Apr 12–13, 2024 · Bristol, CT · 📍 Lake Compounce Campground · State championship
Reps: Bill Wright, Kim Wright · Prize money: $4,000
ELJEFE SMOKE won Grand Champion at the Southern New England Barbecue Throwdown - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1) on April 12, 2024 in Bristol, CT at Lake Compounce Campground, scoring 693.0744 in a field of 29 teams. SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA took Reserve Grand Champion with 693.0740. Category winners: Chicken — SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA (177.7028); Pork Ribs — Big Bobby's Q (174.2972); Pork — UP-2 BBQ (180.0000); Brisket — ELJEFE SMOKE (177.7028). This is the 3rd of 14 editions of this contest on record; the 2023 edition was won by Grandpa Val's; 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, 2023 to 2026 — 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.
Closer than 99% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 0.0004 points — closer than 99% of every championship in the data.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 68 times in 100
ELJEFE SMOKE came in rated below the field's top team, SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 32-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
This was El Jefe Smoke's first Grand Championship in the data — it arrived at their 50th tracked contest.
3 of 14 tracked editions
Gettin' Basted has won this contest 3 times across its 14 tracked editions.
Chicken places 9–10: UP-2 BBQ and Transformer BBQ tied on 170.2744 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 8–9: Grumpy Old Patriot Barbeque and ELJEFE SMOKE tied on 170.8344 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Brisket places 2–3: PADDY MCQ'S and American Barbecue Company tied on 175.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
ELJEFE SMOKE took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork at 12th.
UP-2 BBQ turned in 180.0000 in pork — past the 177.1428 that had stood across 2 earlier editions.
1 perfect 180 was scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
What happened at this contest that stands in the all-time KCBS record book. A gold line is a record nobody has beaten.
Records held by every edition of this contest put together, not just this one afternoon.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 15, 2023 | Bristol, CT | Lake Compounce Campground | 43 | 705.7372 | Top Gun Barbecue | GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ |
| Apr 15, 2023 | Bristol, CT | Lake Compounce Campground | 22 | 174.8572 | Grandpa Val's | — |
| Apr 12, 2024 ← this one | Bristol, CT | Lake Compounce Campground | 29 | 693.0744 | El Jefe Smoke | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA |
| Apr 12, 2024 | Bristol, CT | Lake Compounce Campground | 13 | 176.5600 | Smokin' Hoggz | — |
| Apr 13, 2024 | Bristol, CT | Lake Compounce Campground | 37 | 702.2516 | Good Googly Goo BBQ | UP-2 BBQ |
| Apr 13, 2024 | Bristol, CT | Lake Compounce Campground | 14 | 177.7372 | Live Q or Die | — |
| Apr 11, 2025 | Bristol, CT | Lake Compounce Campground | 30 | 700.5260 | Gettin' Basted | BOGGS HOG BBQ |
| Apr 12, 2025 | Bristol, CT | Lake Compounce Campground | 35 | 709.1084 | Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit | GETTIN' BASTED |
| Apr 12, 2025 | Bristol, CT | Lake Compounce Campground | 21 | 177.7144 | Buckeye Blue Smoke | — |
| Apr 12, 2025 | Bristol, CT | Lake Compounce Campground | 19 | 178.2972 | Badass Canz | — |
| Apr 10, 2026 | Bristol, CT | Lake Compounce Campground | 33 | 703.4284 | Boggs Hog BBQ | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA |
| Apr 11, 2026 | Bristol, CT | Lake Compounce Campground | 29 | 705.1088 | Gettin' Basted | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA |
| Apr 11, 2026 | Bristol, CT | Lake Compounce Campground | 13 | 176.0344 | Paddy McQ's | — |
| Apr 11, 2026 | Bristol, CT | Lake Compounce Campground | 13 | 177.7144 | Gettin' Basted | — |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 177.7028 | 173.7372 | 170.2744 |
| Pork Ribs | 174.2972 | 171.4172 | 169.6916 |
| Pork | 180 | 173.7028 | 168.5484 |
| Brisket | 177.7028 | 173.1544 | 168.5256 |
29 entries · top 693.0744 · median 661.5312
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ELJEFE SMOKE | |
| 2 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 3 | PADDY MCQ'S | |
| 4 | LG bbq | |
| 5 | Matt's Backyard BBQ | |
| 6 | Grandpa Val's BBQ | |
| 7 | UP-2 BBQ | |
| 8 | American Barbecue Company | |
| 9 | Waypoint BBQ | |
| 10 | Let It Smoke Barbecue | |
| 11 | Transformer BBQ | |
| 12 | Live Q or Die | |
| 13 | GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ | |
| 14 | Big Bobby's Q | |
| 15 | SmoKEN Meatz | |
| 16 | Grumpy Old Patriot Barbeque | |
| 17 | Mountain Men BBQ | |
| 18 | Mullen It Over BBQ | |
| 19 | HOG WASH BBQ | |
| 20 | Squirrel and Sons | |
| 21 | 16 Mesh BBQ | |
| 22 | Angry Cock BBQ | |
| 23 | Q42 | |
| 24 | FOUR SMOKING GUYS | |
| 25 | Morning Wood BBQ | |
| 26 | LBLLC BBQ | |
| 27 | Professor Smoke | |
| 28 | PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ | |
| 29 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY |
28 entries · top 177.7028 · median 169.0970
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 2 | Matt's Backyard BBQ | |
| 3 | ELJEFE SMOKE | |
| 4 | Grandpa Val's BBQ | |
| 5 | American Barbecue Company | |
| 6 | GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ | |
| 7 | Let It Smoke Barbecue | |
| 8 | Mullen It Over BBQ | |
| 9 | UP-2 BBQ | |
| 10 | Transformer BBQ | |
| 11 | LG bbq | |
| 12 | PADDY MCQ'S | |
| 13 | Squirrel and Sons | |
| 14 | 16 Mesh BBQ | |
| 15 | SmoKEN Meatz | |
| 16 | FOUR SMOKING GUYS | |
| 17 | Mountain Men BBQ | |
| 18 | Big Bobby's Q | |
| 19 | Grumpy Old Patriot Barbeque | |
| 20 | Angry Cock BBQ | |
| 21 | Live Q or Die | |
| 22 | Waypoint BBQ | |
| 23 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 24 | Q42 | |
| 25 | LBLLC BBQ | |
| 26 | HOG WASH BBQ | |
| 27 | Professor Smoke | |
| 28 | Morning Wood BBQ |
29 entries · top 174.2972 · median 166.2744
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Bobby's Q | |
| 2 | HOG WASH BBQ | |
| 3 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 4 | LG bbq | |
| 5 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 6 | Live Q or Die | |
| 7 | PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ | |
| 8 | Grumpy Old Patriot Barbeque | |
| 9 | ELJEFE SMOKE | |
| 10 | Q42 | |
| 11 | Waypoint BBQ | |
| 12 | Mullen It Over BBQ | |
| 13 | PADDY MCQ'S | |
| 14 | Mountain Men BBQ | |
| 15 | Grandpa Val's BBQ | |
| 16 | Matt's Backyard BBQ | |
| 17 | GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ | |
| 18 | FOUR SMOKING GUYS | |
| 19 | American Barbecue Company | |
| 20 | 16 Mesh BBQ | |
| 21 | Transformer BBQ | |
| 22 | SmoKEN Meatz | |
| 23 | Let It Smoke Barbecue | |
| 24 | UP-2 BBQ | |
| 25 | Morning Wood BBQ | |
| 26 | Professor Smoke | |
| 27 | Angry Cock BBQ | |
| 28 | Squirrel and Sons | |
| 29 | LBLLC BBQ |
29 entries · top 180 · median 165.1316 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | UP-2 BBQ | |
| 2 | PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ | |
| 3 | Transformer BBQ | |
| 4 | PADDY MCQ'S | |
| 5 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 6 | LG bbq | |
| 7 | GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ | |
| 8 | Waypoint BBQ | |
| 9 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 10 | Let It Smoke Barbecue | |
| 11 | Angry Cock BBQ | |
| 12 | ELJEFE SMOKE | |
| 13 | LBLLC BBQ | |
| 14 | Live Q or Die | |
| 15 | Matt's Backyard BBQ | |
| 16 | SmoKEN Meatz | |
| 17 | FOUR SMOKING GUYS | |
| 18 | Squirrel and Sons | |
| 19 | Grumpy Old Patriot Barbeque | |
| 20 | Big Bobby's Q | |
| 21 | Grandpa Val's BBQ | |
| 22 | HOG WASH BBQ | |
| 23 | Q42 | |
| 24 | 16 Mesh BBQ | |
| 25 | American Barbecue Company | |
| 26 | Morning Wood BBQ | |
| 27 | Mullen It Over BBQ | |
| 28 | Mountain Men BBQ | |
| 29 | Professor Smoke |
28 entries · top 177.7028 · median 164.8458
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ELJEFE SMOKE | |
| 2 | PADDY MCQ'S | |
| 3 | American Barbecue Company | |
| 4 | Mountain Men BBQ | |
| 5 | Grandpa Val's BBQ | |
| 6 | Waypoint BBQ | |
| 7 | Matt's Backyard BBQ | |
| 8 | Let It Smoke Barbecue | |
| 9 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 10 | LG bbq | |
| 11 | PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ | |
| 12 | SmoKEN Meatz | |
| 13 | UP-2 BBQ | |
| 14 | Live Q or Die | |
| 15 | Squirrel and Sons | |
| 16 | Grumpy Old Patriot Barbeque | |
| 17 | Big Bobby's Q | |
| 18 | Morning Wood BBQ | |
| 19 | HOG WASH BBQ | |
| 20 | Mullen It Over BBQ | |
| 21 | Transformer BBQ | |
| 22 | 16 Mesh BBQ | |
| 23 | Angry Cock BBQ | |
| 24 | GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ | |
| 25 | Q42 | |
| 26 | LBLLC BBQ | |
| 27 | FOUR SMOKING GUYS | |
| 28 | Professor Smoke |