On June 24, 2017, I attended the Southern Thunder BBQ Cooking School in Marietta, Georgia (just outside Atlanta). I enjoyed it so much, I'd like to write a review in case anyone might be interested in attending. The school is designed for backyard enthusiasts as well as aspiring professional competitors. At this point, I'd like to mention that I'm not receiving any compensation for writing this review. I found reference to the school on the KCBS web site. I had previously attended a BBQ cooking school hosted by a nationally known BBQ competition professional, only to be left disappointed by extreme disorganization, very uncomfortable accommodations, and high cost. I was frustrated and wanted to try an alternative, and I'm glad I did. Southern Thunder is first and foremost a professional BBQ cooking team, and have won numerous KCBS Grand Championships. The team/school operator is Mr. Pete Warner, who is also the CEO of Linkup Technologies. The chief cook is Mr. Rick Pasch, who is also a professional musician. The third member of the team is Mr. Dave Weiss, who showed us his competition-winning chicken techniques and twists. It's a one-day (Saturday) school that begins at 7:30AM and ends at 6:00PM. The cost is $249 for an individual, or $399 for a pair. Included are breakfast (biscuits, pastries, fruit), lunch (chicken, pork loin), and dinner (ribs, brisket slices, burnt ends, sides, desserts). Students also receive a free apron. Soft drinks are complimentary. They also have beer ($2) and wine ($3) available for purchase, or you can bring your own. You can even bring your own smoker if you wish. Accommodations were above expectations. The school house was roomy, air-conditioned, and comfortable (heated in winter), with clean restrooms. All instructors were very nice and approachable, and the support staff was friendly and helpful. All four KCBS meats (chicken thighs, spare ribs, pork butt, brisket) were covered in detail, along with pork loin, whole chicken, and lollipop chicken (legs). All students received a nice printed manual complete with color highlighting and color pictures, showing and explaining the exact steps that were covered in class. The manual also included exact recipes for all all rubs, brines, and sauces we used (the same ones they use in their professional competitions). Nothing was hidden. The class included "classroom" instruction, with lecture and overhead projection presentation while we followed along and jotted down side notes in our manuals. It was very organized and included hands-on "lab" work, as we prepared all meats for smoking. We trimmed, injected, and rubbed all the meats (if I can say that with a straight face), and placed them on the smoker(s). We used a variety of smokers: Weber WSM (22.5"), Backwoods Smoker, Big Green Egg, and a large stick-burning Expensive Offset Smoker (EOS). Lunch and dinner included the meats we smoked, plus some nice side dishes and desserts, the recipes of which are included in the student manual. Plus, each student was allowed to bring a guest to dinner. I'm a KCBS Certified BBQ Judge (CBJ), and while all the food was excellent, I was especially impressed with their chicken thighs, spare ribs, and brisket burnt ends, all of which would have received perfect scores from me in a competition. Their web site is: http://www.southernthunderbbq.com/ The new Atlanta Braves stadium (SunTrust park) is only 15 minutes from the BBQ school, and I used the occasion to attend a Friday night Braves game with my son (they won), and we attended the BBQ school together the following day. If you're ever in the area, also consider trying Pappadeaux's Seafood Kitchen (Cajun seafood) for dinner one evening. We did, and it was memorable. http://www.pappas.com/restaurants/pa...afood-kitchen/ I highly recommend the Southern Thunder BBQ Cooking School. And again, I'm not being compensated for this review. read more

I BBQ year round and am pretty good. I have been looking for a "hands on" BBQ class. Southern Thunder is everything I was looking for. What I enjoyed was seeing how to prepare the meat on a screen and then going to a prep table to practice what I saw. In addition, the pit masters rotated tables so you received a variety of opinions and thoughts. We also got to experience how to cook on a variety of grills and smokers. The class was told that after eating what we prepared we would not be happy with restaurant food. They were not wrong. Not only did I have a great time lear tips and tricks, I got to have an amazing meal. My wife joined me for dinner and she could not believe how good the brisket, the chicken and the ribs were. (We took a sample box to our daughter's best friend who was at work. She told us once the aroma started wafting through the break room, there was a line of people asking where they could buy this food.) Regardless of your skill level this class his for you. If someone is looking for a one of a kind gift for the family pit master I highly recommend Southern Thunder BBQ school. I am looking forward to going back for a refresher class. read more

My sons and I attended in April as a belated XMAS gift. We had a great time as mentioned by others. All the Pitmasters were very willing to share their knowledge and tips. The meat we ate alone was worth half the fee. I have used the take home guide to successfully replicate many of the meats we did in class. Family favorite now is the Spatchcock chicken, the butterfly method was taught in class along with injection techniques. I have been grilling and smoking for 30 years and learned a lot. My sons, both in their 20's have a great base for a lifelong future of being a Pitmaster. You just can't go wrong with this class. My wife and sis in law joined us for dinner that night to consume all of our tasty items we prepared. Their dinner is also included in the price. Now that I have been I can truthfully say, "This class is too cheap, it's worth another $50-100 easily." Pete, Rick, Dave, and my younger son's buddy Mike made this a treat I remember every time I fire up the pits. read more

This class was an outstanding Saturday of learning how to smoke meats. Covered pork loin, pork butts, chicken, brisket and ribs. I was a novice and have done some smoking on my Traeger Smoker but wanted to know more. The Southern Thunder team was knowledgeable, had fun, and put a ton of work into preparing for the class. I would recommend the class to all. Many "hands on" opportunities during the day to practice what they teach. We ate what we prepared and smoked so come hungry. Plenty of food to eat. Nice notebook with recipes, rubs, sauces, food safety, etc. and an apron to take home. A little bit of money for a lifetime of knowledge. Great day!! You will not be disappointed. Get enrolled now because there are only a few opportunities during the year. Happy Smoking, Ed read more

First off, what a great group of guys. Dave, Rick, and Pete really do a great job in the scheduling aspect of things and keeping everyone involved. The cost was very reasonable when you bring a guest. I really liked how we covered anything and everything related to BBQ, from trimming meat to food safety. A lot of BBQ myths were debunked and I don't recall anyone not getting a question answered. I also got some good ideas on tools and products I needed too and even purchased a few on site. (although the team never once pushed anything on me) These guys are passionate in what they do and it shows. A big shout out to the pit and cooker staff as well, they were superb. I simply couldn't wait to get back out on the smoker again after this one! read more

Should I take an entire day for this course when I can read and watch youtube so much quicker? I was on the fence even after my loving brother paid for the class. Well, now I am scheduling my son and a friend for this. It was a long day of learning and sharing. One fellow came from New York and was smiling all day. The techniques they taught were very surprising, yet so logical. This is both classroom and hands on, in a very comfortable setting. It is very easy to get to (so rare in Atlanta) and a day you will recall with a smile. read more

I attended Que University on August the 8th. I really enjoyed the class, the food, and learning how to make better BBQ. This past weekend I fired up my smoker and smoked 2 Boston Butts using the methods and recipes introduced to us in the class. They were the 2 best butts I have ever made. I just want to thank you for the helpful instructions. read more

First graduate from Dayton, Ohio! Happy to report this class is perfect for beginners or seasoned BBQ veterans... you will learn much from this team of smoke masters! Hands on learning is key to the success of this school. An all day adventure for the average backyard smoker who wants to step their game up. read more

Really a fun day! Hands on experience with great instructors and take home materials that will serve me well for a long time. Just learning the secret of trimming and wrapping ribs was worth the cost of the entire program! Take a friend and experience something fun together! read more

Awesome hands on experience with take home literature. The staff AKA "Pitmasters" are very knowledgeable and great to work with I recommend to anyone with any amount of cooking or smoking experience. You will definitely leave there satisfied and with a full stomach.. Kenny. read more

I just loved this class. They made it informative and fun. Pete is a great guy and his partners are also just wonderful. The hands on experience you gain is so invaluable. This class embraces aspiring pit masters of all levels! Highly recommended. read more