Preserving Heritage
Barbecue is a unique part of our shared American heritage and Hard Times BBQ is dedicated to preserving this heritage. Unfortunately, genuine wood-fired barbecue is becoming a lost art. Gas, electric and pellet smokers offer barbecue shortcuts—quick fixes and attractive convenience for many people looking to cook barbecue.
However, these cooking methods result in soulless, disappointing food that lacks the authentic smoky flavor, juicy texture, deep mahogany color and rendered tenderness that can only be obtained by a true pit master using real wood and time-tested barbecue methods. We use only the freshest, all-natural ingredients. Our barbecue is cooked on a genuine wood-fired rotisserie smoker. Genuine barbecue requires time, patience, perseverance and hard work.
Barbecue cannot be rushed. There are no short cuts and it’s not easy. Real barbecue is done when it’s done. To cook barbecue properly you have to be able to use all of your senses as well as your experience and intuition. But, in the end, genuine wood-fired barbecue is a rewarding experience for both the pit master and the lucky guests that get to experience the food that’s been prepared with real heart and soul!
Crafting Flavor
Our barbecue craft has been honed by a lifetime of experience both cooking barbecue and enjoying it across the United States. Our barbecue knowledge has been handed down generations. Tips and tricks have been gleaned from BBQ road-trip odysseys across the country’ premier barbecue destinations. Our skills are a result of our combined experience as well as conversations with some of Americas’ most famous pit masters during BBQ road-trip “vacations” taken over the years.
We’ve traversed the country to experience and learn American regional barbecue. Our Hard Times BBQ style is influenced and reflects the best barbecue that each region in the United States has to offer—Carolina style whole hog and pulled pork, Kansas City style ribs and chicken, central Texas style brisket, beef ribs and spicy jalapeno beef sausage.
California’s gift to the nation’s barbecue heritage is Tri-Tip and we offer some of the best smoked and grilled and oak-fired Santa Maria style Tri-Tip you can get. Of course, grilled and smoked vegetables are always a California favorite as well. We do barbecue because we enjoy it!
Let us share our love and passion for barbecue with you, your friends and family. Specialized in catering events and special occasions, big & small. We’re also available at cost for charitable causes, fundraisers and first-responder events. We offer end-to-end flexible catering solutions whether you need full-buffet service provided by our friendly staff including set-up & clean-up or if you just need the food delivered hot. Call us when you want flavour of real barbecue for your next event!
