Sauce kicks (pork) butts of hundreds of competitors.
Smokin’ Aces BBQ & Steakhouse, led by owner and pitmaster Robert Jordan, earned accolades on the national barbecue stage in the 2025 Sauces of Honor competition. The contest is put on by “Barbecue News,” a magazine that has been a leading voice in the barbeque world since 1990.
Now in its 15th year, Sauces of Honor is held in Douglas, GA, and is one of the world’s most respected blind-judged barbecue sauce competitions. Contestants enter their sauces in any, or all, of five categories: pork, beef, chicken, seafood, and overall.
This year, competitors from 41 states, Canada, and the United Kingdom entered. Pitmasters put their sauces in containers without branding or packaging. “We have to mail the product in,” Jordan said. “It is a total blind judging taste. To qualify to win overall, you have to enter one sauce in all four of the unseasoned meats. It is based on how the sauce pairs with all of those.”
Jordan’s signature Smokin’ Sweet Sauce won first place in the pork category, beating 183 other entries. Smokin’ Sweet Sauce also came in seventh place in both beef and seafood, demonstrating that it is great with all kinds of meats. Of the 741 total entries, Smokin’ Sweet Sauce placed third in the overall competition.
“Robert Jordan and the team at Smokin’ Aces have delivered something truly special,” said Kell Phelps, Publisher of “Barbecue News” and Managing Partner of the National Barbecue & Grilling Association. “To take first in a major category and finish in the top three overall is an incredible accomplishment. Their success reflects the dedication, passion, and flavor that define great barbecue.”
“When you go to these contests, it is mainly traveling teams there, and that is what they do. But, as a restaurant, winning shows our area what we are doing. They come in, see the trophies and say, ‘Okay, you are really serious about barbeque.’”
“We were the only winner from the State of Florida,” Jordan said. “It was huge. When we first started, we weren’t really sure how it was going to work. We kept messing around with the recipe. I have been trying for years to do better—make my product better than it was—because you are going against some big-time names out there in the barbecue industry. It’s been awesome. It kind of blew me away when I took third overall. The main thing was hitting first in the pork category. It was titanic.”
“The barbecue industry has really exploded,” Jordan commented. “Now these contests are huge. They are drawing hundreds and hundreds of teams to compete in some of the most prestigious events in the country.”
Smokin’ Aces started with a food trailer at the corner of County Line Road and US 92. After they won the rib title at the Pig Jam in Plant City, they moved into the current location on Park Road, a couple of hundred yards north of I-4. Smokin’ Aces has been in business for 10 years in that building. How did it get its name? “We had been talking about a name, then me and my kids were playing Texas Hold ‘Em,” Jordan recounted. “And my daughter said, ‘Smokin’ aces.’
Smokin’ Aces makes three sauces: Smokin’ Sweet Sauce, Smokin’ Gold, and Smokin’ Sweet Honey Jalapeno. Bottles of the sauces are availale for sale in the restaurant. He and his wife, Trish, employ 25 people, including their three children, Robbie, Josh, and Jenny. “It’s a full family affair,” Jordan said. “We have a lot of loyalty with our employees. We don’t have a lot of recidivism. And we are really appreciative of the support we get from the community and local businesses because they are the ones who really drive our business.”
The restaurant is busy much of the year with the brick and mortar location and catering. They smoke an average of 30,000 wings per month. Jordan continues to compete, and for example, has won the King of Wings in Lakeland three times. The salmon recipe Jordan cooks to compete at Pig Fest will go into the 40th Annual Kansas City Barbeque Society cookbook that will be published nationwide.
“I devote my time to the back,” Jordan said. “So, that is where you are going to find me. I am more of the guy in the kitchen. I do enjoy coming out and talking to customers. I relate it like NASCAR. The back is the engine, and the girls are the drivers. As long as we are communicating and coordinating, it runs smoothly. My focus is more about the quality control of the products we are serving to the customers and making sure we are consistent. We have been ranked #1 on Tripadvisor as the best restaurant in Plant City for seven years. That goes with the quality of the food and the quality of the service we have out in the dining room. I take a lot of pride in the meat that we produce here. We sell nothing but certified Angus beef. I go and personally source our food from the farmer’s market. I think that is really important. I like to be hands-on as far as what we are bringing in.”
Since he started, Jordan recalled that Smokin’ Aces has been through a lot of hard times, like Covid and destruction from hurricanes. “I was chasing a dream, really,” Jordan said. “It took a lot.” Smokin’ Aces made it through, and has come out on top—in Plant City, in Florida, and nationally.
