Sep 8–9, 2023 · Centralia, MO · 📍 114 S. Rollins St. · State championship
Reps: Phil Morrow Phb, Rosemary Morrow · Prize money: $5,500
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE won Grand Champion at the Anchor City Cook-Off on September 8, 2023 in Centralia, MO at 114 S. Rollins St., scoring 703.3712 in a field of 13 teams. SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 701.0972. Category winners: Chicken — UNFAMOUS DAVE'S (179.4400); Pork Ribs — AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW (179.4400); Pork — SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ (180.0000); Brisket — AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW (179.4400). The Backyard Series standings were won by Shmack Q with 352.0000. This is the 10th of 10 editions of this contest on record; the 2022 edition came before it.
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, 2013 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.
703.3712 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 700.5484 THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE set in 2018.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 82 times in 100
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE came in rated below the field's top team, SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 18-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 4 calls from 4 boards, best of them 2nd. Consistency beat fireworks.
3 of 10 tracked editions
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE has won this contest 3 times across its 10 tracked editions.
Master Series — Chicken places 3–4: SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ and THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE tied on 175.4056 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Pork Ribs places 4–5: MY 3 SONS BARBEQUE MO and UNCLE BUBS BBQ LLC tied on 173.7144 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Pork places 7–8: IN DEEP SAUCE and Ambition Que tied on 171.9772 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW won Pork Ribs, Brisket — a double.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ (won 2016), THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE (won 2018, 2021).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 11, 2013 | Centralia, MO | Centralia, MO | 29 | 688.5372 | NATURAL BORN GRILLERS | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ |
| Oct 10, 2014 | Centralia, MO | Centralia, MO 65240 | 27 | 694.2400 | GETTIN' BASTED | NATURAL BORN GRILLERS |
| Oct 9, 2015 | Centralia, MO | Centralia, MO 65240 | 20 | 693.6688 | PITMASTERIQ BBQ | SMOKE THIS BBQ MO |
| Oct 14, 2016 | Centralia, MO | City Sq | 34 | 697.0744 | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ | SMOKIN O BBQ |
| Oct 13, 2017 | Centralia, MO | 101 W Singleton | 27 | 698.7768 | OUTLAW HAWGS BBQ | SMOKIN O BBQ |
| Oct 12, 2018 | Centralia, MO | 101 W Singleton | 33 | 700.5484 | THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE | POLITICAL PORK |
| Oct 11, 2019 | Centralia, MO | City Square | 25 | 699.9428 | Gettin Basted | MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ |
| Oct 8, 2021 | Centralia, MO | Centralia, MO 65240 | 19 | 699.9544 | There's No Place Like Smoke | WOOD HOOK BBQ |
| Oct 7, 2022 | Centralia, MO | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sep 8, 2023 ← this one | Centralia, MO | 114 S. Rollins St. | 13 | 703.3712 | There's No Place Like Smoke | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Series — Chicken | 179.4400 | 174.2628 | 169.6800 |
| Master Series — Pork Ribs | 179.4400 | 173.7144 | 170.8228 |
| Master Series — Pork | 180 | 174.8800 | 164.5372 |
| Master Series — Brisket | 179.4400 | 171.9772 | 164 |
| Backyard Series — Chicken | 174.8572 | 159.4400 | — |
| Backyard Series — Pork Ribs | 177.1428 | 163.9428 | — |
13 entries · top 703.3712 · median 688.5372
13 entries · top 179.4400 · median 170.8572
13 entries · top 179.4400 · median 172.5600
13 entries · top 180 · median 171.9772 · 🔥 perfect 180
13 entries · top 179.4400 · median 169.1200
7 entries · top 352 · median 328.6288
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shmack Q | |
| 2 | Bramble BBQ | |
| 3 | Breaking Slabs BBQ | |
| 4 | Mizzou bbqer | |
| 5 | C-Town Smokers | |
| 6 | The Meat Sweats | |
| 7 | Barbell BBQ |
7 entries · top 174.8572 · median 162.8228
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shmack Q | |
| 2 | C-Town Smokers | |
| 3 | Breaking Slabs BBQ | |
| 4 | Bramble BBQ | |
| 5 | Mizzou bbqer | |
| 6 | The Meat Sweats | |
| 7 | Barbell BBQ |
7 entries · top 177.1428 · median 169.1888
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shmack Q | |
| 2 | Bramble BBQ | |
| 3 | Breaking Slabs BBQ | |
| 4 | Mizzou bbqer | |
| 5 | The Meat Sweats | |
| 6 | C-Town Smokers | |
| 7 | Barbell 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.
3 entries · top 172.5600 · median 172.5600
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wilson Distler | |
| 2 | Brody Griffith | |
| 3 | Charlie Daughtrey |
4 entries · top 176.5828 · median 173.7200
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charlie Carrico | |
| 2 | Eliah Kennon | |
| 3 | Colt Lawson | |
| 4 | Barbell BBQ Teen |