Oct 8–9, 2021 · Centralia, MO · State championship
Reps: Donna Young, Ed Young · Prize money: $5,100
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE won Grand Champion at the Anchor City Cook Off on October 8, 2021 in Centralia, MO, scoring 699.9544 in a field of 19 teams. WOOD HOOK BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 697.1428. Category winners: Chicken — MAN MEAT BBQ (179.4400); Pork Ribs — THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE (177.7144); Pork — LOVE 2 Q (177.7144); Brisket — WOOD HOOK BBQ (178.2972). The Backyard Series standings were won by Damn Fine Beef & Swine with 347.9656. This is the 8th of 10 editions of this contest on record; the 2019 edition was won by Gettin Basted; the next was held in 2022.
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 2023 — 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 66 times in 100
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE came in rated below the field's top team, Fergolicious BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 34-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
3 of 10 tracked editions
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE has won this contest 3 times across its 10 tracked editions.
First to fifth in the overall standings covered just 4.5600 points.
Master Series — Chicken places 5–6: THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE and TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER tied on 176.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Pork places 6–7: JANKY LEG BBQ and 4 LEGS UP BBQ tied on 173.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Backyard Series — Pork Ribs places 1–2: Mistler's BBQ and Smoke your Ace tied on 172.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was brisket at 10th.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE (won 2018).
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 11, 2013 | Centralia, MO | Centralia, MO | 29 | 688.5372 | NATURAL BORN GRILLERS | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ |
| Oct 10, 2014 | Centralia, MO | Centralia, MO 65240 | 27 | 694.2400 | GETTIN' BASTED | NATURAL BORN GRILLERS |
| Oct 9, 2015 | Centralia, MO | Centralia, MO 65240 | 20 | 693.6688 | PITMASTERIQ BBQ | SMOKE THIS BBQ MO |
| Oct 14, 2016 | Centralia, MO | City Sq | 34 | 697.0744 | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ | SMOKIN O BBQ |
| Oct 13, 2017 | Centralia, MO | 101 W Singleton | 27 | 698.7768 | OUTLAW HAWGS BBQ | SMOKIN O BBQ |
| Oct 12, 2018 | Centralia, MO | 101 W Singleton | 33 | 700.5484 | THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE | POLITICAL PORK |
| Oct 11, 2019 | Centralia, MO | City Square | 25 | 699.9428 | Gettin Basted | MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ |
| Oct 8, 2021 ← this one | Centralia, MO | Centralia, MO 65240 | 19 | 699.9544 | There's No Place Like Smoke | WOOD HOOK BBQ |
| Oct 7, 2022 | Centralia, MO | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sep 8, 2023 | Centralia, MO | 114 S. Rollins St. | 13 | 703.3712 | There's No Place Like Smoke | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Series — Chicken | 179.4400 | 176 | 170.8572 |
| Master Series — Pork Ribs | 177.7144 | 173.7144 | 170.8456 |
| Master Series — Pork | 177.7144 | 174.2628 | 170.8228 |
| Master Series — Brisket | 178.2972 | 171.9772 | 169.6800 |
| Backyard Series — Chicken | 179.4400 | 162.8800 | 151.3828 |
| Backyard Series — Pork Ribs | 172.5600 | 162.3088 | 154.2284 |
19 entries · top 699.9544 · median 680.4456
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE | |
| 2 | WOOD HOOK BBQ | |
| 3 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 4 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | |
| 5 | LOVE 2 Q | |
| 6 | LOCAL YOKELS BBQ | |
| 7 | Fergolicious BBQ | |
| 8 | MAN MEAT BBQ | |
| 9 | TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER | |
| 10 | MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ | |
| 11 | JANKY LEG BBQ | |
| 12 | PARTS 'R' SMOKIN | |
| 13 | GRAY WOLF BBQ | |
| 14 | SMOKIN' TOAD'S | |
| 15 | ALL FORKED UP FOR Q | |
| 16 | AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW | |
| 17 | Pickled Pepper BBQ | |
| 18 | WINGED SWINE | |
| 19 | Jakes BBQ |
19 entries · top 179.4400 · median 170.8572
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MAN MEAT BBQ | |
| 2 | WOOD HOOK BBQ | |
| 3 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | |
| 4 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 5 | THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE | |
| 6 | TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER | |
| 7 | LOVE 2 Q | |
| 8 | JANKY LEG BBQ | |
| 9 | SMOKIN' TOAD'S | |
| 10 | GRAY WOLF BBQ | |
| 11 | LOCAL YOKELS BBQ | |
| 12 | PARTS 'R' SMOKIN | |
| 13 | Fergolicious BBQ | |
| 14 | MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ | |
| 15 | ALL FORKED UP FOR Q | |
| 16 | WINGED SWINE | |
| 17 | Jakes BBQ | |
| 18 | Pickled Pepper BBQ | |
| 19 | AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW |
19 entries · top 177.7144 · median 170.8456
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE | |
| 2 | WOOD HOOK BBQ | |
| 3 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | |
| 4 | JANKY LEG BBQ | |
| 5 | LOCAL YOKELS BBQ | |
| 6 | MAN MEAT BBQ | |
| 7 | MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ | |
| 8 | Fergolicious BBQ | |
| 9 | LOVE 2 Q | |
| 10 | AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW | |
| 11 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 12 | GRAY WOLF BBQ | |
| 13 | PARTS 'R' SMOKIN | |
| 14 | Pickled Pepper BBQ | |
| 15 | SMOKIN' TOAD'S | |
| 16 | TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER | |
| 17 | ALL FORKED UP FOR Q | |
| 18 | WINGED SWINE | |
| 19 | Jakes BBQ |
19 entries · top 177.7144 · median 170.8228
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LOVE 2 Q | |
| 2 | LOCAL YOKELS BBQ | |
| 3 | Fergolicious BBQ | |
| 4 | THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE | |
| 5 | MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ | |
| 6 | JANKY LEG BBQ | |
| 7 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 8 | MAN MEAT BBQ | |
| 9 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | |
| 10 | TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER | |
| 11 | ALL FORKED UP FOR Q | |
| 12 | GRAY WOLF BBQ | |
| 13 | AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW | |
| 14 | PARTS 'R' SMOKIN | |
| 15 | SMOKIN' TOAD'S | |
| 16 | Pickled Pepper BBQ | |
| 17 | WOOD HOOK BBQ | |
| 18 | Jakes BBQ | |
| 19 | WINGED SWINE |
19 entries · top 178.2972 · median 169.6800
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WOOD HOOK BBQ | |
| 2 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 3 | Fergolicious BBQ | |
| 4 | TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER | |
| 5 | LOVE 2 Q | |
| 6 | AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW | |
| 7 | LOCAL YOKELS BBQ | |
| 8 | PARTS 'R' SMOKIN | |
| 9 | Heavy Smoke BBQ | |
| 10 | THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE | |
| 11 | MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ | |
| 12 | ALL FORKED UP FOR Q | |
| 13 | MAN MEAT BBQ | |
| 14 | SMOKIN' TOAD'S | |
| 15 | GRAY WOLF BBQ | |
| 16 | JANKY LEG BBQ | |
| 17 | WINGED SWINE | |
| 18 | Pickled Pepper BBQ | |
| 19 | Jakes BBQ |
10 entries · top 347.9656 · median 324.8114
10 entries · top 179.4400 · median 161.7258
10 entries · top 172.5600 · median 161.9944
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.
10 entries · top 172.0116 · median 165.9830
10 entries · top 173.1428 · median 162.8456
2 entries · top 178.8572 · median 173.1258
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charlie Carrico | |
| 2 | Colt Lawson |
3 entries · top 180 · median 173.1544 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sloan Bohannon | |
| 2 | Willow Cox | |
| 3 | Mason Mistler |