Jun 27–28, 2025 · Spencer, IA · 📍 800 W 18th Street
Reps: John Scharffbillig, Laurie Tweten, Patrick Diller · Prize money: $1,300
Bramble BBQ won Grand Champion at the Art of the Que (Backyard 2) on June 27, 2025 in Spencer, IA at 800 W 18th Street, scoring 350.8456 in a field of 17 teams. SASSY SMOKE BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 341.6916. Category winners: Chicken — SASSY SMOKE BBQ (177.7028); Pork Ribs — Bramble BBQ (174.8456). This is the 3rd of 4 editions of this contest on record; the 2025 edition was won by BIG RACKS BBQ; the next was held in 2025.
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, 2023 to 2025 — 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 76 times in 100
Bramble BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 24-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
Wider than 88% of the 610 championships in the data
The champion won by 9.1540 points — a wider margin than 88% of championships in the data.
2 of 4 tracked editions
Hot Daddy's BBQ has won this contest 2 times across its 4 tracked editions.
Pork Ribs places 5–6: THE GREAT PIG IN THE SKY and BBQ Pit Bros tied on 167.9772 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 8–9: SASSY SMOKE BBQ edged WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ by 0.0116. Chicken places 6–7: DAWGS BBQ edged Sensuous BBQ by 0.0116.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 7, 2023 | Spencer, IA | 800 W 18th Street | 28 | 697.1088 | Hot Daddy's BBQ | LAST CALL HEROES BBQ |
| Jun 28, 2024 | Spencer, IA | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jun 27, 2025 | Spencer, IA | 800 W 18th Street | 15 | 705.7032 | BIG RACKS BBQ | HOT DADDY'S BBQ |
| Jun 27, 2025 ← this one | Spencer, IA | 800 W 18th Street | 17 | 350.8456 | BRAMBLE BBQ | — |
| Jun 27, 2025 | Spencer, IA | 800 W 18th Street | 12 | 177.7144 | HOT DADDY'S BBQ | — |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 177.7028 | 170.2628 | 166.8344 |
| Pork Ribs | 174.8456 | 167.9772 | 163.4172 |
17 entries · top 350.8456 · median 332.5372
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bramble BBQ | |
| 2 | SASSY SMOKE BBQ | |
| 3 | BBQ Pit Bros | |
| 4 | Sensuous BBQ | |
| 5 | Too Sauced BBQ | |
| 6 | DAWGS BBQ | |
| 7 | WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ | |
| 8 | FENDER BENDER BBQ | |
| 9 | Big Bear BBQ | |
| 10 | THE GREAT PIG IN THE SKY | |
| 11 | E SQUARED BBQ | |
| 12 | SMOKEY GQ | |
| 13 | Briskey Business BBQ | |
| 14 | Big Ten Bones | |
| 15 | East Bow Que | |
| 16 | SmoQued On Main St | |
| 17 | Unknown Smokers |
17 entries · top 177.7028 · median 166.8572
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SASSY SMOKE BBQ | |
| 2 | Bramble BBQ | |
| 3 | BBQ Pit Bros | |
| 4 | FENDER BENDER BBQ | |
| 5 | WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ | |
| 6 | DAWGS BBQ | |
| 7 | Sensuous BBQ | |
| 8 | SmoQued On Main St | |
| 9 | East Bow Que | |
| 10 | Too Sauced BBQ | |
| 11 | E SQUARED BBQ | |
| 12 | SMOKEY GQ | |
| 13 | Big Ten Bones | |
| 14 | Briskey Business BBQ | |
| 15 | THE GREAT PIG IN THE SKY | |
| 16 | Big Bear BBQ | |
| 17 | Unknown Smokers |
17 entries · top 174.8456 · median 163.9772
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bramble BBQ | |
| 2 | Sensuous BBQ | |
| 3 | Big Bear BBQ | |
| 4 | Too Sauced BBQ | |
| 5 | THE GREAT PIG IN THE SKY | |
| 6 | BBQ Pit Bros | |
| 7 | DAWGS BBQ | |
| 8 | SASSY SMOKE BBQ | |
| 9 | WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ | |
| 10 | Briskey Business BBQ | |
| 11 | E SQUARED BBQ | |
| 12 | SMOKEY GQ | |
| 13 | FENDER BENDER BBQ | |
| 14 | Unknown Smokers | |
| 15 | Big Ten Bones | |
| 16 | East Bow Que | |
| 17 | SmoQued On Main St |