Oct 19–20, 2018 · Lenoir, NC · 📍 Harper Avenue
SMOKE CENTRAL BBQ won Grand Champion at the Smoking in the Foothills Barbecue Competition And Festival on October 19, 2018 in Lenoir, NC at Harper Avenue, scoring 699.3600 in a field of 35 teams. ROCKY TOP BARBEQUE took Reserve Grand Champion with 694.2172. Category winners: Chicken — SMOKE MONSTER BBQ (178.8572); Pork Ribs — ROCKY TOP BARBEQUE (178.8572); Pork — THE SMOKEHOUSE MAFIA (175.4400); Brisket — SMOKE THIS (176.5600). This is the 3rd of 3 editions of this contest on record; the 2017 edition was won by WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ.
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 2018 — 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
Smoke Central BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 17-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
SMOKE CENTRAL BBQ won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 4 calls from 4 boards, best of them 3rd. Consistency beat fireworks.
2 of 3 tracked editions
WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ has won this contest 2 times across its 3 tracked editions.
Stronger than 90% of every rated contest
The field averaged a 1628 power rating going in — stronger than 90% of every contest tracked.
Chicken places 1–2: SMOKE MONSTER BBQ and WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 9–10: ROCKY TOP BARBEQUE and MUTTLEY CREW BBQ tied on 172.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 3–4: MIDNIGHT BURN and SMOKE CENTRAL BBQ tied on 174.2744 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
ROCKY TOP BARBEQUE turned in 178.8572 in pork ribs — past the 177.1544 that had stood across 2 earlier editions.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ (won 2015, 2017).
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 16, 2015 | Lenoir, NC | Lenoir, NC 28645 | 37 | 709.1200 | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | SAUCED! BBQ TEAM |
| Oct 20, 2017 | Lenoir, NC | Harper Avenue | 39 | 690.2172 | WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | REDNECK SCIENTIFIC |
| Oct 19, 2018 ← this one | Lenoir, NC | Harper Avenue | 35 | 699.3600 | SMOKE CENTRAL BBQ | ROCKY TOP BARBEQUE |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.8572 | 175.4172 | 172.5600 |
| Pork Ribs | 178.8572 | 174.2628 | 170.8112 |
| Pork | 175.4400 | 173.1200 | 167.9656 |
| Brisket | 176.5600 | 172.5484 | 169.7028 |
35 entries · top 699.3600 · median 661.6000
35 entries · top 178.8572 · median 168.5372
35 entries · top 178.8572 · median 165.6800
35 entries · top 175.4400 · median 164.5372
35 entries · top 176.5600 · median 164.5372