Come Experience the Capital Kosher BBQ Competition
Capital Camps & Retreat Center | Waynesboro, PA
If you’ve never been to a BBQ competition before, you may be wondering: Do I just show up and eat what the teams are cooking?
Not exactly — but you should definitely come hungry.
The Capital Kosher BBQ Competition is really two experiences happening side by side: a sanctioned KCBS BBQ competition that you get to watch up close, and a People’s Choice tasting where you get to eat the teams’ BBQ and vote for your favorites.
Understanding that difference is the key to understanding the day.
What Is the KCBS Competition — and Why Does It Matter?
The Capital Kosher BBQ Competition isn’t simply a gathering of people who like to cook BBQ. It is a sanctioned Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) competition.
KCBS brings established standards and structure to competitive BBQ. Our teams spend hours tending their smokers, managing fire and temperature, refining recipes, timing their cooks and preparing their very best meat for official turn-in to trained judges.
Keeping kosher shouldn’t mean lowering our expectations for what BBQ can be. Real barbecue is a craft — smoke, fire, seasoning, temperature, timing, patience and technique.
By bringing the standards and discipline of KCBS competition together with kosher cooking under Star-K supervision, we’re creating a place where those things can coexist without compromise.
The competition pushes our pitmasters to improve. They learn from one another, refine their techniques and see how their BBQ measures up against an established standard. At the same time, it introduces more people in the kosher community to what authentic, carefully prepared BBQ can be.
The goal isn’t simply to crown a winner. It’s to grow the craft and raise expectations for kosher BBQ.
As a visitor, you get to experience the competition up close. Walk among the teams, see the smokers, smell the wood and charcoal, talk BBQ and watch teams prepare their official KCBS turn-in boxes.
But there is one important distinction:
The teams’ official KCBS competition entries go to the judges. They are not handed out or sold to spectators.
Important Distinction
People’s Choice: This Is Where You Get to Eat — and Vote
In addition to cooking their official entries for the KCBS judges, teams prepare BBQ specifically for People’s Choice.
This is your opportunity to taste BBQ from the competing teams, compare them for yourself and cast your vote for your favorite. competitive standard. People’s Choice gives our community a voice — and something great to eat.
Brisket
Chicken Wings
Teams will also compete in a third People’s Choice category—chili—with tastings free for the public. In addition, teams will be handing out free samples of their KCBS competition turkey.
Buy Your People’s Choice Tickets Early
This part is important: People’s Choice tickets are limited.
BBQ takes hours to prepare, and our teams need to know ahead of time how many portions they need to cook. We therefore sell a limited number of People’s Choice tickets.
If tasting the teams’ BBQ is part of why you’re coming, purchase your tickets in advance. When they’re gone, they’re gone.
Each People’s Choice ticket includes admission for one person
What If I Just Want Lunch? What About the Kids?
You absolutely do not have to participate in People’s Choice to have something good to eat.
The Pit Barrel Poultry Company will be at the event selling its applewood-smoked pulled chicken sandwiches. This is a great option if you’re not doing People’s Choice, or need to feed someone who isn’t particularly interested in comparing competition brisket.
Preordering your chicken sandwiches is a good idea so you know your lunch is waiting for you.
There will also be other food, snacks, drinks and treats available for purchase, including:
Knishes
Pretzels
Falafel Balls
Iced Coffee
Cold Brew
Iced Tea
Slushies
Soft Serve (parve)
There are plenty of options even if everyone in your group doesn’t want to participate in People’s Choice.
Bring the Kids. Make a Day of It.
This is a serious BBQ competition, but it’s also meant to be a fun afternoon in the mountains.
There will be live music, zip lining, field games and activities for kids, along with plenty of opportunity to wander through the competition area, meet the teams and see real BBQ being made.
Come for the BBQ. Stay for the afternoon.
The Short Version
Reserve your People’s Choice tickets in advance.
Quantities are limited, and your ticket includes admission for one person.
Arrive at noon.
Especially if you have People’s Choice tickets — you want to be here for the tasting you reserved.
Plan lunch for anyone who isn’t doing People’s Choice.
Consider preordering a Pit Barrel chicken sandwich.
Bring some people with you.
Invite friends and family — kosher or not, BBQ fanatics or simply BBQ curious.
Then eat, taste, vote, watch the competition, listen to music, enjoy the activities and spend a summer Sunday with us in the mountains.
SERIOUS BBQ. SERIOUS KASHRUT. NO COMPROMISE
Register to attend & reserve your tasting/voting tickets
Tasting and consuming food produced by teams for purposes of the People’s Choice Award is strictly voluntary/at your own risk/and you agree to hold harmless and indemnify teams and Capital Camps and Retreat Center from any liabilities associated with consuming competing bbq at the event.
Have questions?
Get in touch!
Tasting/Voting Tickets
$25/protein
*chicken
*brisket
Register to Attend
and reserve your tasting and voting tickets
Purchasing a People's Choice Tasting/Voting Ticket allows you to taste a curated sample from each of the participating teams, cast a vote for the team you believe represents the very best our of our community, and includes admission to an afternoon of music, fun, and live competition. Be sure to reserve in advance as portions are limited.
Visitors who do not wish to purchase People's Choice Tasting/Voting tickets are welcome to attend the event and enjoy the fun for just $5/person. Additional food will be available for purchase.
