We Came. We Saw. We Ate...Tons of BBQ!
On Saturday, July 30, 2016 Philly’s own Citizen Bank Ball Park hosted the first ever, 2016 Philly BBQ Fest! The best part about the event is that we were invited to go and see what all the excitement was about.
There is no better time for BBQ then summertime. I knew that if I was going to go to a BBQ Fest I had to invite the only people who love BBQ more than me and that is, my family! During the summer most families like to go to the beach or swim in a pool but my family is different we like to eat BBQ. Ribs, chicken, burgers, veggies, you name it - we’ve tried it. So you can imagine how excited we were that Philly was throwing its very first BBQ Fest! We packed our wet ones and sunglasses, we lathered up a nice coat of sunscreen and we headed to BBQ Heaven!
2016 PHILLY BBQ FEST
We entered through the third gate entrance and right off the bat we were handed a slew of swag! An official BBQ Fest apron, 10 BBQ sample vouchers, Phillies ticket voucher, and a BBQ Fest Map!
Inside the park we waited in line to take pictures with 2008 Phillies World Champion Manager, Charlie Manuel, and the 2008 World Series Trophy! We also got to take photos with the Philly Phanatic, which was my mom’s favorite part! After all of that fun we stopped at the Beer Garden for a refreshment and head out and begin our BBQ adventure.
THE PRE-SHOW
Just like in show biz, you have to work your way to the main event. We warmed up our pallets by taste testing some creamy Cabot Cheese and Rock The Roll’s famous BBQ Sauce!
(Of course we had to purchase a sauce from Rock The Roll.)
We even had the opportunity to check out other vendors while listening the musical styling of BBQ Fest band PhilBilly! They performed some classic tunes, some hits of today, and even some of their own songs!
Celebrity Cruise allowed us to sign up to WIN a cruise vacation and even gave us some Celebrity Cruise Swag!
FUZE flavor charged ice tea was there giving away bottles of their thirst quenching drinks! We visited FUZE a few times to stock up on some cold liquids
Greyhound Bus provided an air-conditioned bus to tour and let me tell you it came in handy when we couldn’t stand the heat. It was a nice cool place to relax while our stomachs prepared for the next sample.
We got to take pictures with some really cool cars from Imagine Lifestyles Luxury Car Rentals, and we even entered to win a rental!
Last but not least we met Shannon from local Non-Profit, HelpHOPELive. Shannon shared with us that HelpHOPELive was partnering with 92.5XTU to co-host another BBQ in September! All proceeds will benefit HelpHOPELive families who need help affording medical expenses. (Details to follow)
MAIN EVENT
Before I tell you about all the AMAZING food we sampled let me tell you about what BBQ means to me. It’s not BBQ if it doesn’t follow the Mahon 3 'S' rule!
It has to be SAUCY!
It has to be SLOPPY!
And
It has to be SASSY!
SAUCY- What’s BBQ without marinade and sauce. Marinade is the flavor that gets brought out when the meat is cooked, and BBQ sauce is added on after to enhance the flavor!
SLOPPY- It has to be, as my mom describes it “FINGER LICKIN’” GOOD! We Mahon's do not waste one bit no matter how messy. The sloppier the better.
SASSY- Sassy is BBQ that stands out and makes your mouth water! This is our way of saying a BBQ meat is unique. If BBQ was a person she would be one sassy mess.
All of the samples we had met all the qualifications of the Mahon 3 'S' rule and that is why we are sharing them with you today! Because with BBQ you go BIG or you go home.
So without further adieu here are our BROAD STREET BLOGGER BBQ Fest Favorites!
I just can't hold it in anymore but Fat Jack's BBQ knows BBQ! They take eat, sleep, and breathe BBQ to a whole new level. We had the chance to try FJ's BBQ Ribs and BBQ Smoked Sausage. The BBQ Rib meat was falling off the bone, and as you can see my mom and I could not get enough of that sauce. That wasn't the case for the smoked sausage. We were encouraged to add extra sauce to our sausage but it was so good it didn't need any sauce. Yes, I know I put sauce on everything, but next time you try Fat Jack's Smoked Sausage do yourself a favor and try it without extra sauce, you won't be disappointed! I could't get enough of Fat Jack's BBQ you bet Morgan and I will be making a visit sometime soon!
You may be thinking, perogies what do they have to do with BBQ? Well if you have ever heard of Pierogie Kitchen then you would know what all the buzz is about. At Pierogie Kitchen they have taken a traditional Eastern European dish and have turned it into a BBQ masterpiece! I was able to try the BBQ short Rib Mac & Cheese Pierogi, which was paired with a BBQ sauce and after one bite I was hooked! Lucky for me I have a brother who likes to share so he gave me a bite of his Dry Rub Pulled Pork Pierogi, and I am so glad he did because it had a little kick that was quite a surprise!
Nick's Roast Beef definitely received the Mahon seal of BBQ approval! Juicy beef drenched in sweet and tangy sauce. It was a mess; and we loved it! It was "finger lickin' good" down to a T. Nick's Roast Beef bite size slider was a sample that kept your taste buds wanting more.
Hog Face BBQ has a name that just SCREAMS BBQ MASTERS and let me tell you it's true! Hog Face served us up some of their famous BBQ Brisket and a side of what I can only describe as "corn chips". Brisket is one my favorite BBQ'ed meats so naturally I inhaled Hog Face's sample! I have one regret about the BBQ Fest and that's not savoring every bite of this amazing brisket! Those corn chips were so neat my dad is already looking forward to making them when he BBQ's!
By the time we ventured over to Dump N Roll, we were all very full but determined to try Dump N Roll's famous Chipotle Turkey Bacon Cheeseburger Wonton. I had to know what exactly a Chipotle Turkey Bacon Cheeseburger Wonton looked and tasted liked. It is a bite size explosion of meat and cheesy fried goodness in your mouth! You could taste every ingredient in just one bite. I Could have eaten about 10 of them if Dump N Roll would let me, but I figured I would share with the rest of the group since they were too good not to try. If you are looking to intensify your Dump N Roll experience add a little of their famous sauces to take your BBQ wonton to the next level!
Waffles are not just a staple breakfast food they also make a really tasty bun for Waffles and Wedges homemade Honey BBQ Pulled Chicken. What makes their waffle stand out is not just the fact that it was delicious , it is also gluten free. That's right Waffles and Wedges has gluten free options too. Just check out their menu and get your hands on Waffles and Wedges delicious waffle Honey BBQ pulled chicken! I will definitely be stopping by their location soon to try some more of their delicious waffle concoctions!
P'bons Fresh Phood of Philly is known for their pretzel roll sandwich, so it only made sense for them to serve their pulled BBQ Chicken on top of their pretzel roll. The sauce from the chicken was very smooth and having never had a pretzel roll sandwich it was the icing on this very Philly BBQ sample. Check out where P'bon will be next!
Humpty’s Dumpling
Don't be fooled by Humpt'y Dumplings because they may be little but they sure as heck know how to pack in the flavor. We tried two very different BBQ dumplings and we were floored as to how good they were. When you think of BBQ you don't normally think of dumplings but after trying the Buffalo Chicken and Roast Pork dumplings from Humpt'y Dumplings now you will!
El Sarape's pulled pork was my brother's favorite sample! What can I say he's got a thing for tacos, too! Before I could even snap a photo he had taken a huge bite. Needless to say El Sarape's Pulled Pork Tacos will make you lose all control. Having had my own sample I can agree, that's one taco that is ALL BBQ. Don't forget to squeeze the lime on top for some added extra flavor!
Tim's Barbecue Truck offered us a Pulled Pork Slider with Pulled Pork Carolina Sauce and Pickled Red Onions. I know what your thinking; that's a slider? Hey, I'm not complaining the more meat for me! Tim's Barbecue not only gave us a sample but a meal. I couldn't finish my whole slider, but Tim from Tim's Barbecue let me take one home too and it was still amazing and had so much flavor hours later! For a filling meal or late night snack make sure you catch Tim's Barbecue Truck when you can!
Cricket Catering not only gave us the most bang for our voucher, it was presentation that drew us in. Oh and the smell! Our sample was packed! Filled with two pieces of potato loaf bread a big heaping spoon full of BBQ Pulled Pork, topped with homemade slaw, and drizzled with BBQ sauce. Just looking at that photo makes me hungry. It was divine and might I add still hot when it was served to us.
Now that's BBQ!
FINAL THOUGHTS
All in all we give the 2016 Philadelphia BBQ Fest 2 thumbs up!
We would like to THANK the Philly BQQ Fest for inviting us and we would like to THANK all of the
vendors who showed us a fun time!
Just because summertime is coming to an end doesn’t mean your BBQ craving has to suffer. If any of these photos made your moth water I highly suggest you listen to your hunger and check them out! Tell them the Broad Street Bloggers sent you!
Don’t get yourself too upset waiting for the 2017 Philly BBQ Fest, local non-profit, HelpHOPELive, will be hosting, Philly’s Inaugural Fire Up Hope BBQ Festival September 10-11, 2016 at the Devon Horse Show Grounds. Get your tickets HERE! You might even see Morgan and me there chowing down on some BBQ!
Thanks for reading! #phillybroads
