Apr 17–18, 2026 · Las Vegas, NV · 📍 The Downtown Grand Hotel · State championship
Reps: Michael Santiago, Rhonda Santiago · Prize money: $8,150
Meat Candy Q won Grand Champion at The Downtown Grand Master BBQ Showdown on April 17, 2026 in Las Vegas, NV at The Downtown Grand Hotel, scoring 704.0112 in a field of 29 teams. SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 702.8344. Category winners: Chicken — Wild West BBQ (180.0000); Pork Ribs — B' MACKIN BBQ (177.7028); Pork — Meat Candy Q (177.1428); Brisket — LV Bucketlist BBQ (178.8572).
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.
Closer than 78% of the 4,714 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 1.1768 points — closer than 78% of every championship in the data.
Stronger than 93% of every rated contest
The field averaged a 1639 power rating going in — stronger than 93% of every contest tracked.
Pork Ribs places 7–8: LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ and PORTERHOUSE BBQ tied on 174.2744 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 1–2: Meat Candy Q and Fergolicious BBQ tied on 177.1428 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 6–7: West Coast BBQ Shop and SLINGIN MEATS tied on 174.8456 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
Meat Candy Q took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was chicken at 7th.
1 perfect 180 was scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 177.1428 | 171.4172 |
| Pork Ribs | 177.7028 | 175.4288 | 173.1200 |
| Pork | 177.1428 | 174.8572 | 172.5484 |
| Brisket | 178.8572 | 174.8456 | 171.9884 |
29 entries · top 704.0112 · median 682.7428
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 2 | SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ | |
| 3 | B' MACKIN BBQ | |
| 4 | LV Bucketlist BBQ | |
| 5 | MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ | |
| 6 | Fergolicious BBQ | |
| 7 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 8 | Tuffy's BBQ | |
| 9 | Bad Boyz BBQ | |
| 10 | Bad Bears BBQ | |
| 11 | SLINGIN MEATS | |
| 12 | Big Juicy BBQ | |
| 13 | West Coast BBQ Shop | |
| 14 | Big Johns BBQ Company | |
| 15 | BONE RUBBIN BBQ | |
| 16 | Wild West BBQ | |
| 17 | CYNICAL BBQ | |
| 18 | RACK CITY BBQ | |
| 19 | SinBin BBQ | |
| 20 | 1 Bite BBQ | |
| 21 | PORTERHOUSE BBQ | |
| 22 | LADY OF Q | |
| 23 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 24 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 25 | Vegas Grillbillies | |
| 26 | STEVE'S PIG PIKINS BBQ | |
| 27 | Bowling Bros BBQ | |
| 28 | Pappa Joe's Backyard BBQ | |
| 29 | INFINITE SMOKE BBQ |
29 entries · top 180 · median 170.8228 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wild West BBQ | |
| 2 | Tuffy's BBQ | |
| 3 | Bad Bears BBQ | |
| 4 | LV Bucketlist BBQ | |
| 5 | MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ | |
| 6 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 7 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 8 | SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ | |
| 9 | Big Johns BBQ Company | |
| 10 | SLINGIN MEATS | |
| 11 | B' MACKIN BBQ | |
| 12 | Big Juicy BBQ | |
| 13 | RACK CITY BBQ | |
| 14 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 15 | CYNICAL BBQ | |
| 16 | Fergolicious BBQ | |
| 17 | Bad Boyz BBQ | |
| 18 | LADY OF Q | |
| 19 | Pappa Joe's Backyard BBQ | |
| 20 | BONE RUBBIN BBQ | |
| 21 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 22 | West Coast BBQ Shop | |
| 23 | Vegas Grillbillies | |
| 24 | Bowling Bros BBQ | |
| 25 | 1 Bite BBQ | |
| 26 | PORTERHOUSE BBQ | |
| 27 | SinBin BBQ | |
| 28 | STEVE'S PIG PIKINS BBQ | |
| 29 | INFINITE SMOKE BBQ |
29 entries · top 177.7028 · median 170.2744
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | B' MACKIN BBQ | |
| 2 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 3 | Fergolicious BBQ | |
| 4 | Big Johns BBQ Company | |
| 5 | SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ | |
| 6 | CYNICAL BBQ | |
| 7 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 8 | PORTERHOUSE BBQ | |
| 9 | SinBin BBQ | |
| 10 | BONE RUBBIN BBQ | |
| 11 | 1 Bite BBQ | |
| 12 | Bad Boyz BBQ | |
| 13 | Bowling Bros BBQ | |
| 14 | West Coast BBQ Shop | |
| 15 | Big Juicy BBQ | |
| 16 | LADY OF Q | |
| 17 | Tuffy's BBQ | |
| 18 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 19 | SLINGIN MEATS | |
| 20 | LV Bucketlist BBQ | |
| 21 | RACK CITY BBQ | |
| 22 | MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ | |
| 23 | Wild West BBQ | |
| 24 | Pappa Joe's Backyard BBQ | |
| 25 | Bad Bears BBQ | |
| 26 | STEVE'S PIG PIKINS BBQ | |
| 27 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 28 | INFINITE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 29 | Vegas Grillbillies |
29 entries · top 177.1428 · median 170.8228
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 2 | Fergolicious BBQ | |
| 3 | MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ | |
| 4 | Tuffy's BBQ | |
| 5 | SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ | |
| 6 | West Coast BBQ Shop | |
| 7 | SLINGIN MEATS | |
| 8 | RACK CITY BBQ | |
| 9 | B' MACKIN BBQ | |
| 10 | SinBin BBQ | |
| 11 | Big Juicy BBQ | |
| 12 | LV Bucketlist BBQ | |
| 13 | Vegas Grillbillies | |
| 14 | CYNICAL BBQ | |
| 15 | BONE RUBBIN BBQ | |
| 16 | Bad Boyz BBQ | |
| 17 | Wild West BBQ | |
| 18 | 1 Bite BBQ | |
| 19 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 20 | Bad Bears BBQ | |
| 21 | LADY OF Q | |
| 22 | STEVE'S PIG PIKINS BBQ | |
| 23 | PORTERHOUSE BBQ | |
| 24 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 25 | Big Johns BBQ Company | |
| 26 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 27 | Bowling Bros BBQ | |
| 28 | INFINITE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 29 | Pappa Joe's Backyard BBQ |
29 entries · top 178.8572 · median 169.6800
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LV Bucketlist BBQ | |
| 2 | SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ | |
| 3 | B' MACKIN BBQ | |
| 4 | Bad Boyz BBQ | |
| 5 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 6 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 7 | Bad Bears BBQ | |
| 8 | MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ | |
| 9 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 10 | Big Juicy BBQ | |
| 11 | SLINGIN MEATS | |
| 12 | West Coast BBQ Shop | |
| 13 | BONE RUBBIN BBQ | |
| 14 | Fergolicious BBQ | |
| 15 | Big Johns BBQ Company | |
| 16 | SinBin BBQ | |
| 17 | Tuffy's BBQ | |
| 18 | 1 Bite BBQ | |
| 19 | RACK CITY BBQ | |
| 20 | Wild West BBQ | |
| 21 | CYNICAL BBQ | |
| 22 | PORTERHOUSE BBQ | |
| 23 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 24 | LADY OF Q | |
| 25 | STEVE'S PIG PIKINS BBQ | |
| 26 | Vegas Grillbillies | |
| 27 | Bowling Bros BBQ | |
| 28 | INFINITE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 29 | Pappa Joe's Backyard 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.
10 entries · top 180 · median 174.5600 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | RACK CITY BBQ | |
| 2 | STEVE'S PIG PIKINS BBQ | |
| 3 | SLINGIN MEATS | |
| 4 | Big Juicy BBQ | |
| 5 | LV Bucketlist BBQ | |
| 6 | INFINITE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 7 | PORTERHOUSE BBQ | |
| 8 | Wild West BBQ | |
| 9 | Pappa Joe's Backyard BBQ | |
| 10 | 1 Bite BBQ |
8 entries · top 179.4400 · median 173.7086
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Juicy BBQ | |
| 2 | SinBin BBQ | |
| 3 | RACK CITY BBQ | |
| 4 | SLINGIN MEATS | |
| 5 | INFINITE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 6 | Wild West BBQ | |
| 7 | LV Bucketlist BBQ | |
| 8 | Pappa Joe's Backyard BBQ |