Local family realizes BBQ sauce company dream

What does it look like to live the Canyon Lake dream? How about creating a family-owned barbecue sauce company that perfected its sauce in its Canyon Lake backyard?

That’s the story for long-time Canyon Lake residents Ken and Tina Crawford. Along with the help of their son, Kasey, and their daughter, Mariah, who they raised in Canyon Lake, the Crawford’s launched BINGOS Absolute BBQ Glory. The new company creates and sells its signature BBQ sauce.

KEN “BINGO” CRAWFORD

And the story is truly a Canyon Lake dream come true. In college, Ken adapted his mother’s BBQ sauce recipe, barbecued chicken wings with the sauce and took a plate of the wings to a party.

“When they flew off the plate like the swallows headed for Capistrano, an idea was born,” Ken said.

Ken and Tina were married shortly thereafter and moved to Canyon Lake in 1980. For the last 40 years, Ken has been perfecting and serving his Secret BBQ Glory to hundreds of backyard party guests. The general public may have experienced the BINGOS BBQ at the family’s regular booth at Fiesta Days.

Several years ago, Ken, who is known by his grandkids as Bingo, decided he was ready to go for the dream and bring his sauce to market. So this year, even in the middle of a pandemic, the first batch of professionally-manufactured BINGOS Absolute BBQ Glory Original Secret Sauce was produced.

KASEY CRAWFORD

The whole process truly has been a family affair. Ken is the secret sauce master (so secret, in fact, the family joke is that in his will half of the secret recipe goes to his son and the other half goes to his daughter). Tina has been an instrumental “taste tester” and sounding board in the taste perfection process, as well as procuring all of the spices and ingredients for the professional blend.

Their daughter Mariah and son-in-law Paul have been instrumental in taking and editing pictures for the label and website. Their son Kasey has helped put together the website and other marketing aspects. Kasey’s wife Dawn was the first one to research the food scientist and food manufacturers.

The family has met almost weekly over the past several years to bring all of these elements together…many times over a good rack of ribs smothered in BINGOS BBQ Glory.

“The sauce is not overly sweet and won’t set you on fire,” Kasey said. “Bingo’s slick blend gives you a sassy jolt of flavor that comes on strong, but hits the brakes just in time.”

Bingo calls the sauce a “Southern California backyard style” BBQ sauce because of its unique taste.

“Even my young kids love it,” Kasey said. “They will eat the cold leftovers out of the fridge for breakfast! It’s that good.”

In addition to the Original Secret Sauce, Bingo has a “Flamin’” version that will hit the market at the end of the month.

It was important to the family that the sauce be made in the U.S.A. with only fine ingredients that would be worthy of a craft BBQ sauce. It is all natural with no preservatives and is gluten free and soy free.

“Anyone who is looking for a holiday gift for a BBQ lover,” Bingo said, “Bingo’s is offering a holiday gift box that includes two jars of the original secret sauce, a custom bowl and a basting brush in a gift box.”

The sauce is available through their website, bingosbbq.com as well as on Amazon Prime. The Crawfords hope to find some local stores next year that will begin carrying the homegrown sauce.