BBQ Guru™ Helps Couples Take the Guesswork Out of Creating Grill-Inspired Date Nights

The Short Version: For years, BBQ Guru has provided everyday cooks with the tools they need to become champion barbecuers. The company’s devices allow people to easily control their food’s cooking temperature in charcoal and wood-burning grills. For couples who love to barbecue, BBQ Guru, aka Bob Trudnak, makes planning a romantic dinner simple, and he encourages conversation by keeping you from having to constantly check on your food. Customers flock to the site for supplies and tips on keeping their meals at the perfect temperature and letting the grill do the work.

Bob Trudnak’s passion for barbecue began at the tender age of 7. The second his father placed him in charge of putting charcoal in the grill, he knew he was hooked.

For Bob, barbecuing wasn’t just about eating delicious, flavorful food — although that was a nice perk. It was more about enjoying the company of family and friends and the connections they made. Barbecue brought people together.

“We looked forward to it every Sunday as a real sense of sharing and community for me,” Bob said. “I knew from an early age that this is what I wanted my life to be like.”

After Bob graduated from college, he began working for inventor “Shotgun Fred” Pirkle in Texas. Fred loved barbecue just as much as Bob did and taught him all of the intricacies of making real Southern barbecue. That led the duo to develop their own products and even start a barbecue competition.

Bob immersed himself in his passion for making memorable barbecue. His hard work didn’t go unnoticed, and Fred brought Bob into the fold on a side project, which would eventually evolve into BBQ Guru.

Bob Trudnak’s passion for barbecue led him to design innovative products with BBQ Guru.

“I fell in love with food competitions, and now BBQ is my life,” Bob said. “Besides being the Pit Master, Brand Ambassador, and Marketing Director for BBQ Guru, my wife and I own a BBQ catering business — Hav’N A BBQ — and we sell our own sauces and rubs.”

BBQ Guru makes controls for grills and smokers that keep barbecue at the optimal temperature throughout the cooking process. That means no opening the lid to see if the meat is overcooking while you’re making a meal for a date.

“With the help of our barbecue accessories, people can automatically and consistently regulate air flow to maintain a steady temperature throughout the cook,” Bob said. “This not only creates an effective and easier way to BBQ, but it also gives you better results. By turning your grill into a ‘set-it-and-forget-it’ machine, you no longer have to worry about controlling the heat or hovering around your cooker.”

Anyone can make perfect barbecue, with less hassle, and spend more time with family — or a special someone.

Everyone knows that great barbecue doesn’t just happen, but BBQ Guru’s products can make the process seem effortless. The company knows that smoking meats and slow-cooking barbecue can be time-consuming and require plenty of work and patience. Which is why its innovations allow customers to have the best of both worlds — next-level barbecue with more fun in the process.

When BBQ Guru developed its technology, it opened the door for anyone to give traditional BBQ a try — as a hobby or a lifestyle. Its automatic temperature control devices — PartyQ, DigiQ DX2, and CyberQ Cloud — keep barbecue at the optimal cooking temperature. One customer found his device to be extremely accurate. “It kept the pit temperature spot on… and beeped me when the internal temperature met its mark. Easy to set up… easy to put away,” said Larry in a testimonial on the site.

Watch on

“Using the right equipment, along with an automatic temperature controller, takes the guesswork out of BBQ and allows time for fun activities,” Bob said. “For example, you can watch a movie on the patio, open up a bottle of wine, and enjoy some appetizers while your dinner is cooking.”

Many couples have found that BBQ Guru’s temperature controls make wonderful gifts for their significant others. Lisa D. found that her husband was a huge fan of the DigiQ. “I bought (the DigiQ) for my husband for Valentine’s Day and he loves, loves, loves it!!! The food always comes out perfect!!” she said.

Trusted grilling and barbecue companies, like AmazingRibs.com, also praise BBQ Guru’s temperature controls. “You’ll wonder how you lived without one of these after using it.”

When it comes to planning the perfect date night, BBQ Guru has become a trusted resource for helping couples keep the spark alive. Bob said couples can start with smoked or grilled meat and make an exciting night out of it whether it’s a special occasion or a romantic date night in.

Couples can spend more time talking instead of checking the grill by using BBQ Guru products.

The website has recipes that range from tacos to seafood to pasta dishes, that are great for couples to cook together on a date night at home. Bob highlighted Grilled Shrimp Scampi over Linguini, Sausage and Scallop Skewers with a Honey Pomegranate Glaze, and Pulled Pork Tacos with Red Jalapeno BBQ Slaw as a few of his favorite recipes. Not only are they fun and flavorful, but they’re also great for dividing up tasks and assembling as a team.

“Once your meat is done cooking, you can even make a little competition,” Bob said. “For example, if you’re making tacos, you and your partner can each secretly choose four ingredients and see who builds the better tasting taco.”

Bob’s passion is sharing the joy of barbecue, and he holds cooking classes throughout the US and Europe. He loves teaching people how to sharpen their skills and provides special tips and tricks that make barbecuing easier.

“I try to explain cooking by making it simple. Anyone can do it. I’ve seen people create great dishes who never thought they could,” he said. “I have also taught many people how to cook competitively. One of the greatest feelings is when they come up to me after winning an award at a contest and say, ‘Thank you for teaching me how to do this.’ Their smiles are priceless. It really warms my heart.”

Bob remembers being a beginner, so he always finds time to encourage those new to barbecue to be patient with themselves and ask questions. That is why BBQ Guru created a private online community, ShareMyCook.com. The website is a fun place where CyberQ Cloud owners can remotely track cooking temperatures and time, and share recipes and cooks with friends and family through social media.

ShareMyCook.com offers mouth-watering recipes perfect for your next date night.

“If you are the slightest bit skeptical about getting into the hobby of backyard BBQ, open your mind,” Bob said. “Try our tips, tricks, and methods, and you will be pleasantly surprised how easy and fun it is to create wonderful foods on your grill and smoker. Our website and YouTube channel are full of resources, educational videos, and recipes to help you create better BBQ.”

According to BBQ Guru, maintaining low and even temperatures is key to great tasting barbecue. Bob said that one of the most common outdoor mistakes is repeatedly opening and closing the grill’s lid.

“As tempting as it is to see what’s happening underneath, fiddling with the lid releases heat and causes temperature fluctuations,” Bob said. “If you continuously check to see if your food is done, you are risking the chance of wild temperature fluctuations and tough, dried, or burnt meat.”

BBQ Guru is focused on upgrading its current product line to stay at the leading edge of the market. Bob said that the company wants to ensure its customers always have a pleasant experience.

“Our wheels are constantly spinning to develop new products that we believe will help bring convenience and fun to outdoor cooking,” he said.

As the Pit Master and marketing specialist behind the brand, Bob shows no signs of slowing down. He has won more than 250 awards in barbecue contests all over the world. But, even with all of the awards he’s won, Bob said he feels his biggest accomplishment was teaching his 17-year-old daughter and her two best friends how to cook competition barbecue.

“They went on to win three Grand Championships and two Reserve Championships in the following five years,” Bob said. “Teaching them how to not only cook well but also how to work as a team and solve problems was very important to me.”

It’s this love of family and dedication to exquisite barbecue that has allowed BBQ Guru to remain an industry leader and satisfy customers all over the world.