History of our BBQ
The first American Royal Barbecue was held in 1979. The original rules mandated the contestants had to cook at least 10 pounds of beef, pork or lamb. Judges were asked to consider the entries on a scale of 10 ("Super Excellent") to 1 ("Not For Me!"). Psychiatrist Rich Davis was thinking about giving up his medical practice in favor of marketing his own "KC Masterpiece" barbecue sauce. The judges thought that was a fine idea and awarded him first prize.   
The American Royal Barbecue is the opening event of the American Royal and the season finale for the competitive circuit. Spreading over 20 acres in Kansas City’s historic Stockyards District, and with nearly 500 teams competing in four culinary contests, The Royal is the largest barbecue contest in the world. Combine this with a barbecue-related trade expo, this two-day food festival is truly the “World Series of Barbecue.” |