Sep 5–6, 2025 · Park Ridge, IL · 📍 505 Butler
Reps: Eugene Wickham, Sarah Wickham · Prize money: $540
Blended Smoke BBQ won Grand Champion at the Vine St BBQ Competition & Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) on September 5, 2025 in Park Ridge, IL at 505 Butler, scoring 353.7488 in a field of 38 teams. BBQ MIKE took Reserve Grand Champion with 349.7028. Category winners: Chicken — SMOKIN E'S BBQ (180.0000); Pork Ribs — Pork Ribs Fire Department BBQ (177.7372). This is the 4th of 5 editions of this contest on record; the 2024 edition was won by Weez's Groovin' 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.
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 82 times in 100
Blended Smoke BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, South Pork, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 18-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
This was Blended Smoke BBQ's first Grand Championship in the data — it arrived at their 3rd tracked contest.
Pork Ribs places 4–5: 2 Blind Pigs and I'd Smoke That tied on 173.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 9–10: E SQUARED BBQ edged SMOKIN E'S BBQ by 0.0116.
SMOKIN E'S BBQ turned in 180.0000 in chicken — past the 178.8800 that had stood across 3 earlier editions.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Stone Cold Grillers (won 2022), Makdaddy BBQ (won 2023).
1 perfect 180 was scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Park Ridge, IL | 100 Courtland Ave | 39 | 330.3888 | SimpleManBBQ |
| — | Park Ridge, IL | 100 Courtland Ave | 38 | 341.2000 | Sarsany BBQ |
| Aug 20, 2022 | Park Ridge, IL | 505 Butler Place | 41 | 341.7028 | Stone Cold Grillers |
| Sep 16, 2023 | Park Ridge, IL | 505 Butler Place | 35 | 346.8344 | Makdaddy BBQ |
| Aug 24, 2024 | Park Ridge, IL | Park Ridge, IL 60068 | 36 | 354.3200 | Weez's Groovin' BBQ |
| Sep 5, 2025 ← this one | Park Ridge, IL | 505 Butler | 38 | 353.7488 | Blended Smoke BBQ |
| Aug 15, 2026 | Park Ridge, IL | 505 Butler Place | 30 | 351.9884 | WICKEY-Q |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 172.5600 | 166.8228 |
| Pork Ribs | 177.7372 | 173.7028 | 169.6800 |
38 entries · top 353.7488 · median 319.0516
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blended Smoke BBQ | |
| 2 | BBQ MIKE | |
| 3 | SMOKIN E'S BBQ | |
| 4 | Baby Badger Barbeque | |
| 5 | Sky High BBQ | |
| 6 | E SQUARED BBQ | |
| 7 | Pork Ribs Fire Department BBQ | |
| 8 | Stone Cold Grillers | |
| 9 | Que's Your Daddy? | |
| 10 | I'd Smoke That | |
| 11 | Mouth 2 Mouth | |
| 12 | 2 Blind Pigs | |
| 13 | Brass Monkey BBQ | |
| 14 | Whatcha Smokin' | |
| 15 | Seminary Avenue Smokers | |
| 16 | Smoking Embers | |
| 17 | Ribbed For Your Pleasure | |
| 18 | PORKLANDIA | |
| 19 | Pork Floyd | |
| 20 | MAKDADDY BBQ | |
| 21 | The Bacon and Hockey Podcast | |
| 22 | Bear's Den BBQ | |
| 23 | Kaleta's Kitchen | |
| 24 | TREEMENDOUS! BBQ TEAM | |
| 25 | Smoke Signals | |
| 26 | South Pork | |
| 27 | Pickles Posse | |
| 28 | Broken Bones BBQ | |
| 29 | BoriBQ | |
| 30 | Pork Dorks | |
| 31 | De La'Que | |
| 32 | MIAMI HEAT BBQ | |
| 33 | K&K BBQ | |
| 34 | P-Ridge Smoke | |
| 35 | Morning Wood BBQ | |
| 36 | Rubicon BBQ | |
| 37 | Damn Hangry | |
| 38 | Smokey and The Bandits |
38 entries · top 180 · median 160.8630 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKIN E'S BBQ | |
| 2 | Blended Smoke BBQ | |
| 3 | Baby Badger Barbeque | |
| 4 | BBQ MIKE | |
| 5 | Stone Cold Grillers | |
| 6 | Sky High BBQ | |
| 7 | E SQUARED BBQ | |
| 8 | Mouth 2 Mouth | |
| 9 | Seminary Avenue Smokers | |
| 10 | Brass Monkey BBQ | |
| 11 | TREEMENDOUS! BBQ TEAM | |
| 12 | Whatcha Smokin' | |
| 13 | PORKLANDIA | |
| 14 | Que's Your Daddy? | |
| 15 | Smoking Embers | |
| 16 | South Pork | |
| 17 | Pork Floyd | |
| 18 | I'd Smoke That | |
| 19 | Bear's Den BBQ | |
| 20 | The Bacon and Hockey Podcast | |
| 21 | Broken Bones BBQ | |
| 22 | Pork Ribs Fire Department BBQ | |
| 23 | 2 Blind Pigs | |
| 24 | Pork Dorks | |
| 25 | MAKDADDY BBQ | |
| 26 | Pickles Posse | |
| 27 | De La'Que | |
| 28 | BoriBQ | |
| 29 | Ribbed For Your Pleasure | |
| 30 | Smoke Signals | |
| 31 | K&K BBQ | |
| 32 | Kaleta's Kitchen | |
| 33 | Morning Wood BBQ | |
| 34 | Rubicon BBQ | |
| 35 | P-Ridge Smoke | |
| 36 | MIAMI HEAT BBQ | |
| 37 | Damn Hangry | |
| 38 | Smokey and The Bandits |
38 entries · top 177.7372 · median 159.0916
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pork Ribs Fire Department BBQ | |
| 2 | BBQ MIKE | |
| 3 | Blended Smoke BBQ | |
| 4 | 2 Blind Pigs | |
| 5 | I'd Smoke That | |
| 6 | Baby Badger Barbeque | |
| 7 | Que's Your Daddy? | |
| 8 | Sky High BBQ | |
| 9 | E SQUARED BBQ | |
| 10 | SMOKIN E'S BBQ | |
| 11 | Ribbed For Your Pleasure | |
| 12 | Kaleta's Kitchen | |
| 13 | Mouth 2 Mouth | |
| 14 | Brass Monkey BBQ | |
| 15 | Stone Cold Grillers | |
| 16 | Smoke Signals | |
| 17 | Smoking Embers | |
| 18 | Whatcha Smokin' | |
| 19 | MAKDADDY BBQ | |
| 20 | Pork Floyd | |
| 21 | The Bacon and Hockey Podcast | |
| 22 | MIAMI HEAT BBQ | |
| 23 | PORKLANDIA | |
| 24 | Seminary Avenue Smokers | |
| 25 | Bear's Den BBQ | |
| 26 | Pickles Posse | |
| 27 | BoriBQ | |
| 28 | P-Ridge Smoke | |
| 29 | South Pork | |
| 30 | TREEMENDOUS! BBQ TEAM | |
| 31 | Pork Dorks | |
| 32 | K&K BBQ | |
| 33 | De La'Que | |
| 34 | Broken Bones BBQ | |
| 35 | Morning Wood BBQ | |
| 36 | Smokey and The Bandits | |
| 37 | Rubicon BBQ | |
| 38 | Damn Hangry |
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.
33 entries · top 178.8572 · median 168.5372
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 Blind Pigs | |
| 2 | P-Ridge Smoke | |
| 3 | Stone Cold Grillers | |
| 4 | MAKDADDY BBQ | |
| 5 | De La 'Que 2 | |
| 6 | K&K BBQ | |
| 7 | Smoking Embers | |
| 8 | Que's Your Daddy? | |
| 9 | Baby Badger Barbeque | |
| 10 | Pickles Posse 2 | |
| 11 | BoriBQ | |
| 12 | Mouth 2 Mouth | |
| 13 | The Bacon and Hockey Podcast | |
| 14 | I'd Smoke That | |
| 15 | South Pork | |
| 16 | Blended Smoke BBQ | |
| 17 | Kaleta's Kitchen | |
| 18 | PORKLANDIA | |
| 19 | Ribbed For Your Pleasure | |
| 20 | Smoke Signals | |
| 21 | MIAMI HEAT BBQ | |
| 22 | Pork Ribs Fire Department BBQ | |
| 23 | Pickles Posse | |
| 24 | Pickles Possee 3 | |
| 25 | Whatcha Smokin' | |
| 26 | Pork Floyd | |
| 27 | Sky High BBQ | |
| 28 | Damn Hangry | |
| 29 | Pork Dorks | |
| 30 | De La'Que | |
| 31 | MIAMI HEAT 4 | |
| 32 | Morning Wood BBQ | |
| 33 | Smokey and The Bandits |
30 entries · top 177.7028 · median 164.8342
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | PORKLANDIA | |
| 2 | E SQUARED BBQ | |
| 3 | Morning Wood BBQ | |
| 4 | MIAMI HEAT 2 | |
| 5 | P-Ridge Smoke | |
| 6 | Ribbed For Your Pleasure | |
| 7 | South Pork | |
| 8 | Smoking Embers | |
| 9 | Sky High BBQ | |
| 10 | Blended Smoke BBQ | |
| 11 | BoriBQ | |
| 12 | I'd Smoke That | |
| 13 | De La'Que | |
| 14 | MIAMI HEAT 3 | |
| 15 | Pork Dorks | |
| 16 | Whatcha Smokin' | |
| 17 | The Bacon and Hockey Podcast | |
| 18 | Pork Ribs Fire Department BBQ | |
| 19 | K&K BBQ | |
| 20 | 2 Blind Pigs | |
| 21 | Seminary Avenue Smokers | |
| 22 | Mouth 2 Mouth | |
| 23 | Kaleta's Kitchen | |
| 24 | Que's Your Daddy? | |
| 25 | MAKDADDY BBQ | |
| 26 | Smokey and The Bandits | |
| 27 | Baby Badger Barbeque | |
| 28 | Pork Floyd | |
| 29 | Smoke Signals | |
| 30 | MIAMI HEAT BBQ |