Apr 13–14, 2018 · Smithville, MO
DIRT ROAD BBQ won Grand Champion at The Best Dam BBQ Contest at Smithville Lake on April 13, 2018 in Smithville, MO, scoring 700.5712 in a field of 51 teams. SLAPS BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 700.0120. Category winners: Chicken — AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW (178.2972); Pork Ribs — BOOMERANG BBQ (176.0116); Pork — LOVE 2 Q (180.0000); Brisket — SLAPS BBQ (176.0116). This is the 3rd of 4 editions of this contest on record; the 2014 edition was won by WORTH SMOKIN' BBQ; the next was held in 2019.
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, 2013 to 2019 — 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 92% of the 4,722 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 0.5592 points — closer than 92% of every championship in the data.
700.5712 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 695.4288 TRUEBUD BBQ set in 2013.
DIRT ROAD BBQ won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 4 calls from 4 boards, best of them 2nd. Consistency beat fireworks.
Chicken places 7–8: TEAM CRAWFORD and JOUSTING PIGS BBQ tied on 172.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 6–7: JOHNSON'S BREW N BBQ and SHOW ME THE QUE! tied on 173.1544 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 9–10: KEEP CALM & SAUCE ON and GONNA GET MESSY tied on 172.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
LOVE 2 Q turned in 180.0000 in pork — past the 176.0000 that had stood across 2 earlier editions.
This contest was away for 4 years — the previous tracked edition ran on 2014-04-11.
1 perfect 180 was scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 12, 2013 | Smithville, MO | Smithville, MO | 48 | 695.4288 | TRUEBUD BBQ | SHUT THE FRONT DOOR BBQ |
| Apr 11, 2014 | Smithville, MO | Smithville, MO 64089 | 54 | 690.7884 | WORTH SMOKIN' BBQ | DIRT ROAD BBQ |
| Apr 13, 2018 ← this one | Smithville, MO | Smithville Lake | 51 | 700.5712 | DIRT ROAD BBQ | SLAPS BBQ |
| Apr 12, 2019 | Smithville, MO | Smithville Lake | 54 | 703.3944 | Gettin' Basted | AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW |
| Apr 8, 2022 | Smithville, MO | — | — | — | — | — |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.2972 | 174.8456 | 171.4056 |
| Pork Ribs | 176.0116 | 173.7260 | 172.5600 |
| Pork | 180 | 175.4056 | 173.1200 |
| Brisket | 176.0116 | 173.1428 | 170.2628 |
51 entries · top 700.5712 · median 664.4688
51 entries · top 178.2972 · median 166.2400
51 entries · top 176.0116 · median 166.8572
51 entries · top 180 · median 166.2400 · 🔥 perfect 180
51 entries · top 176.0116 · median 164