80 Barbecue Trivia Questions with Answers
80 public questions with answers, drawn from the well. How many can you answer?
Barbecue trivia spans regional traditions, restaurant history, grill inventions, cuts of meat, sauces, side dishes, and cooking techniques from around the world. Questions move from the first Sonny’s BBQ location in Florida and the 1952 invention of the Weber kettle grill to Lexington-style slaw, St. Louis-style ribs, and international specialties.
The set also includes Cape Malay sosaties, Filipino barbecue, Nigerian suya, and North African whole-animal roasting traditions. That broad coverage makes it useful for backyard cooks, food enthusiasts, pub quizzes, family game nights, and classroom units on geography or food culture. Players may recognize familiar barbecue styles while discovering how differently grilled and smoked foods are prepared across regions.
Who invented the Weber kettle grill in 1952?
Answer
George Stephen
St. Louis-style ribs are trimmed from what pork rib cut?
Answer
Spare ribs
What Peruvian grilled skewer dish is often made from beef heart?
Answer
Anticucho
What clay oven is used to cook many tandoori dishes?
Answer
Tandoor
The word shashlik entered English from which language?
Answer
Russian
What glass-sided indoor smoker is associated with Chicago-style barbecue?
Answer
Aquarium smoker
What Memphis barbecue dish combines smoked pork, barbecue sauce, and noodles?
Answer
Barbecue spaghetti
Who is credited as the originator of Kansas City-style barbecue?
Answer
Henry Perry
Which Taiwanese comedian and restaurateur created Mongolian barbecue?
Answer
Wu Zhaonan
Before tri-tip, what beef cut was original to Santa Maria-style barbecue?
Answer
Top sirloin
What is the Japanese charcoal-grilling method often shortened to robata?
Answer
Robatayaki
Chinese chuan skewers originated in which region of China?
Answer
Xinjiang
What small pink bean traditionally accompanies Santa Maria-style barbecue?
Answer
Pinquito bean
In Jamaican jerk seasoning, what spice is also called pimento?
Answer
Allspice
What condiment is the base of Alabama white barbecue sauce?
Answer
Mayonnaise
Which California city gives Santa Maria-style barbecue its name?
Answer
Santa Maria
What is a Brazilian steakhouse restaurant serving grilled meat called?
Answer
Churrascaria
What Visayan grilled chicken dish is marinated with calamansi, vinegar, and annatto?
Answer
Chicken inasal
What is the Japanese style of grilled chicken skewers?
Answer
Yakitori
What is the Filipino dish of whole roasted pig?
Answer
Lechon
What is the name of the Middle Eastern grilled meat skewers?
Answer
Shish kebab
What is the Indian dish of yogurt-marinated chicken cooked in a clay oven?
Answer
Tandoori chicken
What is the Jamaican dish of spicy grilled chicken called?
Answer
Jerk chicken
What cut of beef is the centerpiece of Brazilian churrasco?
Answer
Picanha
What is the name of the annual barbecue festival in Owensboro, Kentucky, known for mutton?
Answer
International Bar-B-Q Festival
Which famous Kansas City barbecue restaurant is known for its burnt ends?
Answer
Arthur Bryant's
What is the name of the iconic charcoal grill introduced by Weber in the 1950s?
Answer
Weber kettle
Which U.S. state is known for its mustard-based barbecue sauce?
Answer
South Carolina
What is the Argentine method of grilling a whole animal on a stake called?
Answer
Asado a la estaca
Barbecue trivia — quick answers
What are good barbecue trivia questions?
Good barbecue questions cover regional styles, equipment, sauces, meat cuts, restaurant history, and global grilling traditions. Examples include the origin of Sonny’s BBQ, the inventor of the Weber kettle grill, the ingredients in Lexington slaw, and the meaning of Filipino barbecue terms.
How hard is barbecue trivia?
Barbecue trivia ranges from easy to difficult. Questions about grills, ribs, and major American styles are accessible to many players, while international dishes such as suya, sosaties, and mechoui reward deeper knowledge of global food traditions.
Where did Sonny’s BBQ begin?
The first Sonny’s BBQ restaurant opened in Gainesville, Florida, in 1968. Sonny’s BBQ was founded by Floyd “Sonny” Tilman, and the chain became associated with Southern-style barbecue, including smoked pork, ribs, chicken, and barbecue sauces.
What are St. Louis-style ribs?
St. Louis-style ribs are cut from the pork spare rib section. The breastbone, cartilage, and rib tips are trimmed away to create a rectangular rack. Compared with baby back ribs, they are flatter, meatier, and usually contain more fat.
What is Nigerian suya?
Suya is a Nigerian street food made from thinly sliced, heavily seasoned meat grilled on skewers. Beef is common, though chicken and other meats are also used. Its characteristic spice blend often includes ground peanuts or peanut powder, chili, ginger, and other seasonings.