Family, friends & food — for a reason that matters.
What started as friends around a smoker became a movement that's raised millions for families battling pediatric brain cancer.
2015: a passion for barbecue, pointed at something bigger
House of Hogs began the way the best things do — with friends, a smoker, and a shared love of great food. But somewhere between the brisket and the late nights, we realized our passion could do more than feed a crowd. It could change lives.
So we entered the world of competitive barbecue with a single goal: turn everything we love — the cooking, the creativity, the community — into hope for families facing the unimaginable. A decade later, we're still at it, and we're just getting started.
Every plate served helps support families battling pediatric brain cancer — so that no parent ever has to fight alone.
Three things hold us together
Family
We treat every family we help like our own — and every volunteer, sponsor, and donor becomes part of ours.
Friends
This started with friendship, and that spirit drives everything — showing up for each other and for kids in the fight.
Food
We source the highest-quality meats and produce, partner with local farms, and pour our hearts into every dish.
Every year, we go bigger
At Hogs for the Cause, our themed booths have become the stuff of legend — immersive worlds with menus to match. From our very first City Park build in 2016 to today's award-winners, here are some of the worlds we've dreamed up to draw the crowds that fund the cause.
Where it began
Three pigs, a hand-lettered sign, and a City Park dream — the very first House of Hogs.
Three Little Pigs
Straw, sticks, and brick — a fairy-tale build with the big bad wolf out front.
Haus der Hundes
A German beer-hall dog house — dachshund in lederhosen, brats and bacon required.
Year of the Pig
Red lanterns and a Great Wall mural — a night-market feast for the Year of the Pig.
Greece
Vertical broilers, lamb chops, and house-made tzatziki.
Asian Street Food
A "Night Market" tour across five countries in one booth.
House of Hogosaurus
A two-story Flintstonian build with a "Bedrock BBQ" drive-thru and VIP deck.
Hogs on the Half Shell
A SpongeBob Bikini Bottom with a seafood menu. 🏆 1st Place Booth Design.
Welcome to Bikini Bottom
For 2026 we dove all the way under the sea with Hogs on the Half Shell — a SpongeBob SquarePants-themed Bikini Bottom, complete with a Krusty Krab booth, the S.S. Hogs, and a bubble-filled family activation where kids and parents could play, snap photos, and forget the hard stuff for a while.
It took home 1st Place Booth Design — but the part we're proudest of is the smiles. Paired with a seafood-forward menu (yes, including our famous lobster roll), it turned a barbecue festival into a day families won't forget.
Help us build the next one"A Taste of New England"
Our recipes, our stories, our cause — bound into a book. Because the flavors we cook for families deserve to be passed on. Ask us about it at the next event.
Cooking that adds up to something real
In 2026, we placed 20th overall out of 88+ teams and brought home First Place Booth Design, plus honors in Fan Favorite, Blue Plate Mayo, and Pourpourri categories.
It all comes home to Hogs House
Our fundraising supports the Hogs for the Cause Foundation and its mission — including Hogs House, on-campus family housing at Children's Hospital New Orleans. When a child from outside the region needs ongoing care, their family has a free, comfortable place to stay just steps away.
Because no parent should have to choose between being near their child and being able to afford it.
Help build hopeWant to be part of the story?
Whether you give, attend, shop, or share — there's a place for you in the House of Hogs family.