John's Up In Smoke Cookers

04/25/2022

Another year in the books for Texas Association of First Responders BBQ cook off 2022. Congratulations to Pigtails Karen Eddie Lopez on their GC in Wild game. As for us John's Up In Smoke Cookers took 2nd place in Wild Game good enough for RGC and 15th in seafood.

For the four meats we didn't do too bad. We managed to place:
5th - Chicken
36 - Ribs (ouch)
26 - Pork (ouch)
5th Brisket
8th Over all out of 72 tough teams. Congratulations to Phong Vuong on GC and Danny Regan on RGC and everyone else who walked on stage.

It was great having family and friends come to support us. Thank you!!

03/25/2022

This past weekend John's Up In Smoke Cookers traveled to Hempstead for the first time since 2019 for a cook-off. It was much longer than I originally thought. Time really flies. It felt good to get out their again and cook with my barbecue family.
This was our first time competing in Champions Barbecue Alliance. They did not disappoint. This will be one of many more to participate in. We got our butts whipped this weekend. I'll admit we were a little rusty but just pushed me to thrive to be a better cook. We walked away with 1st place Chicken and 17th in pork, I'll take it, to be cooking against some of ok, a lot of the best cooks out there. I just asked for one good bone and God delivered. God is so good!!

12/02/2020

Knight's of Columbus - 2012 Grand Champion

11/24/2020

R & O Smoker doin what it does. Nothing like using B&B Charcoal, drinking Dr Pepper and making BBQ.

08/08/2020

Thank you Jesse Hernandez Sr. For my new addition to go along with my Raider pit. Many thanks also to Space City Raider Nation Houston Texas.

06/06/2020

Good Morning! Another day of cooking, Pinky keeping me company.

05/30/2020

Finished product! 😋

05/30/2020

John's Up In Smoke is not competing today but making some delicious ribs and briskets for some friends. Hope you enjoy!

05/10/2020

04/12/2020

Happy Easter from John's Up In Smoke. Living he loved us, dying he saved us. Be Blessed!

01/01/2020

Happy New Year from John's Up In Smoke! From our family to yours!

10/22/2019

Late post from this weekend. We went to La Marque for a great cook off. We walked away with 9th brisket and 3rd ribs out of 120 + teams. We were very happy with pork and chicken but they were no shows. Were blessed with what we received. Congratulations to those that got calls. Great meeting new BBQ friends along the way. Had the best neighbors Mark and Ciarli. Thanks for providing the Astros game!

09/20/2019

So blessed to have participated at the 40th annual World Series of BBQ - American Royal in Kansas City this past weekend. We we're fortunate to place 14th in turkey out of almost 500 teams. I'll take it any day. Congratulations to the king Fred Robles with Rio Valley Meat for taking Grand Champion! And everyone that walked.

It's hard work to pull off this cook-off but I love doing it. Thanks to my neighbor's Justin, Kate, Chiles and Berry for always being so hospitable and humble. I look forward to next year with these amazing people I call friends.

I would like to thank my sponsor's Homeland Staffing Inc., Ivan DeLeon and Jeff Kapsiak with Texas Wizard BBQ Products. Couldn't have done it without your help.

09/09/2019

John's Up In Smoke Cookers will be competing in Kansas City for the American Royal. Can't wait to see my cooking family from all over the country. This particular Cook-Off is prestige so it's an honor to be cooking among the best.

The American Royal World's Series of Barbecue® at Kansas Speedway. Watch the biggest and best party of the year captured in time lapse.