HOLY SMOKES BBQ CO

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How much brisket do I need per person?

Plan on about half a pound of cooked brisket per adult. A whole packer brisket loses roughly 40% of its raw weight during trimming and cooking, so buy about 0.8 pounds of raw brisket per person. For 20 guests, that's 16 pounds raw. For 50 guests, 40 pounds. BBQ Calculator does this math for you and adjusts for your specific cut and smoker.

How do you score BBQ like a competition judge?

Competition BBQ judges score on appearance, taste, and tenderness. BBQ Scorecard adapts that framework for restaurant dining, expanding to 10 categories: appearance, taste, tenderness, smoke, sauce, sides, portions and value, service, cleanliness, and family amenities. Each category is scored 1 to 10 and the app averages them into an overall rating you can compare across every restaurant you've visited.

What should I write in a BBQ cook log?

Record the cut and weight of meat, your rub or seasoning recipe, the wood species you used, your target temperature and actual temps at key checkpoints, total cook time, the weather (wind and humidity affect cook time), and honest tasting notes. The most useful thing to log is what you'd do differently next time. BBQ Notebook gives you fields for all of these and keeps every cook in one searchable timeline.

Is there a free app to track BBQ restaurant visits?

BBQ Scorecard is free to use. Rate every BBQ joint you visit, compare restaurants, and build a personal leaderboard. Works in any web browser and as a native Android app on Google Play. Your data syncs across devices when you create a free account.

How do I find the cheapest brisket near me?

BBQ Board shows community-reported meat prices from butchers, grocery stores, and warehouse clubs in your area. Pick your city, filter by brisket (or any cut), and the results sort cheapest-first. Prices are updated by other BBQ buyers in your region, so the number you see is what someone in your area actually paid.

What wood should I use for smoking brisket?

Post oak is the standard for Texas-style brisket. Hickory runs hotter and gives a stronger smoke flavor. Mesquite works but can turn bitter on long cooks if you're not careful with fire management. Cherry and apple add sweetness but are better suited to pork and poultry. BBQ Calculator includes a wood pairing guide with flavor profiles and heat ratings for 16 wood species.

WHAT EACH APP DOES

BBQ Scorecard: Rate and Compare BBQ Restaurants

BBQ Scorecard is a free restaurant rating app built for people who eat BBQ seriously. Score every joint you visit across 10 competition-style categories: appearance, taste, tenderness, smoke, sauce, sides, portions and value, service, cleanliness, and family amenities. The scoring system is modeled on competition BBQ judging criteria, adapted for restaurant dining instead of competition turn-in boxes.

Compare restaurants side by side, filter by city or category, and track a leaderboard of your personal top-rated spots. Syncs across devices with a free account. Works offline on Android so you can score at the table without cell signal.

BBQ Notebook: Cook Log for Pitmasters

BBQ Notebook is a free cook logging app for anyone running a smoker at home, backyard or competition. Log every cook: meat type and weight, rub recipe, wood species, smoker type, target and actual temperatures, total cook time, weather conditions, and tasting notes. Write down what worked and what to change next time.

Import temperature data from 11 Bluetooth thermometer apps. Earn pitmaster tiers as you log more cooks. All data stays private by default. Available as a web app and a native Android app on Google Play.

BBQ Meat Calculator: How Much Meat to Buy

BBQ Calculator tells you how much raw meat to buy for a crowd, based on your guest count, the cut you're smoking, and your smoker's capacity. It accounts for trim loss and cook shrinkage so the raw weight you buy is the right amount.

Covers brisket, pork shoulder (pulled pork), ribs, chicken, turkey, tri-tip, and sausage. Enter your guest count and the calculator gives you: pounds of raw meat to buy, estimated cook time, how many batches fit on your smoker, a reverse timeline from your target serve time, a printable shopping list, fuel estimates for pellets or charcoal, and side dish quantities. Free, no account required.

BBQ Board: Local Meat Prices from Butchers and Grocery Stores

BBQ Board is a crowdsourced meat price tracker. Pick your city and see current per-pound prices for brisket, pork shoulder, ribs, chicken breast, whole chicken, ground beef, bratwurst, and more at local butchers, warehouse clubs like Costco and Sam's Club, and grocery store meat counters. Prices are submitted by the community and sorted cheapest-first so you can find the best deal on brisket or pork butt in your area.

Currently covering Milwaukee, Madison, Chicago, Kansas City, St. Louis, Minneapolis–St. Paul, Omaha, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Dallas–Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Lockhart, Memphis, Nashville, Louisville, Atlanta, Savannah, Charlotte, Raleigh, Birmingham, New Orleans, Little Rock, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Wichita, Denver, Phoenix, Jacksonville, and Boise. Over 100 cities across 23 states. Free to browse. Sign in to submit prices from your local shops. Available as a web app and as a native Android app on Google Play.