2016-06-24 – 2016-06-25 · Belvidere, IL · 📍 Belvidere, IL
Grand Champion: THE SMOKE HUNTERS (697.1200) · 33 teams
Reserve Champion: 🥈 IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ
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, 2016 to 2021 — 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 81% of the 4,742 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 1.1428 points — closer than 81% of every championship in the data.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 82 times in 100
THE SMOKE HUNTERS came in rated below the field's top team, IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 18-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
Brisket places 6–7: THE SMOKE HUNTERS and OINK MASTER tied on 169.6800 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 3–4: BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. edged THE SMOKE HUNTERS by 0.0116. Pork Ribs places 2–3: NUTTHIN BUT PORK edged IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ by 0.0228.
IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ won Pork, Brisket — a double.
THE SMOKE HUNTERS took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was brisket at 6th.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-06-24 ← this one | Belvidere, IL | Belvidere, IL | 33 | 697.1200 | THE SMOKE HUNTERS | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ |
| 2017-06-23 | Belvidere, IL | Boon County Fairgrounds | 42 | 694.2400 | THUNDER HOG BBQ | ONE2BBQ |
| 2021-06-25 | Belvidere, IL | Boone County Fairgrounds | 49 | 692.0000 | 4 Legs Up BBQ | THE BBQ BUS |
| 2021-06-26 | Belvidere, IL | Boone County Fairgrounds | 43 | 687.9200 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.2972 | 173.7028 | 169.1312 |
| Pork Ribs | 178.8572 | 170.2744 | 167.9656 |
| Pork | 175.4172 | 172.5716 | 169.1200 |
| Brisket | 177.7028 | 170.2972 | 166.2628 |
33 entries · top 697.1200 · median 649.6800
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | THE SMOKE HUNTERS | |
| 2 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | |
| 3 | BIG "E" BBQ | |
| 4 | JH OLD SCHOOL | |
| 5 | QUAU | |
| 6 | Risky Brisket | |
| 7 | DISRUPTIVE Q | |
| 8 | TRUCKY'S TRUE BLU BBQ'UE | |
| 9 | THE BBQ SHERPAS | |
| 10 | CAPTAIN RON'S BREW-N-QUE | |
| 11 | BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. | |
| 12 | ACE OF DIAMONDS BBQ | |
| 13 | DESIGNATED SMOKIN' AREA | |
| 14 | ALL IN QUE | |
| 15 | SMOKY LINCS | |
| 16 | MUD'S BBQ | |
| 17 | T-BAUM BBQ | |
| 18 | WE WILL ROCK QUE | |
| 19 | VALET PORKING | |
| 20 | NUTTHIN BUT PORK | |
| 21 | D.F.G.'S BBQ | |
| 22 | AXE-MEN BBQ | |
| 23 | MONSTERS OF THE RIBWAY | |
| 24 | SMOK'N BOOTY BBQ | |
| 25 | OINK MASTER | |
| 26 | Bucks BBQ | |
| 27 | LOG JAMMIN' BBQ | |
| 28 | PORKIN' AIN'T EASY | |
| 29 | 4 SMOKING PIGS | |
| 30 | Old School 'Que | |
| 31 | BBQ IN-LAWS | |
| 32 | JJ QUE | |
| 33 | SMOKE 'EM IF YOU GOT 'EM |
33 entries · top 178.2972 · median 165.6800
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BIG "E" BBQ | |
| 2 | ACE OF DIAMONDS BBQ | |
| 3 | THE SMOKE HUNTERS | |
| 4 | D.F.G.'S BBQ | |
| 5 | THE BBQ SHERPAS | |
| 6 | DESIGNATED SMOKIN' AREA | |
| 7 | TRUCKY'S TRUE BLU BBQ'UE | |
| 8 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | |
| 9 | JH OLD SCHOOL | |
| 10 | SMOK'N BOOTY BBQ | |
| 11 | WE WILL ROCK QUE | |
| 12 | AXE-MEN BBQ | |
| 13 | MUD'S BBQ | |
| 14 | QUAU | |
| 15 | CAPTAIN RON'S BREW-N-QUE | |
| 16 | Old School 'Que | |
| 17 | MONSTERS OF THE RIBWAY | |
| 18 | T-BAUM BBQ | |
| 19 | NUTTHIN BUT PORK | |
| 20 | DISRUPTIVE Q | |
| 21 | SMOKY LINCS | |
| 22 | Bucks BBQ | |
| 23 | ALL IN QUE | |
| 24 | BBQ IN-LAWS | |
| 25 | Risky Brisket | |
| 26 | VALET PORKING | |
| 27 | PORKIN' AIN'T EASY | |
| 28 | BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. | |
| 29 | LOG JAMMIN' BBQ | |
| 30 | 4 SMOKING PIGS | |
| 31 | JJ QUE | |
| 32 | OINK MASTER | |
| 33 | SMOKE 'EM IF YOU GOT 'EM |
33 entries · top 178.8572 · median 161.6456
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | THE SMOKE HUNTERS | |
| 2 | NUTTHIN BUT PORK | |
| 3 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | |
| 4 | SMOKY LINCS | |
| 5 | JH OLD SCHOOL | |
| 6 | BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. | |
| 7 | TRUCKY'S TRUE BLU BBQ'UE | |
| 8 | Risky Brisket | |
| 9 | BIG "E" BBQ | |
| 10 | SMOK'N BOOTY BBQ | |
| 11 | QUAU | |
| 12 | LOG JAMMIN' BBQ | |
| 13 | AXE-MEN BBQ | |
| 14 | THE BBQ SHERPAS | |
| 15 | DISRUPTIVE Q | |
| 16 | DESIGNATED SMOKIN' AREA | |
| 17 | VALET PORKING | |
| 18 | WE WILL ROCK QUE | |
| 19 | CAPTAIN RON'S BREW-N-QUE | |
| 20 | JJ QUE | |
| 21 | T-BAUM BBQ | |
| 22 | BBQ IN-LAWS | |
| 23 | MUD'S BBQ | |
| 24 | ALL IN QUE | |
| 25 | PORKIN' AIN'T EASY | |
| 26 | Old School 'Que | |
| 27 | Bucks BBQ | |
| 28 | OINK MASTER | |
| 29 | ACE OF DIAMONDS BBQ | |
| 30 | SMOKE 'EM IF YOU GOT 'EM | |
| 31 | MONSTERS OF THE RIBWAY | |
| 32 | D.F.G.'S BBQ | |
| 33 | 4 SMOKING PIGS |
33 entries · top 175.4172 · median 162.8112
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | |
| 2 | QUAU | |
| 3 | BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. | |
| 4 | THE SMOKE HUNTERS | |
| 5 | ACE OF DIAMONDS BBQ | |
| 6 | CAPTAIN RON'S BREW-N-QUE | |
| 7 | MONSTERS OF THE RIBWAY | |
| 8 | JH OLD SCHOOL | |
| 9 | BIG "E" BBQ | |
| 10 | WE WILL ROCK QUE | |
| 11 | DISRUPTIVE Q | |
| 12 | D.F.G.'S BBQ | |
| 13 | ALL IN QUE | |
| 14 | MUD'S BBQ | |
| 15 | THE BBQ SHERPAS | |
| 16 | NUTTHIN BUT PORK | |
| 17 | TRUCKY'S TRUE BLU BBQ'UE | |
| 18 | T-BAUM BBQ | |
| 19 | Risky Brisket | |
| 20 | SMOKY LINCS | |
| 21 | 4 SMOKING PIGS | |
| 22 | BBQ IN-LAWS | |
| 23 | VALET PORKING | |
| 24 | SMOKE 'EM IF YOU GOT 'EM | |
| 25 | DESIGNATED SMOKIN' AREA | |
| 26 | PORKIN' AIN'T EASY | |
| 27 | AXE-MEN BBQ | |
| 28 | Old School 'Que | |
| 29 | JJ QUE | |
| 30 | OINK MASTER | |
| 31 | LOG JAMMIN' BBQ | |
| 32 | Bucks BBQ | |
| 33 | SMOK'N BOOTY BBQ |
33 entries · top 177.7028 · median 159.3940
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | |
| 2 | Risky Brisket | |
| 3 | BIG "E" BBQ | |
| 4 | ALL IN QUE | |
| 5 | DISRUPTIVE Q | |
| 6 | THE SMOKE HUNTERS | |
| 7 | OINK MASTER | |
| 8 | T-BAUM BBQ | |
| 9 | QUAU | |
| 10 | JH OLD SCHOOL | |
| 11 | MUD'S BBQ | |
| 12 | CAPTAIN RON'S BREW-N-QUE | |
| 13 | DESIGNATED SMOKIN' AREA | |
| 14 | VALET PORKING | |
| 15 | SMOK'N BOOTY BBQ | |
| 16 | TRUCKY'S TRUE BLU BBQ'UE | |
| 17 | Bucks BBQ | |
| 18 | ACE OF DIAMONDS BBQ | |
| 19 | THE BBQ SHERPAS | |
| 20 | MONSTERS OF THE RIBWAY | |
| 21 | SMOKY LINCS | |
| 22 | BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. | |
| 23 | D.F.G.'S BBQ | |
| 24 | AXE-MEN BBQ | |
| 25 | WE WILL ROCK QUE | |
| 26 | PORKIN' AIN'T EASY | |
| 27 | 4 SMOKING PIGS | |
| 28 | LOG JAMMIN' BBQ | |
| 29 | NUTTHIN BUT PORK | |
| 30 | Old School 'Que | |
| 31 | JJ QUE | |
| 32 | SMOKE 'EM IF YOU GOT 'EM | |
| 33 | BBQ IN-LAWS |
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.
17 entries · top 158.9488 · median 144.0572
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | THE SMOKE HUNTERS | |
| 2 | PORKIN' AIN'T EASY | |
| 3 | HOLY SMOKE | |
| 4 | Risky Brisket | |
| 5 | JH OLD SCHOOL | |
| 6 | AXE-MEN BBQ | |
| 7 | The Miller Smokers | |
| 8 | BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. | |
| 9 | Old School 'Que | |
| 10 | 4 SMOKING PIGS | |
| 11 | ACE OF DIAMONDS BBQ | |
| 12 | Mighty TastyBurgers | |
| 13 | TEAM APPLE SMOKE | |
| 14 | THE BBQ SHERPAS | |
| 15 | JJ QUE | |
| 16 | Beefie Boys | |
| 17 | SMOKE 'EM IF YOU GOT 'EM |