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“Barbecue may not be the road to world peace, but it’s a start.” Anthony Bourdain
Raindrops and smoke swirls greet ticket holders, bundled against the chilly March day and bearing umbrellas to shield them from the rain, as they make their way up the hill to the entry gate. An aromatic cloud of sweet mesquite smoke hovers overhead as the gate keeper collects their tickets, smiles and says, “Welcome to BBQ Austin! We’re cooking up something special just for you.” Her sunny smile and sincere words hold the promise that, even though the constant showers of the last two days have soaked the ground, it hasn’t dampened the spirits of the event staff or the cook-off teams and attendees can rest assured that they will leave the event well-fed and entertained.
Bundled and umbrella-covered ticketholders approach the gate entrance.
That spirit of fun, come rain or come shine, along with the quality and quantity of the food, beverages and entertainment, far outweigh the cost of parking and admission and the discomfort of braving the cold and rain just to attend the event. Then there’s the warm, fuzzy, it’s-for-a-good cause feeling that comes from knowing that the event is a fundraiser for the Rodeo Austin Scholarship Fund benefitting Texas students from all walks of life attending state colleges and universities.
BBQ Austin is an annual two-day barbecue cook-off with teams competing for the title of Texas State Champion. The event is produced by, and held in conjunction with, Rodeo Austin and takes place at the Travis County Exposition Center. During the cook-off, BBQ teams barbecue on-site and then deliver boxed entries of their masterpieces smokin’ hot right off the pit for judging in various categories, such as chicken or ribs. The teams not only prepare entries of their best ‘cue for the judges, but they also cook enough food for event goers to sample a taste of the best barbecue in the state of Texas. That’s a lot of barbecuing!
Smokey ribs, just off the grill, are being prepared for the ribs judging.
Smoke rises above chicken grilling on a well-seasoned, black iron pit.
A medley of meat and veggies sizzle on a small, round black pit.
BBQ competitors, waiting their turn to present their boxed entries to the judges, share an umbrella in the line outside the judging tent.
Here’s how it works: Each team sets up their own BBQ cooking and serving area. A team’s setup can be as simple as a pit next to folding tables and chairs or a small tent with a prep table around which tasters serve themselves and stand to eat. Or, it can be as elaborate as a circus-sized tent filled with red and white gingham-covered dining tables and folding chairs placed next to buffet serving lines manned by smiling volunteer servers. Some teams cook and serve directly from their customized covered trailers with pop-up sides and serving counters.
Even simple setups can produce champion-caliber barbecue.
Pit crew team members tend smoke-infused chicken.
A swank, Texas orange-colored, covered trailer with pop-up sides, on-board cooking area and counters for serving.
A banquet table covered with a red-and-white gingham tablecloth and decorated with candles and lanterns.
Hungry tasters line up to be served pit BBQ with all the fixin’s.
Diners chat as they enjoy barbecue and traditional sides.
Tasters, the ticket holders, stroll the grounds grazing on samples of the teams’ BBQ. Portion sizes vary among the teams. Some teams offer full plates loaded with a variety of meats, such as chicken, pork tenderloin, beef brisket, and ribs served with potato salad, beans, and bread with beer, soft drinks or water. Other teams serve tapas-sized plates with one meat and one side and a cup of water from a cooler. Regardless of the portion sizes each team serves, with 100 teams participating in the event, BBQ connoisseurs would be hard-pressed to leave without loosening their belt a notch or two.
A bowl of sausage, brisket and beans with jalapeños on the side.
A plate of barbeque brisket, ribs, sausage and chicken with sauce and potato salad.
It wouldn’t be a Texas barbecue without singing and dancing and some teams provide bands at their team area for guests to enjoy along with the smoky morsels of meat, traditional sides and cold, canned brew being served. The team-provided music is in addition to the scheduled musical performers playing on the event main stage.
A musician performs at a team area.
Electric Inferno, a trio of young musicians, performs on the main stage at BBQ Austin.
Rodeo Austin swag koozies.
Some teams even give out swag, like koozie’s and drinking bottles.
But here’s the best part. After paying the admission fee to the event, attendees are not charged any additional money for food or beverages regardless of how many of the competing teams they visit.
Rain droplets pepper the “Free BBQ sign” at one of the tasting stations.
Buckets are, however, placed at the bar/beverage counter and food serving lines for donations which are both encouraged and appreciated.
A bucket at the bar for donations to the Rodeo Austin Scholarship Fund.
In addition to championship barbecue and live music at the event, there is also a carnival located between the barbeque team area and the rodeo arena. Ride tickets are available for additional purchase at the midway ticket barn.
The ferris wheel of the Rodeo Austin midway towers over the ticket booth barn.
Good To Know Before You Go
- Bring folding money for donations to the scholarship buckets. The teams put in a lot of time and effort for the benefit of the Rodeo Austin Scholarship Fund and there’s no better way to show your appreciation to each team you visit than by supporting the cause.
- ATMs and cashiers are available on the grounds.
- The Rodeo Austin website lists the carnival as being open both days of the event but it was closed the day of this visit due to weather conditions.
- Notice the team signs which reflect their pride, character, and sometimes, a dash of humor.
- You will leave BBQ Austin smelling like smoke and the scent may linger on non-washable items, like wallets and cameras, for a few days after the event.
Contact: Rodeo Austin, 9100 Decker Lake Rd., Austin, Texas 78724, 512-919-3000, www.rodeoaustin.com. Travis County Expo Center, 7311 Decker Lane, Austin, Texas 78724.
Este signo es de fuego! (This sign is on fire!)
See more event photos at the BBQ Austin Photo Gallery. Turn on the captions to get the full story. Learn how at the Photo Galleries Guide.
