A new contest record
705.1084
highest overall ever cooked here
705.1084 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 704.5600 House of Que set in 2024.
- old record 704.5600
- set 2024 by House of Que
Connecticut Barbecue Challenge 2025
Jul 12–13, 2025 · Somers, CT · 📍 Four Town Fair Grounds · State championship
Reps: Bill Wright, Kim Wright · Prize money: $5,300
House of Que won Grand Champion at the Connecticut Barbecue Challenge on July 12, 2025 in Somers, CT at Four Town Fair Grounds, scoring 705.1084 in a field of 30 teams. FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY took Reserve Grand Champion with 701.7148. Category winners: Chicken — New Pigs on the Block (180.0000); Pork Ribs — SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA (177.7028); Pork — SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA (178.2972); Brisket — New Pigs on the Block (176.5600). This is the 3rd of 4 editions of this contest on record; the 2024 edition was won by Smokin Hoggz BBQ-MA; the next was held in 2026.
The contest at a glance (read off the scored boards)
How the field scored
Overall totals, every team on the board — tall stacks are where the pack sat.
346.78
median 673.66
705.11 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 180 🔥
- Pork Ribs 177.70
- Pork 178.30
- Brisket 176.56
20
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2024 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Entries
30
4 judged meats · 1 ancillary
Top score
705.1084
Winning margin
3.3936
GC over RC
Field average
658.92
346.78705.11
median 673.66 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Pork
1.7372 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
682.7312
346.78705.11
10th place overall
Field spread
358.3312
winner to last place
Prize money
$5,300
on the line
Double threats
6
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 14%
beats 86% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Form held
Moderate
ρ = -0.42 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,530
avg power rating going in · stronger than 21% of contests
Storylines (9 found in this contest's numbers)
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
An upset on the books
21-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 79 times in 100
House of Que came in rated below the field's top team, SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 21-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
- champion 1587
- top seed 1816
Won without a category win
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
House of Que won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 4 calls from 4 boards, best of them 2nd. Consistency beat fireworks.
- Chicken 3rd
- Pork Ribs 2nd
- Pork 5th
- Brisket 4th
A dynasty in the making
2×
wins at this contest
2 of 4 tracked editions
House of Que has won this contest 2 times across its 4 tracked editions.
- 2024
- 2025
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 12 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 3–4: House of Que and LG bbq tied on 177.1428 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 5–6: ELJEFE SMOKE and Risk it for the Brisket tied on 173.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 7–8: ELJEFE SMOKE and Q42 tied on 173.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 3–4 · tie
- Chicken 5–6 · tie
- Pork Ribs 7–8 · tie
- Brisket 5–6 · tie
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
New Pigs on the Block won Chicken, Brisket — a double.
- Chicken 1st
- Brisket 1st
A contest record in pork
178.2972
best pork ever cooked here
SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA turned in 178.2972 in pork — past the 177.7144 that had stood across 2 earlier editions.
- old best 177.7144
- across 2 past editions
Back to defend
1
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: House of Que (won 2024).
- House of Que · 2024
A perfect score on the table
1
perfect 180s
1 perfect 180 was scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- New Pigs on the Block · Chicken
Score curves (score by finishing position — steep cliffs mean a spread field, flat lines a knife fight)
Category showdown (top / average / median score per meat)
Score distribution
Biggest rating movers (power-rating points won and lost at this contest)
Did form hold? (pre-contest rating vs overall finish — ratings called it if the dots climb to the right)
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 12, 2024 | Somers, CT | Four Town Fair Grounds | 30 | 704.5600 | House of Que | Q Shanty |
| Jul 12, 2024 | Somers, CT | Four Town Fair Grounds | 19 | 180 | Smokin Hoggz BBQ-MA | — |
| Jul 12, 2025 ← this one | Somers, CT | Four Town Fair Grounds | 30 | 705.1084 | House of Que | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY |
| Jul 18, 2026 | Somers, CT | Four Town Fair Grounds | 36 | 702.2972 | Boggs Hog BBQ | Smokin' Hoggz BBQ - MA |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 173.7028 | 171.9884 |
| Pork Ribs | 177.7028 | 174.2744 | 171.4172 |
| Pork | 178.2972 | 176.5600 | 172.5600 |
| Brisket | 176.5600 | 174.2628 | 170.8228 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
30 entries · top 705.1084 · median 673.6572
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | House of Que | |
| 2 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 3 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 4 | LG bbq | |
| 5 | New Pigs on the Block | |
| 6 | Let It Smoke Barbecue | |
| 7 | ELJEFE SMOKE | |
| 8 | smoKINGBATKO BBQ | |
| 9 | SmoKEN Meatz | |
| 10 | CANYON RIDERS BBQ | |
| 11 | Risk it for the Brisket | |
| 12 | HUMPHREY'S BBQ | |
| 13 | Two Little Pigs BBQ - East Coast Team | |
| 14 | Q42 | |
| 15 | Smokin' Jacks BBQ | |
| 16 | Titans of BBQ | |
| 17 | Hillside BBQ | |
| 18 | STICKS & STONES BBQ | |
| 19 | Silva Back BBQ | |
| 20 | Smokingrillindrinkin | |
| 21 | Inclusive BBQ Events | |
| 22 | Q Shanty | |
| 23 | Professor Smoke | |
| 24 | Phil The Grill | |
| 25 | Pray for Me BBQ | |
| 26 | Cow-Hen-Pig | |
| 27 | Karnivorus | |
| 28 | Big Betty BBQ | |
| 29 | SAQ BBQ | |
| 30 | Warped BBQ |
Chicken
30 entries · top 180 · median 168.2628 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Pigs on the Block | |
| 2 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 3 | House of Que | |
| 4 | LG bbq | |
| 5 | ELJEFE SMOKE | |
| 6 | Risk it for the Brisket | |
| 7 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 8 | Two Little Pigs BBQ - East Coast Team | |
| 9 | SmoKEN Meatz | |
| 10 | smoKINGBATKO BBQ | |
| 11 | Smokin' Jacks BBQ | |
| 12 | Let It Smoke Barbecue | |
| 13 | Inclusive BBQ Events | |
| 14 | Hillside BBQ | |
| 15 | CANYON RIDERS BBQ | |
| 16 | SAQ BBQ | |
| 17 | HUMPHREY'S BBQ | |
| 18 | Smokingrillindrinkin | |
| 19 | Q Shanty | |
| 20 | Pray for Me BBQ | |
| 21 | Q42 | |
| 22 | Cow-Hen-Pig | |
| 23 | Karnivorus | |
| 24 | STICKS & STONES BBQ | |
| 25 | Big Betty BBQ | |
| 26 | Professor Smoke | |
| 27 | Titans of BBQ | |
| 28 | Silva Back BBQ | |
| 29 | Phil The Grill | |
| 30 | Warped BBQ |
Pork Ribs
30 entries · top 177.7028 · median 167.9658
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 2 | House of Que | |
| 3 | New Pigs on the Block | |
| 4 | Let It Smoke Barbecue | |
| 5 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 6 | CANYON RIDERS BBQ | |
| 7 | ELJEFE SMOKE | |
| 8 | Q42 | |
| 9 | smoKINGBATKO BBQ | |
| 10 | Risk it for the Brisket | |
| 11 | LG bbq | |
| 12 | STICKS & STONES BBQ | |
| 13 | HUMPHREY'S BBQ | |
| 14 | Titans of BBQ | |
| 15 | Q Shanty | |
| 16 | Smokin' Jacks BBQ | |
| 17 | SmoKEN Meatz | |
| 18 | Silva Back BBQ | |
| 19 | Two Little Pigs BBQ - East Coast Team | |
| 20 | Professor Smoke | |
| 21 | Smokingrillindrinkin | |
| 22 | Cow-Hen-Pig | |
| 23 | Inclusive BBQ Events | |
| 24 | Pray for Me BBQ | |
| 25 | Phil The Grill | |
| 26 | Karnivorus | |
| 27 | Hillside BBQ | |
| 28 | Big Betty BBQ | |
| 29 | SAQ BBQ | |
| 30 | Warped BBQ |
Pork
30 entries · top 178.2972 · median 169.1200
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 2 | smoKINGBATKO BBQ | |
| 3 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 4 | Smokingrillindrinkin | |
| 5 | House of Que | |
| 6 | Q42 | |
| 7 | Smokin' Jacks BBQ | |
| 8 | Titans of BBQ | |
| 9 | Hillside BBQ | |
| 10 | SmoKEN Meatz | |
| 11 | Two Little Pigs BBQ - East Coast Team | |
| 12 | Risk it for the Brisket | |
| 13 | CANYON RIDERS BBQ | |
| 14 | LG bbq | |
| 15 | HUMPHREY'S BBQ | |
| 16 | STICKS & STONES BBQ | |
| 17 | Pray for Me BBQ | |
| 18 | Silva Back BBQ | |
| 19 | Q Shanty | |
| 20 | Let It Smoke Barbecue | |
| 21 | ELJEFE SMOKE | |
| 22 | Inclusive BBQ Events | |
| 23 | Karnivorus | |
| 24 | Big Betty BBQ | |
| 25 | Phil The Grill | |
| 26 | Professor Smoke | |
| 27 | Cow-Hen-Pig | |
| 28 | New Pigs on the Block | |
| 29 | SAQ BBQ | |
| 30 | Warped BBQ |
Brisket
30 entries · top 176.5600 · median 167.6914
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Pigs on the Block | |
| 2 | Silva Back BBQ | |
| 3 | Let It Smoke Barbecue | |
| 4 | House of Que | |
| 5 | LG bbq | |
| 6 | HUMPHREY'S BBQ | |
| 7 | ELJEFE SMOKE | |
| 8 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 9 | Titans of BBQ | |
| 10 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 11 | SmoKEN Meatz | |
| 12 | Hillside BBQ | |
| 13 | CANYON RIDERS BBQ | |
| 14 | STICKS & STONES BBQ | |
| 15 | Inclusive BBQ Events | |
| 16 | Two Little Pigs BBQ - East Coast Team | |
| 17 | Phil The Grill | |
| 18 | Q42 | |
| 19 | Q Shanty | |
| 20 | Risk it for the Brisket | |
| 21 | Professor Smoke | |
| 22 | smoKINGBATKO BBQ | |
| 23 | Big Betty BBQ | |
| 24 | Smokingrillindrinkin | |
| 25 | Smokin' Jacks BBQ | |
| 26 | Karnivorus | |
| 27 | Cow-Hen-Pig | |
| 28 | Pray for Me BBQ | |
| 29 | Warped BBQ | |
| 30 | SAQ BBQ |
Ancillary categories
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.
Kids-Q — Kids-Q Sliders
6 entries · top 180 · median 171.4286 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burger Queen | |
| 2 | Starla's Sinister Smoke | |
| 3 | Ninja BBQ | |
| 4 | Rub Me All Over | |
| 5 | Baller BBQ | |
| 6 | Crusher BBQ |