Photo: Iowa Pork Producers Association
(Marshalltown, IA) -- A restaurant in Marshalltown is racking up the awards. The Flying Elbow has been crowned the winner of the Iowa Pork Producers Association's 6th annual Pulled Pork Madness as the best pulled pork in Iowa.
"Gosh, what a cool honor,” says The Flying Elbow owner Garrett Goodman. "Barbecue was kind of a Sunday tradition when I was growing up and I love serving people the best food I can."
The Flying Elbow beat out 15 other Iowa restaurants in the bracket-style competition. The bracket was based on public nominations submitted in early March, and The Flying Elbow took down The Lucky Pig Pub & Grill in Ogden in the final matchup.
"This contest is a way to attract new pork fans and encourages everyone to road trip around Iowa to try different restaurants that are serving up some of the best pork in the nation," says Hannah Spurr, Iowa Park Producers Association's consumer outreach director.
The Flying Elbow started in 2017 as a wrestling-themed food truck selling hot dogs. Burgers were later added to the menu. When the restaurant opened in its current location at 229 North 13th Street in September 2021, Goodman purchased a residential-sized smoker and began offering limited barbecue specials. He recently upgraded to a 300 gallon wood-fired smoker, cooking pork shoulders “the traditional way, using old-school techniques”-low and slow over oak and cherry wood.
For winning the competition The Flying Elbow will receive $250 and a Pulled Pork Madness plaque.
This is the second statewide award given to The Flying Elbow in the last year. In 2022 the restaurant was named Iowa's Best Burger by the Iowa Beef Industry Council.