The Local Que

09/01/2026

Only a few short weeks away! Come see us at one of our upcoming events!

Vendor Highlight: The Local Que is bringing a unique twist to classic barbecue favorites with our signature BBQ Waffle Cones, loaded BBQ Nachos, and handcrafted BBQ Tacos. All of our meats are slow-smoked and prepared with care, featuring tender pulled pork, juicy smoked chicken, and flavorful smoked beef.

Trials of Ragnarök is not your average Renaissance Faire or fantasy festival. Trials of Ragnarök is where strength is tested, allegiances are forged, and legends are made! Set at Carden Farm Dog Park in Clinton, Tennessee just 20 minutes outside of Knoxville. This family friendly Viking-inspired gathering calls warriors and wanderers to step into a world where myth becomes reality! And you choose your adventure as you walk through the gates.

Tickets at www.oathboundevents.com

WHAT: Trials of Ragnarök https://www.facebook.com/share/14mimJbQYbB/
WHEN: October 10th and 11th, 2026
WHERE: Carden Farm Dog Park
401 Riverview Dr,
Clinton, TN 37716

08/31/2026

Nobody tells you what building a small business REALLY takes.

People see the events.
They see the crowds.
They see the sold-out days.
They see the new equipment.
They see the pictures and the posts that make it look like everything is going exactly as planned.

What they don’t see is what happens behind the scenes.

The late nights.
The early mornings.
The money you pour back into the business instead of paying yourself.
The constant calculating.
The decisions that could make or break your next event.
The days you’re exhausted but still have prep to do.
The moments you wonder if you’re crazy for taking the risk in the first place.

And then there’s the pressure.

Because when you own a small business, there’s nobody coming to save you.

If something goes wrong, you fix it.
If you’re short on help, you figure it out.
If sales are slow, you find a way.
If the equipment breaks, you deal with it.
If the weather doesn’t cooperate, you adapt.

You carry the risk, the responsibility, and the uncertainty.

But you also get to experience something pretty damn special…

Watching something that started as an idea become REAL.

Every event makes us better.
Every mistake teaches us something.
Every challenge makes us tougher.

And every time someone tells us they loved our BBQ, comes back for more, or recommends us to someone else…

It makes every one of those late nights worth it.

We’re not a giant company.
We’re not backed by investors.
We’re a small, veteran-owned business trying to build something we can be proud of.

And we’re grinding for every single customer, every single event, and every single dollar.

The Local Que didn’t happen overnight.

And we’re nowhere near finished.

We’re just getting started. 🇺🇸🔥

To every small business owner out there grinding when nobody is watching—keep going. Your hard work will eventually become the part everybody sees.

08/30/2026

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES! 🔥

This weekend was a pretty special one for us at The Local Que.

We were back at the 2nd Annual Outdoor Enthusiast Expo at Maryville College — the same event we were at last year — and it really gave us a chance to stop and look at just how far we’ve come in one year.

Last year, The Local Que was still a pretty new business. We were figuring things out, learning what worked, building our menu, and trying to get our name out there.

Fast forward one year, and we’re coming back with a year of experience under our belts, a whole lot more confidence, and an incredible group of customers and supporters behind us. We even sold out on Saturday! 🙌

Ronnie Turtle Cowan from University of Tennessee School of Natural Resources and Tyson Murphy from Maryville Collegehave created this amazing FREE program to get people interested in the outdoors, and we’re incredibly fortunate to be a part of it.

Friday evening was a great social event with live music, where we served Cajun turkey and pork sandwiches, cowboy beans, mac & cheese, and banana pudding.

Then Saturday came, and you guys showed up! We sold out of pulled pork and chicken sandwiches, mac & cheese, and cowboy beans! 🐷🐔🔥

A year ago, we were hoping people would give our BBQ a try. This year, we had people coming back, telling their friends, and helping us sell out.

That means more to us than you probably realize.

Thank you to everyone who has supported The Local Que over the past year — whether you’ve bought a sandwich, booked us for an event, followed our page, shared a post, or simply told somebody about us. You are the reason this little BBQ business continues to grow.

And we’re just getting started. ❤️🔥

Thanks again to Ronnie, Tyson, Maryville College, and everyone who makes the Outdoor Enthusiast Expo such an incredible event. We’re already looking forward to next year!

Next weekend we have a catering event, and then it’s on to the Tennessee Valley Fair🎡🔥

One year down. A whole lot more BBQ to go.

The Local Que — You Deserve BBQ.

08/20/2026

No competition for The Local Que this week. This week was spent coaching these fine grillmasters to their victory’s at the Eastern Region 4-H Grillmaster Contest. Our kids did fantastic with every team placing either 1st or 2nd in their respective divisions! Congratulations Campbell County Grillmasters! You worked hard and earned the top spots on the podium!

08/17/2026

Teaching our son the art of scraping chicken thighs for competition! 🐔🔥

Yes, we scrape our competition thighs. It’s one of those little details that takes time, patience, and a whole lot of practice to get right. Today, Dad’s lesson was all about getting that skin just the way we want it before it hits the smoker.

It’s not just about cooking BBQ—it’s about passing down the knowledge, techniques, and love for the craft. ❤️

How do YOU prep your competition chicken? Do you scrape your thighs, leave the skin alone, or have another method?

Drop your technique in the comments! 👇

08/14/2026

It can be a bit of a struggle. Lol

08/13/2026

The hardest part about building something…

Is accepting that growth takes longer than you want.

You put in the hours.

You make the sacrifices.

You do everything you’re supposed to do.

And sometimes the results don’t show up right away.

But that doesn’t mean nothing is happening.

A seed grows underground before anyone sees it.

Keep watering it.

08/12/2026

If I could go back and tell myself one thing…

It would be this.

Stop worrying about where everyone else is.

Someone will always be further ahead.

Someone will always have more.

The only comparison that matters…

Is whether you’re better than you were a year ago.

Keep your head down.

Keep doing the work.

The results will speak for themselves.

How has your life changed over the past year?

08/12/2026

🚨 HELP WANTED! 🚨

The Local Que is looking for someone to join our team and help us serve up some great BBQ at the TVA Fair, September 14–18! 🐷🔥

No restaurant experience? No problem! We’ll train you. We’re looking for someone who is dependable, friendly, willing to work, and ready to have a good time while helping us take care of our customers.

You’ll be helping with things like:
🍖 Serving our BBQ
🙌 Taking care of customers
🧼 Keeping our serving area clean & stocked
🔥 Working together as a team during a busy fair week

If you think you’d be a good fit, send us a direct message or email us at [email protected].

Come be part of The Local Que team! 🐷🔥

You deserve BBQ.

08/11/2026

One thing I’ll never take for granted…

Is someone choosing to spend their hard-earned money with us.

There are countless places they could go.

The fact that they choose us…

That’s something I’ll always appreciate.

Support isn’t something you’re entitled to.

It’s something you earn.

What’s one business in your community that deserves more recognition?