Local fave wins 43rd annual Great Lenexa BBQ Battle. See the Post’s pics of the event
Nearly 160 teams cooked a variety of meats as part of the 43rd Great Lenexa BBQ Battle at Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park on Saturday..
A cook prepares to coat meat at the 43rd Great Lenexa BBQ Battle at Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park. Photo credit Andrew Gaug.
This weekend, the smell of grilled and smoked meats, along with the sounds of commands from teams and contemplation from judges, filled Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park.
On Friday and Saturday, the City of Lenexa hosted the 43rd Great Lenexa BBQ Battle at one of the city’s most popular parks.Â
The weekend included a public event on Friday with live music, kids’ activities, food and private parties among the competitors. Saturday was all business, as teams cooked, grilled and smoked meats to present to the judges.
In the end, the champions were: Slaps BBQ of Kansas City, Kansas, crowned as Grand Champion, Squealin N Dealin BBQ of Independence, Missouri, as Reserve Grand Champion and Brew ‘N’ Bar-B-Que of Shawnee, Kansas, at third place.
Here’s some of the sights from Saturday:
A cook flips meat at the 43rd Great Lenexa BBQ Battle at Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park. Photo credit Andrew Gaug.
A cook inspects meat at the 43rd Great Lenexa BBQ Battle at Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park. Photo credit Andrew Gaug.A cook checks on a batch of meat at the 43rd Great Lenexa BBQ Battle at Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park. Photo credit Andrew Gaug.Preparing some meat, a cook gives it a rock fist up. Photo credit Andrew Gaug.A cook prepares to slice into salmon at the 43rd Great Lenexa BBQ Battle at Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park. Photo credit Andrew Gaug.A cook applies sauce at the 43rd Great Lenexa BBQ Battle at Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park. Photo credit Andrew Gaug.A cook slices meat at the 43rd Great Lenexa BBQ Battle at Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park. Photo credit Andrew Gaug.Cooks joke around at the 43rd Great Lenexa BBQ Battle at Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park. Photo credit Andrew Gaug.After their meat is determined to be up to par, cooks plate it for the judges. Photo credit Andrew Gaug.A cook cleans off one of his grills with a brush. Photo credit Andrew Gaug.While the adults are busy grilling, kids play nearby. Photo credit Andrew Gaug.BBQ teams deliver their submission to the judges. Photo credit Andrew Gaug.Before judges taste the submissions, they’re given a look at each piece of meat. Photo credit Andrew Gaug.A judges tastes a submission at the 43rd Great Lenexa BBQ Battle at Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park. Photo credit Andrew Gaug.Another judge tastes a submission at the 43rd Great Lenexa BBQ Battle at Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park. Photo credit Andrew Gaug.Judges’ scores are entered and ready to be tallied. Photo credit Andrew Gaug.The 43rd Great Lenexa BBQ Battle at Sar-Ko-Par Trails Grand Champion was Slaps BBQ of Kansas City, Kansas, led by head chef Joe Pearce. Pictured with the team is Lenexa Mayor Julie Sayers (third from left). Photo via City of Lenexa Facebook page.
👋 Hi! I’m Andrew Gaug, and I cover Shawnee and Lenexa for the Johnson County Post.
I received my bachelor’s degree in journalism from Kent State University and started my career as a business reporter for The Vindicator in Youngstown, Ohio.
I spent 14 years as a multimedia reporter for the St. Joseph News-Press before joining the Post in 2023.
Have a story idea or a comment about our coverage you’d like to share? Email me at andrew@johnsoncountypost.com.
