Justin
The Community Builder
Competition Ribs & Pork Shoulder
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Justin Coffini moved to the Valley of the Sun looking for a change in life… and in the weather! Always a foodie at heart with a penchant for cooking, he stumbled into BBQ by happenstance. In 2009, Justin and his wife Sharon were considering purchasing an Italian restaurant, but life had other plans. On the way home from a meeting during which the restaurant deal fell through, the Coffinis happened upon a BBQ competition taking place in Tempe. On a whim (or perhaps due to a whiff of BBQ in the air), they decided to stop and see what it was all about.
The couple started chatting with the promoter, Mike Reimann, and the various teams that were cooking their meats for the competition. Justin was immediately intrigued and met with Mike the next week to learn more about competition BBQ. He spent the rest of 2009 purchasing the equipment needed and practicing the meats to compete — and he entered his first competition the following year.
Competition Ribs
Perfected the 3-2-1 method with his own signature twist.
Community Building
The heart of YB BBQ — making every guest feel like family.
Pork Shoulder
Pork shoulder and brisket are his calling card on the big stage.
Event Catering
Runs the catering operation with military precision.
Discovered competition BBQ at a Tempe cookoff — entered his first competition the following year
1st place in pork at the Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational BBQ in Lynchburg, Tennessee
3rd place overall at the American Royal World Series of BBQ Invitational; cooked at the World Food Championships in Dallas — 9th overall in steak
Teaching backyard cooking classes across Arizona and sharing his passion for competition BBQ