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Maryland State BBQ Bash 2023

Oct 13–14, 2023 · Bel Air, MD · 📍 2 S Bond St · State championship

Reps: Bill Jones, Robert McKee · Prize money: $12,500

🥇
COOL SMOKE
699.9660 · Master Series — Overall
🥈
SWEET BELLY'S BBQ
694.7656 · Master Series — Overall
🥉
Kane's BBQ
692.4568 · Master Series — Overall

COOL SMOKE won Grand Champion at the Maryland State BBQ Bash on October 13, 2023 in Bel Air, MD at 2 S Bond St, scoring 699.9660 in a field of 23 teams. SWEET BELLY'S BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 694.7656. Category winners: Chicken — Menke Boys BBQ (175.4400); Pork Ribs — Kane's BBQ (180.0000); Pork — Sasquatch BBQ (175.4172); Brisket — COOL SMOKE (178.8572). The Backyard Series standings were won by Leaning Jowler BBQ with 343.4056. This is the 7th of 7 editions of this contest on record; the 2022 edition was won by TNT Explosive BBQ.

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.

How the meats cooked

Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.

  • Master Series — Chicken 175.44
  • Master Series — Pork Ribs 180 🔥
  • Master Series — Pork 175.42
  • Master Series — Brisket 178.86
  • Backyard Series — Chicken 177.70
  • Backyard Series — Pork Ribs 180 🔥
129.65 180

Winning score by edition

What it has taken to win here, 2016 to 2023 — this edition picked out.

2016-08-12 — 683.9540 (SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE) 2017-08-11 — 686.2056 (UNCLE PIG'S BARBEQUE PIT) 2018-08-10 — 687.4056 (APORKALYPSE NOW) 2019-08-09 — 690.2284 (Nice Racks) 2021-10-15 — 701.1200 (3N1 Q) 2022-10-14 — 693.6684 (TNT Explosive BBQ) 2023-10-13 — 699.9660 (Cool Smoke) 699.97 2016 2023

Entries

37
6 judged meats

Top score

699.9660

Winning margin

5.2004
GC over RC

Field average

668.77
623.37699.97
median 669.61 · last place to winner

Perfect 180s

2 🔥
Money Muscle BBQ (Pork Ribs), Kane's BBQ (Pork Ribs)

Tightest race

Chicken
1.1772 pts across the top 5

Top-10 cutoff

673.5768
623.37699.97
10th place overall

Field spread

76.5944
winner to last place

Prize money

$12,500
on the line

Most consistent

COOL SMOKE
avg finish 3.25 across 4 meats

Double threats

6
teams with 2+ top-5 calls

Widest winning margin

Pork Ribs
won by 5.7372 pts — Money Muscle BBQ

How hot was the win?

Top 33%
beats 67% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data

Came back for more

49%
35 of 71 teams from the previous edition returned

Form held

Weak
ρ = -0.23 between pre-contest rating and finish

Field strength

1,520
avg power rating going in · stronger than 14% of contests

Top-rated in the field

GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ
rated 1729 pre-contest

Storylines (5 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.

Photo finishes

Tie closest of 14 calls decided inside half a point

Master Series — Chicken places 2–3: ALL FIRED UP BBQ and Kane's BBQ tied on 175.4056 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Chicken places 5–6: COOL SMOKE and Sasquatch BBQ tied on 174.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Chicken places 6–7: Sasquatch BBQ and SWEET BELLY'S BBQ tied on 174.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.

  • Master Series — Chicken 2–3 · tie
  • Master Series — Chicken 5–6 · tie
  • Master Series — Chicken 6–7 · tie
  • Master Series — Pork Ribs 9–10 · tie

How the title was won

4 of 4 meats called to the stage

COOL SMOKE took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was chicken at 5th.

  • Chicken 5th
  • Pork Ribs 3rd
  • Pork 4th
  • Brisket 1st

A contest record in brisket

178.8572 best brisket ever cooked here

COOL SMOKE turned in 178.8572 in brisket — past the 178.3200 that had stood across 6 earlier editions.

  • old best 178.3200
  • across 6 past editions

Back to defend

1 past champions back in the field

Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Nice Racks (won 2019).

  • Nice Racks · 2019

A perfect score on the table

2 perfect 180s

2 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.

  • Money Muscle BBQ · Pork Ribs
  • Kane's BBQ · Pork Ribs

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)

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 →

DateWhereVenueTeamsHigh scoreGrand ChampionReserve Champion
Aug 12, 2016 Bel Air, MD Bel Air, MD 42 683.9540 SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE HAWG NATION BBQ
Aug 11, 2017 Bel Air, MD 2S Bond Street 47 686.2056 UNCLE PIG'S BARBEQUE PIT OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE
Aug 10, 2018 Bel Air, MD 2S Bond Street 38 687.4056 APORKALYPSE NOW CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ
Aug 9, 2019 Belair, MD 2S Bond St 30 690.2284 Nice Racks APORKALYPSE NOW
Oct 15, 2021 Belair, MD 2 S Bond St 25 701.1200 3N1 Q DRILLING & GRILLING
Oct 14, 2022 Belair, MD 2 S Bond St 30 693.6684 TNT Explosive BBQ NOT SO FAMOUS DAVE'S BBQ
Oct 13, 2023 ← this one Bel Air, MD 2 S Bond St 23 699.9660 Cool Smoke SWEET BELLY'S BBQ

What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)

Category1st5th10th
Master Series — Chicken175.4400174.2628170.8800
Master Series — Pork Ribs180173.1316170.8228
Master Series — Pork175.4172172.5600169.6800
Master Series — Brisket178.8572171.9656167.9656
Backyard Series — Chicken177.7028169.1428162.8684
Backyard Series — Pork Ribs180168.5600164.5716

Official results on kcbs.us ↗

Master Series

Overall

23 entries · top 699.9660 · median 669.6112

#TeamScore
1 COOL SMOKE 699.9660
2 SWEET BELLY'S BBQ 694.7656
3 Kane's BBQ 692.4568
4 Nice Racks 686.8344
5 HARCO LOCO BBQ 685.6572
6 HOOS SMOKIN 685.5768
7 Sasquatch BBQ 680.4684
8 LAKEVIEW BBQ 678.1712
9 ALL FIRED UP BBQ 676.4340
10 FAT MAXINE'S BBQ 673.5768
11 THE NUT HOUSE 673.0172
12 Hair of the Hog 669.6112
13 TEAM MEAT COMA 668.9480
14 Barrel Proof BBQ 666.1832
15 Palm tree smokehouse 665.5996
16 SOUTH BOWIE SMOKE 665.5656
17 Bay Brothers BBQ 665.0284
18 Menke Boys BBQ 660.4344
19 GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ 656.9484
20 LittleBrothersBBQ 647.8056
21 3 DOGS BARK BBQ 639.8056
22 Justice is Brined 625.5084
23 Just a sliver sweets 623.3716

Chicken

23 entries · top 175.4400 · median 170.2744

#TeamScore
1 Menke Boys BBQ 175.4400
2 ALL FIRED UP BBQ 175.4056
3 Kane's BBQ 175.4056
4 HARCO LOCO BBQ 174.8572
5 COOL SMOKE 174.2628
6 Sasquatch BBQ 174.2628
7 SWEET BELLY'S BBQ 174.2628
8 HOOS SMOKIN 173.1084
9 LAKEVIEW BBQ 172.5716
10 Palm tree smokehouse 170.8800
11 LittleBrothersBBQ 170.8344
12 Nice Racks 170.2744
13 FAT MAXINE'S BBQ 170.2512
14 Bay Brothers BBQ 169.7028
15 GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ 169.6684
16 3 DOGS BARK BBQ 168.5256
17 THE NUT HOUSE 167.3944
18 TEAM MEAT COMA 167.3712
19 Barrel Proof BBQ 166.8228
20 SOUTH BOWIE SMOKE 165.0856
21 Hair of the Hog 164.5256
22 Justice is Brined 159.3712
23 Just a sliver sweets 155.3944

Pork Ribs

23 entries · top 180 · median 168.5256 · 🔥 perfect 180

#TeamScore
1 Kane's BBQ 180 🔥
2 HARCO LOCO BBQ 178.2972
3 COOL SMOKE 174.2860
4 Nice Racks 173.7144
5 FAT MAXINE'S BBQ 173.1316
6 LittleBrothersBBQ 173.1200
7 GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ 171.4172
8 HOOS SMOKIN 170.8344
9 THE NUT HOUSE 170.8228
10 SWEET BELLY'S BBQ 170.8228
11 Palm tree smokehouse 169.1200
12 LAKEVIEW BBQ 168.5256
13 ALL FIRED UP BBQ 167.9772
14 Barrel Proof BBQ 167.3944
15 Bay Brothers BBQ 166.8344
16 Hair of the Hog 165.7028
17 Sasquatch BBQ 162.8228
18 TEAM MEAT COMA 161.0856
19 Menke Boys BBQ 157.6688
20 SOUTH BOWIE SMOKE 156.5372
21 Justice is Brined 148.5372
22 Just a sliver sweets 147.9772
23 3 DOGS BARK BBQ 132.4800

Pork

23 entries · top 175.4172 · median 169.1084

#TeamScore
1 Sasquatch BBQ 175.4172
2 SWEET BELLY'S BBQ 173.1200
3 ALL FIRED UP BBQ 173.1084
4 COOL SMOKE 172.5600
5 3 DOGS BARK BBQ 172.5600
6 THE NUT HOUSE 171.9772
7 TEAM MEAT COMA 171.9656
8 Nice Racks 171.4056
9 Kane's BBQ 170.8228
10 SOUTH BOWIE SMOKE 169.6800
11 HOOS SMOKIN 169.6684
12 Bay Brothers BBQ 169.1084
13 LAKEVIEW BBQ 168.5484
14 FAT MAXINE'S BBQ 168.5140
15 Barrel Proof BBQ 168.0116
16 HARCO LOCO BBQ 167.4172
17 Justice is Brined 167.4056
18 Hair of the Hog 166.8228
19 GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ 165.6800
20 Just a sliver sweets 162.8572
21 Palm tree smokehouse 162.7884
22 Menke Boys BBQ 155.3600
23 LittleBrothersBBQ 146.2056

Brisket

23 entries · top 178.8572 · median 166.2284

#TeamScore
1 COOL SMOKE 178.8572
2 SWEET BELLY'S BBQ 176.5600
3 SOUTH BOWIE SMOKE 174.2628
4 Hair of the Hog 172.5600
5 HOOS SMOKIN 171.9656
6 Menke Boys BBQ 171.9656
7 Nice Racks 171.4400
8 TEAM MEAT COMA 168.5256
9 LAKEVIEW BBQ 168.5256
10 Sasquatch BBQ 167.9656
11 3 DOGS BARK BBQ 166.2400
12 Kane's BBQ 166.2284
13 HARCO LOCO BBQ 165.0856
14 Barrel Proof BBQ 163.9544
15 THE NUT HOUSE 162.8228
16 Palm tree smokehouse 162.8112
17 FAT MAXINE'S BBQ 161.6800
18 ALL FIRED UP BBQ 159.9428
19 Bay Brothers BBQ 159.3828
20 LittleBrothersBBQ 157.6456
21 Just a sliver sweets 157.1428
22 Justice is Brined 150.1944
23 GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ 150.1828

Backyard Series

Overall

37 entries · top 343.4056 · median 318.2972

#TeamScore
1 Leaning Jowler BBQ 343.4056
2 Estancia 339.3712
3 Bourbon & Blues BBQ 335.4400
4 Money Muscle BBQ 334.8000
5 Top Hat Smoking BBQ 334.2400
6 Bulldog BBQ 329.6916
7 Smokin Dixie BBQ 329.1088
8 Bill's Back Yard 327.4400
9 Big Boy BBQ 327.4172
10 Sticky Bones BBQ 326.8000
11 Castleton Q 326.3200
12 Disco BBQ 322.9716
13 Blue Line BBQ 322.8344
14 Make BBQ Great Again 322.7884
15 Capt. Blue BBQ 321.6684
16 Alchemy BBQ 321.6116
17 Pool Crew BBQ 319.9544
18 BBQ McLovin' 318.8340
19 Big River BBQ 318.2972
20 Small Batch BBQ MD 318.2284
21 Hazard County BBQ 317.1204
22 Schuster BBQ 316.5484
23 Missing Link BBQ 314.2512
24 Bone Suckin' Good BBQ 313.0744
25 Pig Kahunas 311.9656
26 Smoke Rings Barbeque 311.3828
27 Bros & BBQ 307.9428
28 Bark-N-Dawgz BBQ 303.9084
29 Kampy's Q 303.8972
30 Grillfellas 302.7544
31 Harford Retirement Planners 302.1832
32 PTSD 300.0344
33 Meats and Bounds 299.8628
34 Oink N' Doink BBQ 296.5256
35 LJ Sauce Company 287.3824
36 Best Buckin' BBQ 281.0856
37 Sauced Up Porkers 275.9084

Chicken

37 entries · top 177.7028 · median 159.9428

#TeamScore
1 Top Hat Smoking BBQ 177.7028
2 Estancia 173.1428
3 Pig Kahunas 172
4 Sticky Bones BBQ 170.2744
5 Leaning Jowler BBQ 169.1428
6 Smokin Dixie BBQ 166.2400
7 Castleton Q 165.7256
8 Disco BBQ 164.0344
9 Pool Crew BBQ 164.0116
10 Bill's Back Yard 162.8684
11 Big River BBQ 162.8572
12 Blue Line BBQ 162.8228
13 Harford Retirement Planners 162.8116
14 Bourbon & Blues BBQ 162.2856
15 Oink N' Doink BBQ 162.2628
16 Big Boy BBQ 161.7144
17 Bulldog BBQ 161.0972
18 Smoke Rings Barbeque 160.5484
19 Alchemy BBQ 159.9428
20 Hazard County BBQ 158.8688
21 Schuster BBQ 157.7028
22 Small Batch BBQ MD 157.1084
23 Missing Link BBQ 156.0112
24 Money Muscle BBQ 154.8000
25 Make BBQ Great Again 154.2284
26 PTSD 153.7028
27 Capt. Blue BBQ 153.6456
28 Grillfellas 153.0972
29 Kampy's Q 152.5256
30 BBQ McLovin' 151.9884
31 Bone Suckin' Good BBQ 151.9544
32 Meats and Bounds 151.3828
33 LJ Sauce Company 149.6800
34 Bros & BBQ 147.3828
35 Bark-N-Dawgz BBQ 147.3712
36 Sauced Up Porkers 146.2628
37 Best Buckin' BBQ 145.6684

Pork Ribs

37 entries · top 180 · median 158.8456 · 🔥 perfect 180

#TeamScore
1 Money Muscle BBQ 180 🔥
2 Leaning Jowler BBQ 174.2628
3 Bourbon & Blues BBQ 173.1544
4 Bulldog BBQ 168.5944
5 Make BBQ Great Again 168.5600
6 Capt. Blue BBQ 168.0228
7 BBQ McLovin' 166.8456
8 Estancia 166.2284
9 Big Boy BBQ 165.7028
10 Bill's Back Yard 164.5716
11 Smokin Dixie BBQ 162.8688
12 Alchemy BBQ 161.6688
13 Small Batch BBQ MD 161.1200
14 Bone Suckin' Good BBQ 161.1200
15 Castleton Q 160.5944
16 Bros & BBQ 160.5600
17 Blue Line BBQ 160.0116
18 Disco BBQ 158.9372
19 Schuster BBQ 158.8456
20 Hazard County BBQ 158.2516
21 Missing Link BBQ 158.2400
22 Top Hat Smoking BBQ 156.5372
23 Bark-N-Dawgz BBQ 156.5372
24 Sticky Bones BBQ 156.5256
25 Pool Crew BBQ 155.9428
26 Big River BBQ 155.4400
27 Kampy's Q 151.3716
28 Smoke Rings Barbeque 150.8344
29 Grillfellas 149.6572
30 Meats and Bounds 148.4800
31 PTSD 146.3316
32 Pig Kahunas 139.9656
33 Harford Retirement Planners 139.3716
34 LJ Sauce Company 137.7024
35 Best Buckin' BBQ 135.4172
36 Oink N' Doink BBQ 134.2628
37 Sauced Up Porkers 129.6456

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