COMPETITOR

Charcoal Cowboys

HEAD COOK: Ken Wood

COMPETITION: World Barbecue Championship

After taking all of the cooking classes available in Middle TN, Ken Wood and his band of IT outlaws decided to sign up for Nashville’s largest BBQ contest. Ken and his buckaroo, Page Thompson, immediately fell in love with the sizzle of the BBQ community. Queue Chris LeDoux’s “Look at You Girl,'' replace “girl” with a Weber charcoal grill, and that’s how the Charcoal Cowboys were born. Since then, the cowboys have won over 50 national BBQ Awards, receiving the legendary, perfect score across the top three sections—Beef Brisket, Pulled Pork, and Pork Ribs—in the Kansas City BBQ Competition. Our success is spurred by the Charcoal Cowboys’ constant quest for the perfect bite—that’s what we did at our Nashville restaurant (Best New Nashville Restaurant 2018) and catering service (Best Catering in Nashville 2019), and that’s the same cowboy spirit we bring to our sauces and rubs. Inspired by the taste of our world travels, each of the Charcoal Cowboys’ products blend over two-dozen different spices to enhance your food with deep layers of savory, fall-off-the-bone flavor. When reflecting on their earlier life, the Charcoal Cowboys recall sneaking extra spices into their grandma’s chicken and dumplings, and cooking weekly feasts for college roommates. Forever thankful that they realized their God-given talents, the cowboys remain committed to helping their community—using flavorful food as an opportunity to connect with our neighbors, family, and friends facing life’s most challenging moments. We have a special place in our heart for helping those with special needs and mental health challenges, and we bring that heart into every aspect of our business. On or off the grill, the team at Charcoal Cowboys take pride in the work we do. With our sauces and rubs, you can bring that same cowboy spirit to your next BBQ. After all, making memories with those you love and sharing with neighbors, that’s what Charcoal Cowboys is all about. Our products are designed to “giddy-up” your chicken, beef, pork, veggies, and even your old-fashioned cocktail, making you the Buffalo Bill of your culdesac. But if you are faced with a friendly grill-master showdown, you can draw on your Charcoal Cowboys sauces and rubs to out-flavor any ole BBQ bandit in town.