What’s in a Name?
The Bull’s Boys BBQ saga began when one of Charles Lee “Bull” Butler’s sons (Kent) started watching WAY too many episodes of Good Eats and BBQ Pitmasters and decided to try his hand at cooking meat in a parking lot.
He started with a couple of terracotta flower pots, a charcoal grate, an electric hotplate, and a disposable pie pan and built a budget version of a ceramic smoker. After a few less than successful attempts, he and his wife Kim, produced some decent pulled pork and brisket. Suddenly, they were afflicted with a “low and slow” disease that advanced into a not so slow drain on their budget. As it progressed, flower pots became steel kamado grills, then pellet cookers. With each progression, the food got better, the bank account got smaller, and the desire to compete intensified.
The Infection Spreads
Kent and Kim got Bull’s first boy, Rick, and his wife, Jill, involved and infected them with the disease. In June 2013, Charles passed away at the age of 87 and by October, Bull’s Boys BBQ was an official Kansas City Barbeque Society member and competition team. Kent and Kim became Certified Barbeque judges (CBJ’s) early in 2014 and have judged a few local contests for the Barbeque Championship Series.
Though the first competition wasn’t until 2019, Bull’s Boys has been busy making BBQ for family, friends, and their church group. We’ve cooked for weddings, funerals, parties, and Kim’s employer. Currently, Bull’s Boys has served over 3000 people with several hundred more on the calendar.
Competition History
The competitions have been limited due to the decline in regional events brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the results have been nothing but phenomenal! We’re only four competitions into our career, but have brought home:
- 5th place Pork Ribs (Downtown Mesa BBQ Classic – 2025)
- 3rd place Brisket (Downtown Mesa BBQ Classic – 2025)
- 2nd Place “Anything Burger” (Robert Williams BBQ Throwdown – 2024)
- Reserve Grand Champion (Robert Williams BBQ Throwdown – 2024)
Prognosis
Encouraged by our recent results, we plan to continue to compete as often as circumstances allow. In addition, Bull’s Boys BBQ will be available to purchase locally, either fresh off the pit or frozen in easy to reheat packages. There are other products that we are testing and could be available to purchase in the future.
As always, remember that with Bull’s Boys BBQ you get heavenly BBQ…and a load of BULL!