The Low & Slow Barbecue Show

Barbecue Reimagined brings Pinehurst Barbecue Festival an alternative taste of traditional ingredients and cooking methods from North Carolina’s top chefs. Chad Blackwelder from N.C Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services shares an inside look at the event’s roots and what barbecue enthusiasts can expect when the visit BHAWK Distillery. Find out what’s on the Barbecue Reimagined menu and how it spotlights the Got to Be NC progra...

Catch up with Southern Smoke BBQ Pitmaster Matthew Register during a busy barbecue festival season to find out coming soon for his business and the “Garland Metroplex” in Eastern North Carolina. Find out how Southern Smoke is combining barbecue with high school football to turn attention to a critical role player for Friday Night Football in the fall. Is there another cookbook coming? Chef Coach Daddy Matt talks about the how-to re...

If you’re heading to the Pinehurst Barbecue Festival, get ready to experience why Master Blend Family Farms is one of the most talked‑about names in North Carolina barbecue. Pitmaster and president Ronald “Mr. 365” Simmons returns to The Low & Slow Barbecue Show to talk about how his business is evolving into weekly food truck operations. Revisit the roots of Master Blend Family Farms and find out how the company is supplying t...

Old Colony Smokehouse Pitmaster Adam Hughes reveals the barbecue experience at his Edenton, NC, business. Find out how he evolved from barbecue competitions to the restaurant business, and how his current menu items compare with the world championship barbecue bites he produced for judges. Learn about the Old Colony Smokehouse sauces and what differentiates Old Colony Smokehouse from other Carolina barbecue options. Adam Hughes sha...

Christopher Prieto shares the latest news from Prime STQ, his new steak and barbecue concept slated to launch by early 2026. Find out about his plans for the menu, the progress on the project at Boxyard RTP, and what will differentiate Prime STQ from his other ventures. Listen to this episode of The Low & Slow Barbecue Show, and you’ll also hear Christopher Prieto describe the experience at Prime Barbecue and the roots behind h...

Pinehurst Barbecue Festival 2025 features 3 days of events and the Christopher Prieto Pitmaster Invitational and has quickly become one of the Carolinas’ premier barbecue events. Andrew Stilwell gives us a behind-the-scenes look at this year’s barbecue festival event Aug. 29-31, the participating pitmasters, the diverse menus of food options, and a chance to win a lifetime ticket to the festival. Get the history of the festival, ho...

Dampf Good BBQ Founder Nick Dampf went from being a brisket first-timer with a backyard smoker to North Carolina’s best brisket bite according to Texas Monthly. He shares the Dampf Good BBQ story and his tips to help you cook the best brisket in your own backyard. Don’t miss the news from Dampf Good BBQ about an expansion in the business (and the Dampf family). Listen to this episode of The Low and Slow Barbecue Show and get the sc...

Golden Rule BBQ is America’s oldest, longest-running barbecue restaurant with a history dating back to 1891. In this episode of The Low & Slow Barbecue Show we learn the story of Golden Rule and its 135-year-old tradition of pork barbecue sandwiches. Golden Rule’s Daniel Harp takes us through the bankruptcy that nearly ended the storied barbecue business, how new owners rescued the famous brand, and what is on the horizon for t...

What are the four main styles of barbecue? Food writer Andre James shares his Mount Rushmore of BBQ, as well as his favorite stops for barbecue in Chattanooga, Myrtle Beach, and his hometown of Southport, N.C. Find out how Andre James turned time spent in the food and beverage industry into a career in food journalism and how his adventure has combined travel with journalism to highlight the best bites around the South. Read more o...

Barbecue news updates around the Carolinas in Summer 2025 include updates on a James Beard Award Finalist, 2025 North Carolina BBQ Hall of Fame Inductees, Operation BBQ Relief Volunteer Awards, State Whole Hog Championships, and the South Carolina Connection to SmokeSlam 2025. Listen to this episode for the Summer 2025 barbecue news recap from The Lowdown, our weekly barbecue newsletter. You’ll find out about upcoming barbecue even...

N.C. Whole Hog State Champion Kevin Peterson joins the Low & Slow Barbecue Show to reveal tips for preparing the best whole hog barbecue. The pitmaster behind Showtime’s Legit BBQ details his whole hog process from start to finish and shares insights into his husband-and-wife barbecue team. Get the backstory on Showtime’s Legit BBQ and its success and find out how Kevin Peterson started smoking barbecue low and slow in Eastern ...

Carolina BBQ Festival 2026 marks its fifth anniversary, and organizers from Sweet Lew’s BBQ and Let’s Meet CLT reveal what’s working, what’s not, and what folks can expect for April 17-18, 2026. Find out how festival events throughout the year are bringing a greater spotlight to Charlotte, the Carolina barbecue scene, and small businesses throughout the region. Lewis “Sweet Lew” Donald and Erin Hunter from Let’s Meet CLT talk about...

Rusty’s Bar-B-Q Founder Rusty Tucker opens the doors of his Alabama barbecue restaurant and shares the story of his smoked meat upbringing. Find out the important role family traditions play in his career, from childhood pitmaster to formal culinary training. Learn which Rusty’s Bar-B-Q sauces and menu items are the most popular and how an untraditional order is a measuring stick for the best Alabama barbecue joints. Who’s spending...

Bubbles & Brisket’s Max Trujillo shares the roots of the annual North Carolina food and beverage event and the NC F&B Podcast. Get the festival details about North Carolina pitmasters and North Carolina beverage producers and hear why bubbles and brisket go so well together. Find out how industry experience led Max to launch other media platforms. Don’t miss Max Trujillo’s perspective on the best North Carolina city for foo...

Alabama Barbecue Chase Founder Ricky Harmon shares the story of his campaign to celebrate barbecue across the state of Alabama. Find out his favorite stops among the 75+ he’s visited. What Alabama city has the best barbecue? Alabama’s Barbecue Chaser shares his answer and explains his approach for restaurant reviews – and where he awards bonus points. If you are planning a trip to Sweet Home Alabama, here’s your guide!

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Wright’s BBQ Founder Jordan Wright shares his Arkansas barbecue journey that has grown from 1 food truck to 4 locations across northwest Arkansas, Little Rock, and University of Arkansas sports venues. Find out how Wright’s Barbecue got started, how COVID boosted his business, and what lies on the horizon. Jordan Wright also reveals the Wright’s BBQ style, what people will experience in the restaurants, and what keeps his fire burn...

Spring Break spurs a road trip to Chigger’s native homeland and a bunch of Alabama barbecue stops along the way. Get the scoop on Byron’s Smokehouse, Hook’s BBQ in Andalusia, Miss Myra’s in Cahaba Heights, and Rusty’s Bar-B-Q in Leeds. There’s also stops at Buc-ees, Big Bad Breakfast, and Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum. Get the barbecue reviews and analysis about these popular Alabama barbecue stops, as well as a resource for yo...

Goat Fest Founder Jason Knapp reveals how he became the Kitchen Goat and why he launched his own charitable culinary events through Kitchen Goat Feeds. Blue Suede BBQ’s founder and pitmaster joins talks about his People’s Choice Award during the 2024 Goat Fest BBQ contest and chili cook-off. He also shares an update on how the Blue Suede BBQ business is expanding into competition, catering, and food truck operations. Listen to this...

Pork in the Park Festival pitmasters and competitors descend on Newberry, S.C. on April 25-26, for food, live music, and free fun for the entire family. The Low & Slow Barbecue Show explores the 10-year-old festival with organizer Devan Moore, who shares details about the free Friday night concert, barbecue & beverages for public consumption, and a day of competition sanctioned by Southern Barbecue Network.  Tune in to hear...