We Have Moved to BBQHub.com

We have officially moved...... check out our newer bbq information and news blog at:

www.BBQHub.com

Enjoy..............eric :-)

BBQ Festivals and BBQ Competition Dates Updated

BBQ-Festivals.com has been updating the event dates for 2009 BBQ Festivals and BBQ Competitions. Approximately half of the event websites listed at BBQ-Festivals.com have been updated to reflect the dates for 2009. Those that have not been updated have a TBA next to them. We will continue to check and updated our listing on a weekly basis.

If you know of a bbq festival or bbq competition that you do not see our site be sure to email us at info@bbq-festivals.com

Updates on BBQ Restaurants, Teams, Sauces and More at BBQ-Festivals.com

www.bbq-festivals.com has had some updates including bbq restaurants, bbq teams, bbq rubs and bbq restaurants. Here are the latest additions:

BBQ Restaurants

• Baby Blues BBQ in Venice, California
• Billy’s Tip n’ Inn in White Lake, Michigan
• Beale Street Smokehouse BBQ in Fenton, Michigan
• The Rib Hut in Wilson, North Carolina
• Taste E Bones Barbecue in Slidell, Louisiana
• Smokey Sloe’s in Northpoint, New York

BBQ Sacues

• Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce

BBQ Rubs and Spices

• Willinghams World Champion Rib ‘n BBQ Spice
• SmokinRub Dry Rubs and Steak Seasoning

BBQ Teams

• Smoke In Da Eye BBQ Team - Garden City, New York

If you have a bbq related website that you don’t see on www.bbq-festivals.com be sure to send us the website address and information and we will add it our site.

Are You A Chipotle Fan - Check out They Smoky Chipotle Blog

If you are a chipotle fan like I am then you will find The Smoky Chipotle Blog a great place to visit. Everything you could possibly ever want to know about Chipotle is discussed on this new blog and it looks like it is going to be a good one.

Be sure to check out The Smoky Chipotle

Mid Winter BBQ Events - Are There Any

BBQ-Festivals.com the parent site of this blog is looking for winter barbecue events. Does anyone out there in the bbq world know of any bbq festivals, or competitions that take place in the dead of winter? We are looking to highlight bbq events that take place in the cold and snow, showing the most dedicated bbq fanatics doing their thing in the snow. Sorry California, Arizona, Florida and you other non-snow warm weather winter locales............this is for those dedicated few that don the gloves and earmuffs and check the wood in the smoker as the snow falls.

If you know of any events like this please email bbq-festivals.com at info@bbq-festivals.com

AZBarbeque.com Has A New Look

AZBarbeque.com, the website for Arizona's Number 1 BBQ Club has a hot new look packed with all kinds of information about you guessed it, Arizona Barbecue. With almost 40 bbq teams a big calendar of events as well as info on just about every other facet of barbecue in AZ, this site is the only online destination for bbq in Arizona. Just one look at this website and you know these guys are more than just your run of the mill backyard grillers......... these folks are hard core barbecue lifestyle fanatics. My kind of people.

So, if you find yourself in Arizona be sure to stop by http://www.azbarbeque.com/ and find out what's going on. If you don't live in Arizona stop by anyway........lots of good barbecue information there including a very active forum.

Alabama Barbecue

I went to Birmingham Alabama last week on business and decided to take some time to explore some of the world famous barbecue that Alabama claims to have. Well I wasn't disappointed. I stopped in at Big Bob Gibson's Bar-B-Q Restaurant in Decatur, AL and let me tell you it was out of this world. I have eaten at a lot of barbecue joints but this one has moved into the top of my list.



Big Bob's has it all......... great service, great barbecue and an overall great experience. Read a full review I did of Big Bob Gibson's Bar-B-Q Restaurant over at our other blog at www.bbqhub.com

If you are anywhere within a 100 miles of Decatur you MUST STOP AND EAT there.

For a growing list of barbecue restaurants from coast to coast visit BBQ-Festivals.com Barbecue Restaurant Directory.

Charleston SC - National Barbecue Championship and Bluegrass Festival

Those folks over in South Carolina are at it again. Barbecue and Bluegrass will mix it up next weekend for a good time. Professional barbecue teams, musicians and lucky bystanders will assemble at the Annual Southern National BBQ Championship & Bluegrass Festival at Boone Hall Plantation and Gardens in Mount Pleasant on August 31st. Chompin', stompin' and generally having a good time aside, this is a serious competition that attracts barbecue experts from all over the country. Cooking teams compete for prizes in Professional, Amateur and Tailgating categories, while festival attendees enjoy free samples of barbecue (while they last) and can purchase full plates from on-site vendors.

Find out more from the official press release here.

Barbecue Competition News

Congratulations to Jasper, Georgia's Bub-Ba-Q for winning the grand champion trophy at the South Carolina Festival of Discovery a KCBS sanctioned event. What makes it especially good for Bub-Ba-Q is that this is their first year competing in this event.

Read the whole story here.

Rain or Shine - Barbecue Goes On. At least that is what happened at the 3rd Annual Rockin' Rotary RibFest in Lake in the Hills, Illinois. Things got off to a wet start but on Saturday afternoon the sun came out and the festivities got into full swing. Things were forced to shut down on Thursday when a storm came through and then on Friday there was some damage to the festival area from a second storm. In the end though fun was had by all. As one of the promoters said "The somewhat muddy conditions did little to deter attendance and seemed almost fitting for a festival all about pigs."

Read the whole story here

For a complete directory of BBQ Festivals, Competitions and Restaurants from coast to coast visit http://www.bbq-festivals.com/

We Are Back On Blogger Again

Well... it has been a while. Too long actually. This blog is part of a network of BBQ related websites that hopefully offers a complete coverage of the barbecue scene.

Our main site is of course BBQ-Festivals.com that is a total directory of just about everything barbecue related. From festivals to cookoffs to bqq teams to bbq restaurant listings and more........ if it is bbq related you will probably be able to find it there.

We also have a blog at BBQHub.com which is more of a personal site where I write about my own barbecue experiences, whether they be product reviews, restaurant reviews or some new barbecue experience that I have had.

And then there is this blog. This is where the barbecue news and information will be posted. Unfortunately I have been lacking on here for most of this year but am back on track now.

Something new at www.bbq-festivals.com is our new BBQ Photo Gallery. Just click on the banner and you will go to the gallery. Register and get a user name and password and upload your favorite bbq photos and share with the rest of the world.

Thanks for visiting here and check back often.............. have a great Q day........ eric

BBQ Festival and BBQ Competition Listings Updated

The bbq festival and bbq competitions schedule has been updated with the latest information for the 2008 BBQ season. A new feature is the designation of KCBS sanctioned events. We will continue to update these listings as more dates become available. We will also be listing other bbq society sanction notations to events.

If you know of a bbq festival or a bbq competition we do not have listed please email us at info@bbq-festivals.com with the information.

Enjoy the upcoming bbq season........eric

BBQ Festivals.com has a new blog at BBQHub.com

BBQ-Festivals.com has a new blog. Go to www.bbqhub.com for our new blog with bbq news, bbq information and bbq related product reviews. Our new blog format will give us much more flexibility and will allow us to give you a much better view of what is happening in the world of bbq from coast to coast and around the world.

Be sure to bookmark our new blog at www.bbqhub.com

BBQ Sauce of the Month Club - Perfect for the Holidays

Looking for someting special for your favorite bbq fanatic? Here is something that fits the bill perfectly. It is the BBQ of the Month Club and it's just what the BBQ doctor ordered.

BBQ Glazed Turkey

Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone and I am sure there was a lot of great food prepared. Unfortunately I found this recipe about about three weeks too late. I have never tried to barbecue a turkey before but this recipe caught my eye.

A BBQ Glazed Turkey - I don't know where the recipe originated, but I found it on The Arizona Republic's website today.

1/4 cup sweet barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon instant coffee crystals
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons butter or margarine
14-pound turkey, thawed if frozen
Non-stick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine barbecue sauce, corn syrup, coffee and cumin in glass measuring cup. Microwave on high 1 minute, stirring once, or until coffee is dissolved. Add butter or margarine and stir until melted. Set glaze aside to cool. Remove neck and giblets from body and neck cavities of turkey; refrigerate for another use or discard. Drain juices from turkey; pat dry with paper towels. Turn wings back to hold neck skin against back of turkey. Place turkey, breast up, on flat roasting rack in shallow roasting pan. Spray turkey with cooking spray.

Bake turkey at 325 degrees for 2 hours. Brush turkey with some of the glaze. Loosely cover breast and tops of drumsticks with aluminum foil to prevent overcooking of breast and glaze from darkening too much.

Continue baking turkey 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until meat thermometer reaches 180 degrees when inserted in deepest part of thigh, brushing with additional glaze after 30 minutes. Let turkey stand 15 minutes before carving.

Makes 14 servings.

This sounds like a good one to try......maybe even in the summer time.

Pig out on barbecue — and all the trimmings

The glowing neon sign hanging on the wall in Famous Dave's Legendary Pit Bar-B-Que says it all: Eat like a pig.

Don't mind if I do.

This new restaurant in Tukwila is all about finger-licking barbecue with tons of extras at a decent price.

The menu features appetizers, chicken, ribs, pork, sandwiches and burgers.
It can be a little overwhelming at first.

My companions and I sat down ready to order ribs, but they changed their minds after looking at the menu. Everything just sounded too good.

Visit the Seattle Times to read the complete review of Famous Dave's Legendary Pit Bar-B-Que

Pour On The BBQ Sauce!

When I was growing up, I loved the flavor of bbq sauce. I ate it on everything from hamburgers to onion rings. Much to my mother’s disappointment, bbq sauce graced our dinner table every night. She didn’t really like the fact that I slathered all of her good cooking with bbq sauce, but I guess she figured it was good that I was cleaning my plate even if I soaked my dinner in sauce to do it.

As I entered into adulthood, I became a little more discriminating when it came to bbq sauce. I still loved the flavor and bbq sauce was my favorite dip of choice for French fries, but my taste buds became more conventional when it came to my use of bbq sauce. I liked to dip my steak in it or make oven baked chicken basted in a nice hickory bbq sauce.

With my love of any meat cooked with bbq sauce, it was inevitable that I eventually visit the south. The south is the bbq capital of the world. I had heard about the world famous bbq’s in the Deep South and my mouth watered in anticipation as I packed my bags. I tried to do a little research to find out where the best bbq sauce was served. Everyone told me that I had to try a pulled pork sandwich and wash it down with sweat tea if I wanted to experience true Southern bbq.

The day I arrived in the state of Alabama, I bundled to the closest bbq joint. You could smell the meat cooking a mile away and as I pulled into the parking lot, I breathed deeply of the exciting scent. I had my moist towelettes. I had a spare shirt. I was ready for the sauciest bbq sauce and a pile of pulled pork. I placed my order and waited impatiently for my dinner to arrive. When the waitress placed it in front of me, I took one look at it and told her she had made a mistake.
‘There isn’t any bbq sauce on my pork.’ I explained.

The waitress just laughed as she poured me a glass of sugary iced tea. ‘Darlin’ that is real Southern bbq. We don’t use bbq sauce. The secret is in how we cook the meat, we don’t want to ruin it by drowning it.’ She saw my disappointment and brought me some bottled bbq sauce on the side. I did try her traditional pulled pork minus the bbq sauce and it was good, but for me, it tasted so much more familiar when I slathered it with my favorite sauce.

James L. Paleta is a writer for The Food Magazine. The site provides readers with the latest insights and write-ups on all things on food and other resources.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_L._Paleta

Smithfield's Chicken N' BBQ Comes to Rocky Mount, NC

Rocky Mount, NC - Restaurant chain Smithfield's Chicken N' BBQ announced the opening of their newest restaurant in Rocky Mount, NC. This location marks the 31st restaurant in the Smithfield's chain and second to feature the new building style for of all future locations.

Smithfield's Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q (S.C.N.B.) is a North Carolina chain of quick service restaurants specializing in eastern North Carolina-style barbecue and fried chicken.

Please send us a review if you happen to stop by and try them out.

Read Smithfield's Complete Press Release

Long Time No See

Hello fellow BBQ fanatics. How has everyone been? I know I have been slacking here lately but I am back on track now. Just because the summer season is over that doesn't mean that you can't fire up the grill. You just need to let it cook a little longer in colder weather. I would like to find out where everyone is and have you send some photos of your fall and winter bbq activities. If you are on our mailing list we will be sending out some information on what is going on with BBQ-Festivals.com and also to request some photos of everyone in action for our "winter bbq photo gallery".

Will also be bringing you some product reviews from the world of smokers, grills and cookers as well as other bbq related items. So, with that said, you can look forward to more bbq news and info from us. Thanks and have a great bbq day................... eric

Rojo's Gourmet Is Giving Away A Free Bottle of Hot Sauce

Rojo's Gourmet Foods Launches New Website, Offers FREE Hot Sauce!

RoJo's Gourmet Foods has built a steady and successful business in the Amazon.com marketplace. While this business continues to flourish, the partners at RoJo's Gourmet Foods wanted to create a web presence aside from that venue.

Visit The Last Bite for more information oh how to get your FREE bottle of Hot Sauce

BBQ-Festivals.com Gets A Makeover

Hello all you bbq fans. BBQ-Festivals.com has just undergone a makeover and has a whole new look. All the same features are still there but now it just looks better.

Over the next several months we will be adding a lot more to the site in the way of bbq information.

As the bbq season starts to wind down a little we are going to spend time adding to the site with the following features:

• BBQ Sauce Reviews - we will start reviewing bbq sauces from around the world. Each sauce will be reviewed and highligted on our front page. As we get more reviews the top review will drop down until we have five sauce reviews on the opening page and then they will move to a bbq sauce archive page one at a time. If you would like to have your bbq sauce reviewed and highlighted on BBQ-Festivals.com just send us an email and we will contact you.
  
• BBQ Restaurant Listings - currently we have bbq restaurants listed for 37 states. We want to have a more complete list with all 50 states being reviewed. If you are at a bbq restaurant and they are not on our site, be sure to send us an email with the restaurants name, address and website if they have one..... also include a short comment about your experience there.
  
• BBQ Festival Listings - although we have one of the largest bbq festival listings on the net we don't have them all. We want them all. No matter how big or how small. If you know of a bbq festival or event that is not on our site we would like to know about it. Send us an email with the bbq festival name, location and date and website if they have one.
  
• BBQ Competition Team Profiles - We are going to start profiling bbq competition teams. Basically what this will entail is a seperate page on our website with your bbq team's information on it. A write up about your team, your team logo, photos if you have them and best of all a place to list your winning tropheys. We will also include your schedule. We will be contacting each of you over the next couple of months to get your information. Of course there will be a link to your teams website.
  
• Website Design Services - Does your restaurant, team, sauce or festival need a website? We can help. We understand website design (the owner of bbq-festivals.com is a full time website developer) and we can set you up with a website that is a perfect fit for you. Whether you want a basic information site or a fully developed e-commerce site we can help and best of all we won't break your budget.
  

So that is what is coming. If you have any suggestions on what you would like to see on the site be sure to let us know. After all this is a community site. It is all about you...........

Have a great day and enjoy that bbq............. eric