Kevin Ortega of Turlock has fond memories of being a child and watching intently as his family members barbecued at their regular gatherings. Not only did he keep a watchful eye on the grill masters, but he had the “honor” of sampling the meats, ensuring they were cooked, seasoned and sauced just right before lunch or dinner was officially served.
That early interest in barbecuing has blossomed into a booming catering business for Ortega and his family, one that has punched them a ticket to one of the biggest stages in the culinary universe.
Ortega and his business, KO.BBQ, will be in Indianapolis from Oct. 16-19 for the World Food Championships (WFC) after winning a golden ticket for his "People's Choice” first-place chicken wings at the Famous Dave’s All-Star BBQ Series at the chain’s Modesto location near Vintage Faire Mall earlier this month.
“With all these other barbecue chefs being there, it’ll by far be the biggest stage we’ve ever been on,” Ortega said. “It feels like I’m Charlie at the Chocolate Factory.”
KO.BBQ was one of two competitors out of Turlock, alongside B&E BBQ, in the six-team contest. KO.BBQ won fourth place overall with a score of 90.46 out of 100, while B&E BBQ earned sixth with a score of 85.17.
The Famous Dave’s event also judged chicken and ribs, with Ortega’s chicken winning second place and his ribs fifth place.
The catch was that teams had to use Famous Dave products, specifically the brand’s sauces and seasoning. In the weeks leading up to the event, he purchased every Famous Dave’s product on the market, mixing favors until he found something he felt was just right for his wings— “A combination of a little bit of sweet, a little bit savory and a little bit of spice on the back end.”
Winning a trip to Indianapolis was surprising for Ortega, but even more so considering he doesn’t usually serve wings.
“That was surprising, because we do ribs, chicken, brisket, and hardly ever wings,” Ortega said.
In Indiana, KO.BBQ will be competing in the barbecue leg of the event, with a grand prize of $150,000 at stake.
It has been a rapid ascent for Ortega and his business. He had only cooked for friends and family until 2020, when he was urged to enter a competition in Stockton. Two months later, he won his first competition.
“I became addicted, not so much the winning, but the experience of it all,” said Ortega. “To go out to these events, meet all kinds of people, and for them to try my food and to hear the compliments is amazing. You fall in love with the vibe, the atmosphere, just everybody in the barbecue community. It’s so fun.”
His chicken wings marked the 15th overall first-place finish in his culinary career.
Ortega, who works full time as a social worker, operates the catering business with the help of his family.
With each event, people are always coming up to us asking how to order or where to find us,” Ortega said. “We don’t have a physical restaurant. We are purely catering, and these events have really helped us grow”
Ortega described his catering menu as “traditional barbecue with some Cali-inspired flavor,” with flexibility for elegant events like weddings, quinceaneras, birthdays and other gatherings like office lunches and corporate gigs.
“We have our regular ribs, pork belly burnt ends, more of a Texas-style brisket, Santa Maria-style tri-tips over an open fire, our pulled pork, barbecue chicken, sausages,” he added. “We have sides like pasta, salad, jalapeno poppers… We do a lot.
“Hearing people say that they love my food means a lot, too. It’s everything. And now we’re on the world stage. It’s crazy to think about.”
KO.BBQ can be found on Instagram at @ko.bbq, Facebook at KO BBQ and can be contacted by calling (209) 345-5613.
