Feb 23–24, 2024 · Yuma, AZ · 📍 100-200 Blocks Madison Ave · State championship
Reps: Michael Santiago, Rhonda Santiago · Prize money: $13,200
Meat Candy Q won Grand Champion at the Best in the Southwest on February 23, 2024 in Yuma, AZ at 100-200 Blocks Madison Ave, scoring 702.2400 in a field of 25 teams. BIG POPPA SMOKERS took Reserve Grand Champion with 698.2172. Category winners: Chicken — BIG POPPA SMOKERS (180.0000); Pork Ribs — Bushmaster BBQ (178.8572); Pork — STEVO'S BBQ TEAM (176.5716); Brisket — DRY 2 DA BONE (178.8572). This is the 1st of 2 editions of this contest on record; 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.
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 67 times in 100
Meat Candy Q came in rated below the field's top team, BIG POPPA SMOKERS, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 33-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
Meat Candy Q won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 4 calls from 4 boards, best of them 2nd. Consistency beat fireworks.
Stronger than 97% of every rated contest
The field averaged a 1661 power rating going in — stronger than 97% of every contest tracked.
Chicken places 7–8: B' MACKIN BBQ and POPPA PIG AND PORKCHOP tied on 171.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 9–10: DRY 2 DA BONE and BIG RED BBQ tied on 170.8228 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 1–2: Bushmaster BBQ and Tip of Texas BBQ tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
1 perfect 180 was scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 23, 2024 ← this one | Yuma, AZ | 100-200 Blocks Madison Ave | 25 | 702.2400 | Meat Candy Q | BIG POPPA SMOKERS |
| Feb 21, 2025 | Yuma, AZ | 100-200 Blocks Madison Ave | 29 | 698.2172 | Stevo's BBQ Team | SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 171.9772 | 170.8228 |
| Pork Ribs | 178.8572 | 175.4172 | 172.5716 |
| Pork | 176.5716 | 173.1200 | 169.6800 |
| Brisket | 178.8572 | 175.4172 | 171.9772 |
25 entries · top 702.2400 · median 676.4456
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 2 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS | |
| 3 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 4 | Bushmaster BBQ | |
| 5 | Tip of Texas BBQ | |
| 6 | B' MACKIN BBQ | |
| 7 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 8 | POPPA PIG AND PORKCHOP | |
| 9 | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | |
| 10 | BIG RED BBQ | |
| 11 | DRY 2 DA BONE | |
| 12 | CHULENGO Smoker Team | |
| 13 | BURNIN AND LOOTIN | |
| 14 | SHIG NINJA BBQ | |
| 15 | Rhythm'n Que | |
| 16 | RUSTY JUNK BBQ | |
| 17 | Pork Bombin BBQ | |
| 18 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 19 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 20 | Kreiser Barbecue | |
| 21 | SMOKIN' ENVY BBQ | |
| 22 | SMOKERS PURGATORY | |
| 23 | West Coast BBQ Company | |
| 24 | SoCal Outlaw BBQ | |
| 25 | Dos Toros BBQ Team |
25 entries · top 180 · median 169.6916 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS | |
| 2 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 3 | Tip of Texas BBQ | |
| 4 | Bushmaster BBQ | |
| 5 | Kreiser Barbecue | |
| 6 | SMOKERS PURGATORY | |
| 7 | B' MACKIN BBQ | |
| 8 | POPPA PIG AND PORKCHOP | |
| 9 | DRY 2 DA BONE | |
| 10 | BIG RED BBQ | |
| 11 | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | |
| 12 | CHULENGO Smoker Team | |
| 13 | Rhythm'n Que | |
| 14 | SHIG NINJA BBQ | |
| 15 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 16 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 17 | BURNIN AND LOOTIN | |
| 18 | RUSTY JUNK BBQ | |
| 19 | Dos Toros BBQ Team | |
| 20 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 21 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 22 | SMOKIN' ENVY BBQ | |
| 23 | Pork Bombin BBQ | |
| 24 | West Coast BBQ Company | |
| 25 | SoCal Outlaw BBQ |
25 entries · top 178.8572 · median 168.5372
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bushmaster BBQ | |
| 2 | Tip of Texas BBQ | |
| 3 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 4 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 5 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS | |
| 6 | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | |
| 7 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 8 | B' MACKIN BBQ | |
| 9 | BURNIN AND LOOTIN | |
| 10 | BIG RED BBQ | |
| 11 | RUSTY JUNK BBQ | |
| 12 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 13 | POPPA PIG AND PORKCHOP | |
| 14 | West Coast BBQ Company | |
| 15 | Pork Bombin BBQ | |
| 16 | Rhythm'n Que | |
| 17 | CHULENGO Smoker Team | |
| 18 | SHIG NINJA BBQ | |
| 19 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 20 | SMOKERS PURGATORY | |
| 21 | Kreiser Barbecue | |
| 22 | SMOKIN' ENVY BBQ | |
| 23 | Dos Toros BBQ Team | |
| 24 | SoCal Outlaw BBQ | |
| 25 | DRY 2 DA BONE |
25 entries · top 176.5716 · median 168.5256
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 2 | DRY 2 DA BONE | |
| 3 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 4 | B' MACKIN BBQ | |
| 5 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 6 | POPPA PIG AND PORKCHOP | |
| 7 | BIG RED BBQ | |
| 8 | SHIG NINJA BBQ | |
| 9 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 10 | CHULENGO Smoker Team | |
| 11 | Bushmaster BBQ | |
| 12 | BURNIN AND LOOTIN | |
| 13 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 14 | RUSTY JUNK BBQ | |
| 15 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS | |
| 16 | Kreiser Barbecue | |
| 17 | SMOKERS PURGATORY | |
| 18 | Tip of Texas BBQ | |
| 19 | Dos Toros BBQ Team | |
| 20 | Pork Bombin BBQ | |
| 21 | SMOKIN' ENVY BBQ | |
| 22 | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | |
| 23 | Rhythm'n Que | |
| 24 | West Coast BBQ Company | |
| 25 | SoCal Outlaw BBQ |
25 entries · top 178.8572 · median 170.2744
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DRY 2 DA BONE | |
| 2 | Pork Bombin BBQ | |
| 3 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 4 | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | |
| 5 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS | |
| 6 | POPPA PIG AND PORKCHOP | |
| 7 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 8 | SoCal Outlaw BBQ | |
| 9 | CHULENGO Smoker Team | |
| 10 | Rhythm'n Que | |
| 11 | SMOKIN' ENVY BBQ | |
| 12 | B' MACKIN BBQ | |
| 13 | Tip of Texas BBQ | |
| 14 | Bushmaster BBQ | |
| 15 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 16 | BIG RED BBQ | |
| 17 | BURNIN AND LOOTIN | |
| 18 | RUSTY JUNK BBQ | |
| 19 | Kreiser Barbecue | |
| 20 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 21 | SHIG NINJA BBQ | |
| 22 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 23 | West Coast BBQ Company | |
| 24 | SMOKERS PURGATORY | |
| 25 | Dos Toros BBQ Team |
Run by the organizers alongside the sanctioned contest. These are judged on their own terms and do not count toward the overall score, so they're kept out of the meat stats above.
6 entries · top 180 · median 174.8342 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | |
| 2 | Kreiser Barbecue | |
| 3 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 4 | SMOKIN' ENVY BBQ | |
| 5 | POPPA PIG AND PORKCHOP | |
| 6 | Pork Bombin BBQ |