Memphis in May: Meet the winners of the 2023 World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest

After days of cooking, winners of the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest were announced during a ceremony Saturday at Tom Lee Park in Downtown Memphis.

Ribdiculous Bar-B-Krew earned the coveted title of Grand Champion.

“We did it!” team captain Shane McBride said.

McBride said the team is “from all over the place — New York City, Austin, Birmingham, Charleston.”

Ribdiculous Bar-B-Krewe wins the 2023 Grand Champion trophy at the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest on Saturday, May 20, 2023 at Tom Lee Park in Downtown Memphis.
Ribdiculous Bar-B-Krewe wins the 2023 Grand Champion trophy at the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest on Saturday, May 20, 2023 at Tom Lee Park in Downtown Memphis.

The common denominator is that the team members used to work together in New York City. “This is our family reunion,” he said.

McBride said their secret weapon this year was pitmaster John David Wheeler of former team Natural Born Grillers and his son, John Dalton Wheeler.

Ribdiculous Bar-B-Krew competed in the Memphis in May contest for the first time in 2008.

The team's win marks the first time in 21 years that a Rib team has won Grand Champion.

Here is a look at all of this year's barbecue contest winners.

Ribdiculous Bar-B-Krew was named Grand Champion on Saturday, May 20, 2023, during the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest at Tom Lee Park in Downtown Memphis. The team also placed first in the Ribs division.
Ribdiculous Bar-B-Krew was named Grand Champion on Saturday, May 20, 2023, during the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest at Tom Lee Park in Downtown Memphis. The team also placed first in the Ribs division.

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Grand Champion

Ribdiculous Bar-B-Krew

Whole Hog

Hometown BBQ wins first place in the Whole Hog division at the 2023 Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest on May 20, 2023 at Tom Lee Park in Downtown Memphis.
Hometown BBQ wins first place in the Whole Hog division at the 2023 Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest on May 20, 2023 at Tom Lee Park in Downtown Memphis.
  1. Hometown BBQ

  2. Barbeque Republic

  3. Blues Hog

  4. Rusty’s Smoke BBQ

  5. Yazoo’s Delta Q

  6. Boars Night Out

  7. Come and Eat It

  8. Bubba Grill

  9. Hog Addiction

  10. Ubons

Ribs

  1. Ribdiculous Bar-B-Krew

  2. Team Best Damn BBQ Sauce

  3. Too Sauced To Pork

  4. Swinefeld

  5. Slabs A Smokin’

  6. Porkin’ The Park

  7. Russell’s Dam Good BBQ

  8. Burnt Finger BBQ

  9. Heath Riles BBQ

  10. Ribbed For Your Pleasure

Shoulder

Sweet Cheeks wins first place in the Shoulder division at the 2023 Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest on May 20, 2023 at Tom Lee Park in Downtown Memphis.
Sweet Cheeks wins first place in the Shoulder division at the 2023 Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest on May 20, 2023 at Tom Lee Park in Downtown Memphis.
  1. Sweet Cheeks

  2. The People's Republic of Swina

  3. Moe Cason BBQ

  4. Smoked N’ Spiced

  5. My Swine Championship BBQ Team

  6. Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q

  7. Shine & Swine

  8. Cadillac Grills

  9. Prescott Porkers

  10. Lillie’s Q

Kingford Tour of Champions

Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q placed first in the Kingsford Tour of Champions on Saturday, May 20, 2023, at the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest.
Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q placed first in the Kingsford Tour of Champions on Saturday, May 20, 2023, at the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest.
  1. Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q

  2. Swine & Dine

  3. The Shed BBQ Has Gone Loco

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Green Grilling Award

Sweet Cheeks

Best Turkey Smoke

Al Frugoni Openfire placed fourth in the Best Turkey Smoke Category in the 2023 Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest at Tom Lee Park in Downtown Memphis.
Al Frugoni Openfire placed fourth in the Best Turkey Smoke Category in the 2023 Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest at Tom Lee Park in Downtown Memphis.
  1. Auto Be Grillin

  2. Smoke Masters

  3. Team Best Damn BBQ Sauce

  4. Al Frugoni Openfire

  5. The Peoples Republic of Swina

  6. The Pig Diamonds

  7. Blues Hog

  8. Wolf's Revenge BBQ

  9. Meat Drink and Be Merry

  10. Robinson Smokehouse

Best Wings

  1. Russell's Dam Good BBQ

  2. Wolf's Revenge BBQ

  3. Nutts N' Butts

  4. Sweet Swine O'Mine

  5. Smokin with an Attitude

  6. Hog Addiction

  7. Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q

  8. Team Waterdog

  9. Hog Wild Competition Team

  10. Heath Riles BBQ

Beef

  1. Nutts N' Butts

  2. Come and Eat It

  3. Pure Pleasure Porkers

  4. Blues Hog

  5. The Usual Saucepects

  6. Heath Riles BBQ

  7. Bluff City Smokers

  8. Smoked N Spiced

  9. New Wing Order

  10. The Hogfather

Best Poultry

  1. Team Best Damn BBQ Sauce

  2. Redneck BBQ Express

  3. Blues Hog

  4. Shoats and Skins

  5. Pigs in Gin

  6. Page's Pig Pen

  7. Moe Cason BBQ

  8. TippyQ

  9. Swinos

  10. Ribbed for Your Pleasure

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Best Seafood

  1. Annesdale Pork

  2. Burnt Finger BBQ

  3. Killer Hogs

  4. Smoke Masters

  5. Wolf's Revenge BBQ

  6. JonesyQ

  7. Al Frugoni Openfire

  8. New Wing Order

  9. Smokin with an Attitude

  10. Southern Hoggers BBQ Co.

Best Exotic

  1. The Norwegian National Barbeque Team

  2. The Pig Diamonds

  3. Party Q

  4. Planet Barbeque, Inc.

  5. Nutts N' Butts

  6. Page's Pig Pen

  7. Smoke BBQ Team

  8. Fat Side Up

  9. Crosstown Neighborhood BBQ Cooking Team

  10. Bubba Grill

Best Tomato Sauce

Barbeque Republic placed ninth in Best Tomato Sauce and 10th in Best Mustard Sauce during the 2023 Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest.
Barbeque Republic placed ninth in Best Tomato Sauce and 10th in Best Mustard Sauce during the 2023 Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest.
  1. Ribbed for Your Pleasure

  2. JonesyQ

  3. The Beef N The Chicken

  4. Dirty Old Basters

  5. Lillie's Q

  6. Boardellos

  7. Hog Express

  8. British Bulldog BBQ

  9. Barbeque Republic

  10. Team Waterdog

Best Mustard Sauce

  1. Shoats and Skins

  2. Pigs in Gin

  3. Riberty

  4. Page's Pig Pen

  5. Brown Chicken Brown Cow

  6. Lillie's Q

  7. Crosstown Neighborhood BBQ Cooking Team

  8. No Name Smokers

  9. Boar's Night Out

  10. Barbeque Republic

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Best Vinegar Sauce

  1. Auto Be Grillin

  2. Smokin with an Attitude

  3. Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q

  4. Sow Luau

  5. M&W Smokers

  6. Bluff City Smokers

  7. Sweet Swine O'Mine

  8. Hometown BBQ

  9. Mexico BBQ Team

  10. Hog Addiction

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Best Booth

Love Meat Tender won Best Booth during the 2023 Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest at Tom Lee Park in Downtown Memphis.
Love Meat Tender won Best Booth during the 2023 Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest at Tom Lee Park in Downtown Memphis.
  1. Love Meat Tender

  2. All Star Ten Pin Porkers

  3. Bluff City Smokers

  4. Shavano Valley Ranch Smokers

  5. Willingham's

  6. The Shed BBQ Has Gone Loco

  7. Sweet Cheeks

  8. Dirty Old Basters

Best T-Shirt

Love Meat Tender won Best T-Shirt during the 2023 Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest at Tom Lee Park in Downtown Memphis.
Love Meat Tender won Best T-Shirt during the 2023 Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest at Tom Lee Park in Downtown Memphis.
  1. Love Meat Tender

  2. Aporkalypse Now

  3. The Pig Diamonds

  4. Boardellos

  5. Sweet Cheeks

  6. Shavano Valley Ranch Smokers

  7. Don't Stop Porkin'

  8. M&W Smokers

  9. I Only Smoke When I Drink

  10. Bluff City Smokers

Ms. Piggie Idol

  1. Pigs Gone Wild

  2. Swinos

  3. Swine & Dine

  4. Grill and Grind

  5. Mississippi Meat Mafia

Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at [email protected] and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer.

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This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis in May barbecue contest: Here are the winners from WCBCC 2023