So I was at the BBQ/Grill store today talking about my Assassin Grill...

[TXNewbie]

Started talking with the guy behind the counter about the wood and such they had available today.

I mentioned I was going to be trying something different with my Assassin Grill and he asked what I thought of it.

I said it's a very high quality grill but that it has taken me a while to figure it out and get in a groove with it. Now that I am becoming more familiar with it, it's great. If I had to do one thing over again, I would have upgraded beyond my stainless steel lower shelf to the ss bars, and just left the top shelf the normal metal as I never use it (too late now, I bet it would be big $$$ to have one made up and sent to me).

He mentioned he's owned Assassin, Pitmaker, El Rey, and Jambo. I asked him what he thought of his Jambo as I was really close to getting one before I decided on my LSG, and he said "it's a piece of ****".

Now, the guy struck me as sort of like the gun store commando - the guy behind the counter who thinks he is tacti-cool and knows everything and is somewhat of a contrarian just to show he can buck the trends. In the end (at least at the gun stores) they are generally tools that know little-to-nothing.

I'm not suggesting this bbq guy knew nothing, but I did get the sense he just felt the need to crap on a well regarded product and "be different".

I asked him what he didn't like about it, and he said "the firebox isn't insulated". I said my understanding was that was not the case. Then he stated the sides and top are insulated, but the bottom and door is not.

I don't know what's true and what isn't. I also accept that a Jambo - our any brand for that matter - may not be ideal for everyone. However I find it hard to believe that Jambo is "a piece of ****".

Just wanted to share my morning's BBQ/grill store experience.

[upStomp]

I know the type. I run into them at pretty much any specialty shop - not just FFL's. I've found it's easiest to just 'yes' them and end the conversation as soon as it's convenient. That is, unless I hear them giving some advice that could result in damage or harm.

[W.I.T.W.A.G?]

sounds as though he did not know what he was getting and that't too bad. It certainly does not mean the cooker isn't a quality pit. I'm sure if pressed he would not really know why he was upset by that. My guess would be that he bought it and has now realized that fire management may not be his cup of tea.

[TXNewbie]

sounds as though he did not know what he was getting and that't too bad. It certainly does not mean the cooker isn't a quality pit. I'm sure if pressed he would not really know why he was upset by that. My guess would be that he bought it and has now realized that fire management may not be his cup of tea.

He just said it so off-handedly with a bit of venom that I just couldn't take it serious. It was like he felt the need to try and dis them.

He claims he sold his Assassin as it was "too easy and did not require enough effort".

I would have respected it more if he said something like "it's a quality pit that just isn't what I was looking for". I'd respect that.

In doesn't phase me what he said or what he thinks, I just thought it made the trip to the store interesting.

[NYC ‘Que]

Jambo is a piece of ****? LOL. You know what they say about opinions.


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[Ron_L]

Did you offer to take that piece of chit off of his hands? :-D

[Rusty Kettle]

He just said it so off-handedly with a bit of venom that I just couldn't take it serious. It was like he felt the need to try and dis them.

He claims he sold his Assassin as it was "too easy and did not require enough effort".

I would have respected it more if he said something like "it's a quality pit that just isn't what I was looking for". I'd respect that.

In doesn't phase me what he said or what he thinks, I just thought it made the trip to the store interesting.
Lol. Sorry but I don't see the problem. In his opinion its a P.O.S. If he does not like it and he didn't feel it lived up to expectations well he can say so with venom. I would be bitter too. Those things cost a mint.
Imo you should see if you can dispose of it for him.

[KB BBQ]

For him to say a Jambo is a piece of **** makes me wonder if he HAD TO GET RID OF IT for some other reason. Just my 2 Cents.

[Smoking Cajun]

Or he gets more commission on other brands.....

[TXNewbie]

Or he gets more commission on other brands.....

Funny thing is he doesn't sell any of the brands he claims he's owned. It's a large store and has several locations here in NTX.

[TXNewbie]

For him to say a Jambo is a piece of **** makes me wonder if he HAD TO GET RID OF IT for some other reason. Just my 2 Cents.

Not a bad point. Maybe it was too much of a real pit for him to handle? I am still a BBQ novice, but I would love to own a Jambo, or Moberg, or something similar someday. OK - maybe the Moberg more so.

[Mike in Roseville]

Or he gets more commission on other brands.....


Or he can't cook decent food on anything he has ever owned.

[4ever3]

There’s always one in a million...


I’ve read a ton about them and talked to several that has them and they all praised them until this counter jockey came around....

Best response? “Well I’ll be...”

[TXNewbie]

There’s always one in a million...


I’ve read a ton about them and talked to several that has them and they all praised them until this counter jockey came around....

Best response? “Well I’ll be...”

I've never heard anyone have anything negative to say about Jambo either. Again, you may not like them, but I believe them to be excellent pits.

[jdtTX]

I've cooked on a J5 multiple times over the holidays and it's the best flowing, easiest to manage stick burner I've ever used.

[Robert]

He just said it so off-handedly with a bit of venom that I just couldn't take it serious. It was like he felt the need to try and dis them.

He claims he sold his Assassin as it was "too easy and did not require enough effort".

I would have respected it more if he said something like "it's a quality pit that just isn't what I was looking for". I'd respect that.

In doesn't phase me what he said or what he thinks, I just thought it made the trip to the store interesting.


I don't comment a lot, mainly lurk, but the above in bold made me LOL. I mean who would say things like that? I've never cooked on an Assassin, but they look well made. I owned a Jambo, sold it, wish I had it back. If his only complaint is about the firebox, just LOL. Be interesting to pick his brain on other smokers just to see what would roll out of his mouth and the reason he got rid of each.


Robert

[SlickRockStones]

Sounds like this dude is the type that deflects his failure upon his Jambo pit. His pride destroyed, he lashes out and calls it a POS. If Jamie Geer were to walk in that store this a..hole would be the first one there to start the ass kissing!

[16Adams]

If you listen closely it’s easy to spot people who came of age without Muskrat Love- Allsups Burritos And Smith Brothers Cough Drops. The inner me says walk away, the real me says there is much entertainment to be had. Perhaps sourcing green mesquite and hickory flavored lighter fluid.

Then again you never know what burdens people are carrying around. Bad bosses, financial issues, Divorce, illness’s, ornery aging parents all those life issues.

I’d probably just walk away.

[sleebus.jones]

He claims he sold his Assassin as it was "too easy and did not require enough effort".

Well that's just ignorant. I'm pretty sure his home oven doesn't "require enough effort" but it gets used all the same. It's just a thinly-veiled, pellet-hating comment. People generally only make disparaging comments when they don't have the chops in the first place. Dude's a loser, and certainly not a way to treat a future customer.

[TXNewbie]

Be interesting to pick his brain on other smokers just to see what would roll out of his mouth and the reason he got rid of each.


Robert

I didn't want to get too deep into a conversation with him as he clearly was put mentally by me into the "this guy is a tool" category. However I did ask him which was his favorite. He said the El Rey. Part of me wanted to know why but most of me just didn't care enough to ask. I don't think I've ever heard of El Rey, and when I came home I looked them up. No web site and the last post on their FB page was from 2017.

He recently he had a smoker in front of the store he was cooking on, and in hind sight I think that was the El Rey. My wife commented at the time when we walked by it that it was a rough looking smoker. It just looked like a back-room first time project. But, I may be mistaken.

I did say I own a LSG and really liked it just to see what his reaction was. He just kinda grunted but didn't say anything positive or negative.

[TXNewbie]

It's just a thinly-veiled, pellet-hating comment. .

I should have been more clear - he owned the Assassin gravity fed.

[TXNewbie]

Sounds like this dude is the type that deflects his failure upon his Jambo pit. His pride destroyed, he lashes out and calls it a POS. If Jamie Geer were to walk in that store this a..hole would be the first one there to start the ass kissing!

I got the sense this guy was angry at the world and thought he was just superior to everyone. You may be right on how he would act. I would venture to guess he would actually be kinda a jerk to Jamie to show "he's his own man" <I say that in a mocking tone> and is smarter than the rest of us being duped and are merely followers about Jambo.

[dadsr4]

He can't be a Jambo dealer, so he bad mouths them?

[Smoking Cajun]

sounds like he sells El Rey smokers......

[sleebus.jones]

I should have been more clear - he owned the Assassin gravity fed.

Ah, I thought he was talking about yours.

[Ole Man Dan]

Or he can't cook decent food on anything he has ever owned.

If the salesman was a decent BBQ guy, he could cook good 'Q' on whatever
smoker he had. If not...

(His Q probably reeks of some kind of starter fluid...)

[Inthewoods]

Likely just posturing... probably never owned one...

-D

[Czarbecue]

Damn. Sounds like you were at BBQ Galore.

[SmoothBoarBBQ]

I didn't want to get too deep into a conversation with him as he clearly was put mentally by me into the "this guy is a tool" category. However I did ask him which was his favorite. He said the El Rey. Part of me wanted to know why but most of me just didn't care enough to ask. I don't think I've ever heard of El Rey, and when I came home I looked them up. No web site and the last post on their FB page was from 2017.

He recently he had a smoker in front of the store he was cooking on, and in hind sight I think that was the El Rey. My wife commented at the time when we walked by it that it was a rough looking smoker. It just looked like a back-room first time project. But, I may be mistaken.

I did say I own a LSG and really liked it just to see what his reaction was. He just kinda grunted but didn't say anything positive or negative.

I've never seen an El Rey in person, but from what I've seen online they are exceptional smokers and very much another "Jambo Clone." That's in quotations because everybody copies everybody. Kosmos Q has an El Rey and it looks every bit as amazing as a top of the line Jambo. Just getting at that if you saw a rugged pit outside this BBQ place I doubt it was an El Rey.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZuE_nXamUo

[TXNewbie]

I've never seen an El Rey in person, but from what I've seen online they are exceptional smokers and very much another "Jambo Clone." That's in quotations because everybody copies everybody. Kosmos Q has an El Rey and it looks every bit as amazing as a top of the line Jambo. Just getting at that if you saw a rugged pit outside this BBQ place I doubt it was an El Rey.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZuE_nXamUo

I'm thinking maybe it was the El Rey I saw but it may have just not been cared for and beat up. My first thought when seeing it was that it was a Jambo, but on closer inspection it was not. Maybe the one he had was a multiple previous owner unit that had been used and beat to death.

[SmoothBoarBBQ]

I'm thinking maybe it was the El Rey I saw but it may have just not been cared for and beat up. My first thought when seeing it was that it was a Jambo, but on closer inspection it was not. Maybe the one he had was a multiple previous owner unit that had been used and beat to death.

You described it as a "back room, first time project." If indeed it was an El Rey then it must have been severely mistreated and possibly some post-manufacturer "modifications."

[TXNewbie]

You described it as a "back room, first time project." If indeed it was an El Rey then it must have been severely mistreated and possibly some post-manufacturer "modifications."

Yeah. Possibly. I just don't know for sure.