A new contest record
705.1200
highest overall ever cooked here
705.1200 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 699.4400 Meat Candy Q set in 2025.
- old record 699.4400
- set 2025 by Meat Candy Q
Dinuba's BBQ & Brew Fest 2026
Mar 20–21, 2026 · Dinuba, CA · 📍 Rose Ann Vuich Park · State championship
Reps: Ian Schmidt, Julie Poe · Prize money: $15,000
CYNICAL BBQ won Grand Champion at the Dinuba's BBQ & Brew Fest on March 20, 2026 in Dinuba, CA at Rose Ann Vuich Park, scoring 705.1200 in a field of 27 teams. Big Cat BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 696.5144. Category winners: Chicken — BULL MARKET BBQ (180.0000); Pork Ribs — Big Cat BBQ (180.0000); Pork — CYNICAL BBQ (180.0000); Brisket — BULL MARKET BBQ (177.7028). This is the 3rd of 5 editions of this contest on record; the 2025 edition was won by Meat Candy Q; the next is scheduled for April 2, 2027.
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.
585.62
median 679.89
705.12 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 180 🔥
- Pork Ribs 180 🔥
- Pork 180 🔥
- Brisket 177.70
133.65
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2024 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Entries
27
4 judged meats · 1 ancillary
Top score
705.1200
Winning margin
8.6056
GC over RC
Field average
671.35
585.62705.12
median 679.89 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Chicken
2.8572 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
686.2400
585.62705.12
10th place overall
Field spread
119.4972
winner to last place
Prize money
$15,000
on the line
Double threats
5
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 14%
beats 86% of 4714 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
58%
15 of 26 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.74 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,573
avg power rating going in · stronger than 58% of contests
Storylines (7 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.
A day of perfect scores
3
perfect 180s
3 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- BULL MARKET BBQ · Chicken
- CYNICAL BBQ · Pork
- Big Cat BBQ · Pork Ribs
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 12 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 8–9: SMOKIN' BLISS BBQ and Bad Bears BBQ tied on 175.4056 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 2–3: AJ’S SMOKEHOUSE BBQ and CYNICAL BBQ tied on 175.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 5–6: BAR-B-CUDA BBQ and BONE RUBBIN BBQ tied on 174.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 8–9 · tie
- Pork Ribs 2–3 · tie
- Pork Ribs 5–6 · tie
- Brisket 8–9 · tie
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
BULL MARKET BBQ won Chicken, Brisket — a double.
- Chicken 1st
- Brisket 1st
How the title was won
3 of 4
meats called to the stage
CYNICAL BBQ took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was chicken at 12th.
- Chicken 12th
- Pork Ribs 3rd
- Pork 1st
- Brisket 3rd
A contest record in pork ribs
180.0000
best pork ribs ever cooked here
Big Cat BBQ turned in 180.0000 in pork ribs — past the 179.4400 that had stood across 2 earlier editions.
- old best 179.4400
- across 2 past editions
Back to defend
1
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Meat Candy Q (won 2025).
- Meat Candy Q · 2025
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 15, 2024 | Dinuba, CA | 855 E El Monte Way | 27 | 698.2744 | Old Town Franklin BBQ | Bad Bears BBQ |
| Mar 14, 2025 | Dinuba, CA | 855 E El Monte Way | 26 | 699.4400 | Meat Candy Q | Big Boys BBQ |
| Mar 20, 2026 ← this one | Dinuba, CA | Rose Ann Vuich Park | 27 | 705.1200 | Cynical BBQ | Big Cat BBQ |
| Apr 2, 2027 | Dinuba, CA | — | — | — | — | — |
| Apr 2, 2027 | Dinuba, CA | — | — | — | — | — |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 177.1428 | 174.8456 |
| Pork Ribs | 180 | 174.2628 | 170.8112 |
| Pork | 180 | 174.2744 | 172 |
| Brisket | 177.7028 | 173.1084 | 168.5372 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
27 entries · top 705.1200 · median 679.8856
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CYNICAL BBQ | |
| 2 | Big Cat BBQ | |
| 3 | BULL MARKET BBQ | |
| 4 | OM BBQ COMPANY | |
| 5 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 6 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 7 | Chompa Q | |
| 8 | SMOKIN' AXE BBQ | |
| 9 | Bad Bears BBQ | |
| 10 | Small Axe BBQ | |
| 11 | SMOKIN' BLISS BBQ | |
| 12 | Pops BBQ 22 | |
| 13 | MYA&DJ'S BBQ | |
| 14 | BAR-B-CUDA BBQ | |
| 15 | Rio Good BBQ | |
| 16 | COACHES PIT BBQ | |
| 17 | KO BBQ | |
| 18 | AJ’S SMOKEHOUSE BBQ | |
| 19 | BONE RUBBIN BBQ | |
| 20 | RBQ | |
| 21 | SLO DOG Q | |
| 22 | Smokin Colt | |
| 23 | Jackson's BBQ | |
| 24 | Sequoia Smoke | |
| 25 | Solid Smoke | |
| 26 | Sweets N Meats | |
| 27 | Backyard Legend |
Chicken
27 entries · top 180 · median 173.1084 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BULL MARKET BBQ | |
| 2 | KO BBQ | |
| 3 | COACHES PIT BBQ | |
| 4 | OM BBQ COMPANY | |
| 5 | Small Axe BBQ | |
| 6 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 7 | Rio Good BBQ | |
| 8 | SMOKIN' BLISS BBQ | |
| 9 | Bad Bears BBQ | |
| 10 | SMOKIN' AXE BBQ | |
| 11 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 12 | CYNICAL BBQ | |
| 13 | Chompa Q | |
| 14 | Big Cat BBQ | |
| 15 | Pops BBQ 22 | |
| 16 | MYA&DJ'S BBQ | |
| 17 | AJ’S SMOKEHOUSE BBQ | |
| 18 | BAR-B-CUDA BBQ | |
| 19 | SLO DOG Q | |
| 20 | Jackson's BBQ | |
| 21 | RBQ | |
| 22 | Sequoia Smoke | |
| 23 | BONE RUBBIN BBQ | |
| 24 | Solid Smoke | |
| 25 | Backyard Legend | |
| 26 | Smokin Colt | |
| 27 | Sweets N Meats |
Pork Ribs
27 entries · top 180 · median 169.1084 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Cat BBQ | |
| 2 | AJ’S SMOKEHOUSE BBQ | |
| 3 | CYNICAL BBQ | |
| 4 | SMOKIN' AXE BBQ | |
| 5 | BAR-B-CUDA BBQ | |
| 6 | BONE RUBBIN BBQ | |
| 7 | Smokin Colt | |
| 8 | OM BBQ COMPANY | |
| 9 | MYA&DJ'S BBQ | |
| 10 | Bad Bears BBQ | |
| 11 | SMOKIN' BLISS BBQ | |
| 12 | SLO DOG Q | |
| 13 | Rio Good BBQ | |
| 14 | Chompa Q | |
| 15 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 16 | Pops BBQ 22 | |
| 17 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 18 | COACHES PIT BBQ | |
| 19 | RBQ | |
| 20 | BULL MARKET BBQ | |
| 21 | Small Axe BBQ | |
| 22 | KO BBQ | |
| 23 | Sequoia Smoke | |
| 24 | Jackson's BBQ | |
| 25 | Sweets N Meats | |
| 26 | Solid Smoke | |
| 27 | Backyard Legend |
Pork
27 entries · top 180 · median 170.2856 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CYNICAL BBQ | |
| 2 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 3 | SMOKIN' BLISS BBQ | |
| 4 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 5 | Chompa Q | |
| 6 | OM BBQ COMPANY | |
| 7 | BAR-B-CUDA BBQ | |
| 8 | BULL MARKET BBQ | |
| 9 | Big Cat BBQ | |
| 10 | Bad Bears BBQ | |
| 11 | MYA&DJ'S BBQ | |
| 12 | COACHES PIT BBQ | |
| 13 | Jackson's BBQ | |
| 14 | Pops BBQ 22 | |
| 15 | KO BBQ | |
| 16 | BONE RUBBIN BBQ | |
| 17 | AJ’S SMOKEHOUSE BBQ | |
| 18 | Small Axe BBQ | |
| 19 | Solid Smoke | |
| 20 | Rio Good BBQ | |
| 21 | SLO DOG Q | |
| 22 | SMOKIN' AXE BBQ | |
| 23 | Sequoia Smoke | |
| 24 | RBQ | |
| 25 | Smokin Colt | |
| 26 | Backyard Legend | |
| 27 | Sweets N Meats |
Brisket
27 entries · top 177.7028 · median 166.2400
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BULL MARKET BBQ | |
| 2 | Small Axe BBQ | |
| 3 | CYNICAL BBQ | |
| 4 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 5 | OM BBQ COMPANY | |
| 6 | Pops BBQ 22 | |
| 7 | Big Cat BBQ | |
| 8 | SMOKIN' AXE BBQ | |
| 9 | Chompa Q | |
| 10 | Bad Bears BBQ | |
| 11 | RBQ | |
| 12 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 13 | BONE RUBBIN BBQ | |
| 14 | MYA&DJ'S BBQ | |
| 15 | Rio Good BBQ | |
| 16 | KO BBQ | |
| 17 | SMOKIN' BLISS BBQ | |
| 18 | Smokin Colt | |
| 19 | BAR-B-CUDA BBQ | |
| 20 | COACHES PIT BBQ | |
| 21 | AJ’S SMOKEHOUSE BBQ | |
| 22 | SLO DOG Q | |
| 23 | Solid Smoke | |
| 24 | Sequoia Smoke | |
| 25 | Sweets N Meats | |
| 26 | Jackson's BBQ | |
| 27 | Backyard Legend |
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.
Ancillary — Dessert
8 entries · top 180 · median 173.1200 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wild Cravings | |
| 2 | BAR-B-CUDA BBQ | |
| 3 | CYNICAL BBQ | |
| 4 | OM BBQ COMPANY | |
| 5 | Pops BBQ 22 | |
| 6 | Backyard Legend | |
| 7 | MYA&DJ'S BBQ | |
| 8 | AJ’S SMOKEHOUSE BBQ |