Barbecue Tourism Is A Real Thing: Here's The 2014 Competition Calendar
You see that headline? It's not a joke. In 2014, people will continue to travel the globe for barbecue. And you should join them. In addition to competitive pitmasters, who pack up their rolling rigs to travel around the country to cook in contests every weekend of the year, there are now BBQ trails that allow casual enthusiasts to visit notable representatives of various regional styles of smoked meats. But real fans can also visit the competitions to see the luminaries that they've watched on television, and read about on Food Republic, as they show off their talents in heated (and well-smoked) competitions. And chances are, there's an event within driving distance — as long as the ground isn't too frozen to dig a pit in the ground, of course. So check out some of these upcoming events for next year and start blocking out time on the office vacation calendar.
February 21-23: Cattleman's Caribbean BBQ Competition San Juan, PR
When the winter doldrums start to get you down, and there's no more football to watch, why not hop a plane to old San Juan and watch the pros cook off for $5,000 in prize money? There's no good answer to that question.
February 27-March 1: Houston Livestock & Rodeo World Championship Bar-B-Que Contest Houston, Texas
Everything is bigger (and reputedly better) in Texas, and this competition is about as big as they come with 300 teams competing over three days. There's even a Rockin' Bar-B-Que Saloon located at what be the most Texan address ever at the intersection of Astrodome Way and Chuckwagon Way. Unlike some other barbecue competitions, there is plenty for casual visitors to eat and drink in the Saloon, plus you can scoot your boots to some twin Texas fiddles.
April 18-19: New York City BBQ Cookoff Staten Island, New York
Can't make it to the island of Puerto Rico to experience the thrill of competitive 'cue? Then how about the island of Staten? This Kansas City Barbecue Society–sanctioned event qualifies as a state championship, so you know the pitmasters will be bringing their A game.
April 25-26: BBQ Capital Cookoff in Lexington, North Carolina
Lexington is considered one of the holy hotbeds of barbecue, so competing for a championship there is pretty much a big deal. This event basically shuts down the entire downtown of this smoky hamlet for a weekend of meat, music and merriment.
May 10-11: Beer, Fries & BBQ! – The Belgian Low & Slow BBQ Championship Kapermolenpark, Hasselt, Belgium
You'll need a passport and possibly a translator for this one, but the language of barbecue is universal. They are serious about their barbecue in Europe, and this KCBS event will attract some real pros.
May 15-17: Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest Memphis, Tennessee
Nobody parties like Memphis in May participants, and their massive rigs can reach three stories tall. Y'know, so they can have room for the full bar, dance floor and hanging disco balls. It's important to have some sort of inside track to get in the door at these cook sites as they rock and roll all night and party every day, so start liking the competing teams on Facebook right away.
June 7-8: Big Apple BBQ Block Party New York, New York
The only competitions at this annual meat-fest held at Madison Square Park is which rig has the longest line of patrons queued up to sample the wares of many of the best pitmasters from across the country. Take our advice and shell out for the FastPass so you can literally get the inside track and buy your BBQ from the much shorter lines on the park side of the rigs.
August 23-24: Music City Music & BBQ Festival Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville's event is one of the rare competitions that is sanctioned by both the KCBS and the Memphis Barbecue Network, so busy pitmasters cook in twice as many categories as a normal contest. The frenetic pace of turn-ins on Saturday as they pull meats off the smoker and quick-walk them to the judging tent is always entertaining. Plus there's a beer garden, so you can observe from a distance with a frosty beverage in your hand.
September 18-20: Murphysboro Barbecue Cook-Off Murphysboro, IL
This is the hometown contest of Mike "The Legend" Mills of 17th Street BBQ and the Apple City Barbecue team. After more than a decade off from the competitive circuit after basically winning everything worth competing for, Mills got the old band together last year for a few major contests and fired up an ancient smoker that looks like a WWII-era bunker buster. Don't bet against the master.
September 28-October 6: American Royal BBQ Contest Kansas City, Missouri
Set in one of the barbecue capitals of the world, the American Royal is the largest competition in the world, with over 550 teams competing. The week-long festivities also include the annual induction of a new class into the BBQ Hall of Fame, where they will join 16 current members, including Rich Davis, Guy Fieri, Henry Ford, Fred Gould, Speed Herrig, Mike Mills, Johnny Trigg, Carolyn Wells, Gary Wells, John Willingham, George Stephen Sr., Myron Mixon and Adam Perry Lang. Maybe they'll explain the inclusion of Fieri and Ford while they're at it...
October 18: Sam's Club National Championship Bentonville, Arkansas
The winner of a year-long series of competitions around the country will be crowned at a final bash in the hometown of Walmart and Sam's Club. This is one of the most sought-after titles in the competitive barbecue circuit.
November 6-9: World Food Championships Las Vegas, Nevada
In addition to awarding a "best of the best" of competitors from many different competitive barbecue sanctioning bodies, the winner of this contest moves on to compete against winners of chili, burger, sandwich, dessert and other categories to determine the World Food Champion. There can be only one!