Hickory and meat.

I knew these smells were going to be prevalent during my visit to the Q BBQ Fest in Denver on August 23rd. What I didn’t anticipate was that it would hit me a good half-mile away from the event.

Suddenly, I found myself floating closer to the source—the downtown Civic Center park—like a cartoon dog from an old Looney Tunes reel. Once the invisible tractor beam pulled me into the park, I felt like a wild-eyed kid on Christmas morning. Except, instead of being greeted by a tree surrounded by presents, I was welcomed with something much better: meatopia.

 

The Event—

Because the Q BBQ Fest has been held for many years in both Denver and other major cities across America (i.e. Kansas City, St. Louis, and Dallas to name a few), it has become a destination event for Q-heads. Not only has this allowed for the organizers to get big names like Tyler Florence of The Food Network to give a presentation, but it has also established a level of prestige to befall the pitmasters who are there.

Even more than that, this level of exposure has allowed them to put together an amazing, well-oiled event overall.

Once you got past the different advertiser tents (like State Farm) that were immediately beyond the entrance gates, various signs with arrows pointing you in the direction of where the “meat sweats” could be found began to appear. As I followed their directions, I was greeted by two major walkways with close to a dozen BBQ restaurant tents lining the perimeter of the grass, split in the middle by a large VIP area.

One of the things that impressed me with the setup was the fact that every 20 feet or so in each of the walkways, you could find kitchen islands that had squeeze bottles of various flavored sauces provided by Blues Hog BBQ Sauces and numerous napkin dispensers.

Another notable touch to the environment was found in the VIP area. The area sectioned off for these ‘cue fans was filled with red cushioned couches that encircled large tables that were accentuated with a bar at each end of the enclosure. This combination provided for a more relaxed, personable experience. When you add in the fact that the food and drinks (including alcohol) were “all you can consume,” those who spent the extra funds definitely got their money’s worth.

At the back of the fest was a giant demonstration stage sponsored by Weber Grills. To drive this point home, at the top of the lighting/camera rig directly above the demo area was a giant Weber charcoal grill cover that would emit smoke on occasion. Immediately flanking the stage on both sides were giant video screens that projected what the pitmaster was preparing.

These demos are almost non-stop. Throughout the entire event, a pitmaster from every restaurant participating in the festival would hit the stage at some point to show how they make their delicacies. In fact, the only time they stopped the demonstrations while I was there happened during the “Wing Wars” smoked wing eating contest.

As the sun was setting and dark clouds began rolling in, both walkways became complete ghost towns once the 10 competitors hit the stage. From competitors hailing from our backyard of Colorado to some coming from places as far away as New York and China, each were given five minutes to eat a four-pound tray of wings provided by GQue BBQ. The winner would receive two VIP passes to next year’s Q BBQ Fest, a t-shirt, and a trophy while the losers would get their faces plastered with a plateful of banana pudding provided by Seasoned Swine.

Counting from 10 down to one, each face-smash of pudding worked up the crowd just that much more until it was revealed that hometown hero Brian from Aurora won by downing two pounds of wings.

Though the contest was an overall success, the table holding the wing trays was set at ground level with no video coverage. Unfortunately, this meant that for many watching the competition, unless you were directly over the competitors, you couldn’t see much.

Though a part of me felt like I could have won the competition, I knew that Wing Wars was never going to happen; I already had a night of serious eating ahead…

 

The Food/Top 5 Dishes—

Yes, the Q BBQ Fest had all the barbecue staples one could imagine. However, as you’ll see from the list below, diversity was the name of the game this year. From cultural spins on classic dishes to completely unique cuts of meat being utilized with excitingly different flavor profiles, there were no shortages when it came to options.

 

  1. Encarnacion Cherry Smoked Pork Belly Taco (Adobo; Denver, CO; Pitmaster Blaine Baggao)

This is easily a taco I will remember for the rest of my life. With the pork belly having been barbecued low and slow for many hours before having the exterior crisped up allowed for incredible textural contrast. When you take a bite, immediately after getting through the corn tortilla, you’re given a slight crunch before the belly completely melts in your mouth. With avocado and cotija cheese being the main toppings—with the only balance coming in the form of a bit of cilantro—these tacos are especially rich. Also, kudos to Adobo for making these to order. Yes, you had to wait an extra minute or two, but having them served hot was much appreciated. This is definitely a spot I will be visiting soon.

 

  1. Holy Hominy (Not Just Q; Dallas, TX; Pitmaster Eric Hansen & David Hawthorne)

While putting my notes together, there was a period of time when this dish took the top spot. Though equal with the pork belly tacos in terms of overall flavor blast, there’s no way my carnivore heart would allow for a side dish to dethrone a deliciously smoked meat. With that said, pitmasters Eric Hansen and David Hawthorne’s combination of a pho-style broth with posole ingredients is nothing short of perfection; and no, I’m not being hyperbolic.

At first glance, this dish is deceptive to the core. The hominy, pork, and broth appearance leads you to believe that you’re getting a run-of-the-mill posole. Then, as soon as it hits your tongue, you realize that you’re dealing with a completely different beast.

Incredibly rich pork bone broth that tastes like it’s been simmering for days starts a wave of flavor whose depth is unparalleled. Yes, there are traces of the traditional spices of a posole that are floating around. But, when compared to a more traditional take on the soup, they play more of a supporting role in an overall larger narrative. This pho-sole is a fusion you should never pass up if the opportunity to experience it comes your way.

Holy Hominy indeed!

 

  1. Baby Back Ribs (Pappy’s Smokehouse; St. Louis, MO; Pitmaster John Matthews & Brian Scoggins)

Though most people consider “fall-off-the-bone” ribs to be the best, this really isn’t the case. Any pitmaster who has ever won serious rib competitions will tell you that yes, the ribs should be incredibly tender; however, when you bite, you should have a little bit of chew before the meat eventually gives way. Using this criterion, the baby back ribs served by Pappy’s Smokehouse would have won that category, hands down.

Accompanying such a flawless texture was a flavor that was perfectly balanced. Between the level of the smoke ring/flavor and the balance of sweet and savory in both the sauce and seasoning, these were easily the best ribs I’ve ever eaten in my life. EVERYTHING worked in harmony with no single component overpowering another.

The only negative I have to say about these ribs is that after this festival, I’ll have to travel to St. Louis to get them. Sigh … hopefully we’ll hook up again at Q BBQ Fest Denver 2025.

 

  1. Banana Pudding (Seasoned Swine BBQ; Golden, CO; Pitmaster Jacob Viers)

If I had known how good the banana pudding from Seasoned Swine BBQ was before the wing-eating competition began, I would have entered just to lose so I could be given the punishment of a banana pudding plate in the face.

This banana pudding is entirely on a different level.

First off, calling it a “pudding” is kind of misleading. With the addition of various whipped goodies, the texture isn’t like a pudding at all, but rather a really creamy chiffon that glides across the tongue. This creaminess is offset by a crunchy vanilla component that reminds me of the burnt sugar top found on a crème brulée.

The banana aspect, though, came as advertised. I’m not sure how they did it, but they were able to retain an incredibly natural ripe banana flavor in the dessert. Many times before I’ve had banana pudding where there’s almost a plasticity to the taste from the use of fake banana extracts. Thankfully, that was nowhere to be found in this Seasoned Swine offering.

So, even if you’re like me and will ask the waitress if you can substitute your dessert course for an extra serving of meat with your dinner because you just don’t like sweets, I promise this is a dish you will love.

 

  1. Smoked Lamb with Toum (Smōk Barbecue; Denver, CO; Pitmaster Bill Espiricueta)

For whatever reason, though lamb has been something I’ve eaten since childhood, the thought of smoking it barbecue style as a cooking method has never crossed my mind. Sadly, after eating the smoked lamb served by Smōk Barbeque, I also came to another realization: I’m an idiot for having never thought about it more closely.

What Smōk offers with this dish is an utterly unique take on what smoked meat can be. Yes, there is a smoky flavor on the outside of the lamb, but both that and the flavors of the rub meld quickly and seamlessly into the familiar flavor of the meat.

The creamy, garlicky toum offset the tartness provided by the pickled onions, while both components added a delightful contrast to the sometimes gamey quality associated with lamb, providing for an excellent combination. The use of pita bread as a serving vessel not only allowed for ease of portability but also added a bit of a cultural spin to what barbecue can be as well.

It’s clear that Smōk Barbecue has a winner on their hands with this lamb dish.

 

Final Summary—

 

With the 2024 edition of the Q BBQ Fest having satisfied the masses, it seems that another checkmark will be placed in the “overwhelming success” category. Of course, when you look at everything the organizers have put together, this outcome was the only realistic one that could have occurred.

Between the scheduled events and the quality of food presented, it’s no surprise that The Q BBQ Fest has become a destination for pitmasters nationwide. Conversely, the happiness found in my tummy as I left should make it no surprise that The Q BBQ Fest is also a major destination for tummies nationwide.

(Prime Sliced Brisket/Holy Hominy—Not Just Q)

(Banana Pudding/Pulled Pork Sliders—Seasoned Swine)

(Smoked Lamb/Heirloom Tomatoes Cucumber Za’atri— Smōk BBQ)