In Fort Worth, the smell of smoked meat hangs thick in the July air, a familiar perfume that drifts from the Stockyards and settles over the city like a promise. Come the last Saturday of the month, that aroma will draw the bold and the hungry to East Exchange Avenue, where tradition, competition, and a whole lot of beef ribs collide at one of the city\u2019s most beloved eating contests.\u00a0<\/p>\n
On July 26, Riscky\u2019s Barbeque \u2014 the 98-year-old local institution that\u2019s practically synonymous with Fort Worth BBQ \u2014 will host its\u00a019th Annual Rib-Eating Competition\u00a0at its Stockyards Station location. Part of the National Day of the American Cowboy celebration, the spectacle kicks off at\u00a011 a.m., pitting up to\u00a030 contestants\u00a0against the clock and a tray of Riscky\u2019s signature beef ribs. The challenge? Devour as many ribs as you can in\u00a060 seconds. The top eaters advance for a chance at glory \u2014 and a gift card.\u00a0<\/p>\n
First place takes home a\u00a0$500 Riscky\u2019s gift card, while second and third place finishers get $250 and $100, respectively. Entry costs\u00a0$5 at the door, and participation is limited to the first 30 brave souls (ages 18 and up, or minors with a guardian). Every contestant walks away with a\u00a0Riscky\u2019s t-shirt\u00a0and, likely, a strong craving for water and a nap.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re proud to continue Fort Worth\u2019s most legendary food challenge,\u201d said\u00a0Eddie Sullivan, co-owner of Riscky\u2019s BBQ. \u201cThis event is a celebration of tradition, community, and, of course, our love for great barbeque. It\u2019s an honor to be part of such a cherished Fort Worth tradition, and we\u2019re excited to welcome participants and spectators alike to join in the fun and festivities.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The rib-eating contest is just one highlight of a full day of cowboy-themed entertainment happening in the Stockyards, where\u00a0over 35,000 visitors\u00a0are expected for the\u00a0National Day of the American Cowboy\u00a0\u2014 an event once named the \u201cBest Cowboy Tribute Event\u201d in the nation by\u00a0American Cowboy\u00a0magazine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
From\u00a010 a.m. to 8 p.m., the district comes alive with a Cowboy Celebration parade,\u00a0armadillo races,\u00a0cowboy poetry,\u00a0face painting,\u00a0gunfight reenactments,\u00a0live music, and the\u00a0Fort Worth Herd cattle drive. There\u2019s even a\u00a0petting zoo,\u00a0cow milking,\u00a0horseback rides, and a chance to witness the\u00a0Stockyards Championship Rodeo\u00a0in all its boot-stomping glory.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For Riscky\u2019s, the rib-eating competition isn\u2019t just about who can chow down the fastest \u2014 it\u2019s about honoring a legacy. Founded in 1927 by Polish immigrants\u00a0Mary and Joe Riscky, the business began as a modest grocery and market on Azle Avenue. Nearly a century later, it has grown into a Texas empire with\u00a0multiple restaurants,\u00a0a steakhouse,\u00a0a burger joint,\u00a0a catering arm, and a\u00a0retail division\u00a0\u2014 all while staying true to its Fort Worth roots.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The family-run operation has spanned four generations of Risckys, served countless slabs of ribs, and maintained an unshakable commitment to the community. That spirit is on full display each July, when the Stockyards transform into a stage for Western pride and barbecue bravado.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So if you\u2019re in Fort Worth and hear the call of the cowboy \u2014 and maybe your stomach growling \u2014 head to\u00a0140 East Exchange Avenue. You don\u2019t have to eat a mountain of ribs to take part in the celebration. But if you do, be warned: you\u2019ve only got one minute to make history.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In Fort Worth, the smell of smoked meat hangs thick in the July air, a familiar perfume that…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":70202,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5138],"tags":[5229,2105,7371,7372,49373,358,7453,3187,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-70201","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fort-worth","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-food-and-drink","10":"tag-fort-worth","11":"tag-fortworth","12":"tag-riscky","13":"tag-texas","14":"tag-top-story","15":"tag-tx","16":"tag-united-states","17":"tag-united-states-of-america","18":"tag-unitedstates","19":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","20":"tag-us","21":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114869250589386682","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70201","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=70201"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70201\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/70202"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70201"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=70201"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=70201"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}