Pulled pork, ribs and chicken at Bam Dazy BBQ in Auburn

FOOTBALL AND BBQ GO TOGETHER: Besides tailgating, Heisman Trophy winner Billy Simms, NFL Hall of Fame player Randy White and Pro Bowl player Al “Bubba” Baker all own popular BBQ joints.

Our region has its own top-notch BBQ restaurants, with their “low and slow” smokers primed for the football season. Some of our favorites are Smokey’s Kitchen in Truckee, Smiley Guys SmokeHouse in Grass Valley and Porky’s on Bridge Street in Yuba City.

In Auburn, Bam Dazy BBQ & Catering has a loyal following—for in-house and to-go orders, and for weddings and other gatherings.

Owners Brendon and Meghan Sullivan named the restaurant and catering business after their two beloved Boston terriers, Bam and Dazy. Brendon is a member of the prestigious Kansas City Barbecue Society and winner of multiple competitions. He’s trained with celebrity chef Myron Mixon of Georgia, nicknamed “the winningest man in barbecue.”

With a motto “if you’re saucin’, you’re hidin’,” Bam Dazy’s BBQ is the real deal: St. Louis-style pork spare ribs, brisket, pulled pork and chicken. The meats are slow cooked in a Cookshack SM360 smoker—14 hours for the pulled pork alone—often using peach wood grown in Chicago Park.

Bam Dazy’s homemade “Hog’s Glaze” sauce is sublime. The sides also are home-made: potato salad, coleslaw, fried okra, baked beans, corn bread, sweet potato fries, and a smoked mac n’ cheese. Other menu items include delicious fried chicken, salads and BBQ sandwiches.

Bam Dazy has catered major weddings throughout the region, including one for 350 people this summer at Miners Foundry Cultural Center in Nevada City. Its restaurant features flat-screen TVs and football season specials. Enjoy watching a game with a bottle of craft beer.

Pints & Punts
With football season underway, here’s where to watch your favorite sports team with a pint of craft brew:

151 UNION SQUARE
Seventeen beers on tap. Watch Sunday Night Football and enjoy munchies. GV 151UnionSquare.com

TOFANELLI’S GOLD COUNTRY BISTRO
Six beers on tap, full bar. Flat-screen TV for 49ers’ faithful. Co-owner is a former San Francisco sports columnist. GV Tofanellis.com

KANE’S RESTAURANT
Ten beers on tap, full bar. 7 HDTVs. Monday Night Football. NC KanesRestaurant.com

LEFTY’S GRILL
Twelve beers on tap. 4 flat-screen TVs. View of Deer Creek. NC LeftysGrill.com

MARIA’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT
Beer on tap and full bar. 6 flat-screen TVs. Drink specials. Outdoor patio has 2 large HDTVs. GV MariasGrassValley.com

SMILEY GUYS SMOKEHOUSE
17 beers on tap. 3 big-screen TVs and NFL Sunday Ticket. Also a pool table and dart boards. GV SmileyGuysSmokeHouse.com