← Every region
KCBS in Arizona AZ
74 tracked contests over 13.2 years,
671 teams on the scoresheets — the 33th busiest of 94 regions on file.
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At a glance
Contests 74
55 scored · 2 upcoming
This season 3
contests in 2026 · 79 teams competing
Teams competed 671
distinct teams on record
Typical field 36
teams · biggest 86
Avg winning score 697.63
Master · of 720 · best 708.55
Avg category score 164.62
across 7,882 meat entries
Perfect 180s 51 🔥
6.5 per 1,000 entries
Grand champions 54
titles handed out here
State championships 23 🏅
on the calendar
Towns 17
35 venues · 54 recurring contests
Seasons on record 13
2013 – 2026
Published purses $270,200
across 20 contests that listed one
Cancelled 7
not counted as contests held
How Arizona stacks up (against all 94 regions on file)
The bar is Arizona's standing on that measure: a full bar is the region that leads it, an empty one is the region that trails it. Rate-based measures need a minimum body of results before a region is ranked at all, so a single hot weekend can't buy a place. The median is the middle region, not the average — one huge region would drag an average somewhere no region actually is.
Contests held
74
#33 of 94
▲ median 37
Teams competing
671
#28 of 88
▲ median 249.5
Contests this season
3
#38 of 75
▲ median 2.5
Field depth
36 teams
#18 of 61
▲ median 31 teams
Winning score
697.63
#9 of 52
▲ median 694.24
Judging severity (lowest average category score = toughest room)
164.62
#30 of 45
▲ median 163.95
Perfect-180 rate
6.5 /1k
#20 of 45
▲ median 5.7 /1k
State championships
23
#26 of 51
▲ median 5
Regions like this one
Matched on the shape of the scene — how many contests it runs, how deep the fields get, how the room scores and how often it hands out a 180 — not on the map. Counts are compared on a log scale, because 5 contests to 15 is a different scene while 300 to 310 is the same one.
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Season by season
Click a column heading to re-sort. Winning score is the Master overall (of 720); a season with no scored Master contest leaves it blank.
Contests per season (up to 2026)
When they cook (month of year)
Field depth over time (average teams per contest, and teams competing that season)
What it took to win (average Master winning score, and 180s scored)
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How the room scores (every judged meat, against the sport as a whole)
A lower average means a harder room. “vs sport” is this region's average minus the same meat's average everywhere KCBS is scored.
Meat Avg here vs sport Entries 180s 180s /1k
Chicken
166.20
+1.05
1,976
11
5.6
Pork Ribs
164.35
+0.73
1,998
6
3
Pork
165.38
+1.08
1,935
15
7.8
Brisket
162.55
+0.33
1,973
19
9.6
Top teams who cook here (by power rating)
The regulars (most contests cooked in Arizona)
Team Contests GCs Last
LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ 47 8 Mar 27, 2026
Bad Boyz BBQ 45 3 Mar 27, 2026
Your Behind BBQ 32 — Jan 13, 2023
SMOKERS PURGATORY 30 — Mar 27, 2026
KNIFE PORK AND SPOON 29 — Sep 30, 2022
DJS SMOKIN' BBQ 27 — Sep 30, 2022
COW TIPPIN BBQ 27 — Jan 14, 2022
BIG POPPA SMOKERS 26 5 Feb 23, 2024
Phil the Grill 25 — Jan 17, 2025
MONSOON BBQ 23 — Sep 27, 2019
SHIG NINJA BBQ 22 1 Mar 27, 2026
All About Smokin Q 22 — Feb 27, 2026
Highest scores in Arizona (Master · /720)
Score Team Where
708.5484 JAESTAR BBQ
AZ Rhythm & Ribs Sep 5, 2014
708.0112 BIG POPPA SMOKERS
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Mar 18, 2016
708 LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ
BBQ & Brew 'Best in the Southwest' Festival Feb 18, 2022
707.9888 Brinkerhoff BBQ
Q's & Brews Bighorn BBQ Competition Mar 27, 2026
706.2516 GOD'S COUNTRY BBQ
11th Annual Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge Jan 16, 2026
706.2512 Uncle Jesse's BBQ
11th Annual Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge Jan 16, 2026
705.6916 BIG RED BBQ
BBQ & Brew 'Best in the Southwest' Festival Feb 18, 2022
705.6912 BOOMERANG BBQ
Arizona National BBQ Stampede Dec 28, 2018
705.1428 LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ
World BBQ Festival Nov 4, 2016
705.0972 LC BBQ
BBQ & Brew 'Best in the Southwest' Festival Feb 18, 2022
Contests that come back (recurring)
Contest Editions Biggest Last held
Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge 5 70 Jan 14, 2022
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour 5 30 Mar 17, 2017
2022 Mazatzal Grill Masters BBQ Competition & Testicle Festival 3 40 Sep 30, 2022
Northern Arizona BBQ Festival 3 35 Jun 19, 2015
Q's & Brews Bighorn BBQ Competition 2 33 Feb 19, 2027
Best in the Southwest 2 29 Feb 21, 2025
Downtown Mesa BBQ Classic 2 26 Nov 3, 2023
Arizona National BBQ Stampede 2 47 Dec 27, 2019
Holbrook 2 29 Jul 10, 2015
Table Captain Class 2 — Feb 26, 2015
Certified BBQ Judging Class 2 — Feb 26, 2015
Certified BBQ Judging Class 2 — Oct 9, 2014
Where it happens (towns in Arizona)
Town Contests Seasons Avg field Last
Bullhead City 15 12 49 Jan 15, 2027
Lake Havasu 9 4 26 Mar 28, 2025
Show Low 8 7 38 May 3, 2019
Yuma 6 6 29 Feb 27, 2026
Mesa 6 2 27 Nov 3, 2023
Tucson 5 5 30 Mar 17, 2017
Lake Havasu City 4 4 67 Feb 19, 2027
Payson 4 4 33 Sep 30, 2022
Phoenix 3 3 46 Dec 26, 2020
Peoria 3 1 31 Nov 4, 2016
Holbrook 3 3 25 Jul 10, 2015
Cottonwood 2 2 16 Sep 5, 2014
Reps who work Arizona
Rep Contests Last
Michael Santiago 9 Feb 19, 2027
Rhonda Santiago 9 Feb 19, 2027
Bunny Tuttle 7 Jan 15, 2027
Rich Tuttle 7 Jan 15, 2027
Kelly McIntosh 7 Nov 3, 2023
Kathleen McIntosh 6 Nov 3, 2023
Michael Winter 3 Jan 13, 2023
Del Anderson 2 Jan 16, 2026
Michelle Mann 2 Jan 17, 2025
Merrialyce Alvarez 2 Apr 30, 2021
State championships 🏅
Contest Teams Grand champion
Q's & Brews Bighorn BBQ Competition Feb 19, 2027
—
—
12th Annual Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge Jan 15, 2027
—
—
Q's & Brews Bighorn BBQ Competition Mar 27, 2026
33
Brinkerhoff BBQ
BBQ & Brew Festival Feb 27, 2026
25
B' Mackin BBQ
11th Annual Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge Jan 16, 2026
53
GOD'S COUNTRY BBQ
Q's & Brews Mar 28, 2025
26
Meat Candy Q
Best in the Southwest Feb 21, 2025
29
Stevo's BBQ Team
10th Annual Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge Jan 17, 2025
48
Gettin' Basted
Best in the Southwest Feb 23, 2024
25
Meat Candy Q
9th Annual Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge Jan 12, 2024
58
CHERRY ANCHOR BBQ
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Where else these teams cook
Of the 589 teams with a recorded finish in Arizona, this is where else they turn up — the honest picture of which scenes share a travelling field. Follow one to open it up.
On the map (every mapped contest in Arizona — tap a pin)
⚔ Compare AZ with another region
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☕
Hey, I’m Ross
Most folks know me as SaucyRossyBBQ . I built this Helper App myself and put it out for free, because I wanted the tool to exist for our sport — no paywall, no account needed.
If you’ve got it in you to chip in, it means a whole lot. And if you’ve already bought me a coffee — thank you so much. Your support pays the server and hosting bills that keep a system like this running.
You won’t see this again for a month. Now get back to it — good luck at your next cook. 🔥