Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast

Episode 260 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast takes us to the Phoenix area to visit with Kyle Matuszewski, owner-operator of Your Behind BBQ restaurant in Florence. Kyle is a long-time competitor on the Steak Cookoff Association and KCBS trails and he’s parlayed that success into a red-hot start in the restaurant business. Kyle breaks down his story which includes how a restaurant owner deals with his first 1-star Yelp review.  Brad Colter and Breana Via from Smoke N Magic BBQ stop by for their weekly segment, reviewing their recent trip down under to participate in Meatstock Sydney. They also preview their appearance at Memphis in May this weekend, where they’ll be doing demos for Home Depot. On the Grill Guys of Missouri segment, Skyler Spartan gives the latest from the Republic, Mo., BBQ store. Co-hosts Lyndal and Steve discuss their latest cooking adventures and plans, and they have some quick thoughts on a host of sports topics.  Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible:  Blues Hog #blueshognation Royal Oak Charcoal #TeamRoyalOak2024  The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked  Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq  The Grill Guys of Missouri Smoke ’n Magic BBQ #SmokenMagic Vietti Marketing Group   Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza Have a great BBQ week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

When we’re asked about BBQ restaurant recommendations in the St. Louis area, Heavy Smoke BBQ always is at the top of our list. On Episode 259 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we talk it over with Chris Schafer, the owner-operator of Heavy Smoke BBQ about the constantly overlapping thrills and challenges of the restaurant industry. Chris also is one of the world’s top competition pitmasters, a past Grand Champion at both the Jack Daniels World BBQ Invitational and KCBS Invitational World Championship. Heavy Smoke is No. 2 in the KCBS Team of the Year standings in 2024 and we ask Chris about a possible Team of the Year. It’s also time for our monthly chat with Richard Fergola, pitmaster of Fergolicious BBQ and marketing director for Proud Souls BBQ and Provisions. “Fergie” is gearing up for a trip to the new Smoke Slam, next week in Memphis.  We also have our weekly segments with Breana Via of Smoke n Magic and Charlie Wallace from Grill Guys of Missouri. Meanwhile, co-hosts Lyndal and Steve discuss their latest cooking adventures and plans, and they give some brutally honest opinions on the downfall of the St. Louis Cardinals on the sports segment. Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible:  Blues Hog #blueshognation Royal Oak Charcoal #TeamRoyalOak2024  The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked  Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq  The Grill Guys of Missouri Smoke ’n Magic BBQ #SmokenMagic Vietti Marketing Group   Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza Have a great BBQ week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

One of the greatest to light a pit - and a great friend of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Show since the beginning on local, low-powered radio - joins us for an extended conversation on Episode 258. Brad Leighninger just passed the 11-year anniversary of his first BBQ Grand Championship. Now, 70 GCs later, Gettin’ Basted is a three-time KCBS Team of the Year, a Jack Daniels World BBQ Invitational Grand Champion, Brad is a part of the Blues Hog 2022 Memphis in May World Champion. He’s also co-owner of four restaurants in the southwest Missouri area including a couple of new ones in the tourist-mecca of Branson. We visit with Brad on a variety of topics, including the upcoming Memphis in May. “We’re coming in motivated,” Brad said of Team Blues Hog. “I wouldn’t bet against us.” We also have our weekly segments with Brad Colter from Smoke n Magic and Skyler Spartan from Grill Guys of Missouri. Meanwhile, co-hosts Lyndal and Steve discuss their latest cooking adventures and plans and preview their open-fire plans for the week ahead.  Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible:  Blues Hog #blueshognation Royal Oak Charcoal #TeamRoyalOak2024  The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked  Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq  The Grill Guys of Missouri Smoke ’n Magic BBQ #SmokenMagic Vietti Marketing Group   Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza Have a great BBQ week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

On Episode 257 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we talk it over with one of world’s hottest pitmasters. Eric Coley from Alabama’s Poppa Pig BBQ is leading the KCBS Team of the Year standings with three Grand Championships and seven top-10 finishes in eight 2024 competitions. It’s a start that’s signaled a breakthrough after Eric went through a two-year stretch of top-10 finishes without nailing the GC. What has changed? Eric talks about that, plus his career in competition BBQ and how a DQ after missing turn-in with some of the best brisket he ever cooked was a big turning point. In our weekly segments, we find out the latest from Smoke’n Magic BBQ from Breana Via and head to the Grill Guys of Missouri to chat with Charlie Wallace. Meanwhile, co-hosts Lyndal and Steve discuss their latest cooking adventures and plans and preview their open-fire plans for the week ahead.  Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible:  Blues Hog #blueshognation Royal Oak Charcoal #TeamRoyalOak2024  The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked  Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq  The Grill Guys of Missouri Smoke ’n Magic BBQ #SmokenMagic Vietti Marketing Group   Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza Have a great BBQ week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm #bbq #bbqpodcast #competitionbbq #tailgateguysbbq 

Jon and Jason Wade of Optimus Swine BBQ out of Williamsburg, Virginia have one of the hottest competition BBQ teams around. Since moving into the KCBS Master’s division a couple of years ago, the Wades have seven Grand Championships and seven RGCs in 63 competitions. They also own and operate two BBQ restaurants in the Williamsburg area, Two Drummers Smokehouse and 2 Drummers Butchery and BBQ Provisions. On Episode 256 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we talk it over with Jon Wade about the team’s success in both aspects of BBQ and about the crossover of restaurants and competition cooking. We’ve seen far too many good BBQ competition disappear in recent years. It’s always great to see new ones come along and we find out more from organizer Vanessa Williams about the inaugural Give Local First Charity BBQ Festival, coming up May 17-18 in West Plains, Missouri. Vanessa gives us the rundown of what teams can expect (aside from a nice prize fund of $10,000) and how the public can attend and get a taste of the fun.   In our weekly Smoke N Magic Minute, Breana Via tells about heading to Meatstock in Sydney, Australia where Smoke N Magic will see how their American style competition BBQ stacks up against the native Aussies.  Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible:  Blues Hog #blueshognation Royal Oak Charcoal #teamroyaloak2023 The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked  Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq  The Grill Guys of Missouri Smoke ’n Magic BBQ #SmokenMagic Vietti Marketing Group   Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza Have a great BBQ week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

Based in north central North Dakota, Burnt Trees BBQ has a long haul no matter where it goes for a competition. But the husband-wife team of Nick and Shannon Holman is almost always a contender when it arrives, with its 2024 debut proving the point. Burnt Trees BBQ captured the 97-team Smoke in the Spring in Osage City, Kansas, topping the 700-point mark for the first time. On Episode 255 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we visit with Nick and Shannon about their shared BBQ passion and the challenges of being a northern-based competition team. We also check in with Richard Fergola from Fergolicious BBQ and Proud Souls BBQ and Provisions. Fergie has been all over the map over the last month and he recounts some of the highlights of cooking in Costa Rica and New Orleans, while also previewing the Daniel Vogt Memorial Backyard Rib Contest and all-star pro demo day on Sunday, April 14 at Proud Souls Denver. Weekly regulars Charlie Wallace from The Grill Guys of Missouri and Breana Via of Smoke N Magic BBQ also offer some tips and knowledge to up your cooking game. Co-hosts Lyndal and Steve also review the men’s and women’s NCAA Final Fours and take a glance at a tradition like no other, the Master’s. Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible:  Blues Hog #blueshognation Royal Oak Charcoal #teamroyaloak2023 The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked  Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq  The Grill Guys of Missouri Smoke ’n Magic BBQ #SmokenMagic Vietti Marketing Group   Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza Have a great BBQ week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

There are dozens of options available these days for BBQ-themed podcasts, unlike just a few years ago when the options were relatively limited. One of the longest-running shows is Baseball and BBQ, with co-hosts Leonard Aberman and Jeff Cohen. Combining two of America’s favorite past times, Leonard and Jeff have found a sweet spot with engaging guests who speak with knowledge to baseball, BBQ or both. Now in season seven, we caught up with Len and Jeff as the Major League Baseball season gets underway and, even as their beloved New York Mets struggle, it’s always a good time when we talk Baseball and BBQ. Also checking in with us are weekly regulars Skyler Spartan from The Grill Guys of Missouri and Brad Colter of Smoke N Magic BBQ. Co-hosts Lyndal also discuss their cooking weeks and preview the Final Four for the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.   Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible:  Blues Hog #blueshognation Royal Oak Charcoal #teamroyaloak2023 The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked  Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq  The Grill Guys of Missouri Smoke ’n Magic BBQ #SmokenMagic Vietti Marketing Group   Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza Have a great BBQ week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

Welcome to Episode 253 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, where we’re joined by the founders of America’s foremost weekly digital news authority on live-fire cooking. It’s been a while since we visited with Ryan Cooper and Sean Ludwig from The Smoke Sheet. Their weekly newsletter that arrives in subscribers’ in-boxes each Wednesday and Friday with a variety of content including BBQ trends, restaurant features, product news and recipes. On our extended conversation, Ryan and Sean tell us about a recent excursion to the Carolinas where they experienced old-school and new-school BBQ restaurants. Later, they tell us storylines in the BBQ world they’re watching in 2024. Subscribe to The Smoke Sheet at bbqnewsletter.substack.com  Also checking in with us are weekly regulars Charlie Wallace from The Grill Guys of Missouri with a feature product, and Breana Via from Smoke N Magic BBQ has a great tip for how to put an open-fire spin on Easter dinner. Co-host Lyndal breaks down the Tailgate Guys BBQ competition team’s season opener and Steve reviews his backyard cooking week. The guys also talk NCAA Tournament and the opening of baseball season with their World Series picks.   Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible:  Blues Hog #blueshognation Royal Oak Charcoal #teamroyaloak2023 The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked  Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq  The Grill Guys of Missouri Smoke ’n Magic BBQ #SmokenMagic Vietti Marketing Group   Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza Have a great BBQ week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

Spring has officially arrived, which means there are BBQ competitions across the land each weekend from now through early November - not to mention hundreds of thousands of backyard cooks are firing up backyard smokers and grills. On Episode 252 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we talk to one of American’s most-colorful pitmasters and brand ambassadors, plus a Kansas City-area team that took home a big championship last weekend. Starting us off at the 7:05 mark of the show is a conversation with Craig Verhage, marketing director of Royal Oak Charcoal. Craig tells us about the latest products on the market from Royal Oak and, in his role as “The BBQ Ninja,” takes us through a busy schedule of appearances at BBQ competitions and festivals across the land. It’s always fun to chop it up with The Ninja!  Also on the show: 26:21 - Skyler Spartan with the latest from The Grills Guys of Missouri. 29:15 - Brothers Mike and Tanner McGee from Pirates of BBQ Bay gives us a rundown of their Grand Championship at the Qlathe BBQ Championship in Olathe, Kansas and a look at the team’s history in the comp world. 50:50 - The Smoke ’n Magic minute with Brad Colter gives some advice to aspiring competition teams about the importance of practice cooking to a real-life timeline. Co-hosts Lyndal and Steve also begin and end the show with their latest BBQ adventures and take a stab at predicting the Final Four as March Madness gets underway. Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible:  Blues Hog #blueshognation Royal Oak Charcoal #teamroyaloak2023 The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked  Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq  The Grill Guys of Missouri Smoke ’n Magic BBQ #SmokenMagic Vietti Marketing Group   Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza Have a great BBQ week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm  

It’s another guest-filled show on Episode 251 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast. Leading off is Joel Fleetwood of Meat Rushmore BBQ, which won three Grand Championships in 2023 on its way to an 11th-place finish in the KCBS Team of the Year standings. Joel also was recently voted president of the KCBS Board of Directors. We visit with Joel about his competition cooking and his role on the KCBS board. The segment begins at the 8:23 mark. Also on the show: 31:51 - Nick Davis of Double Barrel BBQ tells us about one he’s co-hosting with Wes Patterson from American Royal Pork Champion Wood Hook BBQ  next month in Moodys, Okla.  39:00 - The Iowa State BBQ Championship has made a strong comeback and this year’s edition, March 29-30 in Altoona, looks like another good one. Joe Osbrink gives us some details. 45:57 - The Smoke ’n Magic minute with Breana Via offers some tasty ideas for St. Patrick’s weekend. 48;28 - Charlie Wallace tells us about some breaking news in our weekly Grill Guys of Missouri segment. Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible:  Blues Hog #blueshognation Royal Oak Charcoal #teamroyaloak2023 The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked  Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq  The Grill Guys of Missouri Smoke ’n Magic BBQ #SmokenMagic Vietti Marketing Group   Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza Have a great BBQ week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

On Episode 250 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we talk it over with two of competition BBQ’s top pitmasters - and most-colorful characters. First up is Richard Fergola from Fergolicious BBQ and marketing director of Proud Souls BBQ and Provisions. “Fergie” and the Proud Souls team is ready to throw a big first anniversary bash this Saturday, March 9th, at Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City. A full day of cooking demos and great food will be available. Then it’s time to talk it over with Sterling Smith of Loot ’n Booty BBQ, a recent inductee into the California BBQ Association Hall of Fame. “Smitty” is always a great guest and this time he talks about the Hall of Fame honor plus his Loot ’n Booty Apple Cherry Sauce which recently earned first-place honors in the National BBQ Association awards. Fergie and Smitty also are going to be teaching classes together, later this month in Costa Rica and suburban Chicago. What happens when they get together for a class? “It’s like riding a unicorn through a mystic land, full of meat and clowns. And there’s knives involved. And maybe we might talk about aliens or pyramids at some point,” Smith says.  We also hear from Gene Newkirk with the Kickin’ it on Route 66 BBQ Festival, Skyler Spartan with The Grill Guys weekly report and the Smoke ’n Magic BBQ Minute with Breana Via. Co-hosts Lyndal and Steve discuss their weekly cooking adventures, plus take a quick spin through news and notes from the competition BBQ world. Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible:  Blues Hog #blueshognation Royal Oak Charcoal #teamroyaloak2023 The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked  Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq  The Grill Guys of Missouri Smoke ’n Magic BBQ #SmokenMagic Vietti Marketing Group   Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza Have a great BBQ week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

It’s been more than a decade since we first saw Harry Soo on the groundbreaking television show BBQ Pitmasters. People still come up to Harry to talk about his experiences, especially after re-runs of the show air on the cable channel Destination American most weekends. On Episode 249 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Harry recounts the beginning of his BBQ journey, the unscripted beginnings of BBQ Pitmasters and where’s it’s all led - to a full-time open-fire career as one of the world’s most-popular pitmasters. Harry and Slap Yo Daddy BBQ has a busy 2024 ahead with a new grill he helped design, classes, products and an always-expanding library of how-to videos on his Youtube channel. It’s always a blast to chat with Harry and this is no exception. We also hear from Charlie Wallace with The Grill Guys weekly report, plus the Smoke ’n Magic BBQ Minute with Breana Via. Co-hosts Lyndal and Steve discuss their weekly cooking adventures, plus take a quick spin through news and notes from the competition BBQ world. Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible:  Blues Hog #blueshognation Royal Oak Charcoal #teamroyaloak2023 The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked  Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq  The Grill Guys of Missouri Smoke ’n Magic BBQ #SmokenMagic Vietti Marketing Group   Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza Have a great BBQ week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

On Episode 248 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we take a virtual trip to New England and talk it over with one of America’s most-accomplished competition pitmasters for nearly two decades. Bill Gillespie of Smokin’ Hoggz BBQ has Grand Championships at the Jack Daniels World BBQ Invitational and American Royal World Series of BBQ Invitational to his credit. Also author of four BBQ cookbooks and with his own line of rubs and sauces, Bill talks about his early days in competition, some of the keys to his evolution into a champion and some of the changes (good and bad) to the competition scene over the years. While some competitions have been held in Florida and Arizona, it’s also nearly go-time for competition BBQ in the Midwest. The first KCBS comp in Missouri is coming up March 22-24. We intended to visit with Gene Newkirk from the Kickin’ It on Route 66 Barbecue Challenge but had a scheduling issue. Learn more about the contest at its Facebook page. We do hear from Skyler Spartan with the Grill Guys of Missouri weekly report and Brad Colter with the Smoke ’n Magic BBQ minute. Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible:  Blues Hog #blueshognation Royal Oak Charcoal #teamroyaloak2023 The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked  Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq  The Grill Guys of Missouri Smoke ’n Magic BBQ #SmokenMagic Vietti Marketing Group   Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza Have a great BBQ week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

The Kansas City Chiefs are the world champions of football, again! We’ll talk about that, plus championship BBQ on Episode 247 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast. Leading off our guest lineup is Phillip Breeden of LC BBQ out of Bandera, Texas. We visit with Phillip about his Champions BBQ Alliance Rio World Championship Cookoff last weekend and preview the upcoming Houston Livestock Rodeo and BBQ Cookoff. Phillip has been on the road competing in BBQ nearly every week for the last six years and he discusses why he embraces the grind and how he deals with the ups and downs that are involved. Checking in from the heart of Chiefs Kingdom is Richard Fergola of Proud Souls BBQ & Provisions Kansas City. “Fergie” tells us how a winning sports team lifts an entire community - Kansas City-area residents certainly can identify - and he also gives a rundown of all the happenings at Proud Souls locations in Kansas City, Denver and Littleton, Colorado and Orlando, Florida. Breana Via stops by with the Smoke ’n Magic Minute and Charlie Wallace brings us a report from The Grill Guys of Missouri. Meanwhile, co-hosts Lyndal and Steve review their Super Sunday cooking and give some final thoughts on the big game.  Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible:  Blues Hog #blueshognation Royal Oak Charcoal #teamroyaloak2023 The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked  Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq  The Grill Guys of Missouri Smoke ’n Magic BBQ #SmokenMagic Vietti Marketing Group   Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza Have a great BBQ week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

Word is there’s a big football game coming up. On Episode 246 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Show Podcast, we do our best to bring you both football and food perspective from both the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers sides as we countdown to Super Bowl Sunday. First up is Megan Day, pitmaster of Kansas City’s Burnt Finger BBQ. Megan again is headed for a Friday appearance on NBC’s Today Show and she offers some BBQ food ideas ahead of the big day. She also catches us up on the latest happenings for Burnt Finger in the year ahead. From the other perspective, California native and lifetime 49ers fan Jonathon Indermuehle of Heifers, Butts & Clucks BBQ breaks down the food and football from the opposing point of view. Jonathon also tells us how the Chiefs are viewed by fans around the country and offers his pick on the game. In our weekly segments, Brad Colter from Smoke ' Magic BBQ offers up a tip of the week that applies to new competition pitmasters and Skyler Spartan returns with product news from The Grill Guys of Missouri. Co-hosts Lyndal and Steve make their game picks and talk about the best way to watch the big game.  Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible:  Blues Hog #blueshognation Royal Oak Charcoal #teamroyaloak2023 The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked  Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq  The Grill Guys of Missouri Smoke ’n Magic BBQ #SmokenMagic Vietti Marketing Group   Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza Have a great BBQ week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

There’s a lot of championship talk on Episode 245 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, beginning with pitmaster Paul Keltner of Rooters ’n Tooters BBQ out of Mount Pleasant, Tennessee. Paul knocked off a Grand Championship at the 61-team KCBS Lakeland Pit Festival to start his season in style. It’s a continuation of a remarkable last few seasons of consistent for Rooters ’n Tooters, which had 29 top-10 overall finishes in 2023. Paul tells us about the year ahead and what it’s like to chase KCBS Team of the Year honors (Rooters ’n Tooters was 4th in 2022, 5th in 2021 and 4th in 2020). Speaking of championships, we talk top-level BBQ and Kansas City Chiefs football with Richard Fergola of Fergolicious BBQ and Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City. “Fergie” discusses Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis and the player’s love for Q and the videos he shot for Proud Souls in Kansas City. We also get the latest about all the happenings at Proud Souls locations in KC, Denver and Littleton, Colo., and Tampa, Florida.  In new segments, Brad and Bre from Smoke'n Magic BBQ offer up a tip of the week that applies for both the backyard and competition cook, and Charlie from Grill Guys of Missouri tells us some big doings at the Republic, Mo., BBQ store in regards to the upcoming Super Bowl. Lastly, co-hosts Lyndal and Steve offer their takes on the Chiefs-49ers and suggest two words to all the Taylor Swift bashers out there: Shut Up. Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible:  Blues Hog #blueshognation Royal Oak Charcoal #teamroyaloak2023 The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked  Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq  The Grill Guys of Missouri Smoke ’n Magic BBQ #SmokenMagic Vietti Marketing Group   Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza Have a great BBQ week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

After a few weeks off, we are back to fire up Season 6 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast! We want to thank our listeners and sponsors from the beginning, way back in 2016 when we started the show on local radio.  Our first guest of the new year is the busiest man in BBQ, our friend Tim Scheer who’s the boss man for Blues Hog, Gateway Drum Smokers, Shake ’n Bake BBQ, Marble Ridge Farms and The BBQ League. It’s no surprise that Tim has big things in the words for 2024 with the Blues Hog brand continuing to expand and his competition teams looking forward to some of the biggest contests on the planet, including Memphis in May where Blues Hog won the 2022 World Championship. Tim also talks about his hog and cattle breeding operation and specifically raising the hogs he will take to Memphis in May.  We also welcome a new sponsor to the show, Smoke ’n Magic BBQ with Brad Colter and Breana Via. We visit with them about their year-long run in the BBQ restaurant world at the Kansas City International Airport, the Smoke ’n Magic line of rubs and sauces and their cooking plans for the year ahead, which include a trip to Australia for Meatstock in April. We’ll hear from Brad and Breana - Pork champs at the 2023 Jack Daniels World BBQ Invitational - weekly throughout the year with a Smoke ’n Magic Minute with a tip or insight on one of their products.  Skyler Spartan of The Grill Guys of Missouri also stops by with the latest happenings from their BBQ store in Republic, Mo., including news of a special promotion that leads up to the Super Bowl in a couple of weeks. We’ll hear from Skyler or co-owner-operator Charlie Wallace each week on the show. Meanwhile, co-hosts Lyndal and Steve discuss what's on their upcoming BBQ menus and preview the NFL's Final 4. Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible:  Blues Hog #blueshognation Royal Oak Charcoal #teamroyaloak2023 The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked  Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq  The Grill Guys of Missouri Smoke ’n Magic BBQ #SmokenMagic Vietti Marketing Group   Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza Have a great BBQ week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm  

Happy Thanksgiving Week! It’s Episode 239 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast and we visit with two of the best cooks in the country for lots of last-minute Turkey Day tips. John Lindsey of All Qued Up BBQ and Ronald Burns of Hotty Totty BBQ are the head coaches of the #arkassippicombo line of outstanding rubs and sauces. They tell us about how to make the most out of your Thanksgiving meal, both for the turkey and your favorite sides, and discuss their experiences as finalists on the television program BBQ Country which aired earlier this year on The Country Network. Ronald and his backyard teammate on the show, Brytt Bojczak came away as the big winner and he talks about that and how BBQ Country rightfully put the spotlight on backyard cooks everywhere.  Meanwhile, co-hosts Lyndal and Steve preview their Thanksgiving Day cooking plans and discuss the latest from the competition BBQ world where KCBS is dealing with more negative fallout from another scoring failure at last weekend’s Atlanta BBQ Store Classic. Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible:  Blues Hog #blueshognation Royal Oak Charcoal #teamroyaloak2023 The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked  Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq  Clark Crew BBQ #clarkcrewbbq The Grill Guys of Missouri Allquedup #arkassippicombo Vietti Marketing Group #marketing  Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza Have a great Thanksgiving week and weekend, and thanks for listening! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! We hope it’s a great holiday season and a celebration of family, friends and great food! Episode 243 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast is our finale of Season 5 and it’s a good one with a pair of open-fire stars to help us conclude the year on a winning note. First up is Bill Purvis from Chicken Fried BBQ out of Magnolia, Texas. Bill is one of the best in the competition game and he does it cooking in various sanctioning bodies. Chicken Fried earned a Grand Championship at an IBCA-sanctioned event last weekend in Houston and Bill already is looking ahead to a banner 2024. We visit with him about chicken (thighs or half-chickens, legs or wings?) and his talent in front of the camera on the Food Network show BBQ USA with host Michael Symon or on his rapidly growing Chicken Fried BBQ Youtube channel where his latest video showing how to trim a competition brisket is a fun watch.  We also check in with Richard Fergola from Fergolicious BBQ and Proud Souls Barbecue & Provisions. It’s been a busy December of teaching BBQ classes and things get only busier in the new year and Richard gives a rundown of his classes and why someone should consider upping their competition game with a little education. The one-year anniversary of Proud Souls KC is approaching and Fergie fills us in on some party plans. Charlie Wallace of The Grill Guys of Missouri also stops by with some great last-minute BBQ shopping ideas. If you’re in or near southwest Missouri, keep The Grill Guys in mind if you’re shopping for yourself or others.  Meanwhile, co-hosts Lyndal and Steve preview their holiday cooking plans and look ahead to the new year and Season 6 of the show.   Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible:  Blues Hog #blueshognation Royal Oak Charcoal #teamroyaloak2023 The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked  Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq  Clark Crew BBQ #clarkcrewbbq The Grill Guys of Missouri Allquedup #arkassippicombo Vietti Marketing Group #marketing  Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza Have a great BBQ holiday season and thanks for listening! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

It’s always an entertaining and opinionated conversation when we get together with Travis Clark, whose Clark Crew BBQ is a former American Royal World Series of BBQ and Jack Daniels World BBQ Invitational Grand Champion, along with a two-time KCBS Team of the Year. On Episode 242 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we visit with Travis about the restaurant business as his flagship Clark Crew BBQ place in Oklahoma City just celebrated its fourth anniversary. Travis also has some thoughts on the current state of the competition BBQ world and what is the first thing he would do if named Commissioner of BBQ for a day.  Skyler Spartan from The Grill Guys of Missouri also checks with details of a 12 Day of Christmas special that will make you want to check out his store in Republic, Missouri, for some great deals … then listen closely, as Skyler details a gift certificate that’s sitting out somewhere in the store for the first person to find it.  Meanwhile, co-hosts Lyndal and Steve preview their cooking plans leading up to Christmas and discuss the Kansas City Chiefs in the aftermath of their latest mistake-plagued defeat. We have one more show to close out 2023 and Season 5 before a holiday break.   Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible:  Blues Hog #blueshognation Royal Oak Charcoal #teamroyaloak2023 The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked  Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq  Clark Crew BBQ #clarkcrewbbq The Grill Guys of Missouri Allquedup #arkassippicombo Vietti Marketing Group #marketing  Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza Have a great BBQ week and weekend, and thanks for listening! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm