Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival's 10-Year Celebration

The Hebrew Order of David announces the official in-person and live return of the Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival on Sunday, Oct. 23 at Brook Run Park in Dunwoody.

Celebrating its official 10-year anniversary, the festival will host over 20 teams including traveling participants from Florida, Texas and Washington, D.C. to take part in this year’s competition. The festival is expecting more than 4,000 barbecue lovers and community supporters to be in attendance and offers events and musical programming for all ages in addition to barbecue tastings and vendor booths showcasing local kosher caterers, community organizations, first responders, artisans, and more.

Atlanta Jewish Times as Shakin Your Brisket at the 2021 Kosher BBQ Festival.

The festival includes competitions in the categories of Beef Brisket, Beef Ribs, Chicken, Chili and more. The Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival is supervised by the Atlanta Kashruth Commission and all entries are judged by KCBS-certified judges.

“As we head into the Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival’s 10th-anniversary celebration, we are ecstatic to be back in person again,” said Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival Executive Director Jody Pollack.

Crowds join Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival in 2019.

Pollack continued, “We are expecting our largest crowd to date and can’t wait to see our community come together for the love of BBQ. This event is all about bringing people together no matter their religious background or affiliation and we welcome everyone out to have a great time and eat some amazing BBQ.

“Additionally, I’m happy to announce this year’s title sponsor is the Atlanta Jewish Times. The AJT has always been a great supporter of the festival and we cannot thank them enough for their patronage and commitment to the continued success of this event. Our official motto is ‘Bringing the community together.’ However, in reality, we do not care what flavor you are, as long as you love BBQ!”

Additionally, for the past several years, the Cobb County Police Department has entered a team to participate in the festival’s competition. In light of recent events where two Cobb County deputies were lost in the line of duty, the festival and its organizers will be donating a portion of the event proceeds to honor their memories and families left behind.

Cobb County Police Department represented and led by Lester Maddox.

“In these tough situations, we must all find ways to support each other,” said Pollack. “These brave men and women have been participating in the festival alongside us for several years, and we wanted to find a way to honor their colleagues’ memories. Jewish or non-Jewish, we are a community that needs to stick together. That’s what this festival is all about at the end of the day.”

Tasting tickets are now available for purchase. For vendor and sponsorship info and opportunities, please reach out to: pitboss@theatlantakosherbbqfestival.com.

(From right) Jody Pollack and Michael Marks, a.k.a. Brisket.

A Few Highlights:

• Atlanta Jewish Times “Smokin’ Hot off the Press” will be onsite with their amazing and always unique BBQ team tent.
• Jim Ellis Audi will be onsite with their new e-tron Electric cars.
• Flayco a kosher spice mixer and purveyor, will be supplying the spices for our teams.
• Dressler’s Funeral Care has been a major sponsor since the inception of the festival back in 2012.
• Sunbelt Rentals is once again donating the power that keeps us lit at night as the teams prep and cook their BBQ offerings.
• Deli2U has been the meat provider since the inception of the festival back in 2012.
• Primo Grills, the only domestic manufacturer of ceramic grills, has donated the charcoal for our teams.
• Thomas Eye Group has made a generous donation in support of our 10th Anniversary Festival.