Small AXE BBQ

Seriously, who thought it was a good idea to make the I Can't Believe It's Not Butter top sprayer on a swivel? And why?

The Small Axe mothership touched down in Coos Bay, OR last weekend for some fun in the sun at the 13th Annual BBQ, Blues, Brews, & Bourbon on the Bay. The venue, once known as The Mill Casino, has since been rebranded as The Ko-Kwel Casino Resort. Gone are the food by Marie Callender restaurant and tacky tourist buffet, replaced with a bourbon distillery, relaxed cigar lounge, a fine dining restaurant, and a whiskey bar with bay facing outdoor lounging. We did not suffer.

Our 5th time competing at this event and each year seems to somehow eclipse the last! 33 teams from Oregon, Washington, Idaho, California, and Alberta, CN came to represent, and boy did they. We tried some amazing ‘cue and the Anything Bourbon ancillaries were straight out-of-this-world, teams killed it, 5 perfect scores out of the 25 entries. Congratulations to Bar-B-Cuda BBQ, , , , J&C BBQ and Catering!

When the dust had settled we finished:
2nd Chicken ( )
17th Ribs
4th Pork (tied for 3rd)
15th Brisket

3rd Overall!

Special Thank You to John Hunt, , and for hosting such a great event and all the hospitality!

Congratulations to Grand Champ , and to on RGC! And to for Peoples Choice Champ!

Next up…
June 13 - McKinely Springs BBQ Showdown, Prosser, WA
June 28 – Big Smoke, Kalama, WA

Excited to see Meat & Tater back this year! We'll be there!

SAVE THE DATE 🔥

The Second Annual Meat & Tater Idaho BBQ Fest returns to Kleiner Park on September 5, 2026.

Smoke. Chrome. Community.

Join us for a full day of classic vehicles, local food, KCBS BBQ competition, and community fun in the heart of Meridian, Idaho.

More details, registration info, and announcements coming soon. 🥔🐂🚗

Small Axe will be on-site this year at the ilani BBQ Fest! We've been busy in the test kitchen and are excited to share our favorites. See you there!

Smokin’ hot news just dropped 🔥
Our chef lineup is stacked and ready to bring the heat June 13–14. Smoky, saucy, and seriously unforgettable flavors are on the way.

We've got next weekend off before we head down south to Myrtle Creek, OR for the Fly-In Pig BBQ Competition Myrtle Creek, OR May 16-17! Check out their page and website https://flyinpig.org/ for more info. Hope to see you there!

We're headed back to Pedleton, OR this weekend for the Cattle Barons BBQ Challenge, a PNWBA 3 meat contest. The public is invited to come out and taste tri-tip entries from 1-2:30PM on Saturday. Let 'er buck!

Setup in Lodi, CA for the Lodi Beer Fest & State BBQ Championship! Always one of our favorite events. Good luck to everyone cooking this weekend!

You don't want to miss these Washington competition's! This will be the 9th Annual DuPont BBQ Cookoff, and Smoke on the Sound is blowing up, wait till you see the trophies for this year! DuPont has secure trailer storage so if you decide to come up and leave your trailer we have a free spot for you.