Kings of Q BBQ Cook-Off and Festival
2023-05-19 – 2023-05-20 · Ayden, NC · 📍 462 Second St · State championship
Prize money: $10,000.00
Grand Champion: Smoke and Brew (705.6684) · 25 teams
Reserve Champion: 🥈 OFF THE RACK 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 dynasty in the making
REDNECK SCIENTIFIC has won this contest 2 times across its 7 tracked editions.
💪 A statement win
The champion won by 9.1540 points — a wider margin than 87% of championships in the data.
📸 Photo finishes
Chicken places 2–3: Optimus Swine and REDNECK SCIENTIFIC tied on 177.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 3–4: REDNECK SCIENTIFIC and CHUNKY BBQ tied on 177.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 4–5: FRED VEGAS SMOKERS and SMOKIN SKULLIES tied on 174.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
🛡️ Back to defend
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: REDNECK SCIENTIFIC (won 2016, 2017), MUTTLEY CREW BBQ (won 2018, 2019).
🃏 An upset on the books
SMOKE N BREW came in rated below the field's top team, Ham Squad, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 25-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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-05-20 | Downtown Ayden | 30 | 688.6060 | REDNECK SCIENTIFIC | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | |
| 2017-05-19 | 462 second st | 36 | 684.4796 | REDNECK SCIENTIFIC | MCADOO HEIGHTS BBQ | |
| 2018-05-18 | 462 second st | 38 | 691.9772 | MUTTLEY CREW BBQ | SOUTHERN Q COMPETITION COOK TEAM | |
| 2019-05-17 | Ayden, NC | 462 Second St | 36 | 691.3712 | Muttley Crew BBQ | 3N1 Q |
| 2022-05-20 | Ayden, NC | 462 Second St | 32 | 691.9084 | Old Virginia Smoke | Optimus Swine |
| 2023-05-19 ← this one | Ayden, NC | 462 Second St | 25 | 705.6684 | Smoke and Brew | OFF THE RACK BBQ |
| 2024-05-17 | Ayden, NC | Ayden, NC 28513 | 18 | 695.3716 | Optimus Swine | SMOKIN SKULLIES |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.8572 | 176.0000 | 171.9772 |
| Pork Ribs | 180.0000 | 173.1200 | 168.5256 |
| Pork | 176.5828 | 174.2628 | 170.8228 |
| Brisket | 177.7144 | 171.9772 | 167.3828 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
25 entries · top 705.6684 · median 668.9944
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKE N BREW | |
| 2 | OFF THE RACK BBQ | |
| 3 | CHUNKY BBQ | |
| 4 | Ham Squad | |
| 5 | TWISTED PAIR BBQ | |
| 6 | Optimus Swine | |
| 7 | Burn Barrel BBQ | |
| 8 | REDNECK SCIENTIFIC | |
| 9 | SMOKIN SKULLIES | |
| 10 | FRED VEGAS SMOKERS | |
| 11 | MUTTLEY CREW BBQ | |
| 12 | Swine 'N' Roses BBQ | |
| 13 | Blue Ribbon BBQ NC | |
| 14 | CHOCK FULL OF BARBEQUE | |
| 15 | TNT Explosive BBQ | |
| 16 | Coastal Smoke | |
| 17 | SOUTHERN Q COMPETITION COOK TEAM | |
| 18 | HOLY SMOKE BBQ-NC | |
| 19 | POKE N SMOKE | |
| 20 | Feelin' Swine BBQ | |
| 21 | J-3 BBQ | |
| 22 | BIG DOG BBQ VA | |
| 23 | Fat Heads BBQ | |
| 24 | Bomber Que | |
| 25 | Conviction BBQ Team |
Chicken
25 entries · top 178.8572 · median 169.6800
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | OFF THE RACK BBQ | |
| 2 | Optimus Swine | |
| 3 | REDNECK SCIENTIFIC | |
| 4 | CHUNKY BBQ | |
| 5 | Ham Squad | |
| 6 | SMOKE N BREW | |
| 7 | TWISTED PAIR BBQ | |
| 8 | J-3 BBQ | |
| 9 | TNT Explosive BBQ | |
| 10 | Blue Ribbon BBQ NC | |
| 11 | Swine 'N' Roses BBQ | |
| 12 | CHOCK FULL OF BARBEQUE | |
| 13 | SOUTHERN Q COMPETITION COOK TEAM | |
| 14 | SMOKIN SKULLIES | |
| 15 | Burn Barrel BBQ | |
| 16 | BIG DOG BBQ VA | |
| 17 | FRED VEGAS SMOKERS | |
| 18 | HOLY SMOKE BBQ-NC | |
| 19 | Feelin' Swine BBQ | |
| 20 | POKE N SMOKE | |
| 21 | Bomber Que | |
| 22 | MUTTLEY CREW BBQ | |
| 23 | Coastal Smoke | |
| 24 | Conviction BBQ Team | |
| 25 | Fat Heads BBQ |
Pork Ribs
25 entries · top 180.0000 · median 167.3828 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKE N BREW | |
| 2 | CHUNKY BBQ | |
| 3 | OFF THE RACK BBQ | |
| 4 | Burn Barrel BBQ | |
| 5 | REDNECK SCIENTIFIC | |
| 6 | Ham Squad | |
| 7 | Optimus Swine | |
| 8 | FRED VEGAS SMOKERS | |
| 9 | Swine 'N' Roses BBQ | |
| 10 | TWISTED PAIR BBQ | |
| 11 | MUTTLEY CREW BBQ | |
| 12 | SMOKIN SKULLIES | |
| 13 | Blue Ribbon BBQ NC | |
| 14 | POKE N SMOKE | |
| 15 | CHOCK FULL OF BARBEQUE | |
| 16 | Coastal Smoke | |
| 17 | Fat Heads BBQ | |
| 18 | Conviction BBQ Team | |
| 19 | Feelin' Swine BBQ | |
| 20 | SOUTHERN Q COMPETITION COOK TEAM | |
| 21 | TNT Explosive BBQ | |
| 22 | BIG DOG BBQ VA | |
| 23 | HOLY SMOKE BBQ-NC | |
| 24 | Bomber Que | |
| 25 | J-3 BBQ |
Pork
25 entries · top 176.5828 · median 167.4172
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TWISTED PAIR BBQ | |
| 2 | Optimus Swine | |
| 3 | MUTTLEY CREW BBQ | |
| 4 | FRED VEGAS SMOKERS | |
| 5 | SMOKIN SKULLIES | |
| 6 | REDNECK SCIENTIFIC | |
| 7 | SMOKE N BREW | |
| 8 | Ham Squad | |
| 9 | OFF THE RACK BBQ | |
| 10 | CHUNKY BBQ | |
| 11 | Burn Barrel BBQ | |
| 12 | Swine 'N' Roses BBQ | |
| 13 | CHOCK FULL OF BARBEQUE | |
| 14 | Blue Ribbon BBQ NC | |
| 15 | HOLY SMOKE BBQ-NC | |
| 16 | Feelin' Swine BBQ | |
| 17 | TNT Explosive BBQ | |
| 18 | Coastal Smoke | |
| 19 | Bomber Que | |
| 20 | J-3 BBQ | |
| 21 | BIG DOG BBQ VA | |
| 22 | SOUTHERN Q COMPETITION COOK TEAM | |
| 23 | POKE N SMOKE | |
| 24 | Fat Heads BBQ | |
| 25 | Conviction BBQ Team |
Brisket
25 entries · top 177.7144 · median 165.0972
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burn Barrel BBQ | |
| 2 | SMOKE N BREW | |
| 3 | TWISTED PAIR BBQ | |
| 4 | Ham Squad | |
| 5 | OFF THE RACK BBQ | |
| 6 | CHUNKY BBQ | |
| 7 | SMOKIN SKULLIES | |
| 8 | FRED VEGAS SMOKERS | |
| 9 | MUTTLEY CREW BBQ | |
| 10 | Optimus Swine | |
| 11 | TNT Explosive BBQ | |
| 12 | Coastal Smoke | |
| 13 | SOUTHERN Q COMPETITION COOK TEAM | |
| 14 | HOLY SMOKE BBQ-NC | |
| 15 | Swine 'N' Roses BBQ | |
| 16 | POKE N SMOKE | |
| 17 | Blue Ribbon BBQ NC | |
| 18 | Fat Heads BBQ | |
| 19 | REDNECK SCIENTIFIC | |
| 20 | CHOCK FULL OF BARBEQUE | |
| 21 | J-3 BBQ | |
| 22 | Feelin' Swine BBQ | |
| 23 | BIG DOG BBQ VA | |
| 24 | Bomber Que | |
| 25 | Conviction BBQ Team |