Mar 6–7, 2026 · Play Jaco, Costa Rica · COSTA RICA · 📍 Calle Ancha
Reps: Ernesto Uribe, Natasha Loew
Justice BBQ won Grand Champion at the Jaco Beach BBQ Challenge on March 6, 2026 in Play Jaco, 61101 at Calle Ancha, scoring 700.0456 in a field of 16 teams. GETTIN' BASTED took Reserve Grand Champion with 698.8684. Category winners: Chicken — Los Maes BBQ Team Costa Rica (176.5600); Pork Ribs — Smoke 44 (177.1544); Pork — Justice BBQ (180.0000); Brisket — Tico BBQ Club (178.8572). This is the 3rd of 3 editions of this contest on record; the 2025 edition was won by Justice 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, 2025 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 78% of the 4,714 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 1.1772 points — closer than 78% of every championship in the data.
700.0456 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 178.2972 Heifers, Butts & Clucks set in 2025.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 86 times in 100
Justice BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, GETTIN' BASTED, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 14-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
Justice BBQ won here last time out too — 2 straight editions of this contest.
2 of 3 tracked editions
Justice BBQ has won this contest 2 times across its 3 tracked editions.
Chicken places 1–2: Los Maes BBQ Team Costa Rica and HUMO Parrillada tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 8–9: Tiquicia Smokers BBQ and Bros & Fire PTY tied on 170.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 7–8: Too Sauced Guys Bar-B-Que edged 88 BBQ by 0.0112.
Justice BBQ took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was chicken at 5th.
Smoke 44 turned in 177.1544 in pork ribs — past the 175.4400 that had stood across 2 earlier editions.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Justice BBQ (won 2025).
This contest usually draws about 12 teams
16 teams is the deepest field this contest has drawn in the data, against a typical 12.
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 | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2025 | Play Jaco | Calle Ancha | 12 | 178.2972 | Heifers, Butts & Clucks | — |
| Jan 24, 2025 | Play Jaco | Calle Ancha | 12 | 175.4400 | Justice BBQ | — |
| Mar 6, 2026 ← this one | Play Jaco | Calle Ancha | 16 | 700.0456 | Justice BBQ | GETTIN' BASTED |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 176.5600 | 171.4628 | 169.1544 |
| Pork Ribs | 177.1544 | 174.8800 | 172.0116 |
| Pork | 180 | 171.4056 | 168.5600 |
| Brisket | 178.8572 | 173.7028 | 159.4284 |
16 entries · top 700.0456 · median 676.6058
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Justice BBQ | |
| 2 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 3 | Too Sauced Guys Bar-B-Que | |
| 4 | Los Maes BBQ Team Costa Rica | |
| 5 | Firehouse Jimat BBQ | |
| 6 | Pura Vida BBQ | |
| 7 | Smoke 44 | |
| 8 | Bros & Fire PTY | |
| 9 | Tico BBQ Club | |
| 10 | Club Carbon CR | |
| 11 | 88 BBQ | |
| 12 | HUMO Parrillada | |
| 13 | DrumQ BBQ Costa Rica | |
| 14 | Tiquicia Smokers BBQ | |
| 15 | Valhalla Smokers | |
| 16 | Mr. G |
16 entries · top 176.5600 · median 170.2628
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Maes BBQ Team Costa Rica | |
| 2 | HUMO Parrillada | |
| 3 | Club Carbon CR | |
| 4 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 5 | Justice BBQ | |
| 6 | 88 BBQ | |
| 7 | Firehouse Jimat BBQ | |
| 8 | Tiquicia Smokers BBQ | |
| 9 | Bros & Fire PTY | |
| 10 | Smoke 44 | |
| 11 | Mr. G | |
| 12 | Too Sauced Guys Bar-B-Que | |
| 13 | Tico BBQ Club | |
| 14 | Valhalla Smokers | |
| 15 | DrumQ BBQ Costa Rica | |
| 16 | Pura Vida BBQ |
16 entries · top 177.1544 · median 172.8744
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smoke 44 | |
| 2 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 3 | Pura Vida BBQ | |
| 4 | DrumQ BBQ Costa Rica | |
| 5 | Justice BBQ | |
| 6 | Firehouse Jimat BBQ | |
| 7 | Too Sauced Guys Bar-B-Que | |
| 8 | 88 BBQ | |
| 9 | Los Maes BBQ Team Costa Rica | |
| 10 | Valhalla Smokers | |
| 11 | Bros & Fire PTY | |
| 12 | Tiquicia Smokers BBQ | |
| 13 | Club Carbon CR | |
| 14 | Tico BBQ Club | |
| 15 | HUMO Parrillada | |
| 16 | Mr. G |
16 entries · top 180 · median 169.4342 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Justice BBQ | |
| 2 | Bros & Fire PTY | |
| 3 | Los Maes BBQ Team Costa Rica | |
| 4 | HUMO Parrillada | |
| 5 | Club Carbon CR | |
| 6 | Too Sauced Guys Bar-B-Que | |
| 7 | Pura Vida BBQ | |
| 8 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 9 | Firehouse Jimat BBQ | |
| 10 | 88 BBQ | |
| 11 | Tico BBQ Club | |
| 12 | Mr. G | |
| 13 | Tiquicia Smokers BBQ | |
| 14 | Valhalla Smokers | |
| 15 | DrumQ BBQ Costa Rica | |
| 16 | Smoke 44 |
16 entries · top 178.8572 · median 162.2914
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tico BBQ Club | |
| 2 | Too Sauced Guys Bar-B-Que | |
| 3 | GETTIN' BASTED | |
| 4 | Pura Vida BBQ | |
| 5 | Justice BBQ | |
| 6 | Smoke 44 | |
| 7 | Firehouse Jimat BBQ | |
| 8 | Bros & Fire PTY | |
| 9 | Club Carbon CR | |
| 10 | Los Maes BBQ Team Costa Rica | |
| 11 | DrumQ BBQ Costa Rica | |
| 12 | HUMO Parrillada | |
| 13 | Tiquicia Smokers BBQ | |
| 14 | 88 BBQ | |
| 15 | Mr. G | |
| 16 | Valhalla Smokers |