Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast Steve Koehler and Lyndal Scranton

When we’re asked about BBQ restaurant recommendations in the St. Louis area, Heavy Smoke BBQ always is at the top of our list. On Episode 259 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we talk it over with Chris Schafer, the owner-operator of Heavy Smoke BBQ about the constantly overlapping thrills and challenges of the restaurant industry. Chris also is one of the world’s top competition pitmasters, a past Grand Champion at both the Jack Daniels World BBQ Invitational and KCBS Invitational World Championship. Heavy Smoke is No. 2 in the KCBS Team of the Year standings in 2024 and we ask Chris about a possible Team of the Year.
It’s also time for our monthly chat with Richard Fergola, pitmaster of Fergolicious BBQ and marketing director for Proud Souls BBQ and Provisions. “Fergie” is gearing up for a trip to the new Smoke Slam, next week in Memphis. 
We also have our weekly segments with Breana Via of Smoke n Magic and Charlie Wallace from Grill Guys of Missouri. Meanwhile, co-hosts Lyndal and Steve discuss their latest cooking adventures and plans, and they give some brutally honest opinions on the downfall of the St. Louis Cardinals on the sports segment.
Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible: 
Blues Hog #blueshognation
Royal Oak Charcoal #TeamRoyalOak2024 
The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked 
Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq 
The Grill Guys of Missouri
Smoke ’n Magic BBQ #SmokenMagic
Vietti Marketing Group  
Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza
Have a great BBQ week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

One of the greatest to light a pit - and a great friend of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Show since the beginning on local, low-powered radio - joins us for an extended conversation on Episode 258. Brad Leighninger just passed the 11-year anniversary of his first BBQ Grand Championship. Now, 70 GCs later, Gettin’ Basted is a three-time KCBS Team of the Year, a Jack Daniels World BBQ Invitational Grand Champion, Brad is a part of the Blues Hog 2022 Memphis in May World Champion. He’s also co-owner of four restaurants in the southwest Missouri area including a couple of new ones in the tourist-mecca of Branson. We visit with Brad on a variety of topics, including the upcoming Memphis in May.
“We’re coming in motivated,” Brad said of Team Blues Hog. “I wouldn’t bet against us.”
We also have our weekly segments with Brad Colter from Smoke n Magic and Skyler Spartan from Grill Guys of Missouri. Meanwhile, co-hosts Lyndal and Steve discuss their latest cooking adventures and plans and preview their open-fire plans for the week ahead. 
Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible: 
Blues Hog #blueshognation
Royal Oak Charcoal #TeamRoyalOak2024 
The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked 
Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq 
The Grill Guys of Missouri
Smoke ’n Magic BBQ #SmokenMagic
Vietti Marketing Group  
Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza
Have a great BBQ week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

On Episode 257 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we talk it over with one of world’s hottest pitmasters. Eric Coley from Alabama’s Poppa Pig BBQ is leading the KCBS Team of the Year standings with three Grand Championships and seven top-10 finishes in eight 2024 competitions. It’s a start that’s signaled a breakthrough after Eric went through a two-year stretch of top-10 finishes without nailing the GC. What has changed? Eric talks about that, plus his career in competition BBQ and how a DQ after missing turn-in with some of the best brisket he ever cooked was a big turning point.
In our weekly segments, we find out the latest from Smoke’n Magic BBQ from Breana Via and head to the Grill Guys of Missouri to chat with Charlie Wallace.
Meanwhile, co-hosts Lyndal and Steve discuss their latest cooking adventures and plans and preview their open-fire plans for the week ahead. 
Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible: 
Blues Hog #blueshognation
Royal Oak Charcoal #TeamRoyalOak2024 
The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked 
Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq 
The Grill Guys of Missouri
Smoke ’n Magic BBQ #SmokenMagic
Vietti Marketing Group  
Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza
Have a great BBQ week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm
#bbq #bbqpodcast #competitionbbq #tailgateguysbbq 

Jon and Jason Wade of Optimus Swine BBQ out of Williamsburg, Virginia have one of the hottest competition BBQ teams around. Since moving into the KCBS Master’s division a couple of years ago, the Wades have seven Grand Championships and seven RGCs in 63 competitions. They also own and operate two BBQ restaurants in the Williamsburg area, Two Drummers Smokehouse and 2 Drummers Butchery and BBQ Provisions. On Episode 256 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we talk it over with Jon Wade about the team’s success in both aspects of BBQ and about the crossover of restaurants and competition cooking.
We’ve seen far too many good BBQ competition disappear in recent years. It’s always great to see new ones come along and we find out more from organizer Vanessa Williams about the inaugural Give Local First Charity BBQ Festival, coming up May 17-18 in West Plains, Missouri. Vanessa gives us the rundown of what teams can expect (aside from a nice prize fund of $10,000) and how the public can attend and get a taste of the fun.  
In our weekly Smoke N Magic Minute, Breana Via tells about heading to Meatstock in Sydney, Australia where Smoke N Magic will see how their American style competition BBQ stacks up against the native Aussies. 
Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible: 
Blues Hog #blueshognation
Royal Oak Charcoal #teamroyaloak2023
The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked 
Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq 
The Grill Guys of Missouri
Smoke ’n Magic BBQ #SmokenMagic
Vietti Marketing Group  
Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza
Have a great BBQ week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

Based in north central North Dakota, Burnt Trees BBQ has a long haul no matter where it goes for a competition. But the husband-wife team of Nick and Shannon Holman is almost always a contender when it arrives, with its 2024 debut proving the point. Burnt Trees BBQ captured the 97-team Smoke in the Spring in Osage City, Kansas, topping the 700-point mark for the first time. On Episode 255 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we visit with Nick and Shannon about their shared BBQ passion and the challenges of being a northern-based competition team.
We also check in with Richard Fergola from Fergolicious BBQ and Proud Souls BBQ and Provisions. Fergie has been all over the map over the last month and he recounts some of the highlights of cooking in Costa Rica and New Orleans, while also previewing the Daniel Vogt Memorial Backyard Rib Contest and all-star pro demo day on Sunday, April 14 at Proud Souls Denver.
Weekly regulars Charlie Wallace from The Grill Guys of Missouri and Breana Via of Smoke N Magic BBQ also offer some tips and knowledge to up your cooking game.
Co-hosts Lyndal and Steve also review the men’s and women’s NCAA Final Fours and take a glance at a tradition like no other, the Master’s.
Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible: 
Blues Hog #blueshognation
Royal Oak Charcoal #teamroyaloak2023
The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked 
Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq 
The Grill Guys of Missouri
Smoke ’n Magic BBQ #SmokenMagic
Vietti Marketing Group  
Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza
Have a great BBQ week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm

There are dozens of options available these days for BBQ-themed podcasts, unlike just a few years ago when the options were relatively limited. One of the longest-running shows is Baseball and BBQ, with co-hosts Leonard Aberman and Jeff Cohen. Combining two of America’s favorite past times, Leonard and Jeff have found a sweet spot with engaging guests who speak with knowledge to baseball, BBQ or both. Now in season seven, we caught up with Len and Jeff as the Major League Baseball season gets underway and, even as their beloved New York Mets struggle, it’s always a good time when we talk Baseball and BBQ.
Also checking in with us are weekly regulars Skyler Spartan from The Grill Guys of Missouri and Brad Colter of Smoke N Magic BBQ.
Co-hosts Lyndal also discuss their cooking weeks and preview the Final Four for the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.  
Thanks to all our sponsors and marketing partners for making the show possible: 
Blues Hog #blueshognation
Royal Oak Charcoal #teamroyaloak2023
The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked 
Proud Souls BBQ Kansas City #proudsoulsbbqkc #kingdomofq 
The Grill Guys of Missouri
Smoke ’n Magic BBQ #SmokenMagic
Vietti Marketing Group  
Marty "Real Sign Man" Prather #pizza
Have a great BBQ week! #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm