The Real Squeal BBQ & Music Festival
2025-10-03 – 2025-10-04 · Lyons, GA · 📍 168 Miot St · State championship
Reps: ALAN ROTHROCK, DOUG REID · Prize money: $15,000.00
Grand Champion: Hickory Barbeque Company (703.9428) · 32 teams
Reserve Champion: 🥈 COCAMOKE SMOKE BBQ
Entries
32
6 judged meats
Top score
703.9428
Winning margin
2.2972
GC over RC
Field average
679.48
median 687.61
Perfect 180s
4 🔥
COCAMOKE SMOKE BBQ (Brisket), HICKORY BARBEQUE COMPANY (Brisket), MAYA JANE BBQ CO. (Chicken), Blue Smoke Q (Pork)
Tightest race
Pork Ribs
2.2972 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
693.0744
10th place overall
Field spread
98.3884
winner to last place
Prize money
$15,000.00
on the line
Double threats
8
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 30%
beats 70% of 1951 Master Series wins in the data
Traveled in
23%
of the 39 teams with a home region came from outside GA
Form held
Moderate
ρ = -0.5 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1542
avg power rating going in · stronger than 47% of contests
Storylines
👑 A dynasty in the making
SMOKE ME SILLY has won this contest 2 times across its 10 tracked editions.
🧳 Out-of-towners took the title
HICKORY BARBEQUE COMPANY took the Grand Championship home to NC.
🔥 A day of perfect scores
4 perfect 180s were scored at this contest.
📸 Photo finishes
Master Series — Chicken places 3–4: OFF THE CHAIN and Smoke Central BBQ tied on 177.7144 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Chicken places 5–6: HICKORY BARBEQUE COMPANY and Kings BBQ Team tied on 175.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Chicken places 8–9: County Line Swine and CLAUDE'S Q tied on 174.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
🛡️ Back to defend
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: YES, DEAR BBQ (won 2023).
🃏 An upset on the books
HICKORY BARBEQUE COMPANY came in rated below the field's top team, Poppa Pig, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 18-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
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)
Where the field came from (home regions on file)
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-10-07 | Lyons, GA | 26 | 697.6456 | THE SMOKEHOUSE MAFIA | SAUCED! BBQ TEAM | |
| 2017-10-13 | 168 Miot St | 29 | 699.3600 | SMOKE ME SILLY | Uncle Kenny's Take-Away | |
| 2018-10-12 | 168 Miot St | 26 | 703.9772 | SMOKE ME SILLY | SAUCED! BBQ TEAM | |
| 2019-10-11 | Lyons, GA | 168 Miot St | 27 | 689.6456 | Que'n Stew'n & Brew'n | ANGRY JACK BBQ |
| 2020-10-09 | Lyons, GA | 168 Miot St | 37 | 703.9428 | Who Cares BBQ | HOT WACHULA'S |
| 2021-10-08 | Lyons, GA | 168 Miot St | 26 | 699.3484 | Uncle Kenny's BBQ | ROLLIN KOLBZ |
| 2022-10-07 | Lyons, GA | 168 Miot St | 30 | 706.2516 | Who Cares BBQ | Organizer Portal |
| 2023-10-06 | Lyons, GA | 168 Miot St | 29 | 708.5488 | YES, DEAR BBQ | SMOKIN' SWEETMEATS |
| 2024-10-04 | Lyons, GA | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2025-10-03 ← this one | Lyons, GA | 168 Miot St | 32 | 703.9428 | Hickory Barbeque Company | COCAMOKE SMOKE BBQ |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Series — Chicken | 180.0000 | 175.4172 | 173.1084 |
| Master Series — Pork Ribs | 178.8572 | 176.5600 | 173.1316 |
| Master Series — Pork | 180.0000 | 175.4056 | 174.2628 |
| Master Series — Brisket | 180.0000 | 175.4172 | 174.2628 |
| Backyard Series — Chicken | 174.3200 | 149.7256 | — |
| Backyard Series — Pork Ribs | 175.4400 | 150.9372 | — |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
32 entries · top 703.9428 · median 687.6056
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HICKORY BARBEQUE COMPANY | |
| 2 | COCAMOKE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 3 | MAYA JANE BBQ CO. | |
| 4 | YES, DEAR BBQ | |
| 5 | Blue Smoke Q | |
| 6 | Kings BBQ Team | |
| 7 | Poppa Pig | |
| 8 | COOL HAND QUE | |
| 9 | QMEISTERS | |
| 10 | Pop's Smoke on the Hill | |
| 11 | Bull and Boar BBQ | |
| 12 | Holy Smokes | |
| 13 | ZIPS BBQ | |
| 14 | PeachCoast BBQ | |
| 15 | Going Yard BBQ | |
| 16 | Smoke Central BBQ | |
| 17 | SMOKE SHOW MAFIA | |
| 18 | SMOKIN' SWEETMEATS | |
| 19 | CLAUDE'S Q | |
| 20 | K & E's Little Smokers | |
| 21 | County Line Swine | |
| 22 | Peckerwood Country Club | |
| 23 | OFF THE CHAIN | |
| 24 | Quenut BBQ | |
| 25 | HPO PIT TEAM | |
| 26 | Flying B BBQ | |
| 27 | Sunbelt Grillers | |
| 28 | B-rads bbq | |
| 29 | Sweat's BBQ | |
| 30 | Bolden's Best BBQ | |
| 31 | OLD HENRY'S BBQ | |
| 32 | Chops |
Chicken
32 entries · top 180.0000 · median 170.8286 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MAYA JANE BBQ CO. | |
| 2 | Poppa Pig | |
| 3 | OFF THE CHAIN | |
| 4 | Smoke Central BBQ | |
| 5 | HICKORY BARBEQUE COMPANY | |
| 6 | Kings BBQ Team | |
| 7 | Going Yard BBQ | |
| 8 | County Line Swine | |
| 9 | CLAUDE'S Q | |
| 10 | COOL HAND QUE | |
| 11 | ZIPS BBQ | |
| 12 | K & E's Little Smokers | |
| 13 | Blue Smoke Q | |
| 14 | Quenut BBQ | |
| 15 | Bull and Boar BBQ | |
| 16 | HPO PIT TEAM | |
| 17 | Peckerwood Country Club | |
| 18 | Flying B BBQ | |
| 19 | PeachCoast BBQ | |
| 20 | QMEISTERS | |
| 21 | B-rads bbq | |
| 22 | YES, DEAR BBQ | |
| 23 | COCAMOKE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 24 | Pop's Smoke on the Hill | |
| 25 | SMOKIN' SWEETMEATS | |
| 26 | SMOKE SHOW MAFIA | |
| 27 | Bolden's Best BBQ | |
| 28 | Holy Smokes | |
| 29 | Sunbelt Grillers | |
| 30 | Sweat's BBQ | |
| 31 | OLD HENRY'S BBQ | |
| 32 | Chops |
Pork Ribs
32 entries · top 178.8572 · median 171.9714
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kings BBQ Team | |
| 2 | YES, DEAR BBQ | |
| 3 | COCAMOKE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 4 | Going Yard BBQ | |
| 5 | Bull and Boar BBQ | |
| 6 | Pop's Smoke on the Hill | |
| 7 | PeachCoast BBQ | |
| 8 | Holy Smokes | |
| 9 | County Line Swine | |
| 10 | Blue Smoke Q | |
| 11 | Poppa Pig | |
| 12 | HICKORY BARBEQUE COMPANY | |
| 13 | ZIPS BBQ | |
| 14 | SMOKE SHOW MAFIA | |
| 15 | SMOKIN' SWEETMEATS | |
| 16 | QMEISTERS | |
| 17 | Smoke Central BBQ | |
| 18 | K & E's Little Smokers | |
| 19 | OFF THE CHAIN | |
| 20 | COOL HAND QUE | |
| 21 | MAYA JANE BBQ CO. | |
| 22 | Sunbelt Grillers | |
| 23 | CLAUDE'S Q | |
| 24 | Peckerwood Country Club | |
| 25 | Quenut BBQ | |
| 26 | Flying B BBQ | |
| 27 | OLD HENRY'S BBQ | |
| 28 | B-rads bbq | |
| 29 | HPO PIT TEAM | |
| 30 | Sweat's BBQ | |
| 31 | Bolden's Best BBQ | |
| 32 | Chops |
Pork
32 entries · top 180.0000 · median 170.8286 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blue Smoke Q | |
| 2 | PeachCoast BBQ | |
| 3 | MAYA JANE BBQ CO. | |
| 4 | Pop's Smoke on the Hill | |
| 5 | QMEISTERS | |
| 6 | CLAUDE'S Q | |
| 7 | YES, DEAR BBQ | |
| 8 | HICKORY BARBEQUE COMPANY | |
| 9 | Holy Smokes | |
| 10 | COCAMOKE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 11 | COOL HAND QUE | |
| 12 | Bull and Boar BBQ | |
| 13 | K & E's Little Smokers | |
| 14 | SMOKE SHOW MAFIA | |
| 15 | Smoke Central BBQ | |
| 16 | HPO PIT TEAM | |
| 17 | Flying B BBQ | |
| 18 | ZIPS BBQ | |
| 19 | SMOKIN' SWEETMEATS | |
| 20 | Poppa Pig | |
| 21 | B-rads bbq | |
| 22 | OFF THE CHAIN | |
| 23 | Kings BBQ Team | |
| 24 | County Line Swine | |
| 25 | Bolden's Best BBQ | |
| 26 | Sunbelt Grillers | |
| 27 | Going Yard BBQ | |
| 28 | Quenut BBQ | |
| 29 | Peckerwood Country Club | |
| 30 | Sweat's BBQ | |
| 31 | OLD HENRY'S BBQ | |
| 32 | Chops |
Brisket
32 entries · top 180.0000 · median 171.6914 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | COCAMOKE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 2 | HICKORY BARBEQUE COMPANY | |
| 3 | COOL HAND QUE | |
| 4 | Holy Smokes | |
| 5 | YES, DEAR BBQ | |
| 6 | QMEISTERS | |
| 7 | Kings BBQ Team | |
| 8 | SMOKIN' SWEETMEATS | |
| 9 | ZIPS BBQ | |
| 10 | Poppa Pig | |
| 11 | Peckerwood Country Club | |
| 12 | SMOKE SHOW MAFIA | |
| 13 | MAYA JANE BBQ CO. | |
| 14 | Bull and Boar BBQ | |
| 15 | Quenut BBQ | |
| 16 | Blue Smoke Q | |
| 17 | Going Yard BBQ | |
| 18 | Pop's Smoke on the Hill | |
| 19 | Smoke Central BBQ | |
| 20 | PeachCoast BBQ | |
| 21 | CLAUDE'S Q | |
| 22 | K & E's Little Smokers | |
| 23 | County Line Swine | |
| 24 | Sweat's BBQ | |
| 25 | HPO PIT TEAM | |
| 26 | OFF THE CHAIN | |
| 27 | Sunbelt Grillers | |
| 28 | Flying B BBQ | |
| 29 | OLD HENRY'S BBQ | |
| 30 | B-rads bbq | |
| 31 | Bolden's Best BBQ | |
| 32 | Chops |
Backyard Series
Overall
7 entries · top 349.1772 · median 306.8112
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pop's Little Helper | |
| 2 | Smoke Street BBQ | |
| 3 | Backwoods BBQ | |
| 4 | B&B Bar b que | |
| 5 | HD BBQ | |
| 6 | Okefenokee Smokies | |
| 7 | Red Stag Tavern |
Chicken
7 entries · top 174.3200 · median 150.2172
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pop's Little Helper | |
| 2 | Smoke Street BBQ | |
| 3 | B&B Bar b que | |
| 4 | Backwoods BBQ | |
| 5 | HD BBQ | |
| 6 | Okefenokee Smokies | |
| 7 | Red Stag Tavern |
Pork Ribs
7 entries · top 175.4400 · median 157.1656
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smoke Street BBQ | |
| 2 | Pop's Little Helper | |
| 3 | Backwoods BBQ | |
| 4 | Red Stag Tavern | |
| 5 | HD BBQ | |
| 6 | B&B Bar b que | |
| 7 | Okefenokee Smokies |