May marks the celebration of National BBQ Month and National Barbeque Day (inclusive). While Due South would never cage your smoked meat enjoyment into a specific timeframe, we’re always here to celebrate our favorite foods. So, what is National BBQ Month, and how will you celebrate it? 

Why May?

Due South is officially on record for saying BBQ is an anytime food. Though it’s most associated with summertime and holidays like the Fourth of July, BBQ is a lovely cold-weather meal that warms the body and comforts the heart. 

So why May? 

May marks the beginning of the outdoor entertaining season, so it makes sense that May would also be labeled National BBQ Month. It may or may not surprise you to learn that it wasn’t always that way. 

Before the internet more or less codified it, BBQ month was variously ascribed to June, July, and 

May, and National BBQ Day, now celebrated May 16, is sometimes recognized on July 4, a conspicuously full day for celebrating, though one BBQ is often a part of. 

Like most National Days, National BBQ Month was cooked up (smoked up?) by marketers. When you look at the timing, the May commemoration makes sense. It’s warm enough that people are more likely to take the nudge to start grilling, but not so far into the season that commemoration is unnecessary. 

How Will You Celebrate National BBQ Month? 

If you took the hyperlink to learn a bit about where National BBQ Month came from, you’ll see it was long associated with Kitchen Bouqeut, an additive that gives grilled meats a “pleasing” brown color. 

So the commemoration was geared more toward the home griller, who was more likely to purchase the product than those who were seeking out the food. 

If you’re a home griller, we celebrate you! But if you want to skip the work (and Virginia’s notoriously unpredictable Spring weather, we encourage you to stop into Due South BBQ to get the meat without the fuss. 

Some of Our Favorite BBQ Offerings

No matter what you’re in the mood for, if it’s grilled and/or smoked, we probably have it. But if you want chicken wings, ribs, or brisket, you may want to wait for their own holidays: July 29, May 28, and September 3, respectively. 

We’re joking, of course! Again, we’re on the record that BBQ is an anytime food. 

We smoke all of our meats on-site, then allow you to pair them with our housemade sauces. We know that not everyone wants the same amount of sauce on their food. While for some, it’s not BBQ if it’s not drowning in sauce, for others, smoked meat with no adornment is the perfect lunch or dinner. 

In addition to our five house sauces, we also have several sides and desserts to round out your celebration of the most important holiday of the year!

We know that National BBQ Month is kind of a silly holiday, but we say, why not take any excuse to celebrate? So even if National Days aren’t your cup of sweet tea, we encourage you to celebrate your next milestones with Due South. 

We’ll be right here on the border of Salem and Roanoke!