Buffalo Barbecue Quest Fest
Two days of free sauce, rub and food tastings, grill demos, Meat 101 and a basket raffle inside the McKinley Mall. Bring four non-perishable food items or a suggested $5 and you're in. It all goes to Feed More WNY.
- When
- Sat, Dec 5: 11am to 5pm
Sun, Dec 6: 11am to 4pm - Where
- Buffalo Barbecue Quest
McKinley Mall, Blasdell, NY - Admission
- Free with 4 non-perishable food items per person, or a suggested $5 donation
- Weather
- It's all inside the mall. Snow doesn't matter.
Help us beat last year
Every can and every dollar from the Fest goes to Feed More WNY. This bar tracks what we raise this year against what we raised at the first Fest.
$0
raised so far in 2026. Counting starts Saturday, Dec 5.
How to get in
There are no tickets. Your donation at the door is your way in, and it goes to Feed More WNY.
Non-perishable food items
Per person. Canned and boxed food that keeps on a shelf.
Feed More WNY's most-needed items, and anything they can't accept.Suggested donation
Per person, at the door.
Cash only, or card too?Feed More WNY is working to end hunger in Western New York. After the first Fest, we tallied every dollar and can and handed it all over to them. About Feed More WNY
Are kids free?What's on
An everything-barbecue weekend: taste it, watch it cooked, learn the cuts, and maybe win a basket of it.
Free sauce, rub and food tastings
Local sauce makers, hot sauce, pickles, and food from Dinosaur Bar-B-Que and Chiavetta's. No charge for any of it.
Green Mountain Grill demos
Green Mountain Grills cooking on their grills and smokers, with time for your questions.
Demo times.Meat 101 with Butcher Dave
Butcher Dave and his meat display, talking cuts and answering what to buy for your next cook.
Meat 101 times.Custom grill basket raffle
Baskets packed with barbecue gear and goods.
Ticket price, drawing time, and whether you need to be there to win.Free daily giveaways
Giveaways on both days of the Fest.
What the giveaways are and how to get one.Pretzels out front
Auntie Anne's sampling pretzels out front of the store.
The lineup
Every vendor is here both days, Saturday and Sunday.
Food
- Dinosaur Bar-B-QueFood sampling
- Chiavetta'sFood sampling
- Auntie Anne'sPretzel sampling out front
- M&M PicklesPickle sampling
Sauce and heat
- BA SaucesSauce sampling
- Joey G's Sauce CompanySauce sampling
- John Young'sSauce sampling
- Wiggidy Wayne'sSauce sampling
- Buffalo Tom'sSauce sampling
- Nick's Spider VenomHot sauce sampling
Grills and meat
- Green Mountain GrillsGrills, smokers and live demos
- American Steel WorksCustom grill display
- Butcher DaveMeat display and Meat 101
The cause
- Feed More WNYFood pantry and food drive table
Schedule
Saturday Dec 5 · 11am to 5pm
Saturday times for grill demos, Meat 101 and the raffle drawing.Sunday Dec 6 · 11am to 4pm
Sunday times for grill demos, Meat 101 and the raffle drawing.The first Fest
The 1st Annual Buffalo Barbecue Quest Fest ran last December with tastings, food samples, grill demos, Meat 101, kids activities, a basket raffle and a 50/50 drawing, all for Feed More WNY.
2025 total raised, shown here as the big number.Plan your visit
Parking and the way in
Which mall entrance and parking lot is closest, and where the store is inside the mall.Hours
- Sat, Dec 5 (Fest)11am to 5pm
- Sun, Dec 6 (Fest)11am to 4pm
- Regular: Tue11am to 5pm
- Wed and Thu11am to 6pm
- Sat11am to 5pm
- Sun, Mon, FriClosed
Good to know
Do I need a ticket?
No. Bring 4 non-perishable food items or give a suggested $5 donation per person at the door, and you're in.
Are kids free?
Can I pay the $5 by card?
What food should I bring?
Non-perishable food: canned and boxed items that keep on a shelf.
Most-needed items and anything Feed More WNY can't take.Are the samples really free?
Yes. Sauce, rub and food tastings are free once you're in.
How does the basket raffle work?
Can I buy from the vendors?
Are there deals in the store that weekend?
Is it indoors?
Yes. The Fest is at Buffalo Barbecue Quest inside the McKinley Mall.
Where does the money go?
To Feed More WNY.
Confirm that every dollar and can is donated, and whether raffle money goes there too.