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 weekl ..read more

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 Fergol ..read more

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 Baseb ..read more

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. L ..read more

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 ..read more

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 ..read more

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 ..read more

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 desi ..read more

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 o ..read more

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. Chec ..read more