A new contest record
707.9772
highest overall ever cooked here
707.9772 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 703.3712 YES, DEAR BBQ set in 2022.
- old record 703.3712
- set 2022 by YES, DEAR BBQ
Pigs & Peaches BBQ Festival 2023
Aug 18–19, 2023 · Kennesaw, GA · 📍 2753 Watts Dr · State championship
Reps: Julie Cook, Rusty Cook · Prize money: $10,000
One Eyed Pig BBQ won Grand Champion at the Pigs & Peaches BBQ Festival on August 18, 2023 in Kennesaw, GA at 2753 Watts Dr, scoring 707.9772 in a field of 27 teams. Kings BBQ Team took Reserve Grand Champion with 703.3712. Category winners: Chicken — YES, DEAR BBQ (177.7028); Pork Ribs — Smoke Central BBQ (180.0000); Pork — SWEET DIXIE BBQ (178.8572); Brisket — Peckerwood Country Club (180.0000). The Backyard Series standings were won by RUNNING STYLE BBQ - GA with 526.2516. This is the 3rd of 4 editions of this contest on record; the 2022 edition was won by YES, DEAR BBQ; the next was held in 2024.
The contest at a glance (read off the scored boards)
How the field scored
Overall totals, every team on the board — tall stacks are where the pack sat.
631.81
median 681.60
707.98 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Master Series — Chicken 177.70
- Master Series — Pork Ribs 180 🔥
- Master Series — Pork 178.86
- Master Series — Brisket 180 🔥
- Backyard Series — Chicken 180 🔥
- Backyard Series — Pork Ribs 177.15
- Backyard Series — Pork 173.15
143.93
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2021 to 2024 — this edition picked out.
Entries
27
7 judged meats · 2 ancillary
Top score
707.9772
Winning margin
4.6060
GC over RC
Field average
677.99
631.81707.98
median 681.60 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
4 🔥
Tightest race
Pork
1.7488 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
689.0400
631.81707.98
10th place overall
Field spread
76.1712
winner to last place
Prize money
$10,000
on the line
Double threats
8
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 7%
beats 93% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
60%
30 of 50 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Moderate
ρ = -0.56 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,555
avg power rating going in · stronger than 42% of contests
Storylines (7 found in this contest's numbers)
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
An upset on the books
29-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 71 times in 100
ONE EYED PIG BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, Smoke Central BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 29-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
- champion 1670
- top seed 1823
Won without a category win
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
One Eyed Pig BBQ won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 4 calls from 4 boards, best of them 3rd. Consistency beat fireworks.
- Chicken 3rd
- Pork Ribs 9th
- Pork 4th
- Brisket 3rd
A day of perfect scores
4
perfect 180s
4 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- RUNNING STYLE BBQ - GA · Chicken
- Peckerwood Country Club · Brisket
- ZIPS BBQ · Brisket
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 22 calls decided inside half a point
Master Series — Chicken places 2–3: PeachCoast BBQ and One Eyed Pig BBQ tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Chicken places 5–6: Pappy & Roleys and Smoke Central BBQ tied on 175.4288 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Chicken places 8–9: MAYA JANE BBQ CO. and Kings BBQ Team tied on 174.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Master Series — Chicken 2–3 · tie
- Master Series — Chicken 5–6 · tie
- Master Series — Chicken 8–9 · tie
- Master Series — Pork Ribs 8–9 · tie
A contest record in pork ribs
180.0000
best pork ribs ever cooked here
Smoke Central BBQ turned in 180.0000 in pork ribs — past the 178.8572 that had stood across 2 earlier editions.
- old best 178.8572
- across 2 past editions
Back to defend
1
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: YES, DEAR BBQ (won 2022).
- YES, DEAR BBQ · 2022
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)
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 20, 2021 | Kennesaw, GA | 2753 Watts Dr | 26 | 695.9656 | ANGRY JACK BBQ | STEWBABYS BBQ |
| Aug 19, 2022 | Kennesaw, GA | 2753 Watts Dr | 30 | 703.3712 | YES, DEAR BBQ | Smoke Central BBQ |
| Aug 18, 2023 ← this one | Kennesaw, GA | 2753 Watts Dr | 27 | 707.9772 | ONE EYED PIG BBQ | Kings BBQ Team |
| Aug 16, 2024 | Kennesaw, GA | 2753 Watts Dr | 26 | 707.3944 | Bad Rooster BBQ | YES, DEAR BBQ |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Series — Chicken | 177.7028 | 175.4288 | 173.1084 |
| Master Series — Pork Ribs | 180 | 177.1544 | 175.4172 |
| Master Series — Pork | 178.8572 | 175.4172 | 171.9656 |
| Master Series — Brisket | 180 | 175.4056 | 172.5600 |
| Backyard Series — Chicken | 180 | 167.9656 | 162.2400 |
| Backyard Series — Pork Ribs | 177.1544 | 173.1316 | 166.2516 |
| Backyard Series — Pork | 173.1544 | 171.4056 | 163.3828 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
27 entries · top 707.9772 · median 681.6000
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | One Eyed Pig BBQ | |
| 2 | Kings BBQ Team | |
| 3 | YES, DEAR BBQ | |
| 4 | MAYA JANE BBQ CO. | |
| 5 | ZIPS BBQ | |
| 6 | SWEET DIXIE BBQ | |
| 7 | Peckerwood Country Club | |
| 8 | Pappy & Roleys | |
| 9 | Smoke Central BBQ | |
| 10 | ROLLIN KOLBZ | |
| 11 | HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ | |
| 12 | Barking Pig BBQ | |
| 13 | SMOKE SHOW MAFIA | |
| 14 | BAD ROOSTER BBQ | |
| 15 | The BBQ Asylum | |
| 16 | Willingham's | |
| 17 | STEWBABYS BBQ | |
| 18 | TENNESSEE SMOKE SHOWIN | |
| 19 | CHOOCHOO BBQ | |
| 20 | Blue Smoke Q | |
| 21 | PeachCoast BBQ | |
| 22 | QUENUT BBQ | |
| 23 | CHILI MO BBQ | |
| 24 | SPRAT BOY BARBEQUE | |
| 25 | HICKORY FLAT BBQ CO. | |
| 26 | CHOOCHOO TRAIN BBQ | |
| 27 | GREEN HILL BARBECUE |
Chicken
27 entries · top 177.7028 · median 171.9772
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | YES, DEAR BBQ | |
| 2 | PeachCoast BBQ | |
| 3 | One Eyed Pig BBQ | |
| 4 | SMOKE SHOW MAFIA | |
| 5 | Pappy & Roleys | |
| 6 | Smoke Central BBQ | |
| 7 | Willingham's | |
| 8 | MAYA JANE BBQ CO. | |
| 9 | Kings BBQ Team | |
| 10 | HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ | |
| 11 | Blue Smoke Q | |
| 12 | ZIPS BBQ | |
| 13 | The BBQ Asylum | |
| 14 | Peckerwood Country Club | |
| 15 | QUENUT BBQ | |
| 16 | BAD ROOSTER BBQ | |
| 17 | Barking Pig BBQ | |
| 18 | STEWBABYS BBQ | |
| 19 | SWEET DIXIE BBQ | |
| 20 | ROLLIN KOLBZ | |
| 21 | HICKORY FLAT BBQ CO. | |
| 22 | CHILI MO BBQ | |
| 23 | TENNESSEE SMOKE SHOWIN | |
| 24 | SPRAT BOY BARBEQUE | |
| 25 | CHOOCHOO TRAIN BBQ | |
| 26 | CHOOCHOO BBQ | |
| 27 | GREEN HILL BARBECUE |
Pork Ribs
27 entries · top 180 · median 174.2628 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smoke Central BBQ | |
| 2 | ROLLIN KOLBZ | |
| 3 | YES, DEAR BBQ | |
| 4 | HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ | |
| 5 | MAYA JANE BBQ CO. | |
| 6 | ZIPS BBQ | |
| 7 | STEWBABYS BBQ | |
| 8 | Kings BBQ Team | |
| 9 | One Eyed Pig BBQ | |
| 10 | Pappy & Roleys | |
| 11 | HICKORY FLAT BBQ CO. | |
| 12 | The BBQ Asylum | |
| 13 | SWEET DIXIE BBQ | |
| 14 | TENNESSEE SMOKE SHOWIN | |
| 15 | Peckerwood Country Club | |
| 16 | GREEN HILL BARBECUE | |
| 17 | Barking Pig BBQ | |
| 18 | BAD ROOSTER BBQ | |
| 19 | CHOOCHOO BBQ | |
| 20 | Willingham's | |
| 21 | PeachCoast BBQ | |
| 22 | QUENUT BBQ | |
| 23 | CHILI MO BBQ | |
| 24 | SPRAT BOY BARBEQUE | |
| 25 | CHOOCHOO TRAIN BBQ | |
| 26 | SMOKE SHOW MAFIA | |
| 27 | Blue Smoke Q |
Pork
27 entries · top 178.8572 · median 168.5372
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SWEET DIXIE BBQ | |
| 2 | ROLLIN KOLBZ | |
| 3 | Kings BBQ Team | |
| 4 | One Eyed Pig BBQ | |
| 5 | BAD ROOSTER BBQ | |
| 6 | SMOKE SHOW MAFIA | |
| 7 | Blue Smoke Q | |
| 8 | CHOOCHOO BBQ | |
| 9 | MAYA JANE BBQ CO. | |
| 10 | Barking Pig BBQ | |
| 11 | YES, DEAR BBQ | |
| 12 | Willingham's | |
| 13 | Peckerwood Country Club | |
| 14 | CHILI MO BBQ | |
| 15 | HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ | |
| 16 | ZIPS BBQ | |
| 17 | Pappy & Roleys | |
| 18 | STEWBABYS BBQ | |
| 19 | Smoke Central BBQ | |
| 20 | The BBQ Asylum | |
| 21 | TENNESSEE SMOKE SHOWIN | |
| 22 | QUENUT BBQ | |
| 23 | PeachCoast BBQ | |
| 24 | CHOOCHOO TRAIN BBQ | |
| 25 | SPRAT BOY BARBEQUE | |
| 26 | HICKORY FLAT BBQ CO. | |
| 27 | GREEN HILL BARBECUE |
Brisket
27 entries · top 180 · median 171.4056 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peckerwood Country Club | |
| 2 | ZIPS BBQ | |
| 3 | One Eyed Pig BBQ | |
| 4 | CHOOCHOO BBQ | |
| 5 | Kings BBQ Team | |
| 6 | TENNESSEE SMOKE SHOWIN | |
| 7 | MAYA JANE BBQ CO. | |
| 8 | YES, DEAR BBQ | |
| 9 | Barking Pig BBQ | |
| 10 | QUENUT BBQ | |
| 11 | Pappy & Roleys | |
| 12 | SWEET DIXIE BBQ | |
| 13 | SMOKE SHOW MAFIA | |
| 14 | The BBQ Asylum | |
| 15 | Willingham's | |
| 16 | Smoke Central BBQ | |
| 17 | PeachCoast BBQ | |
| 18 | STEWBABYS BBQ | |
| 19 | CHILI MO BBQ | |
| 20 | BAD ROOSTER BBQ | |
| 21 | ROLLIN KOLBZ | |
| 22 | HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ | |
| 23 | SPRAT BOY BARBEQUE | |
| 24 | Blue Smoke Q | |
| 25 | CHOOCHOO TRAIN BBQ | |
| 26 | GREEN HILL BARBECUE | |
| 27 | HICKORY FLAT BBQ CO. |
Backyard Series
Overall
17 entries · top 526.2516 · median 497.0172 · out of 540, not the usual 360
Chicken
17 entries · top 180 · median 166.2284 · 🔥 perfect 180
Pork Ribs
17 entries · top 177.1544 · median 167.4060
Pork
17 entries · top 173.1544 · median 163.3944
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 — Anything Butt
14 entries · top 180 · median 173.1314 · 🔥 perfect 180
Ancillary — Peach Dessert
18 entries · top 180 · median 173.9886 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ETOWAH SMOKE | |
| 2 | BAD ROOSTER BBQ | |
| 3 | Steak Princess BBQ | |
| 4 | Blue Smoke Q | |
| 5 | SLATER HOUSE BBQ | |
| 6 | ZIPS BBQ | |
| 7 | HICKORY FLAT BBQ CO. | |
| 8 | BIG BAKER'S BBQ | |
| 9 | Peckerwood Country Club | |
| 10 | SPRAT BOY BARBEQUE | |
| 11 | QUENUT BBQ | |
| 12 | Barking Pig BBQ | |
| 13 | Kings BBQ Team | |
| 14 | THE DRUNKEN DUROC | |
| 15 | Willingham's | |
| 16 | SMOKING AND JOKING BBQ | |
| 17 | HUNTER'S HOT ASH BBQ | |
| 18 | HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ |