Apr 24–25, 2026 · Marietta, OH · 📍 Washington County Fairgrounds · State championship
Reps: Becky Druetzler, Dave Druetzler · Prize money: $3,300
BEER TIME BBQ won Grand Champion at the Marietta River City BBQ (OPEN FORMAT) on April 24, 2026 in Marietta, OH at Washington County Fairgrounds, scoring 696.5716 in a field of 15 teams. Freedom Meat Repeat took Reserve Grand Champion with 695.4288. Category winners: Chicken — BEER TIME BBQ (175.4288); Pork Ribs — Freedom Meat Repeat (173.7144); Pork — Buckeye Blue Smoke BBQ (177.7372); Brisket — Freedom Meat Repeat (175.4400). The Backyard Series standings were won by BBQ MIKE with 679.3600. This is the 13th of 14 editions of this contest on record; the 2025 edition was won by Sailor Nicks BBQ; 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, 2015 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 81% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 1.1428 points — closer than 81% of every championship in the data.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 74 times in 100
BEER TIME BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, POOR BOYS BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 26-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
2 of 14 tracked editions
SLIPPERY PETE'S BBQ has won this contest 2 times across its 14 tracked editions.
Master Series — Chicken places 5–6: Dino-Q and POOR BOYS BBQ tied on 171.9772 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Chicken places 9–10: Bigfoot Mountain BBQ and CIRCLE L BBQ tied on 168.5372 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Pork places 6–8: POOR BOYS BBQ and Freedom Meat Repeat tied on 171.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
Freedom Meat Repeat won Pork Ribs, Brisket — a double.
BEER TIME BBQ took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork ribs at 5th.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Sailor Nicks BBQ (won 2025).
Records held by every edition of this contest put together, not just this one afternoon.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 12, 2015 | Marietta, OH | Marietta, OH 43724 | 17 | 705.1432 | SLIPPERY PETE'S BBQ | 2 WORTHLESS NUTS, NATURAL BORN GRILLERS |
| Jun 10, 2016 | Marietta, OH | Marietta, OH | 20 | 695.3716 | SPITTIN' FEATHERS BBQ | FOOMANCHOO BBQ |
| Jun 9, 2017 | Marietta, OH | 922 Front St.( Washington County Fairgrounds) | 16 | 698.2400 | CONTAGIOUS Q | BROTHA K'S BOARBECUE |
| Jun 8, 2018 | Marietta, OH | 922 Front St.( Washington County Fairgrounds) | 11 | 695.9544 | CONTAGIOUS Q | 270 SMOKERS |
| Apr 26, 2019 | Marietta, OH | 922 Front St.( Washington County Fairgrounds) | 26 | 686.8228 | Slippery Pete's BBQ | SPITTIN' FEATHERS BBQ |
| Apr 23, 2021 | Marietta, OH | Washington County Fairgrounds | 29 | 695.9884 | Under the Radar | PEACE LOVE & SMOKINESS |
| Apr 29, 2022 | Marietta, OH | Washington County Fairgrounds | 25 | 698.8000 | Peace, Love & Smokiness | SmokinGhost BBQ |
| Apr 28, 2023 | Marietta, OH | Washington County Fairgrounds | 42 | 701.6800 | High on the Hog | UNDER THE RADAR |
| Apr 28, 2023 | Marietta, OH | Washington County Fairgrounds | 18 | 178.8572 | The BBQ Bus | — |
| Apr 26, 2024 | Marietta, OH | Washington County Fairgrounds | 13 | 705.6800 | Chunky BBQ | CONVICTED PIGS BBQ |
| Apr 26, 2024 | Marietta, OH | Washington County Fairgrounds | 6 | 180 | Chunky BBQ | — |
| Apr 25, 2025 | Marietta, OH | Washington County Fairgrounds | 10 | 702.8460 | Sailor Nicks BBQ | T & S BBQ |
| Apr 25, 2025 | Marietta, OH | — | — | — | — | — |
| Apr 24, 2026 ← this one | Marietta, OH | Washington County Fairgrounds | 15 | 696.5716 | Beer Time BBQ | Freedom Meat Repeat |
| Apr 24, 2026 | Marietta, OH | Washington County Fairgrounds | 11 | 176.5600 | Puddleduck BBQ | — |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Series — Chicken | 175.4288 | 171.9772 | 167.3828 |
| Master Series — Pork Ribs | 173.7144 | 171.4400 | 166.2744 |
| Master Series — Pork | 177.7372 | 171.4172 | 164 |
| Master Series — Brisket | 175.4400 | 163.3944 | 157.7144 |
| Backyard Series — Chicken | 174.2628 | 156.5600 | — |
| Backyard Series — Pork Ribs | 171.4172 | 143.9656 | — |
| Backyard Series — Pork | 173.1428 | 142.8572 | — |
| Backyard Series — Brisket | 170.2856 | 158.2744 | — |
15 entries · top 696.5716 · median 667.2800
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BEER TIME BBQ | |
| 2 | Freedom Meat Repeat | |
| 3 | Buckeye Blue Smoke BBQ | |
| 4 | Q-JITSU | |
| 5 | Team Cookie | |
| 6 | Great White Smoke | |
| 7 | POOR BOYS BBQ | |
| 8 | Sailor Nicks BBQ | |
| 9 | CIRCLE L BBQ | |
| 10 | Dino-Q | |
| 11 | Bigfoot Mountain BBQ | |
| 12 | JAYRHEA BBQ | |
| 13 | Tuff N Dry BBQ | |
| 14 | The Smoking Barrel Podcast | |
| 15 | On The Brink BBQ |
15 entries · top 175.4288 · median 168.5372
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BEER TIME BBQ | |
| 2 | Freedom Meat Repeat | |
| 4 | Team Cookie | |
| 5 | Dino-Q | |
| 6 | POOR BOYS BBQ | |
| 8 | Great White Smoke | |
| 9 | Bigfoot Mountain BBQ | |
| 10 | CIRCLE L BBQ | |
| 12 | Buckeye Blue Smoke BBQ | |
| 13 | Sailor Nicks BBQ | |
| 15 | Q-JITSU | |
| 16 | On The Brink BBQ | |
| 17 | JAYRHEA BBQ | |
| 18 | Tuff N Dry BBQ | |
| 20 | The Smoking Barrel Podcast |
15 entries · top 173.7144 · median 169.6800
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Freedom Meat Repeat | |
| 2 | Buckeye Blue Smoke BBQ | |
| 3 | Sailor Nicks BBQ | |
| 4 | Dino-Q | |
| 5 | BEER TIME BBQ | |
| 7 | Q-JITSU | |
| 8 | On The Brink BBQ | |
| 10 | JAYRHEA BBQ | |
| 13 | POOR BOYS BBQ | |
| 14 | Team Cookie | |
| 15 | CIRCLE L BBQ | |
| 16 | Great White Smoke | |
| 17 | Bigfoot Mountain BBQ | |
| 18 | The Smoking Barrel Podcast | |
| 19 | Tuff N Dry BBQ |
15 entries · top 177.7372 · median 166.8344
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buckeye Blue Smoke BBQ | |
| 2 | Q-JITSU | |
| 3 | BEER TIME BBQ | |
| 5 | Team Cookie | |
| 6 | POOR BOYS BBQ | |
| 8 | Freedom Meat Repeat | |
| 9 | Great White Smoke | |
| 10 | Bigfoot Mountain BBQ | |
| 11 | Sailor Nicks BBQ | |
| 13 | Dino-Q | |
| 14 | CIRCLE L BBQ | |
| 15 | JAYRHEA BBQ | |
| 17 | On The Brink BBQ | |
| 18 | Tuff N Dry BBQ | |
| 19 | The Smoking Barrel Podcast |
14 entries · top 175.4400 · median 161.9542
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Freedom Meat Repeat | |
| 2 | BEER TIME BBQ | |
| 3 | CIRCLE L BBQ | |
| 6 | Great White Smoke | |
| 7 | Buckeye Blue Smoke BBQ | |
| 8 | JAYRHEA BBQ | |
| 10 | Q-JITSU | |
| 11 | Sailor Nicks BBQ | |
| 12 | Team Cookie | |
| 15 | POOR BOYS BBQ | |
| 16 | Bigfoot Mountain BBQ | |
| 17 | Dino-Q | |
| 18 | Tuff N Dry BBQ | |
| 19 | The Smoking Barrel Podcast |
5 entries · top 679.3600 · median 670.7544 · out of 720, not the usual 360
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BBQ MIKE | |
| 2 | T & S BBQ | |
| 3 | PUDDLEDUCK BBQ | |
| 4 | Bunki's Firehouse BBQ | |
| 5 | GO Handyman |
5 entries · top 174.2628 · median 167.9772
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | BBQ MIKE | |
| 7 | T & S BBQ | |
| 11 | PUDDLEDUCK BBQ | |
| 14 | Bunki's Firehouse BBQ | |
| 19 | GO Handyman |
5 entries · top 171.4172 · median 168.5372
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | T & S BBQ | |
| 9 | BBQ MIKE | |
| 11 | PUDDLEDUCK BBQ | |
| 12 | Bunki's Firehouse BBQ | |
| 20 | GO Handyman |
5 entries · top 173.1428 · median 165.1200
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | T & S BBQ | |
| 7 | PUDDLEDUCK BBQ | |
| 12 | BBQ MIKE | |
| 16 | Bunki's Firehouse BBQ | |
| 20 | GO Handyman |
5 entries · top 170.2856 · median 162.8228
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | BBQ MIKE | |
| 5 | GO Handyman | |
| 9 | PUDDLEDUCK BBQ | |
| 13 | Bunki's Firehouse BBQ | |
| 14 | T & S BBQ |