Que 42 BBQ makes sauces and rubs in Buffalo and Western New York, turning a shared love of backyard tailgates, long smokes, and hot-coal conversation into a local food brand. Its small-batch Carolina-inspired mustard sauce was ranked No. 6 in the world by the American Royal World Series in 2014, and the company builds its recipes around natural ingredients without fillers, high-fructose corn syrup, or preservatives. Que 42 also puts community at the center of its work, partnering with local producers and donating part of every Grills Mafia rub sale to a supported veterans’ charity.
Uncle Jammy's Sauces & SeasoningsBorn from a late-night kitchen experiment in 2005, Uncle Jammy’s makes Pittsburgh-made BBQ sauces, hot sauces and rubs in small batches. Founded by Jamal Etienne-Harrigan, the brand pairs chef-developed recipes with a playful Steel City identity, from its signature avocado-jalapeño Area 51 sauce to an IPA collaboration created in just eight days. Its standard lineup uses real ingredients without high-fructose corn syrup, MSG or artificial fillers, and the flavors have earned multiple Scovie Awards.PITTSBURGH, PA
Boar City BBQ LLCBorn in 2017 from a request for sauce to go with chicken nuggets, Boar City BBQ makes homemade Vonnie B’s sauces and smokes whole hogs for catering. Its original sauce brings together Kansas City sweetness and Carolina vinegar tang, while the company’s Greencastle smoker turns out hogs cooked for 14 hours and serves 50 to 60 guests per half hog. Boar City uses natural ingredients sourced from local suppliers and makes its sauces without added preservatives.RIVA, MD
Bill's Best BBQBill’s Best BBQ makes organic barbecue sauces from a family recipe William “Bill” Fehon developed for backyard barbecues in the early 1990s. After Bill could no longer make the sauce, the Fehon family took over the recipe and began selling it, with a portion of proceeds donated to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration. Based in Glenside, Pennsylvania, the family business keeps Bill’s original tradition alive in its Kansas City-style Original sauce and related varieties.GLENSIDE, PA
Horseshoe BrandSince 2008, Horseshoe Brand has handcrafted hot sauce and barbecue sauce in New York’s Hudson Valley, building its recipes around fresh premium ingredients and naturally hot peppers rather than pepper extracts. Its sauces range from mild to high heat, including the scorpion-and-Carolina-reaper XXXXtra, and are sold through more than 1,000 stores in the United States and around the world.RHINEBECK, NY