Sep 25–26, 2026 · Townsend, TN · 📍 7930 E Lamar Alexander Pkwy · State championship
Reps: Connie Amidei, Jonathan Amidei · Prize money: $10,000
Alpine Smoke Works won Grand Champion at the Big BBQ Bash on September 25, 2026 in Townsend, TN at 7930 E Lamar Alexander Pkwy, scoring 701.1088 in a field of 30 teams. Bad Rooster BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 698.2288. Category winners: Chicken — Rooters-N-Tooters (177.7028); Pork Ribs — Brother In Law BBQ Team (180.0000); Pork — Bad Rooster BBQ (177.7144); Brisket — Alpine Smoke Works (178.8572). This is the 6th of 6 editions of this contest on record; the 2025 edition was won by Alpine Smoke Works.
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 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 74 times in 100
ALPINE SMOKE WORKS came in rated below the field's top team, MUDVILLE BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 26-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
Alpine Smoke Works won here last time out too — 2 straight editions of this contest.
2 of 6 tracked editions
Alpine Smoke Works has won this contest 2 times across its 6 tracked editions.
Chicken places 2–3: Alpine Smoke Works and BAR-B-Q 101 tied on 176.5716 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 4–5: Smokin' Sweetmeats and Zips BBQ tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 9–10: Tennessee Smoke Showin and Quenut BBQ tied on 171.9656 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
Alpine Smoke Works took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork ribs at 16th.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Bad Rooster BBQ (won 2022), Alpine Smoke Works (won 2025).
1 perfect 180 was scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 24, 2016 | Maryville, TN | Maryville, TN | 31 | 701.7260 | UNDER THE RADAR | CONTAGIOUS Q |
| Jun 24, 2022 | Maryville, TN | 2003 E. Broadway Avenue | 29 | 700.5028 | Bad Rooster BBQ | Organizer Portal |
| Jun 23, 2023 | Maryville, TN | 2003 E. Broadway Avenue | 36 | 714.2628 | Swig-N-Pig | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN |
| Jun 21, 2024 | Maryville, TN | 2003 E. Broadway Avenue | 33 | 705.0856 | Rooters-N-Tooters TN | Glamping Grillers |
| Jun 20, 2025 | Maryville, TN | 2003 E. Broadway Ave. | 26 | 707.4056 | Alpine Smoke Works | DANG GOOD BBQ |
| Sep 25, 2026 ← this one | Townsend, TN | 7930 E Lamar Alexander Pkwy | 30 | 701.1088 | Alpine Smoke Works | Bad Rooster BBQ |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 177.7028 | 176.5600 | 171.9656 |
| Pork Ribs | 180 | 174.2744 | 170.8228 |
| Pork | 177.7144 | 174.8572 | 171.4172 |
| Brisket | 178.8572 | 174.2628 | 170.8344 |
30 entries · top 701.1088 · median 668.9886
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alpine Smoke Works | |
| 2 | Bad Rooster BBQ | |
| 3 | Rooters-N-Tooters | |
| 4 | Zips BBQ | |
| 5 | Tennessee Smoke Showin | |
| 6 | Kith n' Kin | |
| 7 | HalaQyah BBQ | |
| 8 | Mudville BBQ | |
| 9 | Brother In Law BBQ Team | |
| 10 | Smokin' Sweetmeats | |
| 11 | Big Alz BBQ | |
| 12 | Big Fluff BBQ | |
| 13 | ChooChoo BBQ | |
| 14 | TNT BBQ | |
| 15 | Quenut BBQ | |
| 16 | Hillbilly Hot Butts | |
| 17 | Cast Iron Cookers | |
| 18 | Two Old Dudes BBQ | |
| 19 | Hoggy Bottom Boys | |
| 20 | BAR-B-Q 101 | |
| 21 | On the Brink BBQ | |
| 22 | Bad Brad's BBQ | |
| 23 | Knox Vegas BBQ | |
| 24 | Chairman of the Boar | |
| 25 | 4 Paws BBQ | |
| 26 | Rehab BBQ | |
| 27 | Rouse Construction | |
| 28 | The Cor-Tenn Company | |
| 29 | Tennessee River Cookers | |
| 30 | Still Site BBQ |
30 entries · top 177.7028 · median 167.4000
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rooters-N-Tooters | |
| 2 | Alpine Smoke Works | |
| 3 | BAR-B-Q 101 | |
| 4 | Smokin' Sweetmeats | |
| 5 | Zips BBQ | |
| 6 | Bad Rooster BBQ | |
| 7 | HalaQyah BBQ | |
| 8 | Kith n' Kin | |
| 9 | Tennessee Smoke Showin | |
| 10 | Quenut BBQ | |
| 11 | Brother In Law BBQ Team | |
| 12 | 4 Paws BBQ | |
| 13 | ChooChoo BBQ | |
| 14 | On the Brink BBQ | |
| 15 | Two Old Dudes BBQ | |
| 16 | Tennessee River Cookers | |
| 17 | Chairman of the Boar | |
| 18 | Cast Iron Cookers | |
| 19 | Mudville BBQ | |
| 20 | Big Fluff BBQ | |
| 21 | Hoggy Bottom Boys | |
| 22 | Big Alz BBQ | |
| 23 | Still Site BBQ | |
| 24 | Bad Brad's BBQ | |
| 25 | Knox Vegas BBQ | |
| 26 | Hillbilly Hot Butts | |
| 27 | TNT BBQ | |
| 28 | Rouse Construction | |
| 29 | The Cor-Tenn Company | |
| 30 | Rehab BBQ |
30 entries · top 180 · median 168.2572 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brother In Law BBQ Team | |
| 2 | HalaQyah BBQ | |
| 3 | Rooters-N-Tooters | |
| 4 | Mudville BBQ | |
| 5 | Tennessee Smoke Showin | |
| 6 | Bad Brad's BBQ | |
| 7 | Big Fluff BBQ | |
| 8 | Big Alz BBQ | |
| 9 | Bad Rooster BBQ | |
| 10 | Zips BBQ | |
| 11 | Rehab BBQ | |
| 12 | TNT BBQ | |
| 13 | Hillbilly Hot Butts | |
| 14 | On the Brink BBQ | |
| 15 | Smokin' Sweetmeats | |
| 16 | Alpine Smoke Works | |
| 17 | Kith n' Kin | |
| 18 | Cast Iron Cookers | |
| 19 | Quenut BBQ | |
| 20 | The Cor-Tenn Company | |
| 21 | Hoggy Bottom Boys | |
| 22 | ChooChoo BBQ | |
| 23 | Knox Vegas BBQ | |
| 24 | BAR-B-Q 101 | |
| 25 | 4 Paws BBQ | |
| 26 | Two Old Dudes BBQ | |
| 27 | Tennessee River Cookers | |
| 28 | Chairman of the Boar | |
| 29 | Rouse Construction | |
| 30 | Still Site BBQ |
30 entries · top 177.7144 · median 167.6856
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bad Rooster BBQ | |
| 2 | Alpine Smoke Works | |
| 3 | ChooChoo BBQ | |
| 4 | Kith n' Kin | |
| 5 | Big Alz BBQ | |
| 6 | Rooters-N-Tooters | |
| 7 | TNT BBQ | |
| 8 | Tennessee Smoke Showin | |
| 9 | Hillbilly Hot Butts | |
| 10 | Rehab BBQ | |
| 11 | Big Fluff BBQ | |
| 12 | HalaQyah BBQ | |
| 13 | Quenut BBQ | |
| 14 | Mudville BBQ | |
| 15 | Chairman of the Boar | |
| 16 | Two Old Dudes BBQ | |
| 17 | Rouse Construction | |
| 18 | Brother In Law BBQ Team | |
| 19 | Zips BBQ | |
| 20 | Hoggy Bottom Boys | |
| 21 | Cast Iron Cookers | |
| 22 | The Cor-Tenn Company | |
| 23 | Smokin' Sweetmeats | |
| 24 | Knox Vegas BBQ | |
| 25 | On the Brink BBQ | |
| 26 | Bad Brad's BBQ | |
| 27 | BAR-B-Q 101 | |
| 28 | 4 Paws BBQ | |
| 29 | Still Site BBQ | |
| 30 | Tennessee River Cookers |
30 entries · top 178.8572 · median 167.3828
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alpine Smoke Works | |
| 2 | Zips BBQ | |
| 3 | Mudville BBQ | |
| 4 | Bad Rooster BBQ | |
| 5 | Kith n' Kin | |
| 6 | Smokin' Sweetmeats | |
| 7 | Two Old Dudes BBQ | |
| 8 | Big Fluff BBQ | |
| 9 | Tennessee Smoke Showin | |
| 10 | Big Alz BBQ | |
| 11 | Rooters-N-Tooters | |
| 12 | Hoggy Bottom Boys | |
| 13 | Cast Iron Cookers | |
| 14 | ChooChoo BBQ | |
| 15 | Knox Vegas BBQ | |
| 16 | HalaQyah BBQ | |
| 17 | Brother In Law BBQ Team | |
| 18 | TNT BBQ | |
| 19 | Hillbilly Hot Butts | |
| 20 | Chairman of the Boar | |
| 21 | BAR-B-Q 101 | |
| 22 | Quenut BBQ | |
| 23 | 4 Paws BBQ | |
| 24 | On the Brink BBQ | |
| 25 | Rehab BBQ | |
| 26 | Still Site BBQ | |
| 27 | Bad Brad's BBQ | |
| 28 | Tennessee River Cookers | |
| 29 | Rouse Construction | |
| 30 | The Cor-Tenn Company |