The fourth and final day of the 2017 Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest ended with Chris Lilly and the Big Bob Gibson team from Decatur, AL winning a record fifth World Championship!  The team had been in a tie for the most World Championships with Myron Mixon’s Jack’s Old South team who won their fourth World Championship last year.

“We are excited to once again congratulate Chris Lilly and the Big Bob Gibson team on winning an unprecedented fifth World Championship,” said Memphis in May President and CEO James L. Holt.  “Winning at any level of the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest is difficult, as many teams will tell you, so for the Big Bob Gibson team to win a fifth title speaks to their incredible skill.”

The first winners announced today were in the Kingsford Tour of Champions, along with the Poultry, Seafood, and Exotic category judging, which were carried-over from Friday due to the park evacuation caused by lightning in the vicinity.

Once those ancillary contests were completed, attention turned to the competition categories, the climax of the week.  Nearly 400 judges served in the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, from tasting the Blind Judging entries to visiting the teams for On-Site Judging, all to determine the winners of the Patio Porkers category, the Championship Pork Division categories of Whole Hog, Shoulder, and Rib, and of course, the World Champion.  The 2017 winners are:

Patio Porkers:

(1) Bad Pig BBQ, Bartlett, TN

(2) It’s About Time, Memphis, TN

(3) 4UWEQUE, Memphis, TN

(4) Smokin’ Spiders, Memphis, TN

Whole Hog:

(1) Yazoo’s Delta Q, Hernando, MS

(2) Mac’s Smoke Shop, Charlotte, NC

(3) Southern Hoggers BBQ Company, Germantown, TN

(4) Will-Be-Que BBQ Team, Cordova, TN

(5) Salty Rinse BBQ, New York City, NY

(6) 3 Taxi Guys, Pittsburgh, PA

(7) The Shed BBQ, Ocean Springs, MS

(8) Jack’s Old South, Unadilla, GA

(9) Grilla Grills, Cunningham, KY

(10) Whole Hog Café, Heber Springs, AR

Shoulder:

(1) Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q, Decatur, AL

(2) Red Hot Smokers, Olive Branch, MS

(3) Cool Smoke, Richmond, VA

(4) Pork Illustrated, Memphis, TN

(5) Moe Cason Barbecue, Des Moines, IA

(6) Pork Me Baby, Southaven, MS

(7) The Pork University, Memphis, TN

(8) Delta Porkers, Marion, AR

(9) Sweet Swine O’ Mine, Olive Branch, MS

(10) Victory Lane BBQ, Olive Branch, MS

Rib:

(1) 10 Bones BBQ, Olive Branch, MS

(2) 901Q, Arlington, TN

(3) Emily’s Tennessee Prime, Chicago, IL

(4) Dirk Piggler’s Porkographic BBQ, Memphis, TN

(5) Blues Hog, Washington, MO

(6) Pitmaker- BBQ Addiction, Humble, TX

(7) Rowdy Southern Swine, Oxford, MS

(8) Meat Mitch, Mission Hills, KS

(9) Fat Side Up, Collierville, TN

(10)  Slabs A’ Smokin’, Memphis, TN

Kingsford Tour of Champions:

(1) The Shed, Ocean Springs, MS; (2) Too Sauced to Pork, Grand Island, NY; (3) Blue Collar Smokers, Olive Branch, MS; (4) The Other Team, Olive Branch, MS

Poultry:

(1) Smokin’ with an Attitude, Rossville, TN; (2) Greaseland Porkers, Arlington, TN; (3) Bryce Boar Blazers, Memphis, TN

Seafood:

(1) Uncle Murle’s BBQ Team, Cordova, TN; (2) Fat Side Up, Collierville, TN; (3) Smoking Yotes, Memphis, TN

Exotic:

(1) Swinos, Memphis, TN; Sweet Brown Smokers, Memphis, TN; Ribdiculous Bar-B-Krewe, Astonia, NY

About Memphis in May
Memphis in May International Festival is a not for profit, community-based organization, whose programs contribute more than $88 million in economic impact to the community, foster civic pride, promote awareness of Memphis heritage, and build international relationships and understanding through education.  

Memphis in May International is the official Festival of the City of Memphis, and the recipient of nearly 200 prestigious Pinnacle Awards from the International Festival and Events Association.