MORAGA, CA — Some of the Bay Area’s top barbecue crews are heading to Moraga for an afternoon of ribs, music and friendly competition — all while raising money for local public schools.
The second annual Moraga Rib Throwdown will take over Canyon Club Brewery on Saturday, August 29, from 4 to 8 p.m.
Four teams will compete for the title of 2026 Moraga Rib Throwdown Champion:
- Heads & Tails Barbecue of Berkeley
- MexiQ of Oakland
- Slow Hand BBQ of Pleasant Hill and Martinez
- Bad Bears BBQ of American Canyon
The competitors represent several very different approaches to barbecue.
Heads & Tails operates a Berkeley restaurant combining traditional smoked meats with Tex-Mex flavors. MexiQ, led by Oakland pitmaster Aaron Stewart, specializes in Mexican barbecue fusion.
Slow Hand BBQ is known locally for meats smoked exclusively over California white oak, while Bad Bears BBQ will travel down from American Canyon for the competition.
Slow Hand BBQ suffered a massive fire at its Pleasant Hill location earlier this year. That makes this a great time to support the local BBQ company, which still has a restaurant in Martinez.
Guests who purchase a Moraga Education Foundation tasting and judging ticket will receive ribs from all four competitors — an amount organizers say is roughly equivalent to a full rack — along with sides prepared by Moraga’s Live Oak Grilling.
Ticket holders can vote for the People’s Choice winner. Some guests who are at least 18 years old will also be selected at random to serve as official judges and help choose the overall champion.
People looking for something beyond the competition ribs can purchase an island combination plate from Ofa’s Island BBQ of San Ramon. The plate includes barbecue chicken, beef short ribs, kalua pork, rice, noodles with vegetables, Hawaiian rolls and pineapple coleslaw.
More Than Just Barbecue
The event will also feature games, prizes and a pop-up shop operated by Vintage Vida.
Live entertainment will include performances by students from Lamorinda Idol and the Bohrer Brothers Trio. Bay Area emcee, actor and musician Deuce Eclipse is also scheduled to join the musicians for several songs.
The Event Supports Moraga Schools
Proceeds from the Throwdown will benefit the Moraga Education Foundation, which provides funding for academic enrichment, staffing and school programs.
The organization supports Camino Pablo Elementary, Los Perales Elementary, Donald L. Rheem Elementary, Joaquin Moraga Intermediate and Campolindo High School.
The event is free and open to the public, so visitors do not need to purchase a tasting ticket to attend. Organizers also encourage families and groups to share tasting plates.
Advance tasting and judging tickets are currently listed at $130, including the donation and taxes. The package also includes soft drinks and five beer or wine tickets from Canyon Club Brewery.
The competition takes place Saturday, August 29, from 4 to 8 p.m. at Canyon Club Brewery, located at 1558 Canyon Road in Moraga. The official event listing confirms all four competitors, the ticket package and free general admission.
The inaugural Moraga Rib Throwdown was held in 2025, establishing the event as a community fundraiser supporting the same five public schools.
Tickets and additional information are available through the Moraga Rib Throwdown website. Here’s the website: https://luma.com/ribthrowdown2026
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