CHICAGO - Barbecue is synonymous with summertime, and the Fourth of July is the pinnacle of barbecue season. Leading restaurant operators have picked up on this trend, too, as limited-time offers (LTOs) featuring barbecue over the last year were most common in the summer months and least common in the winter. In the heart of barbecue season, Technomic??s "Category Close-Up: Barbecue" report looks at barbecue from multiple angles, inclusive of its use as both a preparation method and flavor.

"Barbecue is increasingly prevalent on menus," said Technomic Executive Vice President Darren Tristano in a press release. "More than half of all operators we track (57%) menu at least one dish with barbecue sauce. Whether it??s introduced in the preparation or as a flavor, barbecue is very versatile and, more importantly, very different depending on regionality."

The report notes the diverse array of methods used by operators to incorporate barbecue onto menus, and the opportunity that still remains for the category to grow. Overall menu incidence of barbecue sauce is up over 5% in the past year.

A large majority of all barbecue sauce mentions don??t have a flavor associated with the sauce, indicating large opportunities for operators to offer more innovative barbecue sauce flavors. Among sauces with a flavor associated with them, sweet/honey-style barbecue sauces are declining, while spicy/pepper varieties are gaining.

Smoked is the most commonly used barbecue preparation, and pork is the most commonly barbecued protein. At barbecue concepts, coleslaw is the most commonly menued side dish, followed by French fries and baked beans. The report found that barbecue is a perennial consumer favorite when dining out.