Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Episode 315: Ercole Chila tribute
Release Date: 07/23/2025
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Epsiode 331: Jason Wagner, American Royal review
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast
We came, we cooked, we survived. On Episode 331 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, it’s a review of the 45th American Royal World Series of BBQ where conditions were challenging for Sunday’s 401-team Open. The Tailgate Guys team didn’t come away with any coveted ribbons, as we had done in three of our four previous visits to the world’s largest BBQ competition, but we had a respectable showing in our fifth and final Royal with a 98th place, putting us in the top 25 percent overall. Our food was good. Memories were made. While we’ll never win The Royal, we bring you the big winner....
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Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Episode 330: Christie Vanover; Skyler Spartan
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast
With Thanksgiving knocking on the door, it’s time to plan a menu and possibly incorporate the grill or smoker to make the big feast even better. On Episode 330 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, award-winning pitmaster, judge and BBQ promoter Christie Vanover of Girls Can Grill offers some ideas from her book: “Holiday Grilling: 111 Recipes to Celebrate the Season.” Christie also reviews her BBQ year, which has inducted some top-10 competition finishes and judging at the Jack Daniels World Invitational. Check out her tremendous website for all sorts of info. Skyler Spartan from Grill...
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Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Episode 329: American Royal preview
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast
Episode 329 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast is our 45th American Royal World Series of BBQ preview. First up is a conversation, beginning at the 6:30 mark, with American Royal BBQ Manager Kayci Vincent and director of communications Allyssa King about what teams and spectators can expect from the world’s largest BBQ competition. The fun is set for Nov. 6-9 at Kansas Speedway. Then we bring back our roundtable of first-time American Royal competitors with a trio of pit masters - Kurt Brauner from Rack City BBQ out of Las Vegas; Dan Wright of Take it Easy BBQ from St. Louis and Bradley...
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Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Episode 328: Paul Keltner; Skyler Spartan
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast
When you talk about consistent excellence in competition BBQ, few teams stand out over the last decade more than Rooters-N-Tooters from Tennessee. On Episode 328 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we talk it over with Paul Keltner about Rooters-N-Tooters sustained success, which includes three KCBS Grand Championships in 2025 - including last weekend’s Royal Oak Invitational - plus overall top-10s in 23 of 25 competitions this season. Paul touches on what he thinks has contributed to the consistency and previews a busy home stretch of the season ahead. We also check in with Skyler Spartan...
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Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Episode 327: Ryan King; Aaron Huentelman
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast
Since the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast began a decade ago, one of our mantras has been “we talk to champions.” Episode 327 features the latest BBQ world champion. It’s Ryan King of Kings BBQ out of Jacksonville, Florida, the Grand Champion at last weekend’s Jack Daniels World Invitational in Lynchburg, Tenn. Beginning at the 10:22 mark, Ryan tells us about a cook that placed him among the legends - and how it wasn’t exactly without challenges along the way. We also explore Ryan’s background in BBQ and how Kings BBQ has emerged as one of the top teams in the country, even before making...
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Taiglate Guys BBQ Podcast, Episode 326: Donny Teel; Samantha Spartan
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast
We visit with a Hall of Famer on Episode 326 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast. Donny Teel and Buffalo’s BBQ is a legend from Sperry, Oklahoma, winning more than 100 competitions over a three-decade career including Grand Championships at both the American Royal World Series of BBQ Open and Jack Daniels World BBQ Invitational. Donny will be inducted into the BBQ Hall of Fame next month during the American Royal at Kansas Speedway and we visit with him what it was like in the old days, when a little whiskey or cold beer went a long way toward getting helpful tips and tricks from other...
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Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Episode 325: Marvin Weinberger; Darren Warth
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast
We all know how important it is to keep those cooking grates clean. On Episode 325 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we talk it over with Marvin Weinberger, an entrepreneur who’s developed a handy and effective tool called the GrillFighter to get the job done. We visit with Marvin about his background as an inventor and why coming up with the GrillFighter was important to him. Marvin’s segment begins at the 10:37 mark of the show. After a planned guest declined to come on to talk about a huge victory, we run back one of our favorite segments from earlier this summer with the OG GOAT of...
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Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Episode 324: Sam Dodson, Chuck McKibben
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast
Sam Dodson of Bull in the Ring BBQ had been knocking on the door of his first KCBS Grand Championship, with a series of top-10 finishes and a recent runner-up finish. Last weekend in Ponca City, Oklahoma, Bull in the Ring scored the big prize and on Episode 324 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast we visit with Sam about the journey and some of the keys in getting to a consistently elite level. Sam’s segment begins at the 11:30 mark. There’s a terrific KCBS comp coming up this weekend in Miami, Oklahoma. Smokin’ on the Route offers a prize purse in excess of $17,000 and pays the top 12 in...
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Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Episode 323: Brett McKinney, Richard Fergola
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast
A few days after B’Mackin BBQ set a KCBS record with a near-perfect cook at the Burnt Offering BBQ Contest in Riverside, California, we talk it over on Episode 323 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast with San Diego’s Brett McKinney about how he and teammate Benny Watsman pulled it off. B’Mackin scored an amazing 718.8572 and just missed a quadruple 180 by a couple of judges slightly dinging them in the chicken category. McKinney said he’s still in happy shock over the record, but B’Mackin is no stranger to consistent excellent having finished top 10 overall in 31 of its last 34 comps...
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Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Episode 322: Hugh Munro, Steven Raichlen
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast
Hugh Munro of Ambition Que might be the oldest man in competition BBQ. But the 73-year-old former drag racer doesn’t mind the title one bit - particularly after likely becoming the oldest KCBS Grand Champion at last weekend’s Bud’s, Brews & BBQ in Columbia, Missouri. On Episode 322 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we visit with Hugh about his late-start to competition BBQ and how it feeds his hunger to high-level competition after being involved in national-touring drag racing for many years. The Minnesota native now based in Springfield, Missouri, discusses how he got started in...
info_outlineThe competition BBQ world was rocked late last week by the tragic news that Ercole Chila from Uncle Pigs Barbecue Pit from Paulsboro, N.J., had been killed in an automobile accident. Two of Ercole’s shining accomplishments on the competition trail was Uncle Pig’s 2022 KCBS Team of the Year award and the 2023 Jack Daniels World BBQ Invitational championship. But beyond the smoke and tasty proteins was a man who was a friend to so many across the land. On Episode 315 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast we visit with two of Ercole’s close BBQ friends, Mike Licciardello and Dave Travis. They provide some insight on the man Ercole was and what made him special. We send our condolences to Ercole’s family and many friends.
We also take a trip to Republic, Mo., for the latest happenings from The Grill Guys of Missouri and co-owner Charlie Wallace. Tailgate Guys co-host Lyndal Scranton reviews the team’s doubleheader last weekend at Smokin’ on the Osage, where the Tailgate Guys brought home a first-place in brisket. We also recap the latest episode of BBQ Brawl on Food Network where our buddy Brad Leighninger is headed to the three-person finale this Sunday.
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