A new contest record
681.1656
highest overall ever cooked here
681.1656 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 659.4288 Wild Hogs set in 2022.
- old record 659.4288
- set 2022 by Wild Hogs
Monterrey BBQ Fest 2023
Sep 29–30, 2023 · Santiago, N.L., Mexico · MEXICO · 📍 C. Segunda de Morelos Sur 104
Reps: Debra Gage, Maria Lohman, Wayne Lohman, William Gage
TX BBQ Depot won Grand Champion at the Monterrey BBQ Fest on September 29, 2023 in Santiago, N.L., at C. Segunda de Morelos Sur 104, scoring 681.1656 in a field of 22 teams. Los Ajos Confitados took Reserve Grand Champion with 672.5716. Category winners: Chicken — TX BBQ Depot (172.0228); Pork Ribs — Los mas carbones (170.2744); Pork — TX BBQ Depot (177.7600); Brisket — Puro Pinche Parrillero (175.4628). This is the 2nd of 2 editions of this contest on record; the 2022 edition was won by Wild Hogs.
The contest at a glance (read off the scored boards)
How the field scored
Overall totals, every team on the board — tall stacks are where the pack sat.
572.57
median 605.09
681.17 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 172.02
- Pork Ribs 170.27
- Pork 177.76
- Brisket 175.46
131.47
177.76
Entries
22
4 judged meats
Top score
681.1656
Winning margin
8.5940
GC over RC
Field average
612.97
572.57681.17
median 605.09 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Pork Ribs
2.9032 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
616.9832
572.57681.17
10th place overall
Field spread
108.5940
winner to last place
Double threats
5
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 88%
beats 12% of 4723 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
40%
10 of 25 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.64 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,505
avg power rating going in · stronger than 4% of contests
Storylines (7 found in this contest's numbers)
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
A first Grand Championship
3
tracked contests to get there
This was TX BBQ Depot's first Grand Championship in the data — it arrived at their 3rd tracked contest.
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 5 calls decided inside half a point
Pork places 1–2: TX BBQ Depot and Los Ajos Confitados tied on 177.7600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Brisket places 9–10: RUSTY'S SMOKE BBQ edged 600�F by 0.0004. Pork Ribs places 3–4: Natural Grillers edged RUSTY'S SMOKE BBQ by 0.0116.
- Pork 1–2 · tie
- Brisket 9–10 · 0.0004
- Pork Ribs 3–4 · 0.0116
- Chicken 6–7 · 0.0456
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
TX BBQ Depot won Chicken, Pork — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork 1st
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
TX BBQ Depot took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 2 outright wins — their weakest board was pork ribs at 5th.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 5th
- Pork 1st
- Brisket 3rd
A contest record in brisket
175.4628
best brisket ever cooked here
Puro Pinche Parrillero turned in 175.4628 in brisket — past the 164.0344 that had stood across 1 earlier editions.
- old best 164.0344
- across 1 past editions
Back to defend
1
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Wild Hogs (won 2022).
- Wild Hogs · 2022
Score curves (score by finishing position — steep cliffs mean a spread field, flat lines a knife fight)
Category showdown (top / average / median score per meat)
Score distribution
Biggest rating movers (power-rating points won and lost at this contest)
Did form hold? (pre-contest rating vs overall finish — ratings called it if the dots climb to the right)
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 30, 2022 | San Pedro Garza Garcia | LIVE GARDEN | 25 | 659.4288 | Wild Hogs | RUSTY'S SMOKE BBQ |
| Sep 29, 2023 ← this one | Santiago, N.L. | C. Segunda de Morelos Sur 104 | 22 | 681.1656 | TX BBQ Depot | Los Ajos Confitados |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 172.0228 | 160.6172 | 157.7144 |
| Pork Ribs | 170.2744 | 167.3712 | 153.6112 |
| Pork | 177.7600 | 165.7028 | 155.9772 |
| Brisket | 175.4628 | 160 | 153.7028 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
22 entries · top 681.1656 · median 605.0912
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TX BBQ Depot | |
| 2 | Los Ajos Confitados | |
| 3 | RUSTY'S SMOKE BBQ | |
| 4 | Puro Pinche Parrillero | |
| 5 | Wild Hogs | |
| 6 | Natural Grillers | |
| 7 | Cheche Grill | |
| 8 | BBQ San Jemo | |
| 9 | Kettle Grilers | |
| 10 | Los mas carbones | |
| 11 | Pitgrillers | |
| 12 | Club de Parrilla | |
| 13 | Laredo Grill | |
| 14 | GrillerSquad | |
| 15 | 600�F | |
| 16 | Smoke Field | |
| 17 | Maria Ahumada | |
| 18 | No somos Compas | |
| 19 | Orona�s BBQ | |
| 20 | Bohemia Grill | |
| 21 | Bandits Grill Team | |
| 22 | Flecha-hawks |
Chicken
22 entries · top 172.0228 · median 152.2628
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TX BBQ Depot | |
| 2 | Kettle Grilers | |
| 3 | Los Ajos Confitados | |
| 4 | GrillerSquad | |
| 5 | No somos Compas | |
| 6 | Laredo Grill | |
| 7 | Puro Pinche Parrillero | |
| 8 | BBQ San Jemo | |
| 9 | RUSTY'S SMOKE BBQ | |
| 10 | Club de Parrilla | |
| 11 | Smoke Field | |
| 12 | Pitgrillers | |
| 13 | Natural Grillers | |
| 14 | Bandits Grill Team | |
| 15 | Bohemia Grill | |
| 16 | Wild Hogs | |
| 17 | Maria Ahumada | |
| 18 | Cheche Grill | |
| 19 | Orona�s BBQ | |
| 20 | Flecha-hawks | |
| 21 | Los mas carbones | |
| 22 | 600�F |
Pork Ribs
22 entries · top 170.2744 · median 150
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los mas carbones | |
| 2 | Wild Hogs | |
| 3 | Natural Grillers | |
| 4 | RUSTY'S SMOKE BBQ | |
| 5 | TX BBQ Depot | |
| 6 | Cheche Grill | |
| 7 | Los Ajos Confitados | |
| 8 | Puro Pinche Parrillero | |
| 9 | 600�F | |
| 10 | Pitgrillers | |
| 11 | Kettle Grilers | |
| 12 | GrillerSquad | |
| 13 | BBQ San Jemo | |
| 14 | Club de Parrilla | |
| 15 | Smoke Field | |
| 16 | Bandits Grill Team | |
| 17 | No somos Compas | |
| 18 | Flecha-hawks | |
| 19 | Laredo Grill | |
| 20 | Orona�s BBQ | |
| 21 | Maria Ahumada | |
| 22 | Bohemia Grill |
Pork
22 entries · top 177.7600 · median 154.0458
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TX BBQ Depot | |
| 2 | Los Ajos Confitados | |
| 3 | Natural Grillers | |
| 4 | Wild Hogs | |
| 5 | RUSTY'S SMOKE BBQ | |
| 6 | Maria Ahumada | |
| 7 | Cheche Grill | |
| 8 | Pitgrillers | |
| 9 | BBQ San Jemo | |
| 10 | Los mas carbones | |
| 11 | Club de Parrilla | |
| 12 | 600�F | |
| 13 | Bohemia Grill | |
| 14 | Puro Pinche Parrillero | |
| 15 | GrillerSquad | |
| 16 | Laredo Grill | |
| 17 | Kettle Grilers | |
| 18 | Smoke Field | |
| 19 | Orona�s BBQ | |
| 20 | Flecha-hawks | |
| 21 | No somos Compas | |
| 22 | Bandits Grill Team |
Brisket
22 entries · top 175.4628 · median 151.1086
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Puro Pinche Parrillero | |
| 2 | Los Ajos Confitados | |
| 3 | TX BBQ Depot | |
| 4 | BBQ San Jemo | |
| 5 | Cheche Grill | |
| 6 | Kettle Grilers | |
| 7 | Wild Hogs | |
| 8 | Los mas carbones | |
| 9 | RUSTY'S SMOKE BBQ | |
| 10 | 600�F | |
| 11 | Orona�s BBQ | |
| 12 | Natural Grillers | |
| 13 | Laredo Grill | |
| 14 | Smoke Field | |
| 15 | Bohemia Grill | |
| 16 | Pitgrillers | |
| 17 | Flecha-hawks | |
| 18 | Bandits Grill Team | |
| 19 | Club de Parrilla | |
| 20 | Maria Ahumada | |
| 21 | No somos Compas | |
| 22 | GrillerSquad |