Aug 3–5, 2018 · Macungie, PA · 📍 50 North Poplar St
TOP GUN BARBECUE won Grand Champion at the Pit at the Park on August 3, 2018 in Macungie, PA at 50 North Poplar St, scoring 674.2284 in a field of 25 teams. FRED VEGAS SMOKERS took Reserve Grand Champion with 667.9428. Category winners: Chicken — ALL FIRED UP BBQ (173.1428); Pork Ribs — WEEKEND SMOKERS (178.8800); Pork — PIGGIN' WHISKEY (174.2972); Brisket — TOP GUN BARBECUE (178.8572). This is the 3rd of 3 editions of this contest on record; the 2017 edition was won by SMOKEN DUDES 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, 2016 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 77 times in 100
Top Gun Barbecue came in rated below the field's top team, ROCKIN ROBYNS BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 23-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
Brisket places 4–5: SMOKESTACK REDEMPTION and FRED VEGAS SMOKERS tied on 169.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 7–8: 4:20 Q edged ROCKIN ROBYNS BBQ by 0.0116. Chicken places 7–8: FRED VEGAS SMOKERS edged DEAD ON Q by 0.0228.
TOP GUN BARBECUE took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was chicken at 17th.
TOP GUN BARBECUE turned in 178.8572 in brisket — past the 174.8456 that had stood across 2 earlier editions.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: LO' -N- SLO' BBQ (won 2016).
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 5, 2016 | Macungie, PA | 50 North Poplar St. | 23 | 679.3944 | LO' -N- SLO' BBQ | SMOKIN FOOLZ |
| Aug 4, 2017 | Macungie, PA | 50 North Poplar St | 32 | 675.9660 | SMOKEN DUDES BBQ | LO' -N- SLO' BBQ |
| Aug 3, 2018 ← this one | Macungie, PA | 50 North Poplar St | 25 | 674.2284 | TOP GUN BARBECUE | FRED VEGAS SMOKERS |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 173.1428 | 168.0456 | 163.4172 |
| Pork Ribs | 178.8800 | 168.5256 | 161.7144 |
| Pork | 174.2972 | 168.5372 | 164 |
| Brisket | 178.8572 | 169.1200 | 162.3200 |
25 entries · top 674.2284 · median 645.6116
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TOP GUN BARBECUE | |
| 2 | FRED VEGAS SMOKERS | |
| 3 | SMOKESTACK REDEMPTION | |
| 4 | WEEKEND SMOKERS | |
| 5 | OUR BARK IS BETTER THAN YOUR BITE | |
| 6 | ROCKIN ROBYNS BBQ | |
| 7 | ALL FIRED UP BBQ | |
| 8 | PIGGIN' WHISKEY | |
| 9 | POPPA Q-BBQ | |
| 10 | 4:20 Q | |
| 11 | DIG'N N PIG'N | |
| 12 | CAMP BACON BBQ | |
| 13 | LO' -N- SLO' BBQ | |
| 14 | CHRISTMAS CITY BBQ | |
| 15 | SMOKIN FOOLZ | |
| 16 | UNCLE PIG'S BARBEQUE PIT | |
| 17 | POKE N SMOKE | |
| 18 | CRAZY HORSE BBQ | |
| 19 | SIR-PORK'S-ALOT BBQ | |
| 20 | MISS PIGGY'S U.K. | |
| 21 | DEAD ON Q | |
| 22 | PIG PEN BBQ | |
| 23 | Maverick | |
| 24 | PAPPY PETE'S BBQ | |
| 25 | A 2 Z |
25 entries · top 173.1428 · median 162.2628
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ALL FIRED UP BBQ | |
| 2 | CAMP BACON BBQ | |
| 3 | ROCKIN ROBYNS BBQ | |
| 4 | LO' -N- SLO' BBQ | |
| 5 | OUR BARK IS BETTER THAN YOUR BITE | |
| 6 | SIR-PORK'S-ALOT BBQ | |
| 7 | FRED VEGAS SMOKERS | |
| 8 | DEAD ON Q | |
| 9 | 4:20 Q | |
| 10 | POKE N SMOKE | |
| 11 | DIG'N N PIG'N | |
| 12 | SMOKESTACK REDEMPTION | |
| 13 | PIGGIN' WHISKEY | |
| 14 | UNCLE PIG'S BARBEQUE PIT | |
| 15 | POPPA Q-BBQ | |
| 16 | SMOKIN FOOLZ | |
| 17 | TOP GUN BARBECUE | |
| 18 | CRAZY HORSE BBQ | |
| 19 | CHRISTMAS CITY BBQ | |
| 20 | MISS PIGGY'S U.K. | |
| 21 | Maverick | |
| 22 | WEEKEND SMOKERS | |
| 23 | PAPPY PETE'S BBQ | |
| 24 | PIG PEN BBQ | |
| 25 | A 2 Z |
25 entries · top 178.8800 · median 161.0972
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WEEKEND SMOKERS | |
| 2 | CAMP BACON BBQ | |
| 3 | FRED VEGAS SMOKERS | |
| 4 | OUR BARK IS BETTER THAN YOUR BITE | |
| 5 | CHRISTMAS CITY BBQ | |
| 6 | ALL FIRED UP BBQ | |
| 7 | TOP GUN BARBECUE | |
| 8 | SMOKIN FOOLZ | |
| 9 | POKE N SMOKE | |
| 10 | POPPA Q-BBQ | |
| 11 | 4:20 Q | |
| 12 | SMOKESTACK REDEMPTION | |
| 13 | PIG PEN BBQ | |
| 14 | CRAZY HORSE BBQ | |
| 15 | UNCLE PIG'S BARBEQUE PIT | |
| 16 | DEAD ON Q | |
| 17 | SIR-PORK'S-ALOT BBQ | |
| 18 | LO' -N- SLO' BBQ | |
| 19 | PIGGIN' WHISKEY | |
| 20 | MISS PIGGY'S U.K. | |
| 21 | ROCKIN ROBYNS BBQ | |
| 22 | DIG'N N PIG'N | |
| 23 | PAPPY PETE'S BBQ | |
| 24 | Maverick | |
| 25 | A 2 Z |
25 entries · top 174.2972 · median 161.1200
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | PIGGIN' WHISKEY | |
| 2 | SMOKESTACK REDEMPTION | |
| 3 | TOP GUN BARBECUE | |
| 4 | MISS PIGGY'S U.K. | |
| 5 | POPPA Q-BBQ | |
| 6 | DIG'N N PIG'N | |
| 7 | 4:20 Q | |
| 8 | ROCKIN ROBYNS BBQ | |
| 9 | OUR BARK IS BETTER THAN YOUR BITE | |
| 10 | POKE N SMOKE | |
| 11 | WEEKEND SMOKERS | |
| 12 | FRED VEGAS SMOKERS | |
| 13 | CRAZY HORSE BBQ | |
| 14 | DEAD ON Q | |
| 15 | SMOKIN FOOLZ | |
| 16 | ALL FIRED UP BBQ | |
| 17 | CHRISTMAS CITY BBQ | |
| 18 | LO' -N- SLO' BBQ | |
| 19 | Maverick | |
| 20 | PIG PEN BBQ | |
| 21 | SIR-PORK'S-ALOT BBQ | |
| 22 | UNCLE PIG'S BARBEQUE PIT | |
| 23 | CAMP BACON BBQ | |
| 24 | PAPPY PETE'S BBQ | |
| 25 | A 2 Z |
25 entries · top 178.8572 · median 159.9428
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TOP GUN BARBECUE | |
| 2 | ROCKIN ROBYNS BBQ | |
| 3 | WEEKEND SMOKERS | |
| 4 | SMOKESTACK REDEMPTION | |
| 5 | FRED VEGAS SMOKERS | |
| 6 | DIG'N N PIG'N | |
| 7 | UNCLE PIG'S BARBEQUE PIT | |
| 8 | PIGGIN' WHISKEY | |
| 9 | LO' -N- SLO' BBQ | |
| 10 | OUR BARK IS BETTER THAN YOUR BITE | |
| 11 | POPPA Q-BBQ | |
| 12 | SMOKIN FOOLZ | |
| 13 | CHRISTMAS CITY BBQ | |
| 14 | ALL FIRED UP BBQ | |
| 15 | 4:20 Q | |
| 16 | PIG PEN BBQ | |
| 17 | MISS PIGGY'S U.K. | |
| 18 | CRAZY HORSE BBQ | |
| 19 | SIR-PORK'S-ALOT BBQ | |
| 20 | CAMP BACON BBQ | |
| 21 | POKE N SMOKE | |
| 22 | PAPPY PETE'S BBQ | |
| 23 | Maverick | |
| 24 | DEAD ON Q | |
| 25 | A 2 Z |
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.
7 entries · top 175.4400 · median 167.3944
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DEAD ON Q | |
| 2 | A 2 Z | |
| 3 | PAPPY PETE'S BBQ | |
| 4 | CHRISTMAS CITY BBQ | |
| 5 | SMOKIN FOOLZ | |
| 6 | PIG PEN BBQ | |
| 7 | Maverick |
7 entries · top 178.8572 · median 164.0344
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | PIG PEN BBQ | |
| 2 | CHRISTMAS CITY BBQ | |
| 3 | A 2 Z | |
| 4 | DEAD ON Q | |
| 5 | SMOKIN FOOLZ | |
| 6 | PAPPY PETE'S BBQ | |
| 7 | Maverick |