Contest in Riverside, California, we talk it over on Episode 323 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast with San Diego's Brett McKinney about how he and teammate Benny Watsman pulled it off. B'Mackin scored an amazing 718.8572 and just missed a quadruple 180 by a couple of judges slightly dinging them in…
Hugh Munro of Ambition Que might be the oldest man in competition BBQ. But the 73-year-old former drag racer doesn't mind the title one bit - particularly after likely becoming the oldest KCBS Grand Champion at last weekend's Bud's, Brews & BBQ in Columbia, Missouri. On Episode 322 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we visit with Hugh about his late-start to competition BBQ and how it feeds his…
On Episode 321 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we talk it over with one of the nation's hottest competition pit masters. Gabe Trevino and Smokin' Volts BBQ of Fontana, California is coming off a Grand Championship over Labor Day Weekend at the star-studded Meat & Tater BBQ Fest in Boise, Idaho. Gabe scored a 707.9 total, edging out Gettin' Basted and one of his mentors, Brad Leighninger, for top…
We're also thrilled when one of our past "Under the Radar" guests go on and accomplish big things in the competition world. Jacob Watt of the Kansas City-area team Smoke This Drink That told us back in February that winning a KCBS Masters Division Grand Championship was a goal in 2025. It was mission accomplished Aug. 16 when he and wife Paige celebrate their first GC with a whopping 710.85 total…
From his home base in Arizona, Sterling Smith has been all over the world cooking, teaching and promoting his BBQ and Loot 'n Booty product line. On Episode 319 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Sterling reviews the journey that included competition cooking since 2009 and recaps 2025 visits to Hawaii, New Zealand and Croatia among other stops and a busy fall schedule ahead with tickets punched to…
