Johnny Byrd

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About Me

My name is Johnny Byrd and I am the Owner and Pit Master at Blazin' Bayou BBQ based in San Juan Bautista, CA - home of the infamous SJB Rib Cook-Off! We just celebrated our 7 year business anniversary on August 25th, 2024, and the pride which derives from this accomplishment grows stronger with each passing year. I had never worked within the food industry when we "fell" into starting this venture and I had no idea what I was doing at the time. Although I've been grilling for over 40 years, I wasn't out to pursue this as a career choice - it just happened! When I was doing my initial reserach, another Pit Master from Texas had told me "Everybody that gets into this business is told that they should do so because their friends and family expresses how great their BBQ is whenever they get together for a cookout. But, they fail to realize that their guests are getting the food for free. You don't know how good your skillset is until you try to sell it and make a living by doing so." That has stuck with me throughout all of these years and I've seen a LOT of businesses emerge, then crash shortly after. I believe many of them have the passion, but nobody to take them under their wing to give them direction. BBQ is forever evolving and without knowing the basic fundamentals, you'll never have an understanding of why or how it evolves which will leave you in the dust feeling frustrated and nursing a bruised ego. I was very fortunate because my late wife, LaRae, saw something in me that changed my life forever. She noticed my passion and pushed me to pursue what has become my dream. Now, there's no looking back and I want to teach everything I know with those who share the same passion. As a Pit Master and business owner, I specialize in traditional Southern-style BBQ catering private events (birthdays, weddings, corporate events, etc), participate in farmers markets and large public events, and compete in cookoffs. Everything we produce is authentic, homemade (including our rubs and sauces), all of our meat is dry rubbed and served with sauce on the side - my grandfather always told me that if you have to sauce your meat, you're hiding something! I have extensive experience using offset smokers (my personal grill of choice), Santa Maria open pit grills, charcoal & gas grills, and pellet grills. So, whatever it is you're interested in learning about BBQ, I am willing to share my expertise.

Areas of Expertise

Experience & Background

EXPERT BBQ GUIDANCE: recipes, grilling techniques, and one-on-one tutorials, even in a pinch!

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