I don't normally leave my house if its raining or too hot outside, but on Saturday I made a big exception. Although temps were in the 100's, I trekked over to Wasserhund Brewing Company in Virginia Beach for the 1st (and hopefully annual) BBQ Wars competition put on by Southern Grit Magazine.
4 Chefs from Restaurants and Food Trucks around Hampton Roads came together and presented a plate of their best BBQ, while the general public voted for who they thought was the best. In no particular one, the competitors were:
Jon Wade of Two Drummers Smokehouse (Toano)
Bob Roberts of Redwood Smoke Shack (Food Truck)
Al Devane of Carolina Son BBQ (Virginia Beach)
Forrest Warren of Smoke BBQ Restaurant and Bar (Newport News)
Brisket, Chicken, and Ribs, the amount of food was endless and the meat sweats were real. After the 2nd plate of food I wondered if I would be able to continue on, but knowing that every votes counts I was determined to finish them. A few of my personal (non BBQ) favorites from every competitor were:
Meatloaf from Carolina Son
Collard Greens from Two Dummers
Chow Chow from Smoke BBQ
Street Corn with Alabama White Sauce from Redwood Smoke Shack
Ultimately, the Winner of the Judges Vote went to Forrest Warren of Smoke BBQ, and the People's Choice Award went to Bob Roberts of Redwood Smoke Shack. If you were unable to attend the event I am sorry for your loss, there is always next year. But, I also suggest cancelling your dinner plans this week, jumping in your car, and paying each of these guys a visit...I promise you it will be worth it.
