Overtown’s barbecue competition now has a clear frontrunner.
Chef Akino West, representing Black Pit BBQ, won the People’s Choice Barbecue Cook-off held Saturday at the Ninth Street Pedestrian Mall, earning the most votes from attendees.
The event, hosted by the Southeast Overtown/Park West Community Redevelopment Agency (SEOPW CRA), gave the public an opportunity to sample dishes from three semi-finalists competing for the chance to lease and operate the historic People’s Bar-B-Que site at 350 N.W. 8th St.
The historic People’s Bar-B-Que site, now renovated.
(AJ Shorter, Clarke Smart Solutions)
With the win, West advances in the CRA’s request for proposals process. The selection committee is expected to factor the cook-off results into its final review before deciding who will take over the site.
West competed against Jeanette McKay Wimbley of McKay Catering and David Sifflet of People’s Outlaw BBQ.
The cook-off marked a key step in determining who will carry forward the legacy of the longtime Overtown barbecue institution, which served the community for more than 50 years.