@cbpeck
In your opinion what makes Lazzari a bad product?
Mesquite, in wood form, has a distinct scent and flavor that many find to be overwhelming and generally inferior to the other popular bbq woods. It's ridiculously easy to come by in Mexico, where I believe Lazzari sources the wood for their charcoal, and it's probably dirt cheap.
I've purchased and used several 40# bags in the past, and my experience was always pretty much the same. The lump size distribution was all over the board with a lot of dust and chips all the way up to knotty branches 5" around and nearly a foot long. The biggest problem is that the large pieces were never fully carbonized, so when cooking they put off a ton of billowy white mesquite smoke that, like I said before, is overwhelming and quite unpleasant. Because these big pieces are basically solid, knotty wood on the inside they are also pretty difficult to break up without resorting to using a hammer or hatchet and making a big mess.
I have had some good results with Lazzari, but that was generally on my second cook with leftover lump that had already burned thoroughly for an hour or more during the previous cook.
Using Lazzari reminds me of the guys who cook with offset smokers and burn seasoned wood for a while until they have a base of coals before putting any meat on the smoker. If you do that with Lazzari you'll be better off, but it wastes all the small pieces in the meantime and is generally a hassle.
Lazzari sells smaller bags too, and I don't know if the size distribution is more consistent in them or not. If so, that alone may result in a better experience.
I hope that helps.