The Northeast Barbecue Society (NEBS) is a volunteer-run nonprofit that celebrates outdoor cooking across the Northeast. It focuses on barbecue, slow smoking, and cold smoking.
NEBS brings pitmasters, backyard cooks, and certified judges together for classes, cooking demonstrations, and social events. It also helps contest organizers set fair rules and build a welcoming barbecue community.
The 2026 Miller’s Crossing Annual BBQ Cookoff ignited the grills on September 19 at Miller’s Crossing RI in Cranston, Rhode Island.
Eighteen enthusiastic teams competed to raise funds for Friends of Jake, an organization that’s dedicated to providing local children and families with everyday essentials that insurance often doesn’t cover.
Visitors also enjoyed plenty of barbecue, a traditional bean hole bake, raffles, and a 50/50 cash drawing.
The Winner’s Circle
The grand championship winner is BBQ Mom
The competition was incredibly close, with Kathy Trainor, competing as BBQ Mom, earning the title of Grand Champion with 689.7146 points, just ahead of Ocean Grove BBQ’s 0.0002 points by a mere 0.0002.
Second and third place winners
Ocean Grove BBQ earned Reserve Grand Champion with 689.7144 points; Bob, Tim, and Tony of Wise Guys BBQ took third with 689.7140 points, just 0.0004 behind Ocean Grove. Less than one-thousandth of a point separated the top three teams.
