Take a tour of nine of America’s most-renowned BBQ joints without even leaving the Lou. The top pitmasters in the nation are coming to St. Louis for the fifth annual Q in the Lou, a three-day, family-friendly festival in Kiener Plaza September 27-29, 2019.

BBQ School

This year, go to “BBQ school” where award-winning pitmasters will teach you how to become the master of your own backyard at Green Mountain Grills’ Quick Cuts. You’ll get free, live demonstrations with all of our pitmasters’ secrets on everything from BBQing whole turkeys (your Thanksgiving won’t ever be the same) to grilling peppercorn beef tenderloin and prime rib roast.

Q in the Lou has gathered the best in the BBQ business, from hometown favorites Pappy’s Smokehouse and Sugarfire Smokehouse to pitmasters from Texas, Mississippi, Kansas City and beyond.

They’re each bringing their own style, sauces, woods, brines, injections, rubs and glazes to slow-smoke more than 20,000 pounds of premium-grade pork, beef, lamb, turkey and chicken throughout the weekend.

Masters of the Grill

This is an ‘A-List’ event for both local and national pitmasters. Firing up the pits at the 2019 Q in the Lou are these Legends of the Pit:

• Cary Bringle, Peg Leg Porker, Nashville
• Mike Emerson, Pappy’s Smokehouse, St. Louis
• Jason Ganahl, GQue BBQ, Denver
• Mike Johnson & Christina Fitzgerald, Sugarfire Smokehouse, St. Louis
• Brad & Brooke Orrison, The Shed Barbecue & Blues Joint, Ocean Springs, Ms.
• Leslie Roark Scott & Craig Verhage, Ubons Barbeque, Yazoo City, Ms.
• Jeff Stehney, Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que, Kansas City, Ks.
• John David Wheeler, Memphis Barbeque Company, Memphis
• Miriam Wilson, The Salt Lick BBQ, Driftwood, Texas

Stuff Your Face

Menu highlights include Nashville pork nachos, leg of lamb, torched chicken, turkey with pit beans, briskets, ribs, and plenty of sides, like Sugarfire’s newly-crowned Best Baked Beans!

You can grab a taste of each for $4–$8 a piece, or do it in style with a $75 Pit Pass, which includes unlimited BBQ from all the Legends of the Pit, access to exclusive pit lounges (complete with their own restrooms), and signature cocktails, beer, wine, and soft drinks.

“We keep our portion sizes just a little smaller so you don’t have to have just one sandwich or a half rack of ribs,” Marc Mendolia, production director for Q in the Lou, said. “You have an opportunity to sample brisket from Texas, chicken from Mississippi, ribs from Nashville.”

If that’s got your mouth watering already, get ready to rib ruuuuumble! Bring home a title – and $150 worth of prime pork – at the Prairie Fresh Rib Rumble by cramming yourself full of the most rib meat during a 5-minute rib-eating contest.

And, great BBQ isn’t the only thing on the menu. In addition to exclusive cocktails and beer and wine pairings, the Dakota Grizzly Midwest Makers music lineup includes 12 hours of live, local music throughout the weekend.

So, Get This on Your Calendar!

Kiener Plaza at Market & Broadway in Downtown St. Louis
Event entry is free:

• Friday, September 27: 4 p.m. – 9 p.m.
• Saturday, September 28: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
• Sunday, September 29: 11a.m. – 6 p.m.