This Week In Barbecue

This episode features Tiffani Perry discussing the upcoming Memphis in May barbecue event, highlighting new competitions, activities, and tips for attendees. It offers a comprehensive preview of the event's highlights, including the OpenFire World Championship, youth contests, international participation, and exclusive experiences.

We break down the full experience: over 200 teams coming into Memphis May 13–16, the VIP “red carpet” option, Kingsford Tour of Champions ticket rules, sauce wrestling, the Junior World Championship contest, Ireland as the honored country, and a multi-day scavenger hunt with prizes like grills, high-end gear, and more.

In this episode of This Week in Barbecue, Rasheed Philips and the crew break down the week in barbecue culture, food media, and the business side of what we all eat. We start with a wild Atlanta story, then get into cookbook season and the real question: do you actually have to cook to put your name on a cookbook?
From there, we unpack the changing economics of food, including “deal” meals that explode in price once delivery fees and marketplace fees hit, plus where services like DoorDash and Goldbelly fit into the conversation. We also talk Food Network’s latest barbecue news, brand optics, Traeger’s new Westwood series and “set it and forget it” tech, and the headline nobody saw coming: a three-year barbecue university program in China.

Hill City Chop House earned real recognition in Texas barbecue, but Dustin Martin made a decision most people fear: he closed the brick-and-mortar and went back to the trailer, catering, and private events. In this episode, we talk about why the economics of barbecue can make four walls feel like a trap, how a house fire pushed him into the restaurant lane in the first place, what the Texas Monthly list does and doesn’t change, and why success sometimes looks like sitting on the porch with your kids instead of chasing a dining room you can’t forecast.

"My advice: just do it. Make the jump." - Dustin Martin

This week’s episode runs through everything from National Tater Day facts to real restaurant industry news, including Sysco acquiring Restaurant Depot and why that should matter to every small operator. Then the episode turns into an Atlanta barbecue conversation about community, decorum, and what happens when a new player shows up throwing shade at the pioneers who built the brisket market in the first place.

Join us as Andy Eldridge from the Fort Worth Stock Show Syndicate discusses the upcoming Syndicate Smoke Down 2026, a celebration of barbecue, music, and Texas heritage that supports youth in agriculture through scholarships and community programs.
If you care about barbecue culture, food community, and events built around purpose, subscribe and watch the full episode. Drop a comment with your festival strategy and whether you’re team Barbecue Time, competition walk-through, or both.