is there food at competitions?

E

eppo

Guest
so while looking around on the site, i saw a pic of a sayville competition in 2008. I did a search and found out that it is local, and its happening in Aug, 2012. I was thinking of going, just to go, not to compete.
here is the link: http://www.bbqbrethrenbattle.com/index.shtml
I'm wondering, will I be able to taste some award winning bbq, if i go? is there a point to go if your not competing?
Thanks for your help.

Joe
 
Typically I would say no....
Unless you know someone at the contest it may be pretty hard to get to taste "the good stuff".

This is the very thing that prompted me to become a CBJ.
One trip to Memphis in May and not getting to eat any of the food because I didn't know anyone. Took the CBJ class a few months later.

Being a part of this forum is a good start. Shouldn't be too hard to hook up with someone and arrange a sampling of leftovers.
 
I went to a local KCBS comp. last year and they gave a "People's Choice" award. You paid $10 to get a wrist band and go by each booth and sample the BBQ. Give your wrist band to your favorite, and the team with the most wrist bands wins. I really enjoyed it.
 
Eat before you go, and the real value will be to meet and chat with the teams. Time your visit for early enough that you are outside of the two hours before turn in. You will meet some great folks and if you are observant and friendly, you might learn some cool BBQ things.

On edit: I love walking around, seeing what other folks are cooking on, their setups and equipment etc... I am not shigging or trying to shig, just find that being around BBQ folks can be fun in and of itself.
 
A lot of comps also have vendors selling. Most of these vendors are also competing. While it may not be their competition recipes, you can usually get some pretty good Q from them.
 
I know that when I competed we sold food well into the night, just not before our turn-in time. Probably 60-75% of the competitors sold food.
 
As others mentioned, sometimes they have vendors or a people's choice award where the public can get samples from the comp teams who decide to participate. If you know a team participating or see a Brethren flag flying, as long as it is not turn in times (12-1:30pm) stop by to introduce yourself and I'm sure they'll gladly let you sample their left overs.

I competed at this event last year, and I believe it was RUB (the NYC BBQ Restaurant) vending BBQ and selling to the public, but they also had another vendor doing clams or some other seafood dish, there was a food truck doing sausages and burgers and hot dogs and an Ice cream truck and I think 1 other BBQ vendor and likely 1-2 other food vendors I am missing. There was no People's Choice award though last year at this event. I have no knowledge if they are looking to add a People's Choice this year.
 
Hi,
Just know that this is not in Sayville anymore.

Here are the local comps this year:
June 10th - Long Island Kosher Championships, Westbury, NY
June 10th - Alpers Ribs and Chicken Cookoff, Port Washington, NY
August 5th - The Battle of the BBQ Brethren, Manorville, NY
September - Hicksville FD Cookoff (peoples choice and 3 categories), Hicksville, NY
October - Farmingdale University BBQ (5 category, standard event), Farmingdale, NY

Already happened: WilliePallooza, Brentwood and BBQ Throwdown, Old Westbury.
(Copied from Eric)
I would think the Battle of the Brethren will be the only event with vendors.
I will be at Farmingdale and you are welcome to come by and say hi. Between 12 and 2 on Sunday are turn ins, so it is a little tough to sit and chat, but after is great!
 
The event in August is the hallmark event for the BBQ Brethren. As such, there will be plenty of very friendly members of this forum there competing.

Although the Dept. of Health doesn't allow competitors (usually) to give food to the public, for many people, if you're a member of the Brethren, you are a friend.

Show up, introduce yourself, bring some chips or your favorite snack to share and I'm sure you will get to taste some great BBQ.

As we get closer to the event there will be a list here on the forums of what teams are attending and a bunch of smack talk so you will know who are Brethren and who's not.

Eric
 
eppo said:
so while looking around on the site, i saw a pic of a sayville competition in 2008. I did a search and found out that it is local, and its happening in Aug, 2012. I was thinking of going, just to go, not to compete.
here is the link: http://www.bbqbrethrenbattle.com/index.shtml
I'm wondering, will I be able to taste some award winning bbq, if i go? is there a point to go if your not competing?
Thanks for your help.

Joe
Click to expand...

A lot of comps allow public sampling...some are associated with charity events that charge per sample or per entry. At most events sampling is not allowed due to health dept. rules and regulations. My advice is to show up early the day before while teams are setting up and are in relaxed mode...walk around and introduce yourself...even offer to help set up...you may get lucky and get an invitation to come back after turn-ins for a feast! :thumb:
 
I just noticed you are in Long Island, NY...no problem...just show up at Phil's camp and demand to be fed! :boxing:
 
eppo said:
so while looking around on the site, i saw a pic of a sayville competition in 2008. I did a search and found out that it is local, and its happening in Aug, 2012. I was thinking of going, just to go, not to compete.
here is the link: http://www.bbqbrethrenbattle.com/index.shtml
I'm wondering, will I be able to taste some award winning bbq, if i go? is there a point to go if your not competing?
Thanks for your help.

Joe
Click to expand...

You are getting some great advice in this thread. Just because teams don't or can't give out samples doesn't mean you shouldn't go and check out the event. You could get lucky.

Last year I was at a small comp in Maryland and they so much as told us that if we wanted to give out samples or even sell em we were welcome to do so. After turn in some very lucky passersby got to sample some 3rd place Wagyu brisket. So you just never know.
 
When we cook it's only the wife and I. I always have a lot of very good que left over after turn ins. I'm not gonna throw it away...
 
If you are willing to do a little driving:

The Troy, NY event in July has a people's choice where many teams cook ribs. Buy tickets early, they sell out.

The Harpoon event in Windsor, VT (also July) has almost every team vending food all weekend. It's probably the best event in NY/NE to try a lot of different things.

Last year's Smokin at the Maples had vendors that also compete. Rub BBQ, and Jacked Up being amongst them. There are a lot more BBQ choices than that contest used to have when it was in Sayville. Phil does a great job with it.
 
One point regarding when to show up. I'd avoid turn-in morning all-together if you are looking to interact. Ribs and chicken are going, boxes may be being made, freaking out and insane pacing may be underway. Or maybe that's just at our camp :icon_blush:

Now you show up at say 2pm... now I have a ton of stuff that I need to get rid of. Rules say I cant hand out food to the typical general public. If you are a brethren, that aint typical in my book :thumb:
 
On the West Coast, there seems to be more People's Choice sampling for the general public. It usually seems to be about $2 a ticket for a 2 oz sample or a rib.

I'm not familiar with other state's contests, but....if it were me, I'd stop by team booths after turn-ins were done and chat them up. Asking if they are Brethren can't hurt.
 
At the SD BBQ Championships in Huron, $5 gets you fed on 3 peoples choice categories until the food runs out. (There is alot of meat!!) Maybe there are some other events like that?
 
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