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Southern Living’s Luncheon with Legends is almost here and we talk about the pitmasters, the menu and what you can expect Sept. 20 at The Hunter Farm in Weddington. For the first time ever, a partnership with the Charlotte Regional Visitors’ Authority is bringing five pitmasters together to showcase distinct traditions, techniques, and stories. Find out which Carolina joints landed on Robert F. Moss’ list of the best new BBQ right now – and which one missed out by closing hours before the list was finalized. Don’t miss this Fall festival line up in this Carolina BBQ Festival local barbecue summer episode of The Low & Slow Barbecue Show that is helping you prepare for the changing seasons. We save dessert for last with Carolina BBQ news bites that include 55 years of BBQ King. The Low & Slow Barbecue Show 2026 season is sponsored by Carolina BBQ Festival, which invites you to celebrate local barbecue summer 2026 today when you visit a locally owned barbecue business. Find a list of local pitmasters here!

Historian, wood-cooked meat advocate and “Eminence Grease” John Shelton Reed discusses the Campaign for Real Barbecue and the changing barbecue culture in the South. Is the broader Southern food culture following the same path of the barbecue? Are craft barbecue pitmasters honoring their wood-cooked roots? Find out John Shelton Reed’s ideal barbecue order, how his barbecue journey began and the reception his barbecue opinions have been received over the years. Get the latest on John’s revised and updated book 1001 Things Everyone Should Know About the South – coming in 2027. Don’t miss John Shelton Reed’s barbecue hot takes – what he’s craving, what’s he’s missing, and what he’ll never visit. The Low & Slow Barbecue Show 2026 season is sponsored by Carolina BBQ Festival, which invites you to celebrate local barbecue summer 2026 today when you visit a locally owned barbecue business. Find a list of local pitmasters here! Visit The Low & Slow Barbecue Show website here!

Blue Suede BBQ Pitmaster Chris Loschiavo returns to The Low & Slow Barbecue Show ahead of his first official appearance in the Pinehurst Barbecue Festival Pitmaster Invitational lineup. Find out how his barbecue food truck business is growing in North Carolina’s Southern Pines region and where you’ll see him serving a full menu of smoked meat delights around the region. Chris shares an update on the barbecue life after a career in the U.S. Army, including an appearance at the Barbecue Expo in France and a barbecue sauce and rub business that supports charitable causes and continues his life of service. Don’t miss the Blue Suede BBQ menu selection for the Pinehurst Barbecue Festival Pitmaster Invitational on Sunday, Sept. 6 in the Village of Pinehurst. The Low & Slow Barbecue Show 2026 season is sponsored by Carolina BBQ Festival, which invites you to celebrate local barbecue summer 2026 today when you visit a locally owned barbecue business. Find a list of local pitmasters here! Visit The Low & Slow Barbecue Show website here!

What does it take to be the Bologna BBQ Champion? And why are the Bright Leaf hot dogs red? Carolina Packers’ Justin Raymond joins The Low & Slow Barbecue Show with all the details on that second annual Bright Lead Bologna BBQ Championship on Sept. 19 in Selma, NC. Listen to find out how the event started, what competitors can expect, the PRIZES, the judging process and this year’s new additions. (Spoiler: anything goes as long as it uses Bright Leaf or Curtis bologna provided by Carolina Packers!) Learn how the family-owned Carolina Packers business and Bright Leaf brand began in 1941 and the diverse products the business still brings to markets throughout the Carolinas. Don’t miss the story behind the red color of the Bright Leaf hot dog, plus advice for the best way to dress your Bright Leaf hot dog.  The Low & Slow Barbecue Show 2026 season is sponsored by Carolina BBQ Festival, which invites you to celebrate local barbecue summer 2026 today when you visit a locally owned barbecue business. Find a list of local pitmasters here! Visit The Low & Slow Barbecue Show website here!

World Barbecue Champion Melissa Cookston talks about the State of Barbecue in the U.S. Find out what backyard pitmasters are getting right – and missing the mark. We examine the Prairie Fresh State of BBQ Report and talk about the difference between competence and confidence for a backyard pitmaster. Melissa Cookston shares advice that backyard pitmasters can use to improve their game at home and tips she uses to bring a better smoke flavor to a pellet cooker. Don’t miss Melissa’s ideal barbecue plate and the details from her barbecue backstory. The Low & Slow Barbecue Show 2026 season is sponsored by Carolina BBQ Festival, which invites you to celebrate local barbecue summer 2026 today when you visit a locally owned barbecue business. Find a list of local pitmasters here! Visit the The Low & Slow Barbecue Show website here!

Competition BBQ pitmaster Cody Turner discusses his Grand Championship during his first trip to South Carolina Festival of Discovery. What went right? What went wrong? And what happened when he heard the “Cocamoke Smoke BBQ” call at the Kansas City Barbecue Society awards ceremony.  Learn the process behind his competition BBQ cook, including his favorite seasoning rubs and barbecue sauce. Hear what fuels his competition barbecue fire, how he fine-tunes his process, and what he’s doing to get ready for the BBQ World Cup in hopes of winning a $1 million prize. Find out the history behind the Cocamoke Smoke name, why he entered the competition BBQ arena, and how he justifies the financial investment in traveling the South to smoke meat. The Low & Slow Barbecue Show 2026 season is sponsored by Carolina BBQ Festival, which invites you to celebrate local barbecue summer 2026 today when you visit a locally owned barbecue business. Find a list of local pitmasters here! Visit The Low & Slow Barbecue Show website here!

Which BBQ pitmasters will we remember 60 years from now? Southern Living BBQ Editor Robert F. Moss introduces 5 BBQ pitmasters following in the footsteps of ambitious smoke tenders who helped revitalize the Southern barbecue scene. Hear his case for why Elliott Moss, Hector Garate, Evan LeRoy, Zach Parker, and Lewis Donald are the next generation of Southern barbecue icons. We discuss the Luncheon with Legends walk-around tasting featuring all 5 pitmasters, and Robert explains the process behind his Top BBQ lists for Southern Living. Don’t miss Robert’s take on the “state of barbecue” journalism, food service and the industry at large. The Low & Slow Barbecue Show 2026 season is sponsored by Carolina BBQ Festival, which invites you to celebrate local barbecue summer 2026 today when you visit a locally owned barbecue business. Find a list of local pitmasters here! Visit The Low & Slow Barbecue Show website here!

Festival of Discovery 2026 offered a glimpse behind the scenes of a Kansas City Barbecue Society Championship. Learn what fuels the success of a festival that brings thousands of people to Uptown Greenwood every year. Go inside the competition cook trailer and behind the scenes for the BBQ judging process. Find out who won this year’s KCBS competition and qualified for the BBQ World Cup and a $1 million barbecue battle. Listen to this episode of The Low & Slow Barbecue Show for the full recap from the 25th annual South Carolina Festival of Discovery. Don’t miss your invitation to experience the unexpected wonders of South Carolina’s Old 96 District. The Low & Slow Barbecue Show 2026 season is sponsored by Carolina BBQ Festival, which invites you to celebrate local barbecue summer 2026 today when you visit a locally owned barbecue business. Find a list of local pitmasters here! Visit The Low & Slow Barbecue Show here!

How do you make the best smoked pork spareribs? Low & Slow Barbecue Show host Chigger Willard reveals his 4th of July ribs process, from the prep and the rubs to the smoking method and the results. Find out what went right during the 3-hour cook, and what could have gone better for the Independence Day meat smoking. Listen to this episode sponsored by Visit Old 96 District and you’ll learn what kind of weight Yelp and Google’s barbecue rankers should get in your barbecue road trip plans. Don’t miss the latest details and advice for enjoying South Carolina Festival of Discovery in Uptown Greenwood July 9-11. Be sure to join Chigger at the festival for the People’s Choice awards, hot dog eating contest and dozens of live blues music concerts. Catch up on the latest local Carolina barbecue news from businesses leaving the scene while others join the smoky fray. The Low & Slow Barbecue Show 2026 season is sponsored by Carolina BBQ Festival, which invites you to celebrate local barbecue summer 2026 today when you visit a locally owned barbecue business. Find a list of local pitmasters here! Visit The Low & Slow Barbecue Show website here!

Competition barbecue judge Catherine Gaither explains what happens at the scoring tables during South Carolina’s Festival of Discovery’s Kansas City Barbecue Society-sanctioned event. Find out what judging barbecue entails, from the certification to the tasting, and learn what keeps Catherine coming back. Don’t miss this judge’s barbecue backstory that’s steeped in South Carolina barbecue tradition. Listen to this podcast in the Carolina BBQ Festival’s local barbecue summer, and you’ll learn what to expect when you attend South Carolina’s Festival of Discovery in Uptown Greenwood, July 9-11. Join us as we discover uptown Greenwood’s jewel in the Old 96 District crown. The Low & Slow Barbecue Show 2026 season is sponsored by Carolina BBQ Festival, which invites you to celebrate local barbecue summer 2026 today when you visit a locally owned barbecue business. Find a list of local pitmasters here! Visit The Low & Slow Barbecue Show website here!

South Carolina Festival of Discovery marks its 25th year July 9-11 in uptown Greenwood. Bringing barbecue and the blues together, Festival of Discovery delivers a $2.8 million local economic impact as 50,000 people and nearly 100 competitors seek cash prizes, great music, and championship food bites. Find out what’s new in the 2026 Festival of Discovery schedule and learn about local businesses making this year’s event possible. Don’t miss our bite into the hot dog-eating contest (and the strict competition qualifications). Listen to this episode sponsored by the Old 96 District for our conversation with Festival of Discovery organizer Gibson Hall, who reveals the perennial favorites for the people’s choice barbecue award. The Low & Slow Barbecue Show 2026 season is sponsored by Carolina BBQ Festival, which invites you to celebrate local barbecue summer 2026 today when you visit a locally owned barbecue business. Find a list of local pitmasters here! Visit The Low & Slow Barbecue Show website here!

Local Barbecue Summer 2026 kicks off with stops at Archibald’s BBQ and Cranford Brothers Barbecue. Hot off the press: Pinehurst Barbecue Festival’s 2026 lineup of local pitmasters bringing barbecue and business to the North Carolina Sandhills. And in Uptown Greenwood, the 25th annual South Carolina Festival of Discovery combines blues and barbecue for a celebration of culture, food, people and history. Learn about the 64-year history of Archibald’s BBQ in Northport, AL, and the experience during a visit at the Alabama Barbecue institution. Listen and you’ll also find out about Cranford Brothers Barbecue’s new event space and a crazy idea Chigger is trying to cook up for college football season. Alabama ribs vs Eastern Carolina whole hog. Bama vs. ECU. September 5. Who wants to party? This episode of The Low & Slow Barbecue Show is sponsored by Carolina BBQ Festival, which invites you to celebrate barbecue summer 2026 today when you visit a locally owned barbecue business. Find a list of local pitmasters here! Visit The Low & Slow Barbecue Show website here!

Chigger Willard reflects on barbecue with dad and the barbecue chicken beginnings that his father sparked by passing along passions for live-fire cooking, food, vegetable gardening and so much more. Chigger offers a short recap of their last meal together from The Crazy Pig in Davidson. Find out about the food, the local business ownership, and the construction challenges preventing patrons from visiting downtown Davidson businesses like The Crazy Pig. Don’t miss Chigger’s tribute to the life of his father, Albert Willard, 84, who dedicated himself to serving his God, providing for his family, and achieving a positive impact in the world around him. This episode of The Low & Slow Barbecue Show is sponsored by Carolina BBQ Festival which invites you to celebrate barbecue summer 2026 today when you visit a locally owned barbecue business. Find a list of local pitmasters here! Visit The Low & Slow Barbecue Show website here!

Charlotte-based food journalist Kathleen Purvis shares her backstory in barbecue and food journalism, reveals opinions about the Charlotte food scene, and introduces The Food Section bureau dedicated to the Queen City. Find out how she got into food journalism and what’s kept her in the business since her start at 17. Hear her favorite places for food and her ideal barbecue platter. Learn more about TFS : CLT and the publication’s ethics-based approach to covering food in the Carolinas. Don’t miss the Kathleen Purvis “Eastern vs. Western” beef with Top Chef’s barbecue episode and her favorite menu items for Memorial Day and the official start to summer (they might surprise you!). After you meet Kathleen Purvis, revisit our conversation with The Food Section Publisher Hanna Raskin in this episode of The Low & Slow Barbecue Show. This episode of The Low & Slow Barbecue Show is sponsored by Carolina BBQ Festival. Visit CarolinaBBQFest.org to get connected and keep up with the latest Carolina BBQ Festival events supporting Operation BBQ Relief. Stay tuned for details on the fall Pig Pickin’ coming soon! Visit The Low & Slow Barbecue Show website here!

Redwood Smoke Shack pitmaster Bob Roberts shares the story of his barbecue business in Hampton Roads, VA. Don’t miss his ideal Redwood Smoke Shack barbecue tray order! Listen to this episode to learn what sets Redwood apart from other barbecue restaurants, and what you can expect when you visit one of Redwood Smoke Shack’s three locations. Bob talks about educating the public on craft barbecue, introducing future food service workers to the industry, and receiving the news that Redwood Smoke Shack is among the best Texas Barbecue outside of Texas. Find out how much brisket is cooking and how much wood is burning every week in Redwood’s newest Suffolk location. Opened in 2025, it operates as a commissary that smokes meat daily and delivers it to Redwood Smoke Shack in Norfolk and Virginia Beach. Tune in for Bob’s favorite bites from the 2026 Carolina BBQ Festival, his early thoughts about creating a similar event for Hampton Roads, and what he’ll do differently at the 2027 festival. This episode of The Low & Slow Barbecue Show is sponsored by Carolina BBQ Festival. Visit CarolinaBBQFest.org to get connected and keep up with the latest Carolina BBQ Festival events supporting Operation BBQ Relief. Stay tuned for details on the fall Pig Pickin’ coming soon! Visit The Low & Slow Barbecue Show website!