A new contest record
674.2512
highest overall ever cooked here
674.2512 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 667.9200 QUE AND A HALF MEN set in 2014.
- old record 667.9200
- set 2014 by QUE AND A HALF MEN
Que by the Sea 2015
Sep 19–20, 2015 · Seaside Heights, NJ
BEERBEQUE won Grand Champion at the Que by the Sea on September 19, 2015 in Seaside Heights, NJ, scoring 674.2512 in a field of 41 teams. 3 EYZ BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 671.3944. Category winners: Chicken — BABYLON GRILLBILLIES (174.8572); Pork Ribs — BRISKET BURNERS (169.6800); Pork — SHADY CREW (170.2972); Brisket — 3 EYZ BBQ (174.2972). This is the 3rd of 6 editions of this contest on record; the 2014 edition was won by QUE AND A HALF MEN; the next was held in 2016.
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.
471.41
median 627.29
674.25 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 174.86
- Pork Ribs 169.68
- Pork 170.30
- Brisket 174.30
133.10
174.86
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2013 to 2018 — this edition picked out.
Entries
41
4 judged meats · 2 ancillary
Top score
674.2512
Winning margin
2.8568
GC over RC
Field average
624.15
471.41674.25
median 627.29 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Pork
2.3200 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
649.6456
471.41674.25
10th place overall
Field spread
202.8456
winner to last place
Double threats
5
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 94%
beats 6% of 4714 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
58%
28 of 48 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.68 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,541
avg power rating going in · stronger than 30% of contests
Storylines (6 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
Won without a category win
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
BEERBEQUE won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 4 calls from 4 boards, best of them 2nd. Consistency beat fireworks.
- Chicken 5th
- Pork Ribs 2nd
- Pork 3rd
- Brisket 5th
A dynasty in the making
2×
wins at this contest
2 of 6 tracked editions
BEERBEQUE has won this contest 2 times across its 6 tracked editions.
- 2013
- 2015
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 10 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 5–6: BEERBEQUE and UNCLE PIG'S BARBEQUE PIT tied on 169.1428 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 4–5: ROCKIN ROBYNS BBQ and REED BOYZ BBQ tied on 167.9772 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 7–8: QUE AND A HALF MEN edged REED BOYZ BBQ by 0.0228.
- Chicken 5–6 · tie
- Pork 4–5 · tie
- Chicken 7–8 · 0.0228
- Pork Ribs 2–3 · 0.0228
Back to defend
2
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: BEERBEQUE (won 2013), QUE AND A HALF MEN (won 2014).
- BEERBEQUE · 2013
- QUE AND A HALF MEN · 2014
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 21, 2013 | Seaside Heights, NJ | Seaside Heights, NJ | 49 | 658.7884 | BEERBEQUE | QUE AND A HALF MEN |
| Sep 20, 2014 | Seaside Heights, NJ | Seaside Heights, NJ 08751 | 48 | 667.9200 | QUE AND A HALF MEN | DR. PEARL'S MEDICINAL SMOKE BBQ TEAM |
| Sep 19, 2015 ← this one | Seaside Heights, NJ | Seaside Heights, NJ 08751 | 41 | 674.2512 | BEERBEQUE | 3 EYZ BBQ |
| Sep 17, 2016 | Seaside Heights, NJ | Grant Ave | 44 | 669.6572 | TOP GUN BARBECUE | ACK-QUE |
| Sep 22, 2017 | Seaside Heights, NJ | Grant Ave | 43 | 679.9656 | WEEKEND SMOKERS | TOP GUN BARBECUE |
| Sep 22, 2018 | Seaside Heights, NJ | Grant Ave | 43 | 671.9776 | DANTE'S INFERNO | BEERBEQUE |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 174.8572 | 169.1428 | 165.1772 |
| Pork Ribs | 169.6800 | 165.1428 | 162.8800 |
| Pork | 170.2972 | 167.9772 | 164.5256 |
| Brisket | 174.2972 | 166.8572 | 162.8572 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
41 entries · top 674.2512 · median 627.2912
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BEERBEQUE | |
| 2 | 3 EYZ BBQ | |
| 3 | QUE AND A HALF MEN | |
| 4 | BRISKET BURNERS | |
| 5 | SMOKOPOLIS BBQ | |
| 6 | UNCLE PIG'S BARBEQUE PIT | |
| 7 | ROCKIN ROBYNS BBQ | |
| 8 | ACK-QUE | |
| 9 | THE BASIC BBQ TEAM | |
| 10 | REED BOYZ BBQ | |
| 11 | 5-ALARM BBQ | |
| 12 | SHADY CREW | |
| 13 | DR. PEARL'S MEDICINAL SMOKE BBQ TEAM | |
| 14 | SMOKIN' TEX BBQ | |
| 15 | BABYLON GRILLBILLIES | |
| 16 | DANTE'S INFERNO | |
| 17 | LOCAL SMOKE BBQ | |
| 18 | CAJUN JAX BBQ | |
| 19 | CHICKEN CHOKERS | |
| 20 | Hot Rod's BBQ | |
| 21 | TOP GUN BARBECUE | |
| 22 | FIRE ANTS BBQ | |
| 23 | TOM TOM BOB A QUE | |
| 24 | JACKED UP BBQ | |
| 25 | BIG BELLY BEERBQUE | |
| 26 | LFQ | |
| 27 | SMOKE ASYLUM BBQ | |
| 28 | BBQ PIT KING | |
| 29 | WEEKEND SMOKERS | |
| 30 | (ROLLER COASTER) BONEYARD SMOKER | |
| 31 | WE RIB U LONG TIME | |
| 32 | HERM'S HOGS | |
| 33 | BURNT SIDE DOWN | |
| 34 | JOE MAMA'S RIBS | |
| 35 | SOUTHJERSEYBBQ | |
| 36 | THE BEARDED ONE BBQ | |
| 37 | RIGHT ON CUE | |
| 38 | IT'S BUTTA BABY! BBQ | |
| 39 | Bite Back BBQ | |
| 40 | DIG'N N PIG'N | |
| 41 | FINN'S FINEST BBQ |
Chicken
41 entries · top 174.8572 · median 158.2972
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BABYLON GRILLBILLIES | |
| 2 | BRISKET BURNERS | |
| 3 | ROCKIN ROBYNS BBQ | |
| 4 | SMOKOPOLIS BBQ | |
| 5 | BEERBEQUE | |
| 6 | UNCLE PIG'S BARBEQUE PIT | |
| 7 | QUE AND A HALF MEN | |
| 8 | REED BOYZ BBQ | |
| 9 | SMOKE ASYLUM BBQ | |
| 10 | BBQ PIT KING | |
| 11 | CAJUN JAX BBQ | |
| 12 | 3 EYZ BBQ | |
| 13 | 5-ALARM BBQ | |
| 14 | DR. PEARL'S MEDICINAL SMOKE BBQ TEAM | |
| 15 | TOP GUN BARBECUE | |
| 16 | TOM TOM BOB A QUE | |
| 17 | ACK-QUE | |
| 18 | HERM'S HOGS | |
| 19 | CHICKEN CHOKERS | |
| 20 | THE BASIC BBQ TEAM | |
| 21 | BIG BELLY BEERBQUE | |
| 22 | WE RIB U LONG TIME | |
| 23 | FINN'S FINEST BBQ | |
| 24 | BURNT SIDE DOWN | |
| 25 | DANTE'S INFERNO | |
| 26 | LOCAL SMOKE BBQ | |
| 27 | SHADY CREW | |
| 28 | SMOKIN' TEX BBQ | |
| 29 | LFQ | |
| 30 | WEEKEND SMOKERS | |
| 31 | Hot Rod's BBQ | |
| 32 | RIGHT ON CUE | |
| 33 | JACKED UP BBQ | |
| 34 | THE BEARDED ONE BBQ | |
| 35 | (ROLLER COASTER) BONEYARD SMOKER | |
| 36 | IT'S BUTTA BABY! BBQ | |
| 37 | JOE MAMA'S RIBS | |
| 38 | Bite Back BBQ | |
| 39 | DIG'N N PIG'N | |
| 40 | FIRE ANTS BBQ | |
| 41 | SOUTHJERSEYBBQ |
Pork Ribs
41 entries · top 169.6800 · median 157.1200
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BRISKET BURNERS | |
| 2 | BEERBEQUE | |
| 3 | ACK-QUE | |
| 4 | 3 EYZ BBQ | |
| 5 | REED BOYZ BBQ | |
| 6 | QUE AND A HALF MEN | |
| 7 | UNCLE PIG'S BARBEQUE PIT | |
| 8 | ROCKIN ROBYNS BBQ | |
| 9 | WEEKEND SMOKERS | |
| 10 | CHICKEN CHOKERS | |
| 11 | 5-ALARM BBQ | |
| 12 | SMOKOPOLIS BBQ | |
| 13 | DANTE'S INFERNO | |
| 14 | Hot Rod's BBQ | |
| 15 | FINN'S FINEST BBQ | |
| 16 | JACKED UP BBQ | |
| 17 | LFQ | |
| 18 | DR. PEARL'S MEDICINAL SMOKE BBQ TEAM | |
| 19 | BABYLON GRILLBILLIES | |
| 20 | CAJUN JAX BBQ | |
| 21 | FIRE ANTS BBQ | |
| 22 | (ROLLER COASTER) BONEYARD SMOKER | |
| 23 | SHADY CREW | |
| 24 | TOP GUN BARBECUE | |
| 25 | TOM TOM BOB A QUE | |
| 26 | RIGHT ON CUE | |
| 27 | THE BASIC BBQ TEAM | |
| 28 | HERM'S HOGS | |
| 29 | BURNT SIDE DOWN | |
| 30 | WE RIB U LONG TIME | |
| 31 | JOE MAMA'S RIBS | |
| 32 | SMOKIN' TEX BBQ | |
| 33 | Bite Back BBQ | |
| 34 | BIG BELLY BEERBQUE | |
| 35 | SMOKE ASYLUM BBQ | |
| 36 | LOCAL SMOKE BBQ | |
| 37 | SOUTHJERSEYBBQ | |
| 38 | BBQ PIT KING | |
| 39 | DIG'N N PIG'N | |
| 40 | THE BEARDED ONE BBQ | |
| 41 | IT'S BUTTA BABY! BBQ |
Pork
41 entries · top 170.2972 · median 157.7028
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SHADY CREW | |
| 2 | QUE AND A HALF MEN | |
| 3 | BEERBEQUE | |
| 4 | ROCKIN ROBYNS BBQ | |
| 5 | REED BOYZ BBQ | |
| 6 | THE BASIC BBQ TEAM | |
| 7 | 3 EYZ BBQ | |
| 8 | SMOKIN' TEX BBQ | |
| 9 | JACKED UP BBQ | |
| 10 | SMOKOPOLIS BBQ | |
| 11 | THE BEARDED ONE BBQ | |
| 12 | LOCAL SMOKE BBQ | |
| 13 | SOUTHJERSEYBBQ | |
| 14 | UNCLE PIG'S BARBEQUE PIT | |
| 15 | DANTE'S INFERNO | |
| 16 | ACK-QUE | |
| 17 | Hot Rod's BBQ | |
| 18 | DR. PEARL'S MEDICINAL SMOKE BBQ TEAM | |
| 19 | LFQ | |
| 20 | FIRE ANTS BBQ | |
| 21 | CAJUN JAX BBQ | |
| 22 | BABYLON GRILLBILLIES | |
| 23 | BBQ PIT KING | |
| 24 | BRISKET BURNERS | |
| 25 | 5-ALARM BBQ | |
| 26 | SMOKE ASYLUM BBQ | |
| 27 | IT'S BUTTA BABY! BBQ | |
| 28 | BURNT SIDE DOWN | |
| 29 | TOP GUN BARBECUE | |
| 30 | BIG BELLY BEERBQUE | |
| 31 | JOE MAMA'S RIBS | |
| 32 | FINN'S FINEST BBQ | |
| 33 | WEEKEND SMOKERS | |
| 34 | WE RIB U LONG TIME | |
| 35 | CHICKEN CHOKERS | |
| 36 | RIGHT ON CUE | |
| 37 | (ROLLER COASTER) BONEYARD SMOKER | |
| 38 | HERM'S HOGS | |
| 39 | TOM TOM BOB A QUE | |
| 40 | Bite Back BBQ | |
| 41 | DIG'N N PIG'N |
Brisket
40 entries · top 174.2972 · median 153.1086
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 EYZ BBQ | |
| 2 | FIRE ANTS BBQ | |
| 3 | THE BASIC BBQ TEAM | |
| 4 | 5-ALARM BBQ | |
| 5 | BEERBEQUE | |
| 6 | QUE AND A HALF MEN | |
| 7 | SMOKIN' TEX BBQ | |
| 8 | SMOKOPOLIS BBQ | |
| 9 | ACK-QUE | |
| 10 | UNCLE PIG'S BARBEQUE PIT | |
| 11 | LOCAL SMOKE BBQ | |
| 12 | TOM TOM BOB A QUE | |
| 13 | BRISKET BURNERS | |
| 14 | SHADY CREW | |
| 15 | BIG BELLY BEERBQUE | |
| 16 | (ROLLER COASTER) BONEYARD SMOKER | |
| 17 | TOP GUN BARBECUE | |
| 18 | DR. PEARL'S MEDICINAL SMOKE BBQ TEAM | |
| 19 | CHICKEN CHOKERS | |
| 20 | ROCKIN ROBYNS BBQ | |
| 21 | DANTE'S INFERNO | |
| 22 | JOE MAMA'S RIBS | |
| 23 | WE RIB U LONG TIME | |
| 24 | HERM'S HOGS | |
| 25 | Hot Rod's BBQ | |
| 26 | BBQ PIT KING | |
| 27 | SMOKE ASYLUM BBQ | |
| 28 | SOUTHJERSEYBBQ | |
| 29 | REED BOYZ BBQ | |
| 30 | CAJUN JAX BBQ | |
| 31 | LFQ | |
| 32 | WEEKEND SMOKERS | |
| 33 | BABYLON GRILLBILLIES | |
| 34 | JACKED UP BBQ | |
| 35 | BURNT SIDE DOWN | |
| 36 | DIG'N N PIG'N | |
| 37 | RIGHT ON CUE | |
| 38 | THE BEARDED ONE BBQ | |
| 39 | Bite Back BBQ | |
| 40 | IT'S BUTTA BABY! 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.
Master Series — Chef Choice
21 entries · top 180 · median 168.0456 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CHICKEN CHOKERS | |
| 2 | BBQ PIT KING | |
| 3 | 3 EYZ BBQ | |
| 4 | SMOKE ASYLUM BBQ | |
| 5 | Hot Rod's BBQ | |
| 6 | WEEKEND SMOKERS | |
| 7 | HERM'S HOGS | |
| 8 | REED BOYZ BBQ | |
| 9 | LOCAL SMOKE BBQ | |
| 10 | DIG'N N PIG'N | |
| 11 | FIRE ANTS BBQ | |
| 12 | (ROLLER COASTER) BONEYARD SMOKER | |
| 13 | TOM TOM BOB A QUE | |
| 14 | DR. PEARL'S MEDICINAL SMOKE BBQ TEAM | |
| 15 | SHADY CREW | |
| 16 | SMOKIN' TEX BBQ | |
| 17 | BABYLON GRILLBILLIES | |
| 18 | LFQ | |
| 19 | WE RIB U LONG TIME | |
| 20 | THE BEARDED ONE BBQ | |
| 21 | SOUTHJERSEYBBQ |
Master Series — Dessert
17 entries · top 178.2972 · median 169.7144
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WE RIB U LONG TIME | |
| 2 | SHADY CREW | |
| 3 | REED BOYZ BBQ | |
| 4 | 3 EYZ BBQ | |
| 5 | HERM'S HOGS | |
| 6 | LOCAL SMOKE BBQ | |
| 7 | DANTE'S INFERNO | |
| 8 | BABYLON GRILLBILLIES | |
| 9 | SMOKIN' TEX BBQ | |
| 10 | SMOKE ASYLUM BBQ | |
| 11 | TOM TOM BOB A QUE | |
| 12 | CAJUN JAX BBQ | |
| 13 | CHICKEN CHOKERS | |
| 14 | WEEKEND SMOKERS | |
| 15 | Hot Rod's BBQ | |
| 16 | DR. PEARL'S MEDICINAL SMOKE BBQ TEAM | |
| 17 | SOUTHJERSEYBBQ |