Cowboy Cookoff Delivers Flavorful Success

Updated: October 5, 2023

Emilio Flores
LFN

Los Fresnos, Texas — The 6th Annual Cowboy Cookoff, held at the Los Fresnos Rodeo Grounds on September 15th and 16th, proved to be a sizzling success. This beloved event brought together BBQ enthusiasts, classic car aficionados, and families looking for a weekend of fun and flavor.

This year, Beerbelly’s BBQ proved its worthiness as the grand champion of the cookoff, claiming the coveted title. Their culinary prowess shone brightly with a 1st place win in BBQ chicken and an impressive perfect score of 200. They also secured 4th place in ribs and 9th place in brisket. “Gonzales Family Barbecue” clinched the Reserved Grand Champion title. Meanwhile, Top C Cookers won the hearts of the crowd and were crowned People’s Choice.
First-place winners in individual categories were as follows:

Chicken: Beerbelly’s BBQ

Pork Ribs: Smoking & Toasting BBQ

Brisket: Shake & Smoke

Beans: Fat Cap BBQ

Fajita: Rio Smoke
The excitement didn’t stop with the adults; young BBQ enthusiasts showcased their skills in the Kids Que categories. In the 12-16 age group, Jacob Estrada took the top spot, securing him first place with Jacob Rodriguez and Giana Synder following in second and third. In the 6-11 age group, Clarissa Mejia claimed first place, with Matthew Guzman and Austin Lopez securing second and third place, respectively.

The High School Division featured a spirited competition, with STISD – Medical Professions emerging as the winners, followed by BISD Veterans La Gonzalada BBQ Team.
Beyond the BBQ, the Classic Car Show added a dash of vintage charm to the event. The results were as follows:

1st Place: Rene Cortinas – 1979 Chevy Malibu, Brown
2nd Place: Chano Villarreal – 1969 Ford Mustang MACH 1 F/B, Blue
3rd Place: Fernando San Miguel – 1961 Chevy Apache, Green

Larry Cantu, the Rodeo Chairman, expressed his delight in the event’s success, stating, “We had a very successful Cowboy Cook-Off with more teams than we had last year. We had 35 teams, including 2 high school teams competing.” He emphasized the positive turnout, with good crowds enjoying the Market Place, live music from the Chris Rivera Band and the Fabulous Cruisers, and delectable food samples from the competing teams, vying for the People’s Choice Award.

Cantu highlighted the family-friendly atmosphere, noting that children had a blast with activities like slides and pony rides. The cookoff’s judging process saw 79 judges signing up, all unaware of which team they were evaluating. Cantu proudly shared, “We had two teams, both from Los Fresnos, that had perfect scores of 200.” Uwe Braun of Beerbelly’s BBQ secured a perfect score for chicken, while Cesar Mejia of Smoking & Toasting BBQ achieved a flawless score for pork ribs.

Uwe Braun expressed his gratitude and excitement from this event calling it “One of our(Beerbelly’s) favorite events…” adding, “(it’s) put on every year by a bunch of good old guys, the Los Fresnos rodeo committee.”

The 6th Annual Cowboy Cookoff in Los Fresnos not only satisfied taste buds but also brought together a great community BBQ and Car enthusiasts. It’s an event that continues to grow and shows just what the City of Los Fresnos is all about.