May 31 – Jun 1, 2024 · Lafayette, GA · 📍 298 Culberson Ave · State championship
Reps: Rachel Harper, Wayne Harper · Prize money: $5,000
BAD ROOSTER BBQ won Grand Champion at the Honeybee BBQ Competition on May 31, 2024 in Lafayette, GA at 298 Culberson Ave, scoring 698.1940 in a field of 25 teams. CHOOCHOO BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 697.6572. Category winners: Chicken — HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ (177.7028); Pork Ribs — HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ (178.8572); Pork — Mad Puppy BBQ (176.5716); Brisket — CHOOCHOO BBQ (179.4400). This is the 5th of 7 editions of this contest on record; the 2023 edition was won by Smoke Central 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, 2019 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 93% of the 4,722 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 0.5368 points — closer than 93% of every championship in the data.
BAD ROOSTER BBQ won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 3 calls from 4 boards, best of them 2nd. Consistency beat fireworks.
Chicken places 2–3: CHOOCHOO BBQ and Southern Life BBQ tied on 175.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 6–7: HICKORY BARBEQUE COMPANY and Mad Dog BBQ tied on 171.9772 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 4–5: HICKORY BARBEQUE COMPANY and SMOKIN' SWEETMEATS tied on 173.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ won Chicken, Pork Ribs — a double.
CHOOCHOO BBQ turned in 179.4400 in brisket — past the 178.8572 that had stood across 4 earlier editions.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 2019 | LaFayette, GA | 298 Culberson Av | 22 | 699.9656 | Under The Radar | Q-INATOR! |
| Jun 12, 2020 | LaFayette, GA | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jun 3, 2022 | Lafayette, GA | 298 Culberson Ave | 25 | 701.0740 | Smoke Me Silly | UNDER THE RADAR |
| Jun 2, 2023 | Lafayette, GA | 298 Culberson Ave | 27 | 710.8228 | Smoke Central BBQ | Organizer Portal |
| May 31, 2024 ← this one | Lafayette, GA | 298 Culberson Ave | 25 | 698.1940 | Bad Rooster BBQ | CHOOCHOO BBQ |
| May 30, 2025 | Lafayette, GA | 298 Culberson Ave | 26 | 699.4060 | Stewbabys BBQ | MAYA JANE BBQ CO. |
| May 29, 2026 | Lafayette, GA | 298 Culberson Ave | 19 | 710.8344 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 177.7028 | 172.5600 | 169.6800 |
| Pork Ribs | 178.8572 | 173.1200 | 171.4288 |
| Pork | 176.5716 | 173.7028 | 170.8228 |
| Brisket | 179.4400 | 175.4056 | 170.8228 |
25 entries · top 698.1940 · median 679.3144
25 entries · top 177.7028 · median 166.2284
25 entries · top 178.8572 · median 168.5256
25 entries · top 176.5716 · median 169.6684
25 entries · top 179.4400 · median 169.6800