Published September 17. 2024 11:13AM
Overcast skies did not deter competitors or visitors from the Smokeout BBQ competition at SteelStacks July 20, organized by ArtsQuest, with sponsors Cigars International, Jack Daniels and The Restaurant Store.
Visitors enjoyed barbecue and many other food choices and shopped among a dozen vendors.
Corn hole games were set up for adults and children. Long tables for dining filled out the center area. A separate ticketed tent allowed visitors access to a wider menu.
The barbecue competition featured 10 professional teams competing and seven amateur teams.
Winners of the Barbecue Competion were divided into Masters (professional) and Backyard (amateur). There was also a First Responders competition. Here is a list of the winners:
Masters (pro) competition
Grand Champion: HotMess BBQ (Mechanicsburg).
Reserve Grand Champion (2nd place overall): Menke Boys BBQ (Pasadena, Md.).
Chicken 1st place: Menke Boys BBQ.
Pork Ribs 1st place: 4 Boxers Q (Saint Clair).
Pork Shoulder 1st place: HotMess BBQ.
Brisket 1st place: Menke Boys BBQ.
Backyard (amateur) competition
Ribs 1st place: Dalton’s BBQ (Lansdale).
Chicken 1st place: Twisted Smoke (Middlesex, N.J.)
First Responders
Wing Challenge 1st place: Nancy Run Fire Company.
PRESS PHOTO BY LANI GOINSCloudy skies did not deter visitors from enjoying the food and visiting the vendors.
Bryan shops for kitchen knives, assisted by Gretchen from Cutco.
Emily and Justin and children, Kinsley and Maisie, displaying stickers they made
Sue and Jackie are served by Eileen Grimm and Tracey Jean of Grumpy’s Bar-B-Que. Grumpy’s Bar-B-Que restaurant is located at 3000 Mauch Chunk Road in Allentown.
Tom Sabia, of Hogwash Barbecue LLC, works on a rack of ribs. Hogwash is a mobile caterer.
Shari and Lorna from New Jersey enjoy lunch in the ticketed tent.
Quartez Moore and Julian Lanfranco from The Taste Smokers work the grill. Moore and his wife Veronica co-own The Tastesmokers. Their restaurant is located on East Third Street In Bethlehem.
Rick, Melissa, Lynn and Guy enjoy lunch at one of the long tables.
