Sep 21–22, 2018 · Denison, IA · 📍 Broadway & Main St. (Historic Uptown Denison)
TIMBONE BARBECUE won Grand Champion at the Tri City BBQ Fest on September 21, 2018 in Denison, IA at Broadway & Main St. (Historic Uptown Denison), scoring 687.9888 in a field of 27 teams. DIRT ROAD BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 676.4800. Category winners: Chicken — BAMBQ (172.0000); Pork Ribs — GOTHIC TOWN GRILLERS (173.1200); Pork — TIMBONE BARBECUE (176.5600); Brisket — DIRT ROAD BBQ (173.1200). This is the 5th of 12 editions of this contest on record; the 2017 edition was won by SPITFIRE; 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, 2014 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.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 83 times in 100
TIMBONE BARBECUE came in rated below the field's top team, DIRT ROAD BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 17-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
Wider than 91% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The champion won by 11.5088 points — a wider margin than 91% of championships in the data.
2 of 12 tracked editions
TIMBONE BARBECUE has won this contest 2 times across its 12 tracked editions.
Chicken places 8–9: LUSCIOUS LOINS BBQ and PARROTHEAD SMOKERS tied on 166.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 3–4: PARROTHEAD SMOKERS and Who Dat BBQ tied on 170.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 6–7: BLAIR'S BIGFOOT BBQ and BAMBQ tied on 168.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
TIMBONE BARBECUE 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: SPITFIRE (won 2017).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 19, 2014 | Denison, IA | Denison, IA 51442 | 21 | 691.3940 | BIG T'Z Q CRU | PIGSKIN BBQ |
| Sep 18, 2015 | Denison, IA | Denison, IA 51442 | 18 | 690.7884 | PORKY BUTTS BBQ | BIG T'Z Q CRU |
| Sep 16, 2016 | Denison, IA | Broodway & Main | 34 | 701.6800 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS | GRILLS GONE WILD IOWA |
| Sep 22, 2017 | Denison, IA | Broadway & Main St. (Historic Uptown Denison) | 37 | 702.3204 | SPITFIRE | LUCKY'S Q |
| Sep 21, 2018 ← this one | Denison, IA | Broadway & Main St. (Historic Uptown Denison) | 27 | 687.9888 | TIMBONE BARBECUE | DIRT ROAD BBQ |
| Sep 20, 2019 | Denison, IA | Broadway & Main St. (Historic Uptown Denison) | 34 | 690.7540 | Timbone Barbecue | SPITFIRE |
| Sep 17, 2021 | Denison, IA | Broadway and Main | 20 | 697.6572 | Hot Daddys BBQ | SPITFIRE |
| Sep 16, 2022 | Denison, IA | Broadway and Main | 25 | 693.1316 | Parrothead Smokers SD | WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ |
| Sep 15, 2023 | Denison, IA | Broadway and Main | 32 | 703.3712 | Last Call Heros BBQ | SHIGGIN & GRINNIN |
| Sep 20, 2024 | Denison, IA | 109 N. Main | 30 | 700.4912 | HOT DADDY'S BBQ | WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ |
| Sep 19, 2025 | Denison, IA | 109 N. Main | 26 | 703.4060 | Shiggin & Grinnin | Good Grefe! |
| Sep 18, 2026 | Denison, IA | 109 N. Main | 26 | 702.2400 | Grillin' Grindes | Home Farm BBQ |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 172 | 169.1200 | 166.8456 |
| Pork Ribs | 173.1200 | 168.5944 | 167.4284 |
| Pork | 176.5600 | 170.2628 | 167.3828 |
| Brisket | 173.1200 | 171.4056 | 168.5372 |
27 entries · top 687.9888 · median 658.7196
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TIMBONE BARBECUE | |
| 2 | DIRT ROAD BBQ | |
| 3 | GOTHIC TOWN GRILLERS | |
| 4 | AGAINST THE GRAIN BBQ | |
| 5 | TREEFROG BBQ | |
| 6 | Que Magic | |
| 7 | Who Dat BBQ | |
| 8 | Bohica BBQ | |
| 9 | SPITFIRE | |
| 10 | KEV'S CHEW CHEW BBQ | |
| 11 | LUSCIOUS LOINS BBQ | |
| 12 | SQUEALING PIG BBQ | |
| 13 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 14 | SMOKIN DINGER - THE PROFESSOR OF HOGOLOGY | |
| 15 | SMOKEY AND HIS BANDITS | |
| 16 | BAMBQ | |
| 17 | 2 CASE BBQ | |
| 18 | SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ | |
| 19 | TNT Smokin' BBQ | |
| 20 | SMOKIN CRITTERS | |
| 21 | ELWOOD BBQ | |
| 22 | TEAM CRAWFORD | |
| 23 | BLAIR'S BIGFOOT BBQ | |
| 24 | Sweet Smokin' Jones | |
| 25 | E.T.'S BBQ | |
| 26 | DIGGERS BBQ | |
| 27 | SMOKE DOCTOR |
27 entries · top 172 · median 166.2628
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BAMBQ | |
| 2 | DIRT ROAD BBQ | |
| 3 | TIMBONE BARBECUE | |
| 4 | SMOKEY AND HIS BANDITS | |
| 5 | TREEFROG BBQ | |
| 6 | Who Dat BBQ | |
| 7 | SQUEALING PIG BBQ | |
| 8 | LUSCIOUS LOINS BBQ | |
| 9 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 10 | Que Magic | |
| 11 | AGAINST THE GRAIN BBQ | |
| 12 | TNT Smokin' BBQ | |
| 13 | GOTHIC TOWN GRILLERS | |
| 14 | SMOKIN CRITTERS | |
| 15 | KEV'S CHEW CHEW BBQ | |
| 16 | 2 CASE BBQ | |
| 17 | SPITFIRE | |
| 18 | SMOKIN DINGER - THE PROFESSOR OF HOGOLOGY | |
| 19 | Bohica BBQ | |
| 20 | E.T.'S BBQ | |
| 21 | TEAM CRAWFORD | |
| 22 | SMOKE DOCTOR | |
| 23 | ELWOOD BBQ | |
| 24 | SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ | |
| 25 | DIGGERS BBQ | |
| 26 | BLAIR'S BIGFOOT BBQ | |
| 27 | Sweet Smokin' Jones |
27 entries · top 173.1200 · median 166.2628
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GOTHIC TOWN GRILLERS | |
| 2 | SQUEALING PIG BBQ | |
| 3 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 4 | Who Dat BBQ | |
| 5 | TIMBONE BARBECUE | |
| 6 | BLAIR'S BIGFOOT BBQ | |
| 7 | BAMBQ | |
| 8 | DIRT ROAD BBQ | |
| 9 | Bohica BBQ | |
| 10 | SMOKIN CRITTERS | |
| 11 | AGAINST THE GRAIN BBQ | |
| 12 | TREEFROG BBQ | |
| 13 | SPITFIRE | |
| 14 | SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ | |
| 15 | Que Magic | |
| 16 | SMOKEY AND HIS BANDITS | |
| 17 | 2 CASE BBQ | |
| 18 | LUSCIOUS LOINS BBQ | |
| 19 | KEV'S CHEW CHEW BBQ | |
| 20 | TEAM CRAWFORD | |
| 21 | DIGGERS BBQ | |
| 22 | SMOKIN DINGER - THE PROFESSOR OF HOGOLOGY | |
| 23 | TNT Smokin' BBQ | |
| 24 | ELWOOD BBQ | |
| 25 | Sweet Smokin' Jones | |
| 26 | E.T.'S BBQ | |
| 27 | SMOKE DOCTOR |
27 entries · top 176.5600 · median 166.8228
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TIMBONE BARBECUE | |
| 2 | LUSCIOUS LOINS BBQ | |
| 3 | Que Magic | |
| 4 | Bohica BBQ | |
| 5 | KEV'S CHEW CHEW BBQ | |
| 6 | 2 CASE BBQ | |
| 7 | SPITFIRE | |
| 8 | GOTHIC TOWN GRILLERS | |
| 9 | TNT Smokin' BBQ | |
| 10 | SMOKEY AND HIS BANDITS | |
| 11 | SMOKIN DINGER - THE PROFESSOR OF HOGOLOGY | |
| 12 | SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ | |
| 13 | AGAINST THE GRAIN BBQ | |
| 14 | TREEFROG BBQ | |
| 15 | Sweet Smokin' Jones | |
| 16 | TEAM CRAWFORD | |
| 17 | ELWOOD BBQ | |
| 18 | DIRT ROAD BBQ | |
| 19 | SQUEALING PIG BBQ | |
| 20 | Who Dat BBQ | |
| 21 | BAMBQ | |
| 22 | SMOKIN CRITTERS | |
| 23 | DIGGERS BBQ | |
| 24 | BLAIR'S BIGFOOT BBQ | |
| 25 | SMOKE DOCTOR | |
| 26 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 27 | E.T.'S BBQ |
27 entries · top 173.1200 · median 166.8228
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DIRT ROAD BBQ | |
| 2 | ELWOOD BBQ | |
| 3 | AGAINST THE GRAIN BBQ | |
| 4 | TIMBONE BARBECUE | |
| 5 | SMOKIN DINGER - THE PROFESSOR OF HOGOLOGY | |
| 6 | KEV'S CHEW CHEW BBQ | |
| 7 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 8 | TREEFROG BBQ | |
| 9 | SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ | |
| 10 | SPITFIRE | |
| 11 | Que Magic | |
| 12 | Sweet Smokin' Jones | |
| 13 | Bohica BBQ | |
| 14 | Who Dat BBQ | |
| 15 | GOTHIC TOWN GRILLERS | |
| 16 | LUSCIOUS LOINS BBQ | |
| 17 | TEAM CRAWFORD | |
| 18 | BLAIR'S BIGFOOT BBQ | |
| 19 | SQUEALING PIG BBQ | |
| 20 | TNT Smokin' BBQ | |
| 21 | E.T.'S BBQ | |
| 22 | 2 CASE BBQ | |
| 23 | SMOKEY AND HIS BANDITS | |
| 24 | BAMBQ | |
| 25 | SMOKIN CRITTERS | |
| 26 | SMOKE DOCTOR | |
| 27 | DIGGERS BBQ |