ABOUT River King BBQ

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Pittsburgh. Memphis.  

On the surface, these two cities don’t have much in common. Yet both of these river cities embody a blue collar work ethic and have rich cultural histories that you can still feel today. Steel. Cotton. Warhol. Presley. Pierogies. BBQ. Black and gold. Grit and grind.  Not many cities take as much pride in their rivers as the Steel City and the Bluff City. 

The rivers are at the heart of it all, with stadiums and inclines and pyramids and of course, bridges.  River King BBQ was born out of a love for all regions of American BBQ, along with an appreciation for the heritage of both Pittsburgh and Memphis, and the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley.  

Owner and pitmaster Elliot Pope was born and raised in Memphis, but has called Pittsburgh home for 13 years. An avid student of the craft and history of American BBQ, Elliot uses elements of BBQ from Texas, the Carolinas, Kansas City, and of course Memphis in his food. Smoking with locally sourced cherry and oak wood on indirect reverse flow Lang BBQ Smokers, you’ll taste the difference.  

River King BBQ competes in BBQ contests along with selling food at the occasional pop-up cooks at events. And taking a page from the Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl and his Backbeat BBQ, River King BBQ donates food to church events, homeless shelters and first responders.  

Pittsburgh BBQ. By way of Memphis. 

There’s only one King.