This Week In Barbecue

Philips Media Network

This Week in Barbecue is a popular podcast that covers the world of barbecue and grilling. Hosted by barbecue Pitmasters Rasheed "The Gentleman Smoker" Philips and Bryan Hull, the podcast features discussions on the latest BBQ trends, recipes, and grilling techniques. Each episode also features interviews with notable barbecue Pitmasters, chefs, and other industry professionals. This Week in Barbecue is a must-listen for anyone interested in the world of barbecue and grilling.

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25 episodes
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English

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#148
Today · 1 hr 11 min
Everybody Wants to Be a Pitmaster
This week on This Week in Barbecue, Rasheed Philips and James Welch are back with hot takes, hotter news, and a full plate of barbecue business, food culture, pricing debates, and craft talk. The episode opens with Rasheed reflecting on running his first 5K, why the treadmill lies, and what the experience taught him about doing the work for real. From there, the show moves into White Chocolate Day, rising chocolate prices, brisket bandits stealing half-cooked brisket from a church charity cook in Irving, Texas, and Butler’s Barbecue pulling brisket from the menu because raw brisket costs have climbed too high. Rasheed and James also talk about creative ways to stretch brisket, including brisket ragu, the controversy around boiled ribs, what actually makes barbecue barbecue, and why the word pitmaster gets thrown around too easily. They also get into DaBaby’s No Knife Kitchen and its $45 waffle plate, Fresh Eats with a Z selling six full hotel pans for $950, catering math, portion control, and the $65 DinoRito from Bussin Q Barbecue in San Antonio. The episode closes with Carey Bringle’s reminder that barbecue is not fast food, plus a real conversation about health, mindset, checking on your people, and why the barbecue community is better with you in it. Listen now for barbecue news, restaurant insight, food culture, business lessons, and honest conversation from behind the smoke.
#147
September 15 · 1 hr 6 min
Football Trays and Fake Food Creators
This week on This Week in Barbecue, Rasheed Philips and James Welch are back with a packed episode covering football season catering, holiday barbecue packages, National Biscuits and Gravy Week, Pizza Hut nostalgia, AI food creators, restaurant pivots, and a live Oreo tasting that gets way more serious than expected. The episode opens with football season and why this is the moment for barbecue businesses, pop-ups, and caterers to start promoting game day trays, tailgate packages, holiday birds, and end-of-year catering. Rasheed and James talk about retainers, deposits, bulk pricing, forecasting product, and how to avoid coming out of pocket when booking large orders. They also get into smoked pulled pork sausage gravy, Pizza Hut’s Book It memories, Rasheed’s barbecue literacy idea called Cue It, a Girl Scout-related scam involving Two Guys One Pit Barbecue, and why SOPs matter when people pull on your heartstrings. From there, the conversation turns to AI in food content, fake creators, cloned social pages, AI-generated flyers, and the growing challenge of proving that real creators are actually real. Rasheed and James also discuss Terminus City Barbecue in Atlanta, a fine dining restaurant team pivoting into barbecue, and what that says about survival in the restaurant world. The episode closes with a hot take on criticism around the Masters of Smoke event, learning from people ahead of you, and a live tasting of deep fried Oreos, banana pudding Oreos, and chicken and waffle Oreos. Listen now for barbecue news, food culture, business lessons, creator talk, and honest conversation from behind the smoke.
#146
September 1 · 57 min
Don’t Badmouth the Smoke: UK BBQ Hate, Restaurant Closures, and Beef Concerns
The episode starts with National Eat Outside Day, a follow-up to the pineapple-on-banana-split debate, and a thank-you to listeners for helping the podcast cross 5,000 followers and reach around 30,000 monthly listens. From there, Rasheed and James react to a UK article criticizing barbecue smoke, a Char-Broil electric grill recall overseas, and Sweet Smoke Barbecue announcing that it will close at the end of the year. The conversation also covers what happens when customers show up after a restaurant has already decided to close, the emotional reality of grieving a business, America’s beef supply concerns, questions around meat quality and grading, Oreo Gate, Texas Monthly Barbecue Homecoming, the Masters of Smoke Tour, and whether a restaurant can recover from damaging online allegations.
#145
August 26 · 1 hr
America’s Beef Problem Is Getting Real
Drought, high costs, herd reductions, plant closures, and questions over meat grades could shape the next era of barbecue. In this episode, we explore the evolving landscape of barbecue and food culture, the importance of business practices, and the impact of entertainment on traditional food experiences. Our guests share insights on industry challenges, community engagement, and innovative ideas to sustain and grow barbecue businesses.
#144
August 18 · 55 min
Burnt Bean Is #1, Here's Why
In this episode, we explore the latest trends in thrifting, the impact of shrinkflation, innovative and questionable DIY cooking methods, and recent regulatory changes affecting barbecue events. Join us for hot takes, real stories, and insights into the challenges and ingenuity within the barbecue community. In this episode, we explore the cultural nuances of barbecue around the world, the importance of environment and circumstances in shaping culinary traditions, and the dedication required to achieve excellence in barbecue. Join us as we delve into global barbecue practices, innovative techniques, and the passion behind the craft.
#140
August 12 · 1 hr 2 min
Don’t Wait Until a BBQ Spot Closes to Support It - 143
In this episode, Rasheed and James discuss the challenges facing the barbecue industry, including restaurant closures, rising costs, and innovative dining concepts like nude dinners and Nitro Hog Barbecue's unique offerings. They also explore the broader implications for the future of barbecue and food entrepreneurship. In this episode, we explore the impact of economic shifts on barbecue and food industry practices, including food shorting, pricing strategies, and supporting local businesses. We also touch on social media's role in exposing unfair practices and the importance of loyalty versus return customers.
#142
August 4 · 1 hr 10 min
Bark Barbecue Has No Notes
This week on This Week in Barbecue, Rasheed Philips and James Welch are back with barbecue news, hot takes, and listener questions that cover everything from streaming deals to event red flags. The episode starts with National Watermelon Day before moving into Netflix picking up barbecue content from Tastemade, including Backyard Barbecue Hero and Barbecue Smokeout. James recaps his trip to Bark Barbecue in Brooklyn, where pitmaster Ruben Santana is serving Central Texas-style barbecue through a Dominican lens with brisket, beef ribs, sausage, rice, cornbread, mac and cheese, and a smooth restaurant operation. Rasheed and James also break down the Black Smoke Invitational situation, what pitmasters should ask before joining an event, a 12,000-pound Canadian bacon recall, Travel and Leisure’s barbecue capital rankings, Austin vs. Lockhart vs. Kansas City, and why barbecue legacy matters more than a title. The episode wraps with listener questions about AI-generated food content, whether food creators need certification, safe Cambro temperatures at pop-ups, and catering pricing basics, including contracts, retainers, and portion control. Listen now for barbecue news, restaurant insight, creator culture, event lessons, food safety, and honest conversation from the world behind the smoke.
#141
July 21 · 45 min
How World Cup Traffic, Food Network, and Rising Costs Are Reshaping Barbecue |This Week In Barbecue
This week on This Week in Barbecue, Rasheed Philips and James Welch are back with hot news, hotter takes, and a full plate of barbecue business, food safety, and culture. The episode starts with National Moon Day, then moves quickly into the Taco Bell and Taylor Farms lettuce outbreak, why Rasheed is washing every green himself, and the internet’s reaction to seeing beef priced at $24.99 per pound. The guys also talk about rising food costs, buying whole animals, GLP-1 medications, protein snacks, and why everything from Doritos to coffee is suddenly chasing the protein wave. From there, they get into Miller Smokehouse receiving a $50,000 grant after fire damage, the OC Smoke Show, Food Network’s Pitmasters, cooking at elevation, and whether H-E-B’s True Texas Barbecue or Buc-ee’s brisket sandwiches count as real barbecue. The episode wraps with a look at Zavala’s running 30 straight days during the World Cup, what it says about leadership, and how barbecue businesses can take advantage when the world shows up hungry. Listen now for barbecue news, restaurant insight, food culture, event talk, and the kind of honest conversation that keeps the smoke moving.
#140
July 15 · 1 hr 1 min
Welcome to the Sazón Era | Naked Barbecue EP-140
In this episode of This Week in Barbecue, Rasheed Philips and James Welch cover a wild mix of barbecue news, culture, business, and food-world questions. The show starts with National Mac and Cheese Day and National Nude Day before Rasheed recaps cooking live fire at Windy City Smokeout in Chicago, including jerk chicken, bourbon jerk lamb chops, outside skirt steak with jerk chimichurri, and a memorable meal with Blake at Monteverde. The episode closes with a deeper conversation on authenticity in barbecue. Is culturally driven barbecue really a “third wave,” or is this the Sazón Era? Rasheed and James discuss Egyptian, Thai, Chinese, Dominican, Puerto Rican, Jamaican, Czech, German, and Southern influences, and why the barbecue platter may be one of the most culturally diverse dishes in America.
#139
July 1 · 1 hr 3 min
$2 Million in a Week at Terry Black’s | Stop Buying Quick-Light Charcoal
Join us as we celebrate National Social Media Day and explore its impact on the barbecue community, from building connections to market opportunities. We also dive into current industry news, health tips for Pitmasters, and hot takes on grilling essentials. Bryan also opens up about a tough month of health issues, dehydration, lack of sleep, and the reality of pushing too hard in the barbecue business.
#138
June 24 · 1 hr 3 min
Food Network’s New BBQ Play | Ep 138
This week’s episode looks at barbecue in motion: Ribby’s temporarily closing in Fort Worth, Broad Street Barbecue making a smart early move during World Cup traffic in Atlanta, Rodney Scott’s name being protected from lazy “comeback” narratives, and the business lessons behind how events and brands treat the talent they rely on. We also get into Missfits’ to-go strategy, the debate over limiting special menu items, the new wave of barbecue shows, and why TV, social clips, cookbooks, and self-produced series are changing who gets to tell barbecue’s story.
#137
June 10 · 1 hr 7 min
The $225 Brisket Is Still Too Cheap
A clean Five Guys bag might be one of the clearest signs of where the food economy is headed. In this week’s conversation, we get into spoiled meat, grocery packages coming in underweight, and why independent barbecue restaurants get punished for the same price increases customers accept from major corporations. We also break down how one YouTube feature created an overnight rush for Misfits Barbecue, why a viral moment does not instantly create more smoker capacity, and how preorders, shoulder clod, burgers, skewers, and smarter menu planning may help barbecue businesses survive the rising cost of brisket.
#136
May 12 · 1 hr
The Future of Barbecue: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities
We started this episode arguing about bathroom etiquette and ended up exactly where we needed to be: who gets credit in food culture, how private equity “steps on” the products you love, why scams and AI deepfakes are making trust expensive, and why small businesses get attacked for price increases while corporations get praised for layoffs. Then I break down why I pulled out of the Rocky Mountain Barbecue Classic after deposit issues, why unqualified voices keep getting platformed in barbecue commentary, whether Ozempic and GLP-1s are impacting restaurant traffic, and why shrinkflation has people shopping with their own scales.
#135
May 5 · 40 min
What Is Open Fire Cooking? Al Frugoni Explains the Ritual Behind the Flame
Al Frugoni is bringing the Open Fire Meetup and the Open Fire World Championship to Memphis in May, and it’s bigger than most people realize. This episode breaks down how Open Fire started as a small influencer cook in 2021 and turned into a movement that now unites pitmasters, competition legends, and fans around live flame. We talk why open fire feels different, how the competition sold out fast, the rigs and whole-animal cooks coming to Memphis, and why you should grab your ticket early if you want to see something Memphis has never seen before.
#134
April 21 · 41 min
Inside Look at the New OpenFire World Championship | 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.
#133
April 15 · 1 hr 6 min
BBQ University in China: What It Says About the Global Future of Barbecue
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.
#132
April 7 · 39 min
132 - A House Fire That Turned Into a Business Pivot: Hill City Chop House
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
#131
April 2 · 1 hr 5 min
131 - When the Food Doesn’t Match the Hype
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.
#130
March 31 · 31 min
130 - How to Celebrate Barbecue Culture: Insights from the Syndicate Smoke Down Festival
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.
#129
March 24 · 1 hr
129 - The Economics of BBQ + Kitchen Culture: Fair Pay, Real Costs, and What’s Next
In this episode, we break down the economics of eating out: hidden costs, real margins, shrinkflation, and why rising prices are forcing restaurants to rethink “value.” From smaller fry portions to surging brisket costs driven by fuel and cattle prices, we talk about how menus are changing, including pivots toward proteins like pork or lamb just to stay afloat. Then we go beyond the plate and into kitchen culture, calling out the old abusive hierarchies and making the case for integrity, accountability, and sustainable practices that protect both people and the craft.

Showing 1–20 of 25 episodes