For Jacksonville BBQ pitmaster Ryan King, it all started with a slab of beef and a dream.
Now, he sits at the very top of the charcoal pile, a pair of tongs as his scepter.
King and his crew were crowned grand champions this month after competing in the prestigious 2025 Jack Daniels World Championship Invitational Barbecue in Lynchburg, Tennessee.
After dazzling judges with perfect chars and flawless flavors, they smoked teams from across the United States and around the world, bringing home a beefy $25,000 prize.
“It’s almost like the Masters in golf. Everyone there is as good or better than you,” King told The Citizen, reflecting on the T-bone triumph.
“It was surreal. I still have to remind myself that it happened,” he said after judges called out King’s BBQ as the new world champions of the contest, also known as The Jack.
Surrounded by prominent pitmasters, King had to fend off some early self-doubt and confided some nerves to his wife.
“Maybe we’ll get lucky enough to get invited next year,” he recalled telling her after some early missteps.
There were equipment malfunctions. The spice rubs weren’t quite right. His pork and brisket entries had not placed as high as he had hoped. But there were bright spots, as his chicken and ribs received near-perfect scores.
But the BBQ baron acknowledged that he had nearly written the day off and was ready to pack up his grates.
Then, the words “King’s BBQ” blared over the loudspeaker.
After hearing his team’s name called, his close pal immediately grabbed his shoulders and pulled him into a tight bear hug.
The crowd erupted into applause and cheers, celebrating the Jacksonville-based pitmasters’ grill glory. But King just couldn’t believe it.
In addition to his latest victory, King’s smoky creations have earned him seven grand champion wins and ten reserve grand champion awards.
King can’t decide which dish is his personal favorite to serve up. It’s either the ribs or the brisket, he said, because of the ecstatic reactions he’s witnessed time and again.
After he brings a plate to the table, he’ll walk away, then glance over his shoulder as patrons take their first bite. Without fail, he says, they’ll turn around, look at him and say the words every cook hopes to hear: “This is so good.”
To home chefs and backyard pitmasters, King has this to say, “Anybody can do what I do.”
He said the most common mistake at neighborhood cookouts is fear of overcooking the meat. People think their food will come off the heat tough and overcooked, King said.
He doesn’t share that fear. He cooks some chicken and turkey cuts well above the minimum recommended temperature to kill bacteria, and they still come out perfectly tender every time.
King’s motto, “If it ain’t tender, it ain’t gonna taste right.”
King’s food truck, King’s BBQ, debuted in 2020, and they’ve been serving up succulent meats, perfectly seasoned and full of flavor, ever since. They don’t have a brick-and-mortar location yet, but King said they are on the hunt, especially after their success at The Jack.
Barbecue enthusiasts and hungry customers alike can taste King’s carefully smoked meats at 10601 Theresa Dr. when the food truck opens for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays. They can also find King’s BBQ at various events they cater, such as the Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam on Jan. 10, 2026.
King encouraged everyone to come see them at the event, which he called “the epitome of St. Johns County and St. Augustine.”
There’s a car show, kid-friendly events, crafts, music — and, of course, King’s BBQ will be serving up his world championships slabs.
