Oct 14–15, 2022 · Belair, MD · 📍 2 S Bond St · State championship
Reps: Angela McKee, Robert McKee · Prize money: $12,500
TNT Explosive BBQ won Grand Champion at the Maryland State BBQ Bash on October 14, 2022 in Belair, MD at 2 S Bond St, scoring 693.6684 in a field of 30 teams. NOT SO FAMOUS DAVE'S BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 693.6112. Category winners: Chicken — Dante's Inferno (179.4400); Pork Ribs — NOT SO FAMOUS DAVE'S BBQ (180.0000); Pork — ALL FIRED UP BBQ (175.4172); Brisket — TNT Explosive BBQ (177.1428). The Backyard Series standings were won by Ham Squad with 348.0116. This is the 6th of 7 editions of this contest on record; the 2021 edition was won by 3N1 Q; the next was held in 2023.
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 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.
Closer than 96% of the 4,713 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 0.0572 points — closer than 96% of every championship in the data.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 87 times in 100
TNT Explosive BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, 3 EYZ BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 13-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
This was TNT Explosive BBQ's first Grand Championship in the data — it arrived at their 10th tracked contest.
Master Series — Pork places 2–3: NOT SO FAMOUS DAVE'S BBQ and SMOKECRAFT - MD tied on 175.4056 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Pork places 5–6: GLAZED AND INFUSED NEW JERSEY BBQ and 3 EYZ BBQ tied on 174.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Brisket places 4–5: CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ and LAKEVIEW BBQ tied on 170.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
Ham Squad won Chicken, Pork Ribs — a double.
TNT Explosive BBQ took the title on 2 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was chicken at 13th.
NOT SO FAMOUS DAVE'S BBQ turned in 180.0000 in pork ribs — past the 176.5944 that had stood across 5 earlier editions.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Nice Racks (won 2019).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 12, 2016 | Bel Air, MD | Bel Air, MD | 42 | 683.9540 | SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE | HAWG NATION BBQ |
| Aug 11, 2017 | Bel Air, MD | 2S Bond Street | 47 | 686.2056 | UNCLE PIG'S BARBEQUE PIT | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE |
| Aug 10, 2018 | Bel Air, MD | 2S Bond Street | 38 | 687.4056 | APORKALYPSE NOW | CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ |
| Aug 9, 2019 | Belair, MD | 2S Bond St | 30 | 690.2284 | Nice Racks | APORKALYPSE NOW |
| Oct 15, 2021 | Belair, MD | 2 S Bond St | 25 | 701.1200 | 3N1 Q | DRILLING & GRILLING |
| Oct 14, 2022 ← this one | Belair, MD | 2 S Bond St | 30 | 693.6684 | TNT Explosive BBQ | NOT SO FAMOUS DAVE'S BBQ |
| Oct 13, 2023 | Bel Air, MD | 2 S Bond St | 23 | 699.9660 | Cool Smoke | SWEET BELLY'S BBQ |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Series — Chicken | 179.4400 | 176 | 172.5600 |
| Master Series — Pork Ribs | 180 | 174.2628 | 169.1200 |
| Master Series — Pork | 175.4172 | 174.2628 | 170.8228 |
| Master Series — Brisket | 177.1428 | 170.2628 | 167.3828 |
| Backyard Series — Chicken | 178.2972 | 166.8572 | 166.2400 |
| Backyard Series — Pork Ribs | 169.7144 | 167.3944 | 164.6288 |
30 entries · top 693.6684 · median 664.4516
30 entries · top 179.4400 · median 168.8228
30 entries · top 180 · median 163.9886 · 🔥 perfect 180
30 entries · top 175.4172 · median 163.9828
30 entries · top 177.1428 · median 163.6570
41 entries · top 348.0116 · median 313.6000
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ham Squad | |
| 2 | Sticky Bones BBQ | |
| 3 | Bourbon & Blues BBQ | |
| 4 | Mispillion Meat Works | |
| 5 | Weber's Backyard BBQ | |
| 6 | Alchemy BBQ | |
| 7 | Capt. Blue BBQ | |
| 8 | Zoni-Q | |
| 9 | Small Batch BBQ MD | |
| 10 | Bill's Back Yard | |
| 11 | Smokin Dixie BBQ | |
| 12 | Rubbin' and Chuggin' | |
| 13 | Money Muscle BBQ | |
| 14 | House of Hawg BBQ | |
| 15 | Top Hat Smoking | |
| 16 | Oink n Doink BBQ | |
| 17 | Bark-N-Dawgz BBQ | |
| 18 | Kane's BBQ | |
| 19 | Harford Retirement Planners | |
| 20 | Berb-BQ | |
| 21 | Blue Line BBQ | |
| 22 | Make BBQ Great Again | |
| 23 | Smokey Bro's | |
| 24 | Big Boy BBQ | |
| 25 | Pig Kahunas | |
| 26 | Big River BBQ | |
| 27 | Bone Suckin' Good BBQ | |
| 28 | Smokin Daddio | |
| 29 | Pool Crew BBQ | |
| 30 | Smokie and The Bandits | |
| 31 | Estancia | |
| 32 | Smoke Show BBQ | |
| 33 | Meats and Bounds | |
| 34 | Castleton Q' | |
| 35 | Crofton Backyard Smoke | |
| 36 | BBQ McLovin' | |
| 37 | Whip Up King | |
| 38 | Bearded BBQ | |
| 39 | Four Roses BBQ | |
| 40 | BulldogBBQ | |
| 41 | CDI/Clearpath #1 |
41 entries · top 178.2972 · median 158.8000
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ham Squad | |
| 2 | Sticky Bones BBQ | |
| 3 | Rubbin' and Chuggin' | |
| 4 | Smokie and The Bandits | |
| 5 | Bourbon & Blues BBQ | |
| 6 | Zoni-Q | |
| 7 | Smokin Dixie BBQ | |
| 8 | Bill's Back Yard | |
| 9 | Money Muscle BBQ | |
| 10 | Oink n Doink BBQ | |
| 11 | Mispillion Meat Works | |
| 12 | CDI/Clearpath #1 | |
| 13 | Alchemy BBQ | |
| 14 | Capt. Blue BBQ | |
| 15 | Weber's Backyard BBQ | |
| 16 | Kane's BBQ | |
| 17 | Big River BBQ | |
| 18 | Small Batch BBQ MD | |
| 19 | Smokey Bro's | |
| 20 | Pig Kahunas | |
| 21 | Make BBQ Great Again | |
| 22 | Berb-BQ | |
| 23 | Top Hat Smoking | |
| 24 | Blue Line BBQ | |
| 25 | House of Hawg BBQ | |
| 26 | Bone Suckin' Good BBQ | |
| 27 | Pool Crew BBQ | |
| 28 | Bark-N-Dawgz BBQ | |
| 29 | Big Boy BBQ | |
| 30 | Smokin Daddio | |
| 31 | Four Roses BBQ | |
| 32 | Harford Retirement Planners | |
| 33 | Bearded BBQ | |
| 34 | Castleton Q' | |
| 35 | Smoke Show BBQ | |
| 36 | BulldogBBQ | |
| 37 | Whip Up King | |
| 38 | Meats and Bounds | |
| 39 | Estancia | |
| 40 | Crofton Backyard Smoke | |
| 41 | BBQ McLovin' |
41 entries · top 169.7144 · median 156.5028
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ham Squad | |
| 2 | Bourbon & Blues BBQ | |
| 3 | Weber's Backyard BBQ | |
| 4 | Mispillion Meat Works | |
| 5 | House of Hawg BBQ | |
| 6 | Harford Retirement Planners | |
| 7 | Capt. Blue BBQ | |
| 8 | Alchemy BBQ | |
| 9 | Small Batch BBQ MD | |
| 10 | Bark-N-Dawgz BBQ | |
| 11 | Top Hat Smoking | |
| 12 | Zoni-Q | |
| 13 | Sticky Bones BBQ | |
| 14 | Estancia | |
| 15 | Bill's Back Yard | |
| 16 | Smokin Dixie BBQ | |
| 17 | BBQ McLovin' | |
| 18 | Money Muscle BBQ | |
| 19 | Big Boy BBQ | |
| 20 | Smokin Daddio | |
| 21 | Blue Line BBQ | |
| 22 | Berb-BQ | |
| 23 | Kane's BBQ | |
| 24 | Rubbin' and Chuggin' | |
| 25 | Make BBQ Great Again | |
| 26 | Meats and Bounds | |
| 27 | Bone Suckin' Good BBQ | |
| 28 | Oink n Doink BBQ | |
| 29 | Crofton Backyard Smoke | |
| 30 | Smoke Show BBQ | |
| 31 | Smokey Bro's | |
| 32 | Pig Kahunas | |
| 33 | Pool Crew BBQ | |
| 34 | Big River BBQ | |
| 35 | Castleton Q' | |
| 36 | Whip Up King | |
| 37 | Bearded BBQ | |
| 38 | BulldogBBQ | |
| 39 | Four Roses BBQ | |
| 40 | Smokie and The Bandits | |
| 41 | CDI/Clearpath #1 |