Sep 23–24, 2023 · Ashland, VA · 📍 11322 Air Park Drive
Reps: Bill Jones · Prize money: $1,725
Better Half Barbecue won Grand Champion at the Americamps BBQ Throwdown - Day 2 (BACKYARD ONLY) on September 23, 2023 in Ashland, VA at 11322 Air Park Drive, scoring 529.6916 in a field of 20 teams. Gold-N-Blue Barbecue took Reserve Grand Champion with 528.5372. Category winners: Chicken — Gold-N-Blue Barbecue (180.0000); Pork Ribs — Better Half Barbecue (180.0000); Pork — BROCK'S BBQ (178.8572). This is the 2nd of 2 editions of this contest on record; the 2022 edition was won by POOR BOYS BBQ.
Overall totals, every team on the board — tall stacks are where the pack sat.
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 72 times in 100
Better Half Barbecue came in rated below the field's top team, Gold-N-Blue Barbecue, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 28-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
Pork places 3–4: POOR BOYS BBQ and Swine 'N' Roses BBQ tied on 175.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 6–7: HotMess BBQ and Better Half Barbecue tied on 171.9888 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 4–5: POOR BOYS BBQ edged Better Half Barbecue by 0.0116.
Better Half Barbecue took the title on 3 calls from 3 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork at 7th.
Better Half Barbecue turned in 180.0000 in pork ribs — past the 176.5716 that had stood across 1 earlier editions.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: POOR BOYS BBQ (won 2022).
2 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 24, 2022 | Ashland, VA | 11322 Air Park Drive | 18 | 525.7144 | POOR BOYS BBQ |
| Sep 23, 2023 ← this one | Ashland, VA | 11322 Air Park Drive | 20 | 529.6916 | BETTER HALF BARBECUE |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 177.7028 | 171.4172 |
| Pork Ribs | 180 | 173.1544 | 171.4288 |
| Pork | 178.8572 | 173.1200 | 170.2744 |
20 entries · top 529.6916 · median 512.8058 · out of 540, not the usual 360
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Better Half Barbecue | |
| 2 | Gold-N-Blue Barbecue | |
| 3 | Swine 'N' Roses BBQ | |
| 4 | POOR BOYS BBQ | |
| 5 | Buckshot's BBQ | |
| 6 | BROCK'S BBQ | |
| 7 | RED SMOKE BAR-B-QUE | |
| 8 | Uncle Dubby's Backyard BBQ | |
| 9 | HotMess BBQ | |
| 10 | Country Boys BBQ | |
| 11 | Piggy & Swine BBQ | |
| 12 | TWIZTED SMOKE BBQ | |
| 13 | Dogpatch Q | |
| 14 | Pink Ring BBQ | |
| 15 | Mad Hatter BBQ | |
| 16 | Goudas Barbecue | |
| 17 | The Swine Doctor's BBQ | |
| 18 | Troublemaker BBQ | |
| 19 | BOOSTED BBQ | |
| 20 | Conviction BBQ Team |
20 entries · top 180 · median 171.1314 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gold-N-Blue Barbecue | |
| 2 | Uncle Dubby's Backyard BBQ | |
| 3 | Country Boys BBQ | |
| 4 | POOR BOYS BBQ | |
| 5 | Better Half Barbecue | |
| 6 | Pink Ring BBQ | |
| 7 | Piggy & Swine BBQ | |
| 8 | Swine 'N' Roses BBQ | |
| 9 | TWIZTED SMOKE BBQ | |
| 10 | Goudas Barbecue | |
| 11 | Mad Hatter BBQ | |
| 12 | Dogpatch Q | |
| 13 | RED SMOKE BAR-B-QUE | |
| 14 | Buckshot's BBQ | |
| 15 | HotMess BBQ | |
| 16 | BROCK'S BBQ | |
| 17 | The Swine Doctor's BBQ | |
| 18 | BOOSTED BBQ | |
| 19 | Troublemaker BBQ | |
| 20 | Conviction BBQ Team |
20 entries · top 180 · median 170.8458 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Better Half Barbecue | |
| 2 | Gold-N-Blue Barbecue | |
| 3 | RED SMOKE BAR-B-QUE | |
| 4 | HotMess BBQ | |
| 5 | Swine 'N' Roses BBQ | |
| 6 | BOOSTED BBQ | |
| 7 | Buckshot's BBQ | |
| 8 | BROCK'S BBQ | |
| 9 | TWIZTED SMOKE BBQ | |
| 10 | Pink Ring BBQ | |
| 11 | Piggy & Swine BBQ | |
| 12 | Country Boys BBQ | |
| 13 | Uncle Dubby's Backyard BBQ | |
| 14 | Dogpatch Q | |
| 15 | POOR BOYS BBQ | |
| 16 | Mad Hatter BBQ | |
| 17 | Goudas Barbecue | |
| 18 | Troublemaker BBQ | |
| 19 | Conviction BBQ Team | |
| 20 | The Swine Doctor's BBQ |
20 entries · top 178.8572 · median 169.9772
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BROCK'S BBQ | |
| 2 | Buckshot's BBQ | |
| 3 | POOR BOYS BBQ | |
| 4 | Swine 'N' Roses BBQ | |
| 5 | RED SMOKE BAR-B-QUE | |
| 6 | HotMess BBQ | |
| 7 | Better Half Barbecue | |
| 8 | Dogpatch Q | |
| 9 | The Swine Doctor's BBQ | |
| 10 | Mad Hatter BBQ | |
| 11 | Gold-N-Blue Barbecue | |
| 12 | Goudas Barbecue | |
| 13 | Piggy & Swine BBQ | |
| 14 | Uncle Dubby's Backyard BBQ | |
| 15 | TWIZTED SMOKE BBQ | |
| 16 | Country Boys BBQ | |
| 17 | Pink Ring BBQ | |
| 18 | Troublemaker BBQ | |
| 19 | Conviction BBQ Team | |
| 20 | BOOSTED BBQ |