Oct 13–14, 2023 · Rocky Mount, NC · 📍 S Church St · State championship
Reps: Alan Rothrock, Doug Reid · Prize money: $18,900
Swine 'N' Roses BBQ won Grand Champion at the Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down on October 13, 2023 in Rocky Mount, NC at S Church St, scoring 702.2400 in a field of 27 teams. Smoke Central BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 693.6800. Category winners: Chicken — HICKORY BARBEQUE COMPANY (179.4400); Pork Ribs — ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN (177.1428); Pork — Smoke Central BBQ (175.4400); Brisket — SMOKE SHOW MAFIA (177.7028). This is the 7th of 8 editions of this contest on record; the 2022 edition was won by Hold Your Horses BBQ; the next was held in 2024.
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.
What it has taken to win here, 2013 to 2024 — this edition picked out.
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 79 times in 100
Swine 'N' Roses BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 21-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
Swine 'N' Roses BBQ won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 4 calls from 4 boards, best of them 2nd. Consistency beat fireworks.
2 of 8 tracked editions
MUTTLEY CREW BBQ has won this contest 2 times across its 8 tracked editions.
Chicken places 4–5: ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN and Swine 'N' Roses BBQ tied on 175.4056 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 6–7: MUTTLEY CREW BBQ and Bourbon & Blues BBQ tied on 174.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 9–10: SmoKing Aces BBQ - NC and SMOKE SHOW MAFIA tied on 171.9656 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: MUTTLEY CREW BBQ (won 2017, 2018), Fred Vegas Smokers (won 2021).
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 11, 2013 | Rocky Mount, NC | Rocky Mount, NC | 55 | 682.2744 | FatBacks BBQ & Rib Shack | WARREN COUNTY PORK CHOPPERS |
| Oct 7, 2016 | Rocky Mount, NC | — | — | — | — | — |
| Oct 13, 2017 | Rocky Mount, NC | S Church St. | 50 | 701.0972 | MUTTLEY CREW BBQ | THE SMOKEHOUSE BANDITS!!! |
| Oct 12, 2018 | Rocky Mount, NC | S Church St. | 39 | 682.7428 | MUTTLEY CREW BBQ | REDNECK SCIENTIFIC |
| Oct 11, 2019 | Rocky Mount, NC | S Church st | 32 | 705.1316 | Old Colony Smokehouse | REDNECK SCIENTIFIC |
| Oct 8, 2021 | Rocky Mount, NC | S Church St | 26 | 702.2400 | Fred Vegas Smokers | GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ |
| Oct 7, 2022 | Rocky Mount, NC | S Church St | 27 | 705.1316 | Hold Your Horses BBQ | FRED VEGAS SMOKERS |
| Oct 13, 2023 ← this one | Rocky Mount, NC | S Church St | 27 | 702.2400 | Swine 'N' Roses BBQ | Smoke Central BBQ |
| Oct 11, 2024 | Rocky Mount, NC | 285 NE Main Street | 26 | 702.7884 | Smoke Central | FRED VEGAS SMOKERS |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 179.4400 | 175.4056 | 171.9656 |
| Pork Ribs | 177.1428 | 173.1200 | 170.8916 |
| Pork | 175.4400 | 173.1200 | 169.1084 |
| Brisket | 177.7028 | 175.4172 | 171.9656 |
27 entries · top 702.2400 · median 674.1712
27 entries · top 179.4400 · median 169.6800
27 entries · top 177.1428 · median 169.1316
27 entries · top 175.4400 · median 166.2512
27 entries · top 177.7028 · median 169.1200