Tag Archive: Maryland

  1. Interstate BBQ Festival – Hagerstown, MD

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    By Howard Poole, MABA Board member and pitmaster of Plum Crazy BBQ.

    Becoming one of the Premiere Events in the Mid-Atlantic Region, The Interstate BBQ Festival, hosted by Rob Immer, draws teams from up and down the coast to compete not only for the Grand Championship, but for the Maryland teams to compete for the MABA Maryland State Championship. The Interstate Festival typically draws 60 or more Professional teams, as well as one of the largest backyard competitions in the area. Along with the KCBS Main event, competitors also have the option of competing in ancillary categories on Friday evening. These categories include: Steak, Burgers, Dessert, Wings, and a Kids Que.

    Friday night was definitely a “high-flying” time for teams. During turn-ins, and Steak result announcements, teams dealt with wind, rain, and even tornadoes (Seriously! You can find the videos on the weather channel). Even with all of this rough weather, teams still turned in some great entries, and some fantastic steaks!! Congratulations to Piggin Whiskey on their Steak Championship!

    The Friday night weather led to some fantastic weather on Saturday. With the sun shining, and a slight breeze in the air, teams finally had a chance to dry off, safely visit with others, and focus on the big meats!! Teams turned in some great boxes, and the results showed.

    Congratulation to Uncle Pigs Barbeque Pit for winning Grand Championship, to Drilling and Grilling for Reserve Grand Championship, and to 3 Eyz BBQ for winning The Maryland State MABA Championship.

    For Full KCBS Results, Click Here.

  2. Interstate BBQ Festival Hagerstown, Maryland April 20-21, 2018

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    By Mark Gibbs, Pitmaster of Checkered Flag 500 BBQ

    The 3rd year of what has become one of the best competitions on the Mid-Atlantic BBQ circuit is in the books.  The Interstate BBQ Festival at the Washington County Agricultural Center in Hagerstown, Maryland stacked up 67 tough teams to compete in the last throws of winter weather.  The facilities are top notch for the cook teams.  Rob Immer and his staff know how to throw a BBQ party for sure.

    The weekend started off on Friday with a couple of ancillary competitions and a Kids Que.  In the burger category, Dustin Reed and his sous chef Clint from The Inked Pig BBQ brought home top honors.  In the dessert category a last-minute decision to enter by 50 Shades of Pork paid off with a 1st Place win.  In the Kids Que, tacos were the dish of choice and Brother-Uncle Barbeque’s youngest member put together a mouthwatering dish that brought home a nice GC!

    Todd and Donna Spickler of Bone to Bark BBQ hosted a pot luck chicken dinner for all of the teams on Friday night.  It was great to see our MidAtlantic friends back on the BBQ circuit after some back problems kept Todd from the tour for much of 2017.  Welcome back B2B!

    The results of the Pro BBQ competition started off with the triumphant return of Bone to Bark BBQ and a win in the chicken category.  Ribs saw a familiar face at the top of the list with Richmond, VA’s Wolf’s Revenge and Chiles Cridlin taking home 1st place.  3 Eyz BBQ out of Owings Mills, MD took home the big trophy in Pork and Piggin’ Whiskey BBQ Team racked up the win in Brisket.

    The top 10 in each category was separated by 6 points or less except chicken.  Everyone was guessing who was going to take home the big prize, but it was a tough one to figure out for sure.  Smokestack Redemption hailing from Phoenixville, Pennsylvania got the big call for Grand Champion.  They had a great cook and put together a 14th place chicken, 5th in Ribs, 12th in Pork and 7th in Brisket for the win.  Shortsville Smokers with Rikk Foringer put together a great effort to take home the RGC as well.  This year Interstate hosted the MABA Maryland State Cup for the first time.  Dan Hixon and 3 Eyz BBQ brought home the top Maryland honors with a 4th Place finish overall.

    If you have not done this contest as a cook, judge or BBQ fan, you need to add it to your list of contests in 2019.  This one is quickly becoming one of the top early contests in the nation!

    For Full KCBS results, click here.

  3. Interstate BBQ Festival Hagerstown, MD

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    by Mark Gibbs, Pitmaster of The Checkered Flag 500 BBQ

    The second annual Interstate BBQ Festival is in the books for 2017.  This competition has quickly become one of the “must-do” contests on the Mid-Atlantic schedule.  In two short years, Rob Immer and his team have put together a well-organized, top flight contest that hosted 57 teams and Chamber of Commerce weather all weekend!

    The contest hosted Dessert, Burger, Kid’s Que and People’s Choice categories as well this year.  Dessert and Kid’s Que was brought home by We Rib U Long Time.  Top scoring Burgers by Brother-Uncle BBQ and People’s Choice was brought home by the Sauce This!  BBQ team.  I am sure they put some addictive chemical in their people’s choice because they have people drooling every week!

    Perhaps the most impressive presentation of the weekend was the MABA good luck shot hosted by Life is Good But BBQ is Better.  Or more accurately, the good luck shot, bloody Mary bar, and food spread. Many folks pitched in and Don and Sandy Wallace played host to what will be hard to beat for future good luck shot hosts…but they’re sure encouraged to try!  Check out videos here of the spread and actual toast given by LIGBBIB pitmaster Don Wallace!

    This contest included a lot of vendors, bands and activities for everyone.  Good Smoke BBQ from New York brought home KCBS Grand Championship.  MABA’s own Drilling and Grilling from Glen Rock, PA brought home the Reserve Grand Championship.  They are on a nice little roll here in the beginning of the season.  Keep it up guys!

    The Chicken category was won by 2 Rhodies BBQ and 2nd was Rhode Hog BBQ (I see a pattern here).  Rib honors were brought home by Piggin’ Whiskey BBQ.  These guys are starting to hit their stride in competition BBQ.  Remember that team name folks!   Drilling and Grilling brought home 1st Place honors in Pork and Bill Gillespie’s Smokin Hoggz MA brought home the big Brisket plank!  Great job to all of the teams that were called and we hope to be back for year three of this great event!

    Individual meat winners:

    Chicken – 2 Rhodies BBQ
    Ribs – Piggin’ Whiskey
    Pork –Drilling & Grilling
    Brisket – Smokin Hoggz BBQ – MA

    Congrats to Good Smoke BBQ for winning grand champion!

    Grand Champion – Good Smoke BBQ
    Reserve – Drilling & Grilling

    Full results can be found here.

  4. The Great Brunswick BBQ Throwdown Brunswick, MD

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    by Mark Gibbs, Pitmaster of The Checkered Flag 500 BBQ

    The 2017 Mid Atlantic BBQ region kicked off in cold style in Brunswick, Maryland with the first annual Great Brunswick Throwdown.  Beth Johnson and her team did a great job under some tough conditions to make this first year event a good one.  There were a few logistical hiccups, which we find at most first year contests, but Beth was there to do her best to make us all comfortable!  The small town of Brunswick was very welcoming to teams and we all did our part to help add to the local economy too.  A couple of the local eateries were pretty packed when we visited them!

    The weather was the story of the weekend.  The high for the event may have been in the upper 30’s.  I know that the thermometer on the big blue trailer was reading about 17 degrees at 2:30am on Saturday.  Despite the chill in the air, the smokers were rolling and the 50 teams all were able to get turn in’s done and on time!  Well done teams!

    It was great catching up with old friends and meeting some new friends this weekend.  The social scene was a little off because of the cold weather, but everyone seemed happy to be back out on the BBQ trail again in 2017.  I know that the consensus among the teams that I spoke to was a resounding yes to a 2nd Annual Throwdown in 2018!

    Congrats to Luke and Kim Darnell from Old Virginia Smoke on the Grand Championship and to Chiles Cridlin and the Wolf’s Revenge team on the Reserve Grand!   OVS took home top Chicken honors with a 180 score, Beer Meets Grill brought home the big Ribs trophy, Wolf’s Revenge tore up pork with a perfect 180 and Lo’ & Slo’ won the Brisket category.  A shout out goes to all of the teams that were called and we are looking forward to Urbanna, Virginia and BBQ Gives Back for the next stop on the Mid-Atlantic BBQ Association schedule!

    First place winners:
    Chicken – Old Virginia Smoke (perfect 180!)
    Ribs –Beer Meets Grill
    Pork –Wolf’s Revenge (perfect 180!)
    Brisket –Lo ‘N’ Slo BBQ


    Grand Champion –Old Virginia Smoke
    Reserve Grand Champion –Wolf’s Revenge

    Check out the full competition results here.

     

  5. Rockin’ Robyn’s BBQ Claims Their First Grand Championship in Hagerstown, MD

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    Picture of Rockin' Robyn's BBQ with all the hardware.
    Team Rockin’ Robyn’s BBQ: Rolfe, Robyn, and Rodney Garrett

    In only its second year, the Interstate Barbecue Festival in Hagerstown, Maryland hosted 41 strong Mid-Atlantic teams, many of which were starting the year and chomping at the bit for a good showing. Rockin’ Robyn’s BBQ from Forrest Hill, Maryland has been on the cusp of hitting the big one with a strong year in 2015. Well, this was the weekend they put it all together and hit the big one…Grand Champions! Hear all about that great day and more…including their plans for the rest of the year, what makes them such a great team, and their advice to other teams on attaining their first GC and how to get over the hump. Just click the video below!

    Screen shot of video image
    Click image to play video