Welcome to ZBQ

The debate over the origin of American Barbecue is one that will probably never be resolved. By defining barbecue as a process by which meat is slow cooked over a low fire with smoke opens up the history of barbecue to prehistoric times. As to who gets to claim the origin of American Barbecue; well, wars have been fought over less.

First of all let's separate grilling from smoking. While they may appear similar in equipment and techniques they are very different ways of cooking. Grilling is a hot and fast cooking process, and while you can get the introduction of smoke and fire you don't get the same results that you do from smoking. The smoking of foods is a slow process, sometimes taking more than 24 hours to complete.

We all love to eat good, wholesome, down-to-earth, freshly prepared food. ZBQ is all of that and more. We do not take shortcuts when it comes to barbecuing. Wood fired pits take a lot of effort to start, tend, and maintain. Food preparation requires meticulous effort. Finding the right combination of spices for rubs, creating sauces from the right blend of ingredients necessitates a lot of trial and error tactics. Maintaining the proper temperatures of the smoker requires a watchful eye which cannot be substituted by technologies. Keeping on task for 20 hours or more is an effort which you just have to love in order to do. Ask any pitmaster why they go through all the trouble? It's because in the final analysis, the look on people's faces when they sample your food makes it all worth while. It's not about the money; it's about the labor of love.

Many times, it's the result of a "passion which went out of control".