Apr 17–18, 2026 · Lake City, FL · 📍 828 NE Lake Desoto Circle · State championship
Reps: Rachel Harper, Wayne Harper · Prize money: $10,000
ACCUTECH BBQ won Grand Champion at The Downtown BBQ Showdown on April 17, 2026 in Lake City, FL at 828 NE Lake Desoto Circle, scoring 706.8344 in a field of 41 teams. Kings BBQ Team took Reserve Grand Champion with 705.7144. Category winners: Chicken — Mad Dog BBQ (178.8572); Pork Ribs — ACCUTECH BBQ (180.0000); Pork — Kings BBQ Team (180.0000); Brisket — Paca Crew BBQ (177.7144). This is the 3rd of 4 editions of this contest on record; the 2024 edition was won by Gettin' Basted; the next was held in 2026.
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, 2023 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 83% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 1.1200 points — closer than 83% of every championship in the data.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 76 times in 100
Accutech BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, Kings BBQ Team, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 24-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
Chicken places 1–2: Mad Dog BBQ and Puck Brothers tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 3–4: Pop's Smoke on the Hill and KEEPIN IT SMOKIN BBQ tied on 177.7144 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 5–6: MAYA JANE BBQ CO. and SMOKIN' SWEETMEATS tied on 177.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
ACCUTECH BBQ took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was chicken at 23rd.
ACCUTECH BBQ turned in 180.0000 in pork ribs — past the 178.8572 that had stood across 2 earlier editions.
This contest usually draws about 29 teams
41 teams is the deepest field this contest has drawn in the data, against a typical 29.
2 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 14, 2023 | Lake City, FL | 828 NE Lake Desoto Circle | 32 | 701.6804 | COCAMOKE SMOKE BBQ LLC | Cooters N Smoke |
| Nov 8, 2024 | Lake City, FL | 200 NE Hillsboro St | 26 | 709.1200 | Gettin' Basted | Mad Dog BBQ |
| Apr 17, 2026 ← this one | Lake City, FL | 828 NE Lake Desoto Circle | 41 | 706.8344 | Accutech BBQ | Kings BBQ Team |
| Apr 17, 2026 | Lake City, FL | 828 NE Lake Desoto Circle | 21 | 177.7144 | Hold Your Horses BBQ | — |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.8572 | 177.7028 | 175.4400 |
| Pork Ribs | 180 | 176.5600 | 174.8688 |
| Pork | 180 | 176.5600 | 175.4288 |
| Brisket | 177.7144 | 176.5944 | 173.1200 |
41 entries · top 706.8344 · median 688.4800
41 entries · top 178.8572 · median 174.2744
41 entries · top 180 · median 170.8228 · 🔥 perfect 180
41 entries · top 180 · median 171.9772 · 🔥 perfect 180
41 entries · top 177.7144 · median 169.6800
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.
20 entries · top 180 · median 174.3086 · 🔥 perfect 180