ZBQ is a competition barbeque team based out of Rhode Island.   We come from all over the state, but mainly from Narragansett and Cumberland.   We don't own a restaurant or catering operation.  Competition barbeque is a hobby for us, based on our love of cooking and the great friends we have made on the competition circuit.

It all started in 2004 with an end of season sale at the local hardware store. Chris and Joan found a $250 Weber Smokey Mountain on sale for $99. "Why not?" we thought. We didn't know what we were doing, but we got a few books, tried a few things, and soon found that we could make better 'que than the local restaurants. Sure, we live in New England, so maybe the bar wasn't that high, but it opened our eyes to what BBQ could be.

We kept begging our friends Ann and Paul to try our 'que, but it never seemed to happen. Finally we packed up the smoker, headed to the beach, and brought the barbeque to them. They were hooked. Paul soon bought his own Smokey Mountain, and after a few months he suggested we enter the local contest.   It was the start of our own amazing barbeque journey.

On these pages you will find a bit of the history of our journey, and a schedule of upcoming events.   We love to talk about BBQ, and welcome visitors at contests.   Drop by any time during contest hours, except from 10:30AM to 1:30PM on the day of KCBS judging.   During that time we will be very busy finalizing our turn ins.

Highlights of our History

• 2006 - Our first contest
• 2007 - Our first awards
• 2008 - Our first 1st place in a KCBS category (brisket), and our first top ten finish
• 2009 - Our first year doing more than a handful of contests (8 in '09)
• 2010 - Our break out year, with many awards and top ten finishes
• 2011 - ZBQ becomes a grand champion