Jan 24–25, 2025 · Hollister, CA · 📍 Casa de Fruta · State championship
Reps: Kathleen McIntosh, Kelly McIntosh · Prize money: $6,000
Cherry Anchor BBQ won Grand Champion at The Golden State Battle VII (Day 1) on January 24, 2025 in Hollister, CA at Casa de Fruta, scoring 705.1428 in a field of 31 teams. SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 690.8228. Category winners: Chicken — CYNICAL BBQ (178.8572); Pork Ribs — Meat Candy Q (178.8572); Pork — Cherry Anchor BBQ (180.0000); Brisket — Cherry Anchor BBQ (176.5600). 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 88 times in 100
Cherry Anchor BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, GETTIN' BASTED, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 12-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
Wider than 96% of the 4,713 championships in the data
The champion won by 14.3200 points — a wider margin than 96% of championships in the data.
Pork Ribs places 1–2: Meat Candy Q and Chompa Q tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 9–10: GETTIN' BASTED and 5TH GEAR BBQ tied on 173.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 1–2: Cherry Anchor BBQ and BULL MARKET BBQ tied on 180.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
Cherry Anchor BBQ won Pork, Brisket — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
Cherry Anchor BBQ took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 2 outright wins — their weakest board was chicken at 8th.
2 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2025 ← this one | Hollister, CA | Casa de Fruta | 31 | 705.1428 | Cherry Anchor BBQ | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ |
| Jan 25, 2025 | Hollister, CA | Casa de Fruta | 27 | 703.4516 | Gettin' Basted | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.8572 | 174.2628 | 172.5828 |
| Pork Ribs | 178.8572 | 175.4516 | 173.1200 |
| Pork | 180 | 175.4172 | 173.1200 |
| Brisket | 176.5600 | 171.4056 | 166.2744 |
31 entries · top 705.1428 · median 675.3716
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cherry Anchor BBQ | |
| 2 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 3 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 4 | CYNICAL BBQ | |
| 5 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 6 | BULL MARKET BBQ | |
| 7 | BONE RUBBIN BBQ | |
| 8 | Chompa Q | |
| 9 | Big Johns BBQ Company | |
| 10 | LADY OF Q | |
| 11 | NUTIN2IT BUT2QIT | |
| 12 | Big Boys BBQ | |
| 13 | Rio Good BBQ | |
| 14 | Big Cat BBQ | |
| 15 | OM BBQ | |
| 16 | OLD TOWN FRANKLIN BBQ | |
| 17 | SoCal Outlaw BBQ | |
| 18 | BAR-B-CUDA BBQ | |
| 19 | SMOKIN' BLISS BBQ | |
| 20 | Can Do BBQ | |
| 21 | Bad Bears BBQ | |
| 22 | MYA&DJ'S BBQ | |
| 23 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 24 | 5TH GEAR BBQ | |
| 25 | RBQ | |
| 26 | SMOKIN' AXE BBQ | |
| 27 | Beards BBQ | |
| 28 | Pops BBQ 22 | |
| 29 | Braddah's BBQ | |
| 30 | PRISON BREAK BBQ | |
| 31 | B&E BBQ |
31 entries · top 178.8572 · median 170.2628
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CYNICAL BBQ | |
| 2 | Rio Good BBQ | |
| 3 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 4 | OLD TOWN FRANKLIN BBQ | |
| 5 | BULL MARKET BBQ | |
| 6 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 7 | Big Boys BBQ | |
| 8 | Cherry Anchor BBQ | |
| 9 | BAR-B-CUDA BBQ | |
| 10 | Beards BBQ | |
| 11 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 12 | OM BBQ | |
| 13 | BONE RUBBIN BBQ | |
| 14 | SMOKIN' BLISS BBQ | |
| 15 | MYA&DJ'S BBQ | |
| 16 | LADY OF Q | |
| 17 | Big Johns BBQ Company | |
| 18 | Bad Bears BBQ | |
| 19 | Can Do BBQ | |
| 20 | SoCal Outlaw BBQ | |
| 21 | Big Cat BBQ | |
| 22 | RBQ | |
| 23 | Chompa Q | |
| 24 | Pops BBQ 22 | |
| 25 | NUTIN2IT BUT2QIT | |
| 26 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 27 | 5TH GEAR BBQ | |
| 28 | SMOKIN' AXE BBQ | |
| 29 | Braddah's BBQ | |
| 30 | B&E BBQ | |
| 31 | PRISON BREAK BBQ |
31 entries · top 178.8572 · median 169.7372
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 2 | Chompa Q | |
| 3 | Big Cat BBQ | |
| 4 | BONE RUBBIN BBQ | |
| 5 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 6 | Cherry Anchor BBQ | |
| 7 | Can Do BBQ | |
| 8 | LADY OF Q | |
| 9 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 10 | 5TH GEAR BBQ | |
| 11 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 12 | Rio Good BBQ | |
| 13 | Big Johns BBQ Company | |
| 14 | Bad Bears BBQ | |
| 15 | Pops BBQ 22 | |
| 16 | CYNICAL BBQ | |
| 17 | OM BBQ | |
| 18 | NUTIN2IT BUT2QIT | |
| 19 | RBQ | |
| 20 | SMOKIN' AXE BBQ | |
| 21 | BULL MARKET BBQ | |
| 22 | Big Boys BBQ | |
| 23 | SMOKIN' BLISS BBQ | |
| 24 | SoCal Outlaw BBQ | |
| 25 | BAR-B-CUDA BBQ | |
| 26 | PRISON BREAK BBQ | |
| 27 | B&E BBQ | |
| 28 | MYA&DJ'S BBQ | |
| 29 | Braddah's BBQ | |
| 30 | OLD TOWN FRANKLIN BBQ | |
| 31 | Beards BBQ |
31 entries · top 180 · median 168.5484 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cherry Anchor BBQ | |
| 2 | BULL MARKET BBQ | |
| 3 | Big Boys BBQ | |
| 4 | OLD TOWN FRANKLIN BBQ | |
| 5 | NUTIN2IT BUT2QIT | |
| 6 | MYA&DJ'S BBQ | |
| 7 | Chompa Q | |
| 8 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 9 | LADY OF Q | |
| 10 | SMOKIN' AXE BBQ | |
| 11 | Rio Good BBQ | |
| 12 | OM BBQ | |
| 13 | CYNICAL BBQ | |
| 14 | BAR-B-CUDA BBQ | |
| 15 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 16 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 17 | SMOKIN' BLISS BBQ | |
| 18 | Big Cat BBQ | |
| 19 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 20 | Beards BBQ | |
| 21 | Can Do BBQ | |
| 22 | 5TH GEAR BBQ | |
| 23 | SoCal Outlaw BBQ | |
| 24 | Braddah's BBQ | |
| 25 | Big Johns BBQ Company | |
| 26 | Bad Bears BBQ | |
| 27 | RBQ | |
| 28 | PRISON BREAK BBQ | |
| 29 | Pops BBQ 22 | |
| 30 | BONE RUBBIN BBQ | |
| 31 | B&E BBQ |
31 entries · top 176.5600 · median 165.7028
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cherry Anchor BBQ | |
| 2 | SoCal Outlaw BBQ | |
| 3 | BONE RUBBIN BBQ | |
| 4 | Big Johns BBQ Company | |
| 5 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 6 | NUTIN2IT BUT2QIT | |
| 7 | Braddah's BBQ | |
| 8 | RBQ | |
| 9 | Beards BBQ | |
| 10 | SMOKIN' BLISS BBQ | |
| 11 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 12 | Bad Bears BBQ | |
| 13 | BAR-B-CUDA BBQ | |
| 14 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 15 | Big Cat BBQ | |
| 16 | Pops BBQ 22 | |
| 17 | OLD TOWN FRANKLIN BBQ | |
| 18 | CYNICAL BBQ | |
| 19 | OM BBQ | |
| 20 | MYA&DJ'S BBQ | |
| 21 | 5TH GEAR BBQ | |
| 22 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 23 | BULL MARKET BBQ | |
| 24 | Can Do BBQ | |
| 25 | LADY OF Q | |
| 26 | Chompa Q | |
| 27 | SMOKIN' AXE BBQ | |
| 28 | Big Boys BBQ | |
| 29 | Rio Good BBQ | |
| 30 | PRISON BREAK BBQ | |
| 31 | B&E BBQ |
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.
9 entries · top 176.5600 · median 172.5600
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | OM BBQ | |
| 2 | Smokin Volts | |
| 3 | BAR-B-CUDA BBQ | |
| 4 | CYNICAL BBQ | |
| 5 | Braddah's BBQ | |
| 6 | MYA&DJ'S BBQ | |
| 7 | Beards BBQ | |
| 8 | Pops BBQ 22 | |
| 9 | Big Boys BBQ |