May 5–6, 2023 · Westland, MI · 📍 6440 N. Hix Road · State championship
Reps: Becky Druetzler, Dave Druetzler · Prize money: $6,000
KEVLAR BBQ won Grand Champion at the Smoke in the Mitten BBQ Competition on May 5, 2023 in Westland, MI at 6440 N. Hix Road, scoring 706.8228 in a field of 25 teams. THE BBQ BUS took Reserve Grand Champion with 699.9312. Category winners: Chicken — JAYBIRD'S BBQ (180.0000); Pork Ribs — Thin Blue BBQ (175.4172); Pork — Q-JITSU (175.4400); Brisket — THE BBQ BUS (180.0000). This is the 1st of 2 editions of this contest on record; the next was held in 2024.
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.
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 84 times in 100
KEVLAR BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, GREY STREET BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 16-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
KEVLAR BBQ won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 4 calls from 4 boards, best of them 2nd. Consistency beat fireworks.
3 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
Chicken places 2–3: KEVLAR BBQ and BIG GUYS Q tied on 177.7144 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 1–2: Thin Blue BBQ and MAC ATTACK BBQ tied on 175.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 6–7: THE BBQ BUS and iBQ'n tied on 172.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 5, 2023 ← this one | Westland, MI | 6440 N. Hix Road | 25 | 706.8228 | Kevlar BBQ | THE BBQ BUS |
| May 3, 2024 | Westland, MI | 6440 N. Hix Road | 26 | 694.8000 | The BBQ Bus | FIREHOUSE SMOKE |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 175.4744 | 171.9772 |
| Pork Ribs | 175.4172 | 173.7028 | 170.8572 |
| Pork | 175.4400 | 173.1084 | 170.8228 |
| Brisket | 180 | 176 | 171.4400 |
25 entries · top 706.8228 · median 678.2284
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | KEVLAR BBQ | |
| 2 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 3 | BAD HABIT BBQ | |
| 4 | Q-JITSU | |
| 5 | MAC ATTACK BBQ | |
| 6 | Bleacher Bums BBQ | |
| 7 | iBQ'n | |
| 8 | GREY STREET BBQ | |
| 9 | BooyaQ | |
| 10 | JAYBIRD'S BBQ | |
| 11 | MEAN MOE'S BBQ | |
| 12 | PB&J's BBQ | |
| 13 | ALE YEAH BBQ | |
| 14 | BO B Q BBQ | |
| 15 | BIG GUYS Q | |
| 16 | QUEFELLAS BBQ | |
| 17 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 18 | Shiggin aint easy | |
| 19 | B&R SMOKE | |
| 20 | SMOKIN HOOSIERS | |
| 21 | Thin Blue BBQ | |
| 22 | PapaDads BBQ | |
| 23 | Backdraft BBQ | |
| 24 | RAMSHACKLE BBQ | |
| 25 | DAT'S BBQ |
25 entries · top 180 · median 171.4056 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JAYBIRD'S BBQ | |
| 2 | KEVLAR BBQ | |
| 3 | BIG GUYS Q | |
| 4 | PB&J's BBQ | |
| 5 | B&R SMOKE | |
| 6 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 7 | MEAN MOE'S BBQ | |
| 8 | BooyaQ | |
| 9 | BAD HABIT BBQ | |
| 10 | RAMSHACKLE BBQ | |
| 11 | iBQ'n | |
| 12 | MAC ATTACK BBQ | |
| 13 | ALE YEAH BBQ | |
| 14 | GREY STREET BBQ | |
| 15 | Bleacher Bums BBQ | |
| 16 | QUEFELLAS BBQ | |
| 17 | Backdraft BBQ | |
| 18 | Shiggin aint easy | |
| 19 | Q-JITSU | |
| 20 | SMOKIN HOOSIERS | |
| 21 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 22 | Thin Blue BBQ | |
| 23 | BO B Q BBQ | |
| 24 | PapaDads BBQ | |
| 25 | DAT'S BBQ |
25 entries · top 175.4172 · median 169.1200
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thin Blue BBQ | |
| 2 | MAC ATTACK BBQ | |
| 3 | KEVLAR BBQ | |
| 4 | Bleacher Bums BBQ | |
| 5 | MEAN MOE'S BBQ | |
| 6 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 7 | iBQ'n | |
| 8 | Q-JITSU | |
| 9 | BIG GUYS Q | |
| 10 | JAYBIRD'S BBQ | |
| 11 | BAD HABIT BBQ | |
| 12 | BooyaQ | |
| 13 | QUEFELLAS BBQ | |
| 14 | PB&J's BBQ | |
| 15 | DAT'S BBQ | |
| 16 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 17 | GREY STREET BBQ | |
| 18 | B&R SMOKE | |
| 19 | Shiggin aint easy | |
| 20 | BO B Q BBQ | |
| 21 | SMOKIN HOOSIERS | |
| 22 | PapaDads BBQ | |
| 23 | ALE YEAH BBQ | |
| 24 | Backdraft BBQ | |
| 25 | RAMSHACKLE BBQ |
25 entries · top 175.4400 · median 169.1084
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Q-JITSU | |
| 2 | KEVLAR BBQ | |
| 3 | Bleacher Bums BBQ | |
| 4 | BIG GUYS Q | |
| 5 | iBQ'n | |
| 6 | ALE YEAH BBQ | |
| 7 | BAD HABIT BBQ | |
| 8 | GREY STREET BBQ | |
| 9 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 10 | MAC ATTACK BBQ | |
| 11 | SMOKIN HOOSIERS | |
| 12 | BO B Q BBQ | |
| 13 | QUEFELLAS BBQ | |
| 14 | Shiggin aint easy | |
| 15 | BooyaQ | |
| 16 | JAYBIRD'S BBQ | |
| 17 | MEAN MOE'S BBQ | |
| 18 | Thin Blue BBQ | |
| 19 | B&R SMOKE | |
| 20 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 21 | PapaDads BBQ | |
| 22 | PB&J's BBQ | |
| 23 | DAT'S BBQ | |
| 24 | Backdraft BBQ | |
| 25 | RAMSHACKLE BBQ |
25 entries · top 180 · median 169.1428 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | THE BBQ BUS | |
| 2 | BAD HABIT BBQ | |
| 3 | KEVLAR BBQ | |
| 4 | THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | |
| 5 | BO B Q BBQ | |
| 6 | GREY STREET BBQ | |
| 7 | PB&J's BBQ | |
| 8 | Q-JITSU | |
| 9 | BooyaQ | |
| 10 | ALE YEAH BBQ | |
| 11 | MAC ATTACK BBQ | |
| 12 | iBQ'n | |
| 13 | Bleacher Bums BBQ | |
| 14 | PapaDads BBQ | |
| 15 | MEAN MOE'S BBQ | |
| 16 | Shiggin aint easy | |
| 17 | JAYBIRD'S BBQ | |
| 18 | RAMSHACKLE BBQ | |
| 19 | QUEFELLAS BBQ | |
| 20 | Backdraft BBQ | |
| 21 | SMOKIN HOOSIERS | |
| 22 | DAT'S BBQ | |
| 23 | B&R SMOKE | |
| 24 | BIG GUYS Q | |
| 25 | Thin Blue BBQ |
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.
6 entries · top 180 · median 174.2800 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GREY STREET BBQ | |
| 2 | Shiggin aint easy | |
| 3 | Smokin Bugatti BBQ | |
| 4 | PB&J's BBQ | |
| 5 | DAT'S BBQ | |
| 6 | BooyaQ |