Barbecue University® 2026
When the sun rises over the majestic Alisal Ranch, smoke will rise too. The fragrant smoke of hickory and the fiery smoke of mesquite—rising from the more than 30 state-of- the-art grills and smokers in our outdoor classroom.
Named the “#1 barbecue experience in the U.S.” by The Food Network and described by Eating Light magazine as “a fantasy camp for coal heads,” Barbecue University® is equal parts culinary education, luxury retreat, and unforgettable adventure.
Your instructor and host is global grilling authority Steven Raichlen. You’ve read his award-winning, bestselling books, like The Barbecue Bible and Project Smoke. You’ve watched his popular Planet Barbecue and Project Fire TV shows on PBS. Now here’s your chance to grill and learn alongside the man who launched the barbecue revolution.
And learn you will in action packed classes focusing on the five methods of live fire cooking. How to grill the perfect steak. How to smoke salmon, turkey and pork shoulder. How to make championship barbecue sauces and rubs. How to grill up mouthwatering side dishes and desserts. You’ll learn those skills not just by watching, but by doing, preparing a sumptuous live fire, five course lunch with your classmates.
So what’s on the menu at Barbecue University® this year? How about reverse-seared beef tomahawk? Huli huli pork ribs and buttermilk and pickle juice brined chicken? And let’s not forget onion water lamb chops, grilled mac and cheese, and a luscious chipotle crème brulée for dessert.
Our students come from all over the world—literally—many of them repeats from previous years. No prior grilling experience is required, but seasoned barbecuers will find plenty of challenging dishes to take their skills to the next level.
Our home is the Alisal Ranch in Solvang, California, and if that sounds familiar, you’ve been watching Steven’s Project Fire and Project Smoke TV shows—filmed on location at this 10,000- acre ranch in the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley. Guests lodge in luxurious cabins—each with a fireplace. You have afternoons free to ride one of the Alisal’s more than 100 horses, hike on scenic trails, golf on a riverside golf course, get a massage at the spa, or simply relax.
Make that relax and shop in the nearby charming Danish-California town of Solvang. Or taste chardonnay or pinot noir at one of the dozens of local wineries. (Homework assignment: Watch the movie “Sideways,” which was filmed here.)
“I have attended cooking classes and retreats throughout the U.S. and Europe, but have never experienced anything like Barbecue University®,” wrote travel writer and author Larry Olmsted on Forbes.com.
The next session of Barbecue University® takes place Monday, September 7 to Thursday, September 10. 2026. Space is limited, so sign up today.
Barbecue University®—where the only marks you get are grill marks!
This Experience Includes:
- Accommodations for 3-nights
- All meals – Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner
- A selection of alcoholic & non-alcoholic beverages at our bars & restaurants
- Three hands-on classes with renowned grilling authority Steven Raichlen, with sumptuous student-cooked meals to follow.
- Optional for additional guests to join at a “non-student” discounted rate
About Steven Raichlen
Author, journalist, lecturer, and TV host, Steven Raichlen is the man who launched the barbecue revolution. His 32 books include the international blockbusters The Barbecue Bible and How to Grill and the New York Times bestselling Planet Barbecue and Project Smoke (Workman Publishing). In The Brisket Chronicles, Raichlen explores how this epic meat is prepared around the world, from Texas barbecue to Jewish pastrami to Vietnamese pho. His latest book, How to Grill Vegetables, focuses on global plant-based grilling. Raichlen’s books (more than 6 million copies in print) have won five James Beard Awards and three IACP Julia Child Awards and have been translated into 17 languages.
Steven Raichlen hosts the popular TV shows Steven Raichlen’s Project Fire and Project Smoke, Primal Grill, and Barbecue University on American Public Television. His new show, Steven Raichlen’s Planet Barbecue®–focused on global grilling—launched on Memorial Day, 2023. Raichlen also stars in several French-language TV shows, including Le Maître du Grill and Les Incontournables du BBQ. His Italian TV show, Steven Raichlen Grills Italy, airs on Gambero Rosso. An award-winning journalist, Raichlen writes regularly for The New York Times. His work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Esquire, GQ, and all the major food magazines. In 2015, he was inducted into the KCBS Barbecue Hall of Fame.
In 2021, Raichlen launched Planet Barbecue®, a line of ready to heat and eat barbecue and grilled foods. He also created the Steven Raichlen Signature lines of grilling accessories and seasonings. His latest venture is a new restaurant concept: the Star Grill by Steven Raichlen for the Windstar cruise line. Raichlen founded Barbecue University®, now held at the Alisal Guest Ranch in Solvang, California, and has lectured on this history of barbecue at institutions as diverse as Harvard, the Library of Congress, and the Smithsonian Institution.
Steven Raichlen holds a degree in French literature from Reed College in Portland, Oregon, and studied medieval cooking in Europe on a Thomas J. Watson Foundation Fellowship. He was also awarded a Fulbright. When not grilling, you’ll find him at the helm of his sailboat, Barbacoa. He and his wife, Barbara, live in Miami and Martha’s Vineyard.
