THE ORIGIN OF THE PICKLED PIG

In 1999 my best friend and I attended our first BBQ contest in Kearney, MO. We were “hooked” on the experience and The Pickled Pig was born as a competitive cooking team. We chose the name because it embodies the fun, slightly irreverent nature of our cooking style.  And the cartoon logo depicts the teams character and favorite activities.

We showed up at various BBQ and chili cooking contests with little more than a canopy, a couple of inexpensive cookers, a table, a jug of water, a bag of charcoal, and dreams of winning it big.

THE  SECRETS OF GOOD BBQ REVEALED

It didn’t take us long to notice that the same teams were consistently winning week after week, regardless of where we were competing or who was judging. So we did our best to learn the secrets of our fellow competitors and imitate them the best we could.  As one might reasonably expect, we too started winning. Good BBQ is universally recognized. People of all walks in life appreciate certain flavors, textures, and presentations. The methods we learned during those formative years are the battle tested techniques and recipes that we use today in the restaurant.

SUCCESS & RECOGNITION

We soon started spending 20+ weeks a year traveling around the country, cooking with and competing against some of the best BBQ pit masters in the world. We continually worked on refining and perfecting our recipes. Before long, the team had won hundreds of local, regional, and national awards and accolades (some of which are currently on display in the restaurant). The team made it to all of the big and prestigious contests and invitationals on our bucket list of goals, won some really nice awards, received great recognition, and made many fantastic life-long friends along the way.

THE TRANSITION TO BRICK & MORTAR

We would often sell the left-overs from contests to friends and fans of “The Pig”. That activity soon turned into a successful catering business both during and in between BBQ seasons. My clients often inquired about a restaurant location and when timing and opportunity converged, the dream of owning a BBQ restaurant became a reality and The Pickled Pig became more than just a state of mind.

It is my goal to share some of my passion for BBQ and provide the same competition quality food that we served to thousands of judges in the last 15 years to all of our patrons.

THE PICKLED PIG

HISTORY