Time for Troop 33's Super Bowl barbecue weekend

If you've ever been around the Sardis Road area on the Thursday and Friday before the Super Bowl, you probably know about the annual Troop 33 barbecue. It's hard to miss the smoke and aroma.

Put on by the Boy Scouts, their parents and an army of volunteers from Sardis Presbyterian Church, across the street from the Scout Hut at 6100 Sardis Road, it's barbecue the old way: Cooked slowly over wood coals and hand-chopped.

I once spent a night as a coal shoveler for Troop 33, so I can tell you first-hand that it's quite an endeavor. The Scouts spend all year gathering wood, and the boys have to assemble the concrete-block pits from scratch every year, then clean up and take it down.

Since many people base their Super Bowl menu on Troop 33 barbecue, the stuff can sell out quickly. It's smart to buy your ticket in advance. That means now, or very soon. Call John at 704-996-0391 or email jhall027@carolina.rr.com. If you get a ticket from John, you can pick it up on Friday or Saturday morning at the Scout Hut.

The price list:
$10 for 1 pound of barbecue with a 2-ounce container of sauce.
$9 for a quart of Brunswick stew (limited quantities).
$7 for a barbecue plate ('cue, slaw, beans and roll) or a 3-sandwich plate, Friday only.
$4 for a 6-ounce bottle of T33 barbecue sauce (advance orders only)
$3 for a dozen rolls, $2 for a pint of baked beans or slaw (advance orders only).

You can pick up