BBQ Brawl Blends Food, Fun, and Campus Connection

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Two students smiling and holding plates of food while standing outdoors at a campus food event.
Display of pulled pork sliders arranged on a table with tropical fruit and decorative flowers.
Two students stand at a Coca-Cola booth holding cherry-flavored soda cans in front of a bright promotional backdrop.
Three BBQ judges sit outdoors tasting ribs and smiling during a campus barbecue competition.
Close-up of a grilled chicken sandwich topped with coleslaw on a wooden serving board.
Student wearing sunglasses holds an event ticket and a bag of empanadas while standing on campus.
Group of adults standing together outdoors, each holding small food samples at a campus event.
Close-up of sliced smoked brisket showing a crispy exterior and tender interior on a cutting board.
Group of five students gathered around a red outdoor table smiling and posing with food during a campus event.
Student in a hoodie holds a soda can and a sandwich while standing under a tent at an outdoor campus food event.
Student ambassador wearing a Clio Greek yogurt bars T-shirt smiles while holding up two sample bars at an outdoor campus event.
Vendor stands behind a wooden booth smiling, with a sample menu sign displayed at a campus BBQ event.
Three students pose together holding drinks and event tickets on a lively campus walkway.
Close-up of a gloved hand slicing smoked brisket on a cutting board at a barbecue station.
Students gather around a table selecting fresh watermelon slices at an outdoor campus event.
Two staff members smile while holding a prize basket and a “BBQ Judge” shirt at a campus event.
Three students stand outdoors holding empanadas and smiling during a campus food festival.
Group of four staff members smiling and holding food samples while standing near a campus food truck.
Large group of students pose together holding event tickets in front of a campus food truck.
Student takes a bite of a food sample while holding a tray of loaded fries at an outdoor campus event.
Close-up of a gold cleaver-shaped trophy engraved “Blazing BBQ Brawl Best Chicken 2026” on display at an outdoor event.
Barbecue competitor smiling while holding multiple awards, including a championship belt and cleaver-shaped trophies, outdoors on campus.
Group of chefs and team members posing together and holding BBQ competition trophies at an outdoor campus event.
Team wearing Adelphi University apparel poses together, smiling and holding an award during a campus BBQ competition.
Two students smiling and holding plates of food while standing outdoors at a campus food event.
Display of pulled pork sliders arranged on a table with tropical fruit and decorative flowers.
Two students stand at a Coca-Cola booth holding cherry-flavored soda cans in front of a bright promotional backdrop.
Three BBQ judges sit outdoors tasting ribs and smiling during a campus barbecue competition.
Close-up of a grilled chicken sandwich topped with coleslaw on a wooden serving board.
Student wearing sunglasses holds an event ticket and a bag of empanadas while standing on campus.
Group of adults standing together outdoors, each holding small food samples at a campus event.
Close-up of sliced smoked brisket showing a crispy exterior and tender interior on a cutting board.
Group of five students gathered around a red outdoor table smiling and posing with food during a campus event.
Student in a hoodie holds a soda can and a sandwich while standing under a tent at an outdoor campus food event.
Student ambassador wearing a Clio Greek yogurt bars T-shirt smiles while holding up two sample bars at an outdoor campus event.
Vendor stands behind a wooden booth smiling, with a sample menu sign displayed at a campus BBQ event.
Three students pose together holding drinks and event tickets on a lively campus walkway.
Close-up of a gloved hand slicing smoked brisket on a cutting board at a barbecue station.
Students gather around a table selecting fresh watermelon slices at an outdoor campus event.
Two staff members smile while holding a prize basket and a “BBQ Judge” shirt at a campus event.
Three students stand outdoors holding empanadas and smiling during a campus food festival.
Group of four staff members smiling and holding food samples while standing near a campus food truck.
Large group of students pose together holding event tickets in front of a campus food truck.
Student takes a bite of a food sample while holding a tray of loaded fries at an outdoor campus event.
Close-up of a gold cleaver-shaped trophy engraved “Blazing BBQ Brawl Best Chicken 2026” on display at an outdoor event.
Barbecue competitor smiling while holding multiple awards, including a championship belt and cleaver-shaped trophies, outdoors on campus.
Group of chefs and team members posing together and holding BBQ competition trophies at an outdoor campus event.
Team wearing Adelphi University apparel poses together, smiling and holding an award during a campus BBQ competition.
April 29, 2026

The smoky, savory scent of barbecue drifted through St. John’s University’s Residential Village Path on April 21 as chefs from six area universities fired up their grills for Chartwells’s Blazing BBQ Brawl.

Now in its second year on St. John’s Queens, NY, campus, the spirited competition—designed to showcase the talents of Chartwells chefs—brought 1,400 students, faculty, administrators, staff, and other members of the St. John’s community together, vying to see who would earn the coveted title of BBQ Brawl champion.

“This is an event that actually started back in 2011 at SUNY Old Westbury,” said Paul Bowden, Chartwells Senior Executive Chef at St. John’s. “Our goal is to make it bigger and better every year. This year, we added an Iron Chef-style ‘Live Fire’ category, where the chefs cook tomahawk steaks for a separate student panel of judges. The winner gets a championship ring.”

Trophies are awarded to winners in each of five categories—brisket, chicken, ribs, pork, and vegetarian. “You don’t typically see a vegetarian dish at a BBQ competition,” Chef Bowden said. “The top overall score brings home the championship belt.”  

For the price of a single lunchtime meal swipe (or a credit card swipe for those not on a meal plan), guests were treated to a vast barbecue sampling, with pit bosses representing St. John’s; Adelphi University; Hofstra University; SUNY Old Westbury; and Quinnipiac University/Trinity College all firing up their best.

“I wasn’t aware this was happening, so when I saw all the smokers and BBQ pits set up, I said, ‘Oh my gosh, YES!’” said Elisabeth Chuni, a psychology major from Danbury, CT. “I love it when St. John’s has events like this where everyone—resident students and commuters alike—can come together and hang out and share an amazing experience.”

“The food is amazing,” said Bella Guido, a first-year nursing student from Howard Beach, NY. “It’s nice to have all these different options from different schools in one place. I love the music, too. It’s a great vibe.”

Her cousin, Antonio Sobrao, a finance major, was equally impressed. “I love that St. John’s is hosting an event like this. I’m just getting started on the pulled pork and it is amazing. I can’t wait to try some of the other plates.”

“I love that it’s not just one big barbecue—it’s a full-on competition between schools,” said Jolene Desiste, a legal studies major from Queens, NY. “That’s what makes it so fun. You get this incredibly diverse mix of styles and flavors, all under the same barbecue theme, and it really turns the whole event into something special. They definitely delivered a great time.”

“I just got out of classes so coming here this afternoon is a great way to refresh,” said Rochile Vestrat, a criminal justice major from North Babylon, NY. “I’m a foodie and there are so many different options for me. The birria tacos are pretty amazing.”

Jack Flynn, Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Student Conduct, was among the panel of St. John’s dignitaries who cast votes for their favorite foods. “It has been an amazing experience,” he said. “It’s great to see so many students out here today sampling some of the best food that Chartwells has to offer.”

Fellow judge Sr. Patricia Evanick, D.C. ’97M.S.Ed., Associate Director of Campus Ministry for Liturgy, Faith Formation, and Vincentian Initiatives, gave high marks to the ribs she sampled, but explained that her favorite part of the event was the feeling of togetherness it created. “I’m glad we do it because it brings people out to celebrate and be a part of the St. John’s community.”

Overall BBQ Champion: Chef Joshua Jampole (St. John’s University) 

Best Ribs: Chef Joshua Jampole (St. John’s University)

Best Pork: Chef Joshua Jampole (St. John’s University)

Best Chicken: Chef John Mesas (Hofstra University)

Best Brisket: Chef John Mesas (Hofstra University)

Best Vegan Dish: Chef Jose Rodriguez (SUNY Old Westbury)

Live Fire Competition: Chef Michael Russell (Adelphi University)

“We all have a passion for the creativity of making our own rubs, brining the meats, hour and hours of smoking, and then the final result,” said two-time BBQ Brawl Champion, Chef Joshua Jampole, representing St. John’s. “There’s a bit of a rivalry, but we all have a love for what we do. It’s a great opportunity to do something really special for the students.”

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