Ol' Pokes BBQ

06/15/2026

🏆 RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION 🏆

Yesterday wasn't about me.

Yesterday was Clay's day.

For the third year in a row, Clay competed at the Heroes, Hogs, & Hot Rods BBQ Competition. But this year was different.

This year, he ran the show.

I was there to help, but make no mistake, Clay was the boss. He planned, directed, organized, and even politely told me what needed to happen next.

While most kids were sleeping, Clay stayed up all night tending fires and managing the cook. Other than about a one-hour nap, he was on his feet from start to finish.

By the end of the day, he had cooked:

🔥 2 full packer briskets🔥 7 pork shoulders🔥 7 slabs of ribs🔥 40 pounds of chicken wings

In total, he served over 300 people.

Then came the best part.

Friends, family, customers, and people from our community showed up all day long to support him. Some came for the food. Some came because they've watched him grow up around Ol Pokes BBQ. Every one of them meant something.

When the awards were announced, all that hard work paid off:

🥈 Reserve Grand Champion (2nd Overall)🥈 2nd Place People's Choice Brisket🥉 3rd Place People's Choice Pulled Pork

As proud as I am of the trophies, I'm even more proud of the young man who earned them.

The trophies will collect dust someday.

What won't fade is the work ethic, dedication, leadership, and passion he showed today.

For years he has been learning the ropes.

Today he led the team.

Thank you to everyone who came out, ate with us, voted, encouraged him, and made this a day he'll never forget.

The future of Ol Pokes BBQ is in good hands. 🔥🐷

For everyone asking what's next...

This summer, we're planning to fire the smokers back up for Pitmaster Clay's Road to the Dirt Bike.

Clay has his sights set on his first dirt bike, and he's determined to earn it the same way he earned these awards—through hard work, long nights, and great BBQ.

He'll be calling the shots, running the menu, and serving up some of the same award-winning barbecue that helped bring home Reserve Grand Champion.

After what he accomplished today, I think he's earned that opportunity.

🔥🐷 Stay tuned. The road to the dirt bike starts now.

06/12/2026

OL POKES BBQ IS HEADED TO MANTENO!

This Sunday, Clay will be returning to the Heroes, Hogs & Hot Rods BBQ Competition for his third year of competition cooking.
Most people see a 13-year-old. What they don't see are the countless hours he's spent helping with Ol Pokes BBQ catering jobs, learning the craft, tending smokers, preparing meat, and helping serve hundreds of people when I'm at work or tied up with other commitments.
Last year, that hard work paid off when Clay helped earn a 2nd Place Ribs finish in the competition.

Now he's back and ready to see if he can take the next step.
We're incredibly proud of the young man he's becoming—not just because of the awards, but because of the work ethic, dedication, and passion he brings every time he steps behind the pit.

If you're looking for something fun to do Sunday, come out to Downtown Manteno, enjoy the cars, music, vendors, and amazing food, and check out all the teams competing.

📍 Downtown Manteno 📅 Sunday, June 14 🔥 Heroes, Hogs & Hot Rods
Third year competing. Second place ribs last year. Chasing one more call to the stage.

02/10/2026

Ol Poke’s is still cooking through the winter!

Even though it’s cold outside, we’re still firing up the smokers, keeping the sauce warm, and serving up what you know and love. Winter might slow things down a bit, but our love for good BBQ and our community never does.
And speaking of community.....

Life can change in an instant. Our friend Kevin suffered two strokes recently and, thanks to incredible medical care, is now home and working hard in therapy three times a week. The road to recovery is long, and his family needs our prayers, support, and love.

A benefit for Kevin and Jodi Schaumburg will be held at the Herscher American Legion on Saturday, February 28, from 5–11 PM. There will be cash boards, baskets, and a silent auction, and a $25 donation at the door helps cover medical expenses, travel, and lost wages. Every dollar goes directly to supporting them as they navigate this challenging time. Bring cash if you can.

Ol Poke’s BBQ is honored to provide food for the event. All food is being donated at cost so more resources can go straight to the family—our small way of helping, while letting the community come together for someone in need.

Also happening that day is a benefit for the Limestone Reapers travel baseball team, which Cayson plays for. While that event is another example of our community spirit, our hearts are especially focused on Kevin and his fight to regain his strength.

Come share a meal, bid on items, say a prayer, and show Kevin that he’s not walking this road alone. Every gesture, every moment, every person there makes a difference. ❤️

https://facebook.com/events/s/share-the-love-benefit-for-kev/762121729777864/

11/26/2025

Every Thanksgiving at Ol Pokes starts early. Real early. I am out in the garage at three thirty in the morning firing up the smokers while most of the world is still dead asleep. It is quiet out there. Just me the fire and that first wave of smoke rolling out into the cold. It is the kind of peace you only get before the day wakes up.

Then eight o’clock hits and that peace gets destroyed in about five seconds.

Because that is when the same crew of guys shows up. They are not helpers. They are not volunteers. They are customers and friends who figured out years ago that if they wander into my garage at eight a.m. with a cooler they can drink beer and hide from their wife’s honey do list without getting caught.

They walk in like they are punching a time clock. One cracks a beer before he even says good morning. One claims he has been up since five even though his hair still looks like he lost a wrestling match with his pillow. Another takes the best chair in the garage and gives me a nod like thanks for saving it for me. And not a single one touches a turkey. They just stand around drinking laughing and creating the kind of Thanksgiving chaos that has somehow become a tradition.

And I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

But mixed in with all that fun is something that means a lot to me and my family. A few years ago we started making extra turkeys and getting them to local families who needed a little help making Thanksgiving happen. No attention. No bragging. Just doing what felt right.

Then something really special happened. The last couple years our customers started adding to it on their own. Buying an extra turkey. Slipping a little extra into the pot. Quietly saying make sure this helps someone out. No pressure. No expectation. Just good people doing good because that is who they are.

And that right there is why this tradition means something. Because it is not just us. It is all of you.

So from me my wife and my kids we want to say something that does not get said enough. We are thankful. Not just for the turkey customers who make Thanksgiving morning what it is. But for every single person who has supported Ol Pokes. Every wedding we catered. Every graduation party. Every ball tournament. Every company lunch. Every backyard gathering. Every event big or small where someone trusted us to feed their people.

You all are the reason we get to do what we do. You are the reason this little business keeps growing. You are the reason we get to keep turning a simple idea into something that reaches more families every year. We see it. We feel it. And we could not be more grateful.

And who knows. Maybe this year the tradition grows again. Maybe it helps another family or two. That is the beautiful part. When a community like this is behind something it always finds a way to get bigger.

But one thing is certain. At three thirty a.m. I will be out there with the smoker warming up. And at eight the garage door will open and the usual crew will pour in like they have an important job they will never actually do.

And honestly that is exactly how Thanksgiving is supposed to start at Ol Pokes.

11/21/2025

Turkey Day is one week away!

We did a “trial run” and shocker it’s just as mouthwatering as ever. Okay fine… we just couldn’t wait. 🤤

Don’t forget to get those last-minute orders in ASAP for this delicious goodness 815.662.7622!

05/15/2025