MARION, IA (BBQ CRITIC) - Saturday was a fun day! Jason Callaway (fellow BBQ CRITIC JUDGE) and I decided to head out to the Marion Kiwanis BBQ Rendezvous (at Lowe Park in Marion, Iowa) for some fun, sun, music and BBQ. My history with this event runs deep.
The Marion Kiwanis BBQ Rendezvous started back in 2011. I started attending in 2012. Then a year or so later my pit master friend Bubba Knapp (owner of Bubba-Q's restaurant in Ottumwa, IA) drove his BBQ rig up to vend this event for about a five year stretch. I helped cook and we always had a blast with Bubba and his entire family. This is back when the BBQ Rendezvous was held at the town square downtown in Marion.
Many of my other BBQ friends from the KCBS pro competition circuit vended here such as BAMBQ, SMOKIN' BONES BBQ, DOWN HOME COOKIN & BBQ CO, SMOKEHOUSE 72 and others.
By the way, check out our review of SMOKEHOUSE 72's "Sweet & Savory" rub which you can purchase locally at The Grill Works in Marion. This rub is BBQ CRITIC APPROVED and is fantastic for all your cooking needs.
Here are a few of my personal photos from those early years at the BBQ Rendezvous. I have so many great memories of this BBQ event.
The Marion Kiwanis BBQ Rendezvous started back in 2011. I started attending in 2012. Then a year or so later my pit master friend Bubba Knapp (owner of Bubba-Q's restaurant in Ottumwa, IA) drove his BBQ rig up to vend this event for about a five year stretch. I helped cook and we always had a blast with Bubba and his entire family. This is back when the BBQ Rendezvous was held at the town square downtown in Marion.
Many of my other BBQ friends from the KCBS pro competition circuit vended here such as BAMBQ, SMOKIN' BONES BBQ, DOWN HOME COOKIN & BBQ CO, SMOKEHOUSE 72 and others.
By the way, check out our review of SMOKEHOUSE 72's "Sweet & Savory" rub which you can purchase locally at The Grill Works in Marion. This rub is BBQ CRITIC APPROVED and is fantastic for all your cooking needs.
Here are a few of my personal photos from those early years at the BBQ Rendezvous. I have so many great memories of this BBQ event.
The Marion Metro Kiwanis organize this event each year and it's their biggest fund raiser to help a lot of kids. Please check out their website and learn about what they do and how you can help.
MARION METRO KIWANIS WEBSITE
https://k15653.site.kiwanis.org/what-we-do-2/
Though I do miss the downtown location, Lowe Park does provide a more spacious area. Attendees can watch bands, participate in kids activities (like face painting, balloon animals , side walk chalking and bean bag tosses) and, of course, eating some tasty BBQ. Admission is FREE.
MARION METRO KIWANIS WEBSITE
https://k15653.site.kiwanis.org/what-we-do-2/
Though I do miss the downtown location, Lowe Park does provide a more spacious area. Attendees can watch bands, participate in kids activities (like face painting, balloon animals , side walk chalking and bean bag tosses) and, of course, eating some tasty BBQ. Admission is FREE.
Jason and I got an idea today. We decided to put on our judge hats and make this a BBQ CRITIC APPROVED opportunity. Any food we purchased from a vendor and really enjoyed, that vendor would be given the BBQ CRITIC APPROVED sticker for their trailer. That’s all we had for an award, but it worked.
We really wanted to try all vendors, but it was not possible. There were no inexpensive samplers that would allow us to try all the pork, brisket and ribs. Since we did not get to try some of the food from other vendors, we could not make it a full blown contest. Our wallets were tapped, and our bellies full.
Maybe next year I could bring a team of BBQ CRITIC JUDGES and have a private contest. Each vendor could provide a meat sample to each judge and make it a blind turn in so we do not know whose food we are tasting. This would be fun to judge, and fair to all. I will give this some thought.
BOTTOM LINE: We both had good (and not so good) BBQ experiences here today. That said, we did eat a lot of food and spent lots of money. But hey! It's BBQ, right? We really want to show appreciation to those who pleased our palates, so here are the winners of this year's impromptu BBQ CRITIC APPROVED Vendor Awards at the 2023 Marion Kiwanis BBQ Rendezvous.
Hope everyone had a great time. Until next year!
- BBQ CRITIC
We really wanted to try all vendors, but it was not possible. There were no inexpensive samplers that would allow us to try all the pork, brisket and ribs. Since we did not get to try some of the food from other vendors, we could not make it a full blown contest. Our wallets were tapped, and our bellies full.
Maybe next year I could bring a team of BBQ CRITIC JUDGES and have a private contest. Each vendor could provide a meat sample to each judge and make it a blind turn in so we do not know whose food we are tasting. This would be fun to judge, and fair to all. I will give this some thought.
BOTTOM LINE: We both had good (and not so good) BBQ experiences here today. That said, we did eat a lot of food and spent lots of money. But hey! It's BBQ, right? We really want to show appreciation to those who pleased our palates, so here are the winners of this year's impromptu BBQ CRITIC APPROVED Vendor Awards at the 2023 Marion Kiwanis BBQ Rendezvous.
Hope everyone had a great time. Until next year!
- BBQ CRITIC
BBQ CRITIC APPROVED
1ST PORK
BACK 40 BBQ
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Video Interview
BBQ CRITIC APPROVED
1ST RIBS
WILLIE RAY'S Q SHACK
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Video Interview
BBQ CRITIC APPROVED
1ST BRISKET
BOB'S BBQ EMPORIUM
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Video Interview
BBQ CRITIC APPROVED
EXTRA CATEGORY - HOT LINK
HATCHETT'S BBQ
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Video Interview
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