A Fayetteville chef is the first woman to lead a team in Fayetteville’s Black BBQ Cookoff , a barbecue competition in its third year, slated for this weekend.
The Friends Table restaurant owner Portia Grady and her crew of eight staff is one of 17 teams who will cook ribs, chicken, brisket and pulled pork at the Crown Complex on Saturday for a chance to win in each category and overall.
Grady, 32, admits she’s no pitmaster, but she’s excited to see how her team stacks up against the competition.
“I was like, ‘I wanna try my hand at this barbecue thing,’” the self-taught chef said Monday. “I accept the challenge.”
Previously: Check out photos of the people and food at Fayetteville's 2nd Black BBQ Cook Off
Her crew includes people from all walks of life — among them are former baristas, farmers and delivery people — but they all have one thing in common.
“We’re united by our love of food,” Grady said.
She said she’s most confident in their brisket, which takes about 18 to 20 hours from start to finish.
“The seasonings that we use, the wood that we use to smoke it, and the marinade make the biggest difference,” she said. “The cooking process, too. Low and slow has been our winning ticket.”
The meat is fantastic on its own, Grady said, but she also has a secret weapon: house-made barbecue sauces in flavors like cranberry lime and peach siracha.
Fayetteville chef got her start in catering before opening a hip restaurant
Grady left a career in economic development about five years ago to open a catering business. The Wilmington native quickly became known around Fayetteville for her Southern comfort food — but she said that she has cooked a little bit of everything, including kosher pizza for a bat mitzvah.
In 2021, she opened The Friends Table , a hip downtown spot.
Since then, the restaurant moved to Westwood Shopping Center, and Grady said she and her team have experimented with barbecue. It’s not on the regular menu at the two-story brunch joint but is sometimes served as a special and can be ordered for catering.
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Grady said that as a newcomer, she’s looking forward to friendly competition with longtime local pitmasters.
“We are excited and honored to even be among this competition and welcomed and embraced by veterans that have been doing this a long time,” she said.
Black BBQ Cookoff location, ticket prices and schedule
The cook-off, held in conjunction with the I Love My Community Cookout and Giveaway, is at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Crown Complex, 1960 Coliseum Drive.
The event is free and open to the public. To sample pulled pork from each team and cast a vote for the people’s choice award, purchase a ticket for $20 at crowncomplexnc.com or for $25 at the door on Saturday.
The Southern Barbecue Network-sanctioned event is blind-judged by a panel of barbecue experts and winners will be announced at about 5 p.m., organizer Bruce Yeomans said Monday.
Cash prizes range from $500 for third place in each category to $2,000 for the grand champion.
Black BBQ Cookoff shirts will be sold for $28 to $32, Yeomans said.
While barbecue teams are not permitted to sell food or drinks, other vendors will have meals, beer and wine available for purchase.
“If you love food, you should be there,” Yeomans said.
Food, dining and culture reporter Taylor Shook can be reached at tshook@gannett.com. Want weekly food news delivered to your inbox? Sign up for the Fayetteville Foodies newsletter .
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: This chef will be the first woman to lead a team at the Fayetteville Black BBQ Cookoff
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