Season, Sauce and a Splash of Enthusiasm Are Main Ingredients to Lynch BBQ Success

September 15, 2025

By Kelsey Ritchey, Wixted & Company 

From smoky Texas-style dry rubs to family-centered gatherings, Danny Leach and Lynch BBQ bring more than award-winning pork to the table — they connect Iowans to local farms, community traditions and the joy of sharing a meal with friends, family and neighbors.

Self-described as a “jack-of-all-trades,” Danny Leach’s role at Lynch BBQ changes by the hour. Some days, he’s fulfilling online customer orders from the office; other days, he’s throwing a hefty 140-pound hog on the cradle at 2:30 a.m., creating a symphony of flavors that has established Lynch BBQ as a must-have for corporate events, fundraisers and family dinners alike.

“What I’ve really enjoyed over the past few years is being more involved in growing our brand, our customer base and the retail side of our business,” Leach says. “On the catering side, we’ve worked hard to streamline our processes and become more efficient at executing events. The challenging part? Juggling supply and demand — making sure we have what we need for major events and important dates.”

It takes about 12–16 hours to prepare a whole hog roast. “We put the hog on the cradle at 2:30 a.m., and we pull it off the next day at 4 p.m. Our cooking style is closest to Texas-style, using a dry rub we’ve perfected over time. Carolina or Kansas City styles are wetter; ours stays dry. Every seasoning or sauce we use is made right here, in-house, MSG and gluten-free. This goes for all our meats, too,” Leach explains.

According to Leach, the secret to mouth-watering barbecue is really in the sauce. Born out of years of competition on the barbecue circuit, Lynch BBQ has honed its in-house seasonings and sauces to perfection. While these are one-of-a-kind ingredients, the Lynch family believes in sharing the love.

Whether you’re a seasoned grill master or a novice hoping to impress, you can get your hands on their coveted seasonings, sauces and premium meats by visiting the Lynch store in person or online. “For your average family looking for a barbecue dinner, our online store offers pre-cooked ribs, loins, pulled pork, and more — all accompanied by our signature seasonings and sauces. Retail meats can ship directly to your door, making it as effortless as an Amazon purchase,” Leach says.

Lynch BBQ’s generosity extends far beyond their customers. They regularly cook and donate meals to charitable and community events across Iowa — and even beyond. Recent highlights include:

• Providing meals at Chris Norton Foundation’s Wheelchair Camp for those living with spinal cord injuries and neuromuscular disabilities (June 2025)
• Supporting flood-impacted communities in Rock Rapids and Spencer (2024)
• Partnering with an Iowa organization to donate more than 300 pork burgers for flood relief in Kerrville, Texas (July 2025)
• Serving almost 1,000 veterans and guests at the Northeast Iowa Veterans’ Day celebration, with each veteran receiving a meat package (annually)
• Co-sponsoring Iowa Swine Days in Ames, including meals for attendees and seminar participants (annually)
• Cooking for Iowa State home football games and County Fair Day at the Iowa State Fair, serving county fair boards and fair queens (annually)

“Supporting local is always important,” Leach says. “A lot of the pork we serve comes directly from our company’s farms — it’s a true farm-to-plate experience. And it’s fun to spend time together as a family, smoking meats and creating a meal together.”

Behind the recipes passed down through generations are the dedicated employees who bring the food to life. Leach, for example, stumbled upon a temporary cooking job during college and has since spent a decade crafting culinary excellence. “I never went to culinary school; I learned as I went. What has kept me here is the family-friendly environment and the variety in my position. Every day is different, and I get the opportunity to work with teammates across different divisions of Lynch Family Companies,” he says.

Lynch BBQ is a branch of Lynch Family Companies, based in Waucoma. Its roaster pig division opened in 2003 as a pork processing locker and catering business, and became USDA certified in 2005. 

Looking ahead, Leach and his team are focused on growing the retail side of the business, making online ordering and shipping more accessible and competitive. “We are continuously trying to improve and have some new products we hope to introduce to customers soon,” he says.

Learn more about Lynch BBQ and its products at lynchbbq.com.

 

Customers can choose from seven different seasonings and four different sauces at Lynch BBQ’s retail locations or online. According to Danny, Butt Shaker is the most popular selection, with Steak Shaker coming in a close second. Here’s a complete list: 

Seasonings Butt Shaker  Steak Shaker  Steak N’ Chop Butter Garlic Rajun Cajun Lemon Pepper

Sauces Brown Sugar BBQ  Spicy BBQ Sweet & Smokey BBQ Guava

Bring the flavor home with The Weekender — a gift package piled high with smoky, savory pork favorites perfect for sharing, savoring and celebrating together. This meat package includes one couple-sized smoked pork loin, 2-12 ounce packages Vande Rose Applewood Smoked Bacon, 2 pounds milk pork sausage, 2 pounds shredded BBQ pork and four 8-12-ounce boneless marinated pork chops.

Photo credits: Lynch BBQ