2024 LINEUP BELOW
Tim Scheer
Blues Hog Barbecue
Washington, MO
From start to finish, Tim has engineered his own barbecue process. The pitmaster of the successful competition BBQ team Shake and Bake, the owner of Blues Hog Barbecue, and the inventor of the Gateway Drum Smoker. He knows what it takes to make next-level barbecue!
Mike Johnson
Sugarfire Smokehouse
St. Louis, MO
This power couple has the talent and insight you would expect from two classically trained chefs who saw the light and embraced the unique challenges of achieving smoked excellence. They combine the hallowed traditions of BBQ along with their one-of-a-kind spin on the craft.
David Hawthorne & Eric Hansen
Not Just Q
Dallas, TX
Chef Eric, founder of Not Just Q and David, 9-year NFL Veteran, teamed up in 2016 to create the #1 rated BBQ Food Truck in Dallas-Fort Worth. Since then they’ve been named the best BBQ food truck by the Dallas Observer, and are currently the highest rated BBQ restaurant in Dallas according to Yelp.
They’ve had the privelage of serving NFL and NCAA National Championship teams, along with Grammy award-winning recording artists. Best known for their Texas Craft BBQ and scratch-made sides, it’s Eric’s creativity and culinary flair that helped them land on the name Not Just Q.
David
Sandusky
Beast Craft BBQ
Belleville, IL
In 2007, pitmaster David Sandusky moved into BBQ after working in fine dining. He arrived on the St. Louis BBQ scene in 2014, creating BEAST Craft BBQ Co., BEAST Butcher & Block, and BEAST Southern Kitchen BBQ. Sandusky and BEAST have earned a truckload of accolades, including FEAST Magazine's Chef of the Year and Best BBQ in Illinois.
Menu Items:
St. Louis Spare Ribs, Pork steak, Home made sausage and Brussels Sprouts
John Matthews & Brian Scoggins
Pappy’s Smokehouse
St. Louis, MO
With the wild success of Pappy’s Smokehouse, co-founders, Mike and John, have become the unofficial faces of the BBQ renaissance in St. Louis. These two are well-known by BBQ lovers for a few creations including their glazed, Memphis-inspired ribs.
Menu Items:
St. Louis Style Ribs, Sliced Turkey and Baked Beans
John David Wheeler
Memphis Barbecue Company
Horn Lake, MS
The head pitmaster for the much-decorated and widely respected Natural Born Grillers competition team and a partner/pitmaster at the Memphis Barbecue Company, John is one of the most awarded pitmasters in the world. He makes one righteous rack of ribs, and he has the trophies to prove it.
Menu Items:
St. Louis Spare Ribs and Baked Beans
Chris Stuewe
Arthur Bryant’s
Kansas City, MO
Charlie Bryant started the Kansas City barbecue tradition, or some say it was Henry Perry for whom Charlie worked. Arthur visited his brother Charlie in Kansas City and never left. Upon his brother's death, Arthur took over the operation and moved the restaurant to where it stands today at 18th & Brooklyn. At the time, that was just four blocks away from Municipal Stadium, home of the Kansas City Blues and then the Kansas City Athletics. It was also the first home to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Joey Machado
Texas Original
Seguin, Texas
Over 20 years in BBQ Industry, currently owner of Texas Original and Texas Original Brands. Specialized in Central Texas Style BBQ with a Latin Twist and live fire cooking. As a competitive cook for the last several decades and still today, understands the industry from the inside out. Over the years has been responsible for the growth and success for many major brands and now manufacturers for or consulting for many in the segment. High quality products for exclusive markets is his focus in current lines.
Rick Hewatt
3 Taxi Guys
Atlanta, GA
The 3 Taxi Guys and their pitmaster, Hewatt, affectionately known as “Ricky Bobby” have been competing at Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue cooking contest, for the past four years. Their results are impressive, finishes in the top-10 every year. They include a ninth in 2015, a second place in 2016, sixth in 2017 and now third in 2018.
Hewatt says that he and his team are no strangers to competing on the big stage. They have won and places in numerous competitions around Georgia and the South.