Here we are at National BBQ Day in the middle of National BBQ Month (fitting eh?) and I swear every year I’m smiling ear to ear at the growth of barbecue in the Pittsburgh area.

Locally we have seen new barbecue restaurants opening at the rapid rate of breweries and even recently food truck favorite Oakmont Barbeque Company announced they’re going to open a brick-and-mortar location named “Off The Rails” in Verona!  It’s a great time for barbecue in Pittsburgh but if you’re new to it or want to learn more here is some helpful info.

Where to find BBQ in Pittsburgh

Western PA BBQ Events – If it’s a BBQ event within a few hours of Pittsburgh you will find it here. New this year you’ll find a listing of Steak Cookoff Association competitions where most top payouts are between $500-$1000. Yes, you read that right, big bucks for cooking a steak.

Greater Pittsburgh BBQ Directory – We make it easy to find one of the 40+ barbecue restaurants and food trucks in the area. Plan your trip and visit the blend of styles that make up the Pittsburgh BBQ scene. Due to high demand this will soon expand to all of Western PA so get ready for that trip!

Quick BBQ facts in Pittsburgh

BBQ comes to Pittsburgh.
The earliest mention of “barbecue” I’ve found so far is from March 31, 1835, and until the early, to mid-1900s it was a barbecue in terms of a community event with smoked meats (ox roast, baby!) instead of established businesses. Several southern style restaurants opened around the city during the Great Migration of the 1920s and 30s but the granddaddy of Pittsburgh BBQ still in operation is Wilson’s Bar-B-Q (opened in May of 1960 and moved to their current location in 1970).

What is Pittsburgh-style BBQ? 
Short answer, we don’t have one. Stop trying to define one and just let it happen. I’m asked this all the time and if I *had* to sum it up I’d say we’re a “cornucopia of carnivore cuisine”. A what? Yeah, you read that correctly. Currently, you’ll hear a joint focus on Central Texas, Kansas City, North/South Carolina, or Memphis style and that is awesome, I’ll never turn down Central Texas brisket, but I challenge our local pit bosses to tap into the different cultures that make up this city.

I will go into more detail soon about this topic but I’m stopping myself now otherwise it will take 20 minutes to read this post.

*deep breath*

*exhale*

OK. I’m good.

Happy National BBQ Month and I hope to see you out on the road soon. If there’s a place you want me to check out or if you want to meet up for a plate of ‘cue shoot me a message on this site. Also follow Yinz Love BBQ on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Smoke – Love – BBQ

n’at

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