Indio California State BBQ Championship & Festival
2021-11-05 – 2021-11-06 · Indio, CA · 📍 83040 Ave 42 · State championship
Reps: KATHLEEN MCINTOSH, KELLY MCINTOSH · Prize money: $10,000.00
Grand Champion: Girls Can Grill (697.1544) · 33 teams
Reserve Champion: 🥈 PORTERHOUSE BBQ
Entries
Top score
Winning margin
Field average
Tightest race
Top-10 cutoff
Field spread
Prize money
Double threats
How hot was the win?
Traveled in
Came back for more
Form held
Field strength
Storylines
🪒 A razor-thin finish
The Grand Championship was decided by 0.1032 points — closer than 94% of every championship in the data.
🧳 Out-of-towners took the title
GIRLS CAN GRILL took the Grand Championship home to AZ.
📸 Photo finishes
Chicken places 2–3: Bad Boyz BBQ and 5TH GEAR BBQ tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 6–7: SMOKE HOUND BBQ and B' MACKIN BBQ tied on 175.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 3–4: The Grinnin Goat edged B' MACKIN BBQ by 0.0116.
🛡️ Back to defend
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: BIG POPPA SMOKERS (won 2017).
🃏 An upset on the books
GIRLS CAN GRILL came in rated below the field's top team, BIG POPPA SMOKERS, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 26-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
Score curves (score by finishing position — steep cliffs mean a spread field, flat lines a knife fight)
Category showdown (top / average / median score per meat)
Score distribution
Biggest rating movers (power-rating points won and lost at this contest)
Did form hold? (pre-contest rating vs overall finish — ratings called it if the dots climb to the right)
Where the field came from (home regions on file)
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-11-11 | Indio, CA 92276 | 38 | 712.5828 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | BIG POPPA SMOKERS | |
| 2017-11-03 | 83040 Ave 42 | 35 | 698.2516 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS | DG FIREHOUSE BBQ | |
| 2019-11-01 | Indio, CA | 83040 Ave 42 | 37 | 694.2400 | DG Firehouse BBQ Inc | BIG POPPA SMOKERS |
| 2021-11-05 ← this one | Indio, CA | 83040 Ave 42 | 33 | 697.1544 | Girls Can Grill | PORTERHOUSE BBQ |
| 2022-11-04 | Indio, CA | The Lights Golf Course | 35 | 694.2516 | 7 Sins BBQ | West Coast BBQ Shop |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180.0000 | 175.4400 | 174.2628 |
| Pork Ribs | 177.1544 | 174.2744 | 169.1316 |
| Pork | 178.8572 | 176.0000 | 173.1200 |
| Brisket | 179.4400 | 173.1200 | 170.8228 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
33 entries · top 697.1544 · median 677.6916
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 2 | PORTERHOUSE BBQ | |
| 3 | SMOKE HOUND BBQ | |
| 4 | KNIFE PORK AND SPOON | |
| 5 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 6 | 7 SINS BBQ | |
| 7 | The Grinnin Goat | |
| 8 | B' MACKIN BBQ | |
| 9 | ROCKBAND BBQ | |
| 10 | Bad Boyz BBQ | |
| 11 | BULL MARKET BBQ | |
| 12 | 5TH GEAR BBQ | |
| 13 | Sharpe's Woodshed | |
| 14 | SHIG NINJA BBQ | |
| 15 | BIG RED BBQ | |
| 16 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS | |
| 17 | NOTHING COMPARES 2 Q | |
| 18 | LADY OF Q | |
| 19 | Rad Fondo BBQ | |
| 20 | Day of the Pig | |
| 21 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 22 | SD Smoke BBQ | |
| 23 | Jolley's Bad to the Bone Barbeque | |
| 24 | Pops BBQ 22 | |
| 25 | Bob's Morning Wood Barbeque | |
| 26 | B Lee's BBQ | |
| 27 | Weekend Warrior BBQ | |
| 28 | Blue Ribbon BBQ NC | |
| 29 | Smoke City BBQ L.A | |
| 30 | The Barbacoa Boyz | |
| 31 | Blowin Smoke BBQ | |
| 32 | Stop Playin BBQ | |
| 33 | Bear Bonz |
Chicken
33 entries · top 180.0000 · median 170.2628 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 2 | Bad Boyz BBQ | |
| 3 | 5TH GEAR BBQ | |
| 4 | The Grinnin Goat | |
| 5 | ROCKBAND BBQ | |
| 6 | SMOKE HOUND BBQ | |
| 7 | B' MACKIN BBQ | |
| 8 | KNIFE PORK AND SPOON | |
| 9 | 7 SINS BBQ | |
| 10 | Sharpe's Woodshed | |
| 11 | PORTERHOUSE BBQ | |
| 12 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 13 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS | |
| 14 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 15 | NOTHING COMPARES 2 Q | |
| 16 | Jolley's Bad to the Bone Barbeque | |
| 17 | SHIG NINJA BBQ | |
| 18 | Day of the Pig | |
| 19 | BULL MARKET BBQ | |
| 20 | SD Smoke BBQ | |
| 21 | BIG RED BBQ | |
| 22 | LADY OF Q | |
| 23 | Bob's Morning Wood Barbeque | |
| 24 | Pops BBQ 22 | |
| 25 | Blue Ribbon BBQ NC | |
| 26 | Weekend Warrior BBQ | |
| 27 | Smoke City BBQ L.A | |
| 28 | Rad Fondo BBQ | |
| 29 | Blowin Smoke BBQ | |
| 30 | B Lee's BBQ | |
| 31 | The Barbacoa Boyz | |
| 32 | Stop Playin BBQ | |
| 33 | Bear Bonz |
Pork Ribs
33 entries · top 177.1544 · median 167.9772
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LADY OF Q | |
| 2 | ROCKBAND BBQ | |
| 3 | KNIFE PORK AND SPOON | |
| 4 | SD Smoke BBQ | |
| 5 | Sharpe's Woodshed | |
| 6 | Bad Boyz BBQ | |
| 7 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 8 | SMOKE HOUND BBQ | |
| 9 | PORTERHOUSE BBQ | |
| 10 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS | |
| 11 | Day of the Pig | |
| 12 | B' MACKIN BBQ | |
| 13 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 14 | Weekend Warrior BBQ | |
| 15 | SHIG NINJA BBQ | |
| 16 | 7 SINS BBQ | |
| 17 | Rad Fondo BBQ | |
| 18 | Jolley's Bad to the Bone Barbeque | |
| 19 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 20 | 5TH GEAR BBQ | |
| 21 | The Grinnin Goat | |
| 22 | BULL MARKET BBQ | |
| 23 | Bob's Morning Wood Barbeque | |
| 24 | NOTHING COMPARES 2 Q | |
| 25 | Smoke City BBQ L.A | |
| 26 | BIG RED BBQ | |
| 27 | B Lee's BBQ | |
| 28 | The Barbacoa Boyz | |
| 29 | Bear Bonz | |
| 30 | Blowin Smoke BBQ | |
| 31 | Stop Playin BBQ | |
| 32 | Blue Ribbon BBQ NC | |
| 33 | Pops BBQ 22 |
Pork
33 entries · top 178.8572 · median 169.7028
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 2 | 7 SINS BBQ | |
| 3 | The Grinnin Goat | |
| 4 | B' MACKIN BBQ | |
| 5 | BIG RED BBQ | |
| 6 | 5TH GEAR BBQ | |
| 7 | BULL MARKET BBQ | |
| 8 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 9 | Sharpe's Woodshed | |
| 10 | Rad Fondo BBQ | |
| 11 | PORTERHOUSE BBQ | |
| 12 | KNIFE PORK AND SPOON | |
| 13 | Day of the Pig | |
| 14 | NOTHING COMPARES 2 Q | |
| 15 | SHIG NINJA BBQ | |
| 16 | SMOKE HOUND BBQ | |
| 17 | LADY OF Q | |
| 18 | Pops BBQ 22 | |
| 19 | ROCKBAND BBQ | |
| 20 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS | |
| 21 | Bad Boyz BBQ | |
| 22 | Jolley's Bad to the Bone Barbeque | |
| 23 | Bob's Morning Wood Barbeque | |
| 24 | B Lee's BBQ | |
| 25 | SD Smoke BBQ | |
| 26 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 27 | Blue Ribbon BBQ NC | |
| 28 | Weekend Warrior BBQ | |
| 29 | The Barbacoa Boyz | |
| 30 | Stop Playin BBQ | |
| 31 | Blowin Smoke BBQ | |
| 32 | Smoke City BBQ L.A | |
| 33 | Bear Bonz |
Brisket
33 entries · top 179.4400 · median 168.5372
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKE HOUND BBQ | |
| 2 | PORTERHOUSE BBQ | |
| 3 | BIG RED BBQ | |
| 4 | BULL MARKET BBQ | |
| 5 | The Grinnin Goat | |
| 6 | Rad Fondo BBQ | |
| 7 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 8 | SHIG NINJA BBQ | |
| 9 | NOTHING COMPARES 2 Q | |
| 10 | 7 SINS BBQ | |
| 11 | B' MACKIN BBQ | |
| 12 | ROCKBAND BBQ | |
| 13 | Bad Boyz BBQ | |
| 14 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 15 | KNIFE PORK AND SPOON | |
| 16 | BIG POPPA SMOKERS | |
| 17 | Pops BBQ 22 | |
| 18 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 19 | 5TH GEAR BBQ | |
| 20 | LADY OF Q | |
| 21 | B Lee's BBQ | |
| 22 | Jolley's Bad to the Bone Barbeque | |
| 23 | Day of the Pig | |
| 24 | SD Smoke BBQ | |
| 25 | Sharpe's Woodshed | |
| 26 | Blue Ribbon BBQ NC | |
| 27 | Bob's Morning Wood Barbeque | |
| 28 | Weekend Warrior BBQ | |
| 29 | The Barbacoa Boyz | |
| 30 | Smoke City BBQ L.A | |
| 31 | Stop Playin BBQ | |
| 32 | Blowin Smoke BBQ | |
| 33 | Bear Bonz |
Ancillary categories
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.
Ancillary — Dessert
8 entries · top 180.0000 · median 167.4286 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | B' MACKIN BBQ | |
| 2 | Blowin Smoke BBQ | |
| 3 | ROCKBAND BBQ | |
| 4 | SMOKE HOUND BBQ | |
| 5 | Smoke City BBQ L.A | |
| 6 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 7 | Bear Bonz | |
| 8 | Weekend Warrior BBQ |