Hey there, friends! 🔥

We’re Dale & Kim Zirbel — a husband-and-wife duo from beautiful North Idaho who love good food, good people, and a little friendly competition.

During the week, Dale is out in the construction world swinging hammers, while I’m busy slinging real estate and capturing life behind the camera. But when the weekend rolls around… the smokers fire up and it’s BBQ time. 🔥

With a big ol’ family to feed, we’ve had plenty of years to perfect our favorites — juicy brisket, fall-off-the-bone ribs, melt-in-your-mouth pulled pork, spicy jalapeño poppers, and just about anything that tastes better kissed with a little smoke.

What started as backyard fun quickly turned into something more.

In our first competition in Fall 2024, we jumped in with both feet and walked away with 1st place chicken and 2nd place Dutch oven dessert with our fan-favorite sopapilla cheesecake bites topped with warm apple compote and homemade whipped cream.

Since then, the adventure has only grown.

We’ve competed in events across the Northwest — including a KCBS event in Boise (Meat- N- Tater) where teams from 13 states showed up to compete — and we were proud to take 1st place in “Anything You Can Do With a Potato.”

Want to see what we made? See below for all the mouth-watering goodness!

At our first PNWBA event, we placed 10th in chicken and raised $250 for veterans with our smoked banana cheesecake.

And in March 2026 in Pasco, we brought home our very first Grand Champion, with 1st place ribs and 2nd place chicken — a moment we won’t forget anytime soon.

For us, BBQ is about more than trophies. It’s about family, friends, community, bringing people together around great food.

Our dream is simple:

to work side-by-side doing what we love most — feeding folks and sharing a little North Idaho hospitality one delicious bite at a time.

We’re working behind the scenes to get our Freedom Works BBQ catering rolling, and we can’t wait to see where this smoky adventure takes us.

Below you’ll find photos and stories from some of our favorite competitions along the way. 🔥

Stay saucy, friends.

🔥 Real Estate? That’s my day job — find me at kimzirbel.cdaorangehomes.com slingin’ keys and smokin’ deals!

I am licensed in Idaho as well as Washington State!

📸 Photos? I capture life behind the lens at kimzirbel.mypixieset.com — from front porches to family portraits.

🔥 Want to keep up with the smoke and BBQ adventures? Follow us on Facebook and Instagram!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/freedom.works.bbq

IG: See QR CODE BELOW!

Because anyone who competes can relate…LOL! 🔥

The smoke keeps rollin’, the good times keep flowin’—here’s the latest Freedom Works BBQ adventure.🔥

Come get ya some great BBQ samples! We’re keepin’ it a secret for now, but let’s just say it’s gonna be smokin’! 🔥

Come see us at the Spring Fair in Puyallup, WA — April 10–12!

You won’t want to miss it! 🍖🔥

🏆March 2026🏆

Pasco, WA- The Mens Expo

PNWBA

This one was a big one for us, and we’re so excited to share some fun photos of our award-winning food! We took home 1st place in ribs — and were less than 3 points away from a perfect 200! We’re chasing that perfect two double-zero and getting closer every time. 🔥

We also earned 2nd place in wings, which is extra funny because if you know us, wings are definitely not our usual thing!

We also want to give a huge shoutout to some new friends we met, VooDoo Spices and Rubs out of the Tri-Cities. We made a last-minute pivot from the flavor profile we had planned — switching from Honey Garlic to VooDoo’s Honey Chipotle — and wow… it was awesome sauce, guys!

Another big shoutout goes to Northern Outcasts (a little secret, we are family!) and Bad Bish BBQ-4th place chicken! (Did you know? Viola got PNWBA Judge of the year!) for their premiere events! We love seeing new teams jump in alongside us and bring that heat & excitement!

Next stop on the smoke train: Puyallup, WA, and the Spring Fair! April 10th-12th We’re headed your way, and you won’t want to miss what we’ll be sample vending.

(What is sample vending? Think small price, small portion!) If you know us and our food, let me give you a little hint: candy… IYKYK. 😉

Quick video below of our fun times from this event!

This one gave us all the memories! We had Daniel in tow, entered a raffle, and he won a Pac-Man Arcade courtesy of Party On Arcade — how fun is that?! Thank you!

Memorable moments:

We took GC, Placed 1st in Ribs, 2nd in chicken.
Daniel got to come along for the ride
Syd and Austin debuted with Northern Outcasts
We got to swim, play, and work!
First time sample vending, it was nice to pocket some cash!

🏅 November 2025 🐔

Suquamish, WA — Our first PNWBA competition!

We were thrilled to hear our name called with a 10th-place finish in chicken! 🐔🔥(Out of 30+ teams!)

We had Austin and Syd in tow, helping out all weekend, which made it even more fun. There’s nothing better than BBQ, family, and a great community of pitmasters.

One of the highlights of the weekend was our smoked banana cheesecake fundraiser—we raised $250 for Veterans, which made the whole weekend even sweeter. We were in the top 6 or 7 out of MANY desserts to bid on!

All in all, I’d say it was a winner, winner… chicken dinner!

Ok, here is the one you might be waiting for!

What did we do to take 1st place in potatoes, beating out world-renowned teams from all over the country?

41 Teams (Meats). 13 States. Many of the world’s top BBQ competitors – bringing the HEAT!

Let’s just say… my mind started spinning the moment we heard the category: “ANYTHING you can do with a potato!”

We thought and thought, and finally landed on something that just felt like Idaho.

Idaho potato fries, cooked in rich beef tallow, smothered with a warm huckleberry compote, and topped with a light, whipped cheesecake dressing and fresh whipped cream.

I knew one of two things would happen —

It would either be just different enough to win, or just different enough to win! (lol) I was thinking positively!

Lucky for us…

Everyone absolutely loved it! 🥔🏆

A HUGE shout out to my sister, Melissa M., who absolutely rocks the baking world in Meridian, Idaho,- Sweet Expressions for lending her skills to us for the day! Not only did she help with the cooking magic, but she also helped wrangle a fun and feisty 5-year-old, which might be the real championship skill of the day! 😄

At our first-ever KCBS event, we held our own in the meats and got some pretty solid scores, just not quite enough to place. Biggest takeaway? Texas knows its smoke… and Idaho still has a little something to learn! 😅🔥(OUCH!)

🔥 FEED THE TROOPS 2025 🔥

August 2025

I promised y’all some updates from the Feed the Troops Event, and what an incredible day it turned out to be!

On August 16th, 2025, at Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane, WA, five teams of pitmasters fired up their smokers to cook up some serious BBQ for the service members and families who serve our country. 💨🍖

Here’s what was rolling on the pits that day:

👉 75 racks of ribs

👉 39 pork butts

👉 9 briskets

👉 10 pitmasters

👉 Countless amazing volunteers

After hours of low-and-slow cooking, Dale and I—along with an incredible crew of volunteers—started serving from 12–3 PM, and the line never stopped!

Saturday morning tried to throw us a curveball with some rain, but by the time we started serving, the sun came out and so did hundreds of service members and their families. 🌞

A huge shout-out to PNWBA (pnwba.com), the sponsors, and the incredible volunteers who make this event possible year after year.

👉 Our favorite part? Getting the chance to feed the heroes—and the families—who serve and sacrifice for all of us. ❤️💙

We’re already counting down the days until we get to do it all again next year! 🐖🔥

Be sure to check out the photos and the fun little slideshow below!

The line stayed smokin’ steady! What an honor to serve!

Now, let’s go behind the scenes of our very first BBQ competition in September 2024. It may have been small, but it was mighty—and unforgettable!

We took home 1st place in chicken and 2nd in Dutch oven dessert, and had an absolute blast doing it. 🏆🔥

Take a peek at the video below to see where it all started — our very first taste of BBQ competition life! 🍗🏆

Alright BBQ friends… want to see something GOOD come off the smoker? Let’s GO! 🔥🍖”

How many smokers do we have? Well… not quite as many as I have cameras — but let’s just say they’re gaining on us fast! 😅 Meet the newest member of our BBQ family: Feedrick 🔥🍖 Yep, that’s his name — thanks to our Uncle Rick, who took one look and said, “Well, just feed me!” And just like that, Feedrick was born. He’s big. He’s bad. And he’s ready to smoke like a freight train headed straight for flavor town. 🚂💨 I can’t be the only one who names their smokers... right?

Sliders & sides? Oh, we’ve got that on lock. Meatballs? Child’s play. Buffalo chicken sliders? Easy peasy, finger-lickin’ cheesy. And don’t even get us started on the sides— Creamy Mac, zesty Citrus Slaw, smoky Pit Beans… We’re talkin’ comfort food that comes in hot and keeps you coming back for more. 🔥🍽️

Turkey? Salsa? Onions? Beans? Ham? YES. And the list just keeps going... If it can be smoked, spiced, or sauced — we’ve probably done it (and made it delicious). 😋🔥

Yep, we’re talkin’ sweet treats with a smoky twist—because why should meat have all the fun?! 😎

From smoked banana cheesecake to Dutch oven sopapilla bites, we’re servin’ up sugar with a side of smoke! And let’s not forget our award-winning huckleberry cheesecake fries—a bold, sweet Idaho-inspired creation that brought home the win! 🏆💜🍟

🔥 Warning: Reading this may cause sudden jerky cravings. Did someone say JERKY?

🔥 Black Pepper Classic with a Kick – Bold, Simple, and Straight-Up Savory. 🌶 Maple Jalapeño Sweet Meets Heat – Like Sunday brunch... with a spicy attitude. 🌋 Habanero Not for the Faint of Tongue – This one bites back. 🧂 Original Where It All Began – Tried, true, and perfectly chewy. 🍯 Teriyaki Sweet. Savory. Addicting. – The gateway jerky.

You bet we did! When Freedom Works BBQ fires up the smoker, we’re not just cooking—we’re crafting smoky, savory bites of pure BBQ goodness. And this batch of jerky? Let’s just say you might want to hide a bag before the family finds it.

First — our upcoming events:

We’ve got some exciting stops coming up and can’t wait to fire up the smokers and see some familiar faces.

We’ve rounded up the most common ones and answered them below to keep things easy and clear.

Let’s dive in! 👇

🔥 Upcoming Competition & Sample Vending –SPRING FAIR, PUYALLUP, WA 🔥

Competition mode: ON. Sample vending: ABSOLUTELY. 🔥🍖

We’ll be rockin’ all 4 meats and serving up some AWESOME food April 10–12, 2026. Come see us and get in on the smokin’ action!

🔥 Upcoming Competition – Pendleton Baron's Buckarro BBQ Challenge 🔥

May 2nd

🔥 Upcoming Competition –FLY IN PIG BBQ COMP. 🔥

May 15th-17th 2026

AND MANY MORE TO COME!

We’d love your support! If you jump in to help us fund this smokin’ BBQ competition adventure, we’ll proudly hang your banner, shout you out, and of course—feed you some seriously amazing grub! 🍖🔥

Your sponsorship helps cover the essentials:

👉 Travel

👉 Rubs & spices

👉 Quality meats

👉 Entry fees

👉 All the behind-the-scenes BBQ magic

Let’s team up and bring the flavor together! 💪🏆

We get these questions all the time, so we figured—why not serve up the answers right here?

Our #1 Question: “Do you have a menu and do you serve the public?”

🔥 Answer:

We’re just getting started on our catering journey and still have a couple of hoops to jump through before we’re fully up and running. That said—if you're family or friends, don’t hesitate to give us a ring and see what we might be able to help you with!

Once we’re officially established, you can bet we’ll be popping up everywhere—smoking, serving, and slingin’ BBQ with the best of ‘em!

#2 Question: “What have you cooked in the past, and what do you specialize in for family and competitions?”

🔥 Answer:

Brisket and dino ribs are our signature smokes—but fun fact: we took 1st place with our smoked chicken thighs in our very first competition!

When we’re cooking for family or friends, we bring out the big flavors with brisket, chicken, pork, and ribs—each one seasoned, smoked, and served with love (and a little swagger). Let's not forget our MEAT CANDY! (AKA: PORK BELLY)

#3 Question: “Where are you located, where are you both from, and are you doing this full time?”

🔥 Answer:

We’re based in beautiful North Idaho, about 40 minutes outside of Coeur d’Alene in the little town of Spirit Lake—where the trees are tall, the air is crisp, and our smokers are always rollin’.

Dale was born and raised in Montana (GO GRIZZLIES! 🐻) and I was an Air Force kid, so I’ve lived all over—Texas, Indiana, Okinawa, Nevada, and more. I’ve proudly called Idaho home since 1992.

Together, we’ve got five grown boys and one sweet little firecracker who keeps us on our toes at age 5! 🔥

Are we full time? Not yet—but we sure dream of it! For now, we’re balancing BBQ with our day jobs (Dale’s working hard on job sites while I help folks find home and freeze time through my lens.) But someday soon, we hope to go all in—smoking meat, feeding folks, and chasing the flavor full time! 🍖💨

💡 Just a little tidbit…

All my real estate clients get treated real well—think complimentary photo shoots and yummy BBQ through the years. Just sayin’… 😉🍽️📸

This is just the beginning, and we’ll be addin’ more as we keep stokin’ the fire and smokin’ our way toward the dream. Got a thought, question, or idea? Don’t be shy—shoot us a message and let’s talk smoke!"

Alright y’all, we’re leavin’ you with one last sizzlin’ video for now… but don’t be a stranger—keep checkin’ back in! We LOVE our locals and your smokin’ support means the world to us. 🔥🍖💛

Stay saucy, friends! 😎 #FreedomWorksBBQ

You can find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/freedom.works.bbq/

Freedom Works BBQ

Hey there, friends! 🔥

We’re Dale & Kim Zirbel — a husband-and-wife duo from beautiful North Idaho who love good food, good people, and a little friendly competition.