After the post I wrote yesterday, I’m sure some of you are thinking, “I don’t know anyone on a team at BBQ Fest next week. Will I still have fun? Is it worth going?” Today I’ll share a tip with you on how to meet teams, get fed, and learn about BBQ Fest from the people competing in it.
Say, for example, that you come to my booth around 8:15 PM on Thursday or Friday night. The music is blaring. The booth is packed. Off-duty MPD is at the door. There are people everywhere. If you come up and ask if you can come in, the answer will likely be, not a chance. Let me make it clear, we don’t want to say no. We just have so much going on that we’re trying to control the chaos.
Now instead, let’s say that you take a half-day off the Thursday or Friday of BBQ Fest and come to the park. For one thing, it’ll save you money. Admission is free at lunchtime (11 AM to 1 PM I believe) Thursday and Friday. And guess what, when 1 PM hits, you don’t have to leave. You’re already in the park. No one knows you didn’t buy a ticket.
So, let’s say it’s about 1:30 Friday afternoon. I’m standing outside the Moody Ques booth, and there are two other people outside with me and maybe four teammates inside along with the cook team. The place is empty and it is five and a half hours before MPD arrives to work the door. Let’s say I see you looking at the facade, and peering in the front door of my booth to see what goes on inside.
Most likely I am going to say, “Would you like a tour?” I’d walk you around the booth, explaining how the Ques Brothers formed 11 years ago and eventually morphed into the Moody Ques. I’d take you to the back – not the kitchen itself, that’s exclusively for the cooks – but I’d get as close as I could and let you see the equipment. Perhaps one of our cooks would have time to talk to you a bit about BBQ preparation. I’d take you upstairs and show you the second-story river view. Then as we came back downstairs, I’d say, “Hey, we just brought some brisket off the smoker. Would you like to try some? And there’s a keg over there, pour yourself a beer if you want. Do you want to meet a second team? There’s a team just a few steps down the walk called Squeal Street that are good friends of ours. Would you like me to take you over and introduce you?”
Thursday and Friday before about 6 PM are the best times to approach BBQ teams you don’t know. I can’t promise all of them will respond the way I said above, but I think at least some of them would. Is Thursday or Friday better? Hmmm, I’d tend to lean toward Friday. On Thursday, some of the teams have “sponsor day,” where team members wait on their sponsors, and guests are not allowed. My team doesn’t have a sponsor day, so in our case it doesn’t matter.
If evening is the only time that works for you, I would advise coming Wednesday. It is the first year BBQ Fest will be open to the public on a Wednesday night. There will be fewer people and everyone will be in upbeat spirits.
If Saturday is the only day you can come, come in the south gate (Georgia Avenue entrance) between noon and 5 and approach the teams whose number begins with “S-“. Those are the shoulder teams, who are the first to be visited by the judges. The judges will be gone by noon and then the teams have the afternoon to kick back and relax. Hog and rib teams have judging later in the day Saturday which is why I recommend visiting the shoulder teams.
Hope that helps those of you who are new to Memphis or to BBQ Fest. If you’re a bit outgoing and you know when to go, you have the best chance of getting the insider’s experience without knowing a team.