Mar 27–28, 2026 · Lake Havasu City, AZ · 📍 165 Sunray Dr · State championship
Reps: Michael Santiago, Rhonda Santiago · Prize money: $8,000
Brinkerhoff BBQ won Grand Champion at the Q's & Brews Bighorn BBQ Competition on March 27, 2026 in Lake Havasu City, AZ at 165 Sunray Dr, scoring 707.9888 in a field of 33 teams. Small Axe BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 702.8116. Category winners: Chicken — LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ (180.0000); Pork Ribs — SinBin BBQ (178.8572); Pork — LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ (178.8572); Brisket — Small Axe BBQ (180.0000). This is the 1st of 2 editions of this contest on record; the next is scheduled for February 19, 2027.
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.
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 70 times in 100
Brinkerhoff BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, B' Mackin BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 30-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
Brinkerhoff BBQ won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 4 calls from 4 boards, best of them 3rd. Consistency beat fireworks.
4 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
Stronger than 92% of every rated contest
The field averaged a 1634 power rating going in — stronger than 92% of every contest tracked.
Chicken places 1–2: LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ and DRY 2 DA BONE tied on 180.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 4–5: SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ and SoCal Outlaw BBQ tied on 177.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 8–9: SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ and ONE PIT WONDER tied on 175.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ won Chicken, Pork — a double.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 27, 2026 ← this one | Lake Havasu City, AZ | 165 Sunray Dr | 33 | 707.9888 | Brinkerhoff BBQ | Small Axe BBQ |
| Feb 19, 2027 | Lake Havasu City, AZ | — | — | — | — | — |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 177.7028 | 174.8572 |
| Pork Ribs | 178.8572 | 176.5716 | 175.4172 |
| Pork | 178.8572 | 176.5716 | 173.1200 |
| Brisket | 180 | 175.4172 | 173.7028 |
33 entries · top 707.9888 · median 682.2288
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brinkerhoff BBQ | |
| 2 | Small Axe BBQ | |
| 3 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 4 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 5 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 6 | SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ | |
| 7 | MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ | |
| 8 | Big Johns BBQ Company | |
| 9 | Pork Bombin BBQ | |
| 10 | DRY 2 DA BONE | |
| 11 | SHIG NINJA BBQ | |
| 12 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 13 | SoCal Outlaw BBQ | |
| 14 | ONE PIT WONDER | |
| 15 | LADY OF Q | |
| 16 | SinBin BBQ | |
| 17 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 18 | Can Do BBQ | |
| 19 | Bad Boyz BBQ | |
| 20 | PORTERHOUSE BBQ | |
| 21 | B' MACKIN BBQ | |
| 22 | SLINGIN MEATS | |
| 23 | Ribbin-1-Out | |
| 24 | Smoke on the Water BBQ | |
| 25 | POPPA PIG AND PORKCHOP | |
| 26 | SMOKERS PURGATORY | |
| 27 | Tuffy's BBQ | |
| 28 | Bowling Bro's BBQ | |
| 29 | Vegas Grillbillies | |
| 30 | Smoke em Good | |
| 31 | B&E BBQ | |
| 32 | TCB-Takin Care of BBQ | |
| 33 | Smoke on the Waterfront |
33 entries · top 180 · median 171.9884 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 2 | DRY 2 DA BONE | |
| 3 | Brinkerhoff BBQ | |
| 4 | SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ | |
| 5 | SoCal Outlaw BBQ | |
| 6 | Big Johns BBQ Company | |
| 7 | Bad Boyz BBQ | |
| 8 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 9 | ONE PIT WONDER | |
| 10 | Pork Bombin BBQ | |
| 11 | Small Axe BBQ | |
| 12 | Tuffy's BBQ | |
| 13 | LADY OF Q | |
| 14 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 15 | SHIG NINJA BBQ | |
| 16 | SinBin BBQ | |
| 17 | Ribbin-1-Out | |
| 18 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 19 | Smoke on the Water BBQ | |
| 20 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 21 | MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ | |
| 22 | Bowling Bro's BBQ | |
| 23 | POPPA PIG AND PORKCHOP | |
| 24 | Vegas Grillbillies | |
| 25 | B&E BBQ | |
| 26 | B' MACKIN BBQ | |
| 27 | Smoke em Good | |
| 28 | Can Do BBQ | |
| 29 | PORTERHOUSE BBQ | |
| 30 | SLINGIN MEATS | |
| 31 | SMOKERS PURGATORY | |
| 32 | TCB-Takin Care of BBQ | |
| 33 | Smoke on the Waterfront |
33 entries · top 178.8572 · median 171.4172
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SinBin BBQ | |
| 2 | MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ | |
| 3 | Brinkerhoff BBQ | |
| 4 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 5 | Small Axe BBQ | |
| 6 | Pork Bombin BBQ | |
| 7 | ONE PIT WONDER | |
| 8 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 9 | PORTERHOUSE BBQ | |
| 10 | SLINGIN MEATS | |
| 11 | Bad Boyz BBQ | |
| 12 | POPPA PIG AND PORKCHOP | |
| 13 | DRY 2 DA BONE | |
| 14 | Big Johns BBQ Company | |
| 15 | B' MACKIN BBQ | |
| 16 | SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ | |
| 17 | Tuffy's BBQ | |
| 18 | SoCal Outlaw BBQ | |
| 19 | Can Do BBQ | |
| 20 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 21 | SMOKERS PURGATORY | |
| 22 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 23 | Bowling Bro's BBQ | |
| 24 | SHIG NINJA BBQ | |
| 25 | Ribbin-1-Out | |
| 26 | LADY OF Q | |
| 27 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 28 | TCB-Takin Care of BBQ | |
| 29 | B&E BBQ | |
| 30 | Vegas Grillbillies | |
| 31 | Smoke em Good | |
| 32 | Smoke on the Water BBQ | |
| 33 | Smoke on the Waterfront |
33 entries · top 178.8572 · median 171.9772
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 2 | MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ | |
| 3 | Can Do BBQ | |
| 4 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 5 | Brinkerhoff BBQ | |
| 6 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 7 | SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ | |
| 8 | DRY 2 DA BONE | |
| 9 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 10 | Smoke on the Water BBQ | |
| 11 | Big Johns BBQ Company | |
| 12 | ONE PIT WONDER | |
| 13 | Ribbin-1-Out | |
| 14 | Bad Boyz BBQ | |
| 15 | Small Axe BBQ | |
| 16 | LADY OF Q | |
| 17 | SHIG NINJA BBQ | |
| 18 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 19 | SMOKERS PURGATORY | |
| 20 | PORTERHOUSE BBQ | |
| 21 | B' MACKIN BBQ | |
| 22 | SoCal Outlaw BBQ | |
| 23 | SinBin BBQ | |
| 24 | Pork Bombin BBQ | |
| 25 | SLINGIN MEATS | |
| 26 | Smoke em Good | |
| 27 | B&E BBQ | |
| 28 | Vegas Grillbillies | |
| 29 | Tuffy's BBQ | |
| 30 | POPPA PIG AND PORKCHOP | |
| 31 | TCB-Takin Care of BBQ | |
| 32 | Bowling Bro's BBQ | |
| 33 | Smoke on the Waterfront |
33 entries · top 180 · median 170.8456 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Small Axe BBQ | |
| 2 | SHIG NINJA BBQ | |
| 3 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 4 | LADY OF Q | |
| 5 | SLINGIN MEATS | |
| 6 | Pork Bombin BBQ | |
| 7 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 8 | Big Johns BBQ Company | |
| 9 | Brinkerhoff BBQ | |
| 10 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 11 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 12 | SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ | |
| 13 | Smoke on the Water BBQ | |
| 14 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 15 | PORTERHOUSE BBQ | |
| 16 | POPPA PIG AND PORKCHOP | |
| 17 | B' MACKIN BBQ | |
| 18 | SoCal Outlaw BBQ | |
| 19 | MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ | |
| 20 | Can Do BBQ | |
| 21 | SMOKERS PURGATORY | |
| 22 | Ribbin-1-Out | |
| 23 | SinBin BBQ | |
| 24 | DRY 2 DA BONE | |
| 25 | Bowling Bro's BBQ | |
| 26 | Vegas Grillbillies | |
| 27 | ONE PIT WONDER | |
| 28 | Tuffy's BBQ | |
| 29 | Bad Boyz BBQ | |
| 30 | Smoke em Good | |
| 31 | B&E BBQ | |
| 32 | Smoke on the Waterfront | |
| 33 | TCB-Takin Care of BBQ |
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.
5 entries · top 176.5944 · median 174.8572
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 2 | Bowling Bro's BBQ | |
| 3 | POPPA PIG AND PORKCHOP | |
| 4 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 5 | SinBin BBQ |