Every year, we wait with anticipation for the 3-day Rib & Wing festival at Seven Springs Mountain Resort, a four season playground in the Laurel Highlands of western Pennsylvania. Come with a group for the opportunity to relax, enjoy the live music and try ALL the vendors as you feast on ribs, wings, brisket and sides!  

Full rack of Armadillo's ribs

This year's lineup includes past favorites such as Armadillo's BBQ Co, Butch's Smack Your Lips BBQ, Mojo's Rib Shack, Smokin' Joe's Hog Wild BBQ, and Pigfoot BBQ. With only three people in my group and one day to enjoy, we ended up trying the rib & wing sampler from three places, selected because they were on our "bests" list from the recent past. 
First for ribs. We are looking for flavor, texture and color. We prefer a seasoned rib with its own flavor, not dependent on sauce, where you can taste the smoke and see the pink smoke line. The meat should be tender and separate easily from the bone, but retain its own integrity to provide a hearty tooth feel. For 4 years running (2015-2018), Butch's had been our personal favorite (winning repeatedly at Seven Springs), but this year Armadillo's has got both Butch's and Pigfoot beat!!  Our sample of Butch's was a bit pale and dry this year. While Pigfoot once again held the most smoke flavor, it was also a bit tough. The Armadillo sample was tender, juicy, flavorful, if a bit pale and paired well with a mixture of their hickory and sweet sauces. The full rack of Armadillo's ribs that we bought later in the afternoon was even better!  Perfect flavor, texture and color!

For wings, we have always kept our own tallies, as Seven Springs oddly does not allow you to vote on wings.  In 2017 and 2018, Pigfoot had the best wing -- smoky and tender, with Butch's well-seasoned and crisp skin as a close second only because it was a little drier. Whereas some of the places deep fry the wings, often resulting in a tough drummette piece, Pigfoot smokes their wings and then finishes them briefly in the fryer. This year, Pigfoot offered 4 ribs and 6 wings,  plus a good slaw, somewhat bland baked beans, and a fluffy dinner roll for $18 complete with wet naps. Armadillo's had a $15 three-rib and 6-wing sampler, but we got an extra rib because he liked our idea of bringing our own container to generate less trash!  The sampler at Butch's was $16. The Armadillo and Pigfoot wings were similar this year, not a lot of character with the former almost too soft and the latter too tough this year. But Butch's well-seasoned wings easily carried the field in 2019!!  We talked to several groups, including a couple that came for only the wing part of the fest. Everyone agreed that Butch's wings were the best in flavor and texture.

Sauces are always a very personal choice. This year, my favorite single sauce is Pigfoot's Mild sauce, which had a bit more of a vinegar kick compared to all the other sweet or mild sauces, and reminded me faintly of plums. My daughter enjoyed the Pigfoot Apple sauce (but we all still mourn the continued absence of Armadillo's Georgia peach sauce). My husband liked the Armadillo's Hickory smoke, and the blend of their Hickory smoke and their Sweet sauce is fantastic. Although I love hot, spicy foods, I find that many of the hot bbq sauces have a bitter or off-taste to them. Sauces always get confusing. Next year, I will try to remember a pen and some labels to help keep track.
🏆Best Ribs: Pigfoot BBQ‬
‪🏆Best Sauce: Hog Wild Barbeque‬
‪🏆Manager’s choice: Butch’s Smack ‬Your Lips BBQ