Sep 15–16, 2023 · Baxley, GA · 📍 2761 Blackshear Hwy · State championship
Reps: Julie Cook, Rusty Cook · Prize money: $12,550
YES, DEAR BBQ won Grand Champion at the Smoketember Fest on September 15, 2023 in Baxley, GA at 2761 Blackshear Hwy, scoring 706.2516 in a field of 25 teams. SMOKE SHOW MAFIA took Reserve Grand Champion with 706.2400. Category winners: Chicken — HURRICANE COOKERS (179.4400); Pork Ribs — YES, DEAR BBQ (178.8572); Pork — YES, DEAR BBQ (180.0000); Brisket — Mad Dog BBQ (178.2972). This is the 3rd of 3 editions of this contest on record; the 2022 edition was won by MAYA JANE BBQ.
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, 2022 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 98% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 0.0116 points — closer than 98% of every championship in the data.
706.2516 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 701.6456 SMOKE CENTRAL BBQ set in 2022.
Chicken places 2–3: YES, DEAR BBQ and HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 3–4: HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ and YOU'RE WELCOME! tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 4–5: YOU'RE WELCOME! and QUENUT BBQ tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
YES, DEAR BBQ won Pork Ribs, Pork — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
YES, DEAR BBQ took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 2 outright wins — their weakest board was brisket at 11th.
HURRICANE COOKERS turned in 179.4400 in chicken — past the 178.8572 that had stood across 2 earlier editions.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: SMOKE CENTRAL BBQ (won 2022).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 16, 2022 | Baxley, GA | 2761 Blackshear Hwy | 30 | 701.6456 | SMOKE CENTRAL BBQ | SMOKE SHOW MAFIA |
| Sep 16, 2022 | Baxley, GA | 2761 Blackshear Hwy | 17 | 180 | MAYA JANE BBQ | — |
| Sep 15, 2023 ← this one | Baxley, GA | 2761 Blackshear Hwy | 25 | 706.2516 | YES, DEAR BBQ | SMOKE SHOW MAFIA |
| Sep 15, 2023 | Baxley, GA | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sep 27, 2024 | Baxley, GA | — | — | — | — | — |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 179.4400 | 178.8572 | 175.4172 |
| Pork Ribs | 178.8572 | 175.4056 | 171.9772 |
| Pork | 180 | 175.4172 | 170.8228 |
| Brisket | 178.2972 | 173.1200 | 169.1084 |
25 entries · top 706.2516 · median 681.0972
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | YES, DEAR BBQ | |
| 2 | SMOKE SHOW MAFIA | |
| 3 | MAYA JANE BBQ CO. | |
| 4 | ZIPS BBQ | |
| 5 | HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ | |
| 6 | CBF Que | |
| 7 | ROLLIN KOLBZ | |
| 8 | Mad Dog BBQ | |
| 9 | HURRICANE COOKERS | |
| 10 | QUENUT BBQ | |
| 11 | Peckerwood Country Club | |
| 12 | ELITE BBQ SMOKERS | |
| 13 | ALTAMAHA RIVER BBQ COMPANY | |
| 14 | YOU'RE WELCOME! | |
| 15 | Smoke Central BBQ | |
| 16 | Wiggle Butts BBQ | |
| 17 | POP'S SMOKE ON THE HILL | |
| 18 | PeachCoast BBQ | |
| 19 | Apocalypse Sow | |
| 20 | K & E's Little Smokers | |
| 21 | 9JUAN2 BBQ | |
| 22 | HPO PIT TEAM | |
| 23 | OLD HENRY'S BBQ | |
| 24 | B-RADS BBQ | |
| 25 | BOLDEN'S BEST BBQ |
25 entries · top 179.4400 · median 174.2628
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HURRICANE COOKERS | |
| 2 | YES, DEAR BBQ | |
| 3 | HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ | |
| 4 | YOU'RE WELCOME! | |
| 5 | QUENUT BBQ | |
| 6 | ZIPS BBQ | |
| 7 | CBF Que | |
| 8 | Mad Dog BBQ | |
| 9 | ROLLIN KOLBZ | |
| 10 | ELITE BBQ SMOKERS | |
| 11 | SMOKE SHOW MAFIA | |
| 12 | MAYA JANE BBQ CO. | |
| 13 | ALTAMAHA RIVER BBQ COMPANY | |
| 14 | PeachCoast BBQ | |
| 15 | 9JUAN2 BBQ | |
| 16 | Smoke Central BBQ | |
| 17 | K & E's Little Smokers | |
| 18 | Peckerwood Country Club | |
| 19 | Wiggle Butts BBQ | |
| 20 | Apocalypse Sow | |
| 21 | HPO PIT TEAM | |
| 22 | POP'S SMOKE ON THE HILL | |
| 23 | BOLDEN'S BEST BBQ | |
| 24 | OLD HENRY'S BBQ | |
| 25 | B-RADS BBQ |
25 entries · top 178.8572 · median 170.8344
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | YES, DEAR BBQ | |
| 2 | MAYA JANE BBQ CO. | |
| 3 | CBF Que | |
| 4 | SMOKE SHOW MAFIA | |
| 5 | QUENUT BBQ | |
| 6 | Wiggle Butts BBQ | |
| 7 | POP'S SMOKE ON THE HILL | |
| 8 | Peckerwood Country Club | |
| 9 | ELITE BBQ SMOKERS | |
| 10 | Smoke Central BBQ | |
| 11 | OLD HENRY'S BBQ | |
| 12 | Apocalypse Sow | |
| 13 | YOU'RE WELCOME! | |
| 14 | HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ | |
| 15 | ALTAMAHA RIVER BBQ COMPANY | |
| 16 | 9JUAN2 BBQ | |
| 17 | HURRICANE COOKERS | |
| 18 | ZIPS BBQ | |
| 19 | PeachCoast BBQ | |
| 20 | ROLLIN KOLBZ | |
| 21 | Mad Dog BBQ | |
| 22 | K & E's Little Smokers | |
| 23 | HPO PIT TEAM | |
| 24 | BOLDEN'S BEST BBQ | |
| 25 | B-RADS BBQ |
25 entries · top 180 · median 169.6684 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | YES, DEAR BBQ | |
| 2 | SMOKE SHOW MAFIA | |
| 3 | MAYA JANE BBQ CO. | |
| 4 | ROLLIN KOLBZ | |
| 5 | QUENUT BBQ | |
| 6 | HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ | |
| 7 | ZIPS BBQ | |
| 8 | HURRICANE COOKERS | |
| 9 | Peckerwood Country Club | |
| 10 | CBF Que | |
| 11 | Wiggle Butts BBQ | |
| 12 | Smoke Central BBQ | |
| 13 | ELITE BBQ SMOKERS | |
| 14 | PeachCoast BBQ | |
| 15 | HPO PIT TEAM | |
| 16 | Mad Dog BBQ | |
| 17 | POP'S SMOKE ON THE HILL | |
| 18 | ALTAMAHA RIVER BBQ COMPANY | |
| 19 | K & E's Little Smokers | |
| 20 | OLD HENRY'S BBQ | |
| 21 | Apocalypse Sow | |
| 22 | YOU'RE WELCOME! | |
| 23 | B-RADS BBQ | |
| 24 | 9JUAN2 BBQ | |
| 25 | BOLDEN'S BEST BBQ |
25 entries · top 178.2972 · median 167.4056
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mad Dog BBQ | |
| 2 | ZIPS BBQ | |
| 3 | SMOKE SHOW MAFIA | |
| 4 | ROLLIN KOLBZ | |
| 5 | HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ | |
| 6 | MAYA JANE BBQ CO. | |
| 7 | Peckerwood Country Club | |
| 8 | ALTAMAHA RIVER BBQ COMPANY | |
| 9 | POP'S SMOKE ON THE HILL | |
| 10 | CBF Que | |
| 11 | YES, DEAR BBQ | |
| 12 | Smoke Central BBQ | |
| 13 | YOU'RE WELCOME! | |
| 14 | ELITE BBQ SMOKERS | |
| 15 | HURRICANE COOKERS | |
| 16 | PeachCoast BBQ | |
| 17 | Apocalypse Sow | |
| 18 | Wiggle Butts BBQ | |
| 19 | K & E's Little Smokers | |
| 20 | OLD HENRY'S BBQ | |
| 21 | HPO PIT TEAM | |
| 22 | QUENUT BBQ | |
| 23 | 9JUAN2 BBQ | |
| 24 | B-RADS BBQ | |
| 25 | BOLDEN'S BEST BBQ |