This ain't our first Rodeo
- EST 1974-
This ain't our first Rodeo - EST 1974-
The History of Bottomless Pit
In 1973, five friends attended a County BBQ Cook-Off where the winner would be invited to the first World Championship BBQ Cook-Off on the Astrodome parking lot in February of 1974. After large amounts of beer and alcohol, our group decided that by damn we could cook BBQ as good as anyone around!!!! So, it was decided that we would enter the first-ever World Championship BBQ Cook-Off and would most likely win the damn thing. Of course, we would have to find a name for this newly formed BBQ Team, so again after many cold beers and many sleepless nights, we came up with The Bayou City Five, which paid homage to each of our roots as native Houstonians and very proud Texans. And so began a 40-plus-year journey that has lasted to this day. James (Mac) McClendon, Lanny(Buck) Robertson, Lynwood Jones, Robert Wach, and Mike (Trap) Trapolino were those five guys with a dream of Championship Trophies and the eventual fame it would bring us!!! Our Motto was “You Can’t Beat Our Meat!”
Our dreams were shattered at that first competition as we did not place with our carefully rubbed, massaged, and manicured brisket. However, we did learn that weekend that cold beer and whiskey flowed all around and those very pretty cowgirls in very tight jeans were everywhere and the party lasted late into the night and early morning hours. We finally scored big as we won Best All-Around BBQ at the Harris County BBQ Cook-Off. We were hooked!!!!
Over the years the Cook-Off was held in early February and would move to all four corners of the Astrodome parking lot. Most years it was freezing cold and rainy, but we would keep warm with alcohol and with any luck, one of those pretty cowgirls by our side. In those early years, the Cook-Off was small and there were no private parties as it has become today. Guests would roam around and hope the teams would pass out some free samples. In those early days, our party consisted of each of us bringing a brisket and a case of beer, and a bottle of whiskey. My have times changed!!!
Our little group had the time of our lives traveling around Texas dragging our homemade pit to various competitions from town to town and meeting folks from all walks of life. After a few years, the World Championship BBQ Cook-Off really became more and more popular, with crowds swelling and more teams added each year. We decided that five guys could not do it all and party at the same time. We added more team members and the Bottomless Pit Cookin’ Team was born. Our new Motto is “Rubbin’ Our Meat Since 1974”. As you can tell, there is a theme in there somewhere!!
So, that little group has become what it is today with over 30 members, four spaces, eighteen bartenders, and serving 4-5 thousand people in a three-day period!!! We have a loyal group of 100-plus sponsors that make it possible to do what we do and we are committed to giving them a party that is second to none. Our stage has a different band every night and we aim to have the best entertainment at the Cook-Off. Our Team Members are by far the best planners, cookers, on-the-fly builders, and the hardest working guys around. Their passion and commitment to our team is the reason we are in the elite at the Cook-Off. They also lend their hand to the various charity benefits we so proudly participate in during the year.
It has been a great ride these 40-plus years, and even though those original members have seen their hair gray and or let loose, our new and younger members now carry on with the tradition started at that very first Cook-Off. One thing that has not changed is we still like to drink a cold beer, have a shot of whiskey, and love to have a pretty girl in tight jeans by our side!!!!!!!!!!!