Aug 8–9, 2025 · Baldwin City, KS · 📍 710 High Street · State championship
Reps: Dave Rogers, Forrest Bruce, Larry Hadley · Prize money: $10,000
Squealin N Dealin BBQ won Grand Champion at the Smoke on the Bricks on August 8, 2025 in Baldwin City, KS at 710 High Street, scoring 703.9888 in a field of 53 teams. Aww Shucks BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 703.4404. Category winners: Chicken — Who's Cookin' (178.2972); Pork Ribs — MAD MUTT'S BBQ (180.0000); Pork — IN DEEP SAUCE (180.0000); Brisket — Ambition Que (177.7144). This is the 7th of 9 editions of this contest on record; the 2024 edition was won by Dr. Squealgood BBQ; the next was held in 2026.
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 92% of the 4,713 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 0.5484 points — closer than 92% of every championship in the data.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 71 times in 100
Squealin N Dealin BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, JANKY LEG BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 29-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
Squealin N Dealin BBQ won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 2 calls from 4 boards, best of them 2nd. Consistency beat fireworks.
First to fifth in the overall standings covered just 2.3088 points — 2 teams sat within a single point of the lead.
Chicken places 1–2: Who's Cookin' and Squealin N Dealin BBQ tied on 178.2972 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 4–5: LOVE 2 Q and ALL FORKED UP FOR Q tied on 177.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 7–8: TOPEKA BBQ SHOP and MUNNY'S STOVE tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Fat&Dumb BBQ (won 2019), Dr. Squealgood BBQ (won 2024).
This contest usually draws about 46 teams
53 teams is the deepest field this contest has drawn in the data, against a typical 46.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 2019 | Baldwin City, KS | 1102 Main St | 49 | 692.5596 | Fat&Dumb BBQ | HIGH i QUE |
| Aug 21, 2020 | Baldwin City, KS | High St. | 43 | 700.5832 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | Happy Grillmore - KS |
| Aug 20, 2021 | Baldwin City, KS | High St. | 46 | 710.8228 | Dirt Road BBQ | PIRATES OF BAR-B-QUE BAY |
| Aug 26, 2022 | Baldwin City, KS | 705 High Street | 48 | 701.1200 | Slaps BBQ | SMOKIN TIMBERS BBQ |
| Aug 26, 2022 | Baldwin City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| Aug 25, 2023 | Baldwin City, KS | 705 High Street | 44 | 704.5372 | Meat Rushmore BBQ | MAN MEAT BBQ |
| Aug 9, 2024 | Baldwin City, KS | 705 High Street | 46 | 707.9888 | Dr. Squealgood BBQ | BREW 'N' BAR-B-QUE |
| Aug 8, 2025 ← this one | Baldwin City, KS | 710 High Street | 53 | 703.9888 | Squealin N Dealin BBQ | Aww Shucks BBQ |
| Aug 7, 2026 | Baldwin City, KS | 712 Chapel St. | 52 | 707.9772 | Janky Leg | Parts R Smokin |
| Aug 13, 2027 | Baldwin City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.2972 | 177.7028 | 176.5600 |
| Pork Ribs | 180 | 176.5600 | 175.4172 |
| Pork | 180 | 177.1544 | 175.4172 |
| Brisket | 177.7144 | 177.1428 | 175.4172 |
53 entries · top 703.9888 · median 682.7544
53 entries · top 178.2972 · median 172.5600
53 entries · top 180 · median 170.8344 · 🔥 perfect 180
52 entries · top 180 · median 170.8228 · 🔥 perfect 180
52 entries · top 177.7144 · median 170.8170
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.
14 entries · top 180 · median 176.2800 · 🔥 perfect 180
22 entries · top 180 · median 169.9714 · 🔥 perfect 180