May 18–19, 2024 · Morgantown, PA · 📍 6180 Morgantown Rd · State championship
Reps: Louise Weidner, Robert McKee · Prize money: $8,700
The Fat is Where It's At won Grand Champion at the Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 2) on May 18, 2024 in Morgantown, PA at 6180 Morgantown Rd, scoring 702.2516 in a field of 26 teams. CHUNKY BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 687.9200. Category winners: Chicken — UNCLE PIG'S BARBEQUE PIT (176.5600); Pork Ribs — The Fat is Where It's At (180.0000); Pork — SMOKECRAFT - MD (180.0000); Brisket — HotMess BBQ (177.7028). The Backyard Series standings were won by Weber's Backyard BBQ with 347.9888. This is the 8th of 14 editions of this contest on record; the 2024 edition was won by Chunky 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, 2017 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.
702.2516 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 699.9772 Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit set in 2023.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 67 times in 100
The Fat is Where It's At came in rated below the field's top team, CHUNKY BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 33-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
Wider than 96% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The champion won by 14.3316 points — a wider margin than 96% of championships in the data.
2 of 12 tracked editions
Chunky BBQ has won this contest 2 times across its 12 tracked editions.
Master Series — Chicken places 2–3: B'S QUE and BLUE & GRAY BBQ tied on 175.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Chicken places 5–6: SMOKESTACK REDEMPTION and CHICKEN CHOKERS BBQ tied on 174.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Chicken places 7–8: Menke Boys BBQ and The Fat is Where It's At tied on 173.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
The Fat is Where It's At took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was chicken at 8th.
The Fat is Where It's At turned in 180.0000 in pork ribs — past the 179.4400 that had stood across 7 earlier editions.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit (won 2023), Chunky BBQ (won 2024).
2 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
47 of 59 teams from 2024-05-17 came back
47 of the 59 teams that cooked the previous edition came back for this one — a contest people put on the calendar.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 19, 2017 | Morgantown, PA | Friendship Park North St | 53 | 690.8232 | DANTE'S INFERNO | PORKS & REC |
| May 18, 2018 | Morgantown, PA | 3287 North Street | 47 | 689.1428 | PIGGIN' WHISKEY | MOON RIVER BARBEQUE |
| May 17, 2019 | Morgantown, PA | 3287 North Street | 44 | 693.7260 | Drilling and Grilling | PRIORVILLE BBQ |
| May 14, 2021 | Morgantown, PA | 3287 North Street | 46 | 688.5716 | Pig's Pajamas BBQ | Rogue Hog BBQ |
| May 13, 2022 | Morgantown, PA | 3287 North Street | 39 | 697.0512 | Uncle Pigs BBQ Pit | THE PIG'S PAJAMAS |
| May 19, 2023 | Morgantown, PA | 6180 Morgantown Rd | 37 | 699.9772 | Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit | The Fat is Where It's At |
| May 17, 2024 | Morgantown, PA | 6180 Morgantown Rd | 37 | 692.5028 | Chunky BBQ | BOGGS HOG BBQ |
| May 18, 2024 ← this one | Morgantown, PA | 6180 Morgantown Rd | 26 | 702.2516 | The Fat is Where It's At | CHUNKY BBQ |
| May 16, 2025 | Morgantown, PA | 6180 Morgantown Rd | 28 | 701.0972 | Pig Candy Barbeque Co. | BEER TIME BBQ |
| May 17, 2025 | Morgantown, PA | 6180 Morgantown Rd | 21 | 695.9316 | Chunky BBQ | House of Que |
| May 15, 2026 | Morgantown, PA | 6180 Morgantown Rd | 25 | 693.0628 | HotMess BBQ | BEER TIME BBQ |
| May 16, 2026 | Morgantown, PA | 6180 Morgantown Rd | 17 | 703.9428 | The Fat is Where It's At | B'S QUE |
| May 14, 2027 | Morgantown, PA | — | — | — | — | — |
| May 15, 2027 | Morgantown, PA | — | — | — | — | — |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Series — Chicken | 176.5600 | 174.2628 | 173.1084 |
| Master Series — Pork Ribs | 180 | 172.5484 | 169.6916 |
| Master Series — Pork | 180 | 173.1200 | 170.8228 |
| Master Series — Brisket | 177.7028 | 173.7028 | 167.3712 |
| Backyard Series — Chicken | 177.7144 | 174.2628 | 169.6800 |
| Backyard Series — Pork Ribs | 174.2744 | 171.9772 | 168.5372 |
26 entries · top 702.2516 · median 672.7486
26 entries · top 176.5600 · median 170.8228
26 entries · top 180 · median 167.6914 · 🔥 perfect 180
26 entries · top 180 · median 169.1200 · 🔥 perfect 180
26 entries · top 177.7028 · median 165.3944
21 entries · top 347.9888 · median 335.3600
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Weber's Backyard BBQ | |
| 2 | Brewski's BBQ Competition Team | |
| 3 | Yardogs BBQ | |
| 4 | Capt. Blue BBQ | |
| 5 | Wolf Valley BBQ | |
| 6 | MRC_Barbecue | |
| 7 | Pinky Out BBQ | |
| 8 | Dog Bite Barbecue | |
| 9 | All About the Wood | |
| 10 | Leaning Jowler BBQ | |
| 11 | Backwooder BBQ | |
| 12 | Big Butts BBQ | |
| 13 | COAL CRACKER BBQ | |
| 14 | Oink N' Doink BBQ | |
| 15 | Oldman's Backyard B B QUE | |
| 16 | BulldogBBQ | |
| 17 | Zoni-Q | |
| 18 | Estancia | |
| 19 | Lucky Q BBQ | |
| 20 | Bill's Back Yard | |
| 21 | Coulbourn Creek Q |
21 entries · top 177.7144 · median 168.5256
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yardogs BBQ | |
| 2 | Wolf Valley BBQ | |
| 3 | Brewski's BBQ Competition Team | |
| 4 | Weber's Backyard BBQ | |
| 5 | Capt. Blue BBQ | |
| 6 | Pinky Out BBQ | |
| 7 | Leaning Jowler BBQ | |
| 8 | All About the Wood | |
| 9 | Big Butts BBQ | |
| 10 | Oink N' Doink BBQ | |
| 11 | Dog Bite Barbecue | |
| 12 | Estancia | |
| 13 | Backwooder BBQ | |
| 14 | MRC_Barbecue | |
| 15 | Oldman's Backyard B B QUE | |
| 16 | Lucky Q BBQ | |
| 17 | BulldogBBQ | |
| 18 | Bill's Back Yard | |
| 19 | COAL CRACKER BBQ | |
| 20 | Zoni-Q | |
| 21 | Coulbourn Creek Q |
21 entries · top 174.2744 · median 167.4288
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MRC_Barbecue | |
| 2 | COAL CRACKER BBQ | |
| 3 | Weber's Backyard BBQ | |
| 4 | Capt. Blue BBQ | |
| 5 | Brewski's BBQ Competition Team | |
| 6 | Wolf Valley BBQ | |
| 7 | Zoni-Q | |
| 8 | Dog Bite Barbecue | |
| 9 | Backwooder BBQ | |
| 10 | Yardogs BBQ | |
| 11 | Pinky Out BBQ | |
| 12 | All About the Wood | |
| 13 | BulldogBBQ | |
| 14 | Oldman's Backyard B B QUE | |
| 15 | Leaning Jowler BBQ | |
| 16 | Big Butts BBQ | |
| 17 | Oink N' Doink BBQ | |
| 18 | Bill's Back Yard | |
| 19 | Lucky Q BBQ | |
| 20 | Estancia | |
| 21 | Coulbourn Creek Q |