Best of Northwest grill it out

It was like grill heaven Sunday at North Dam Park.

Seventeen grills were cooking and grill masters turned out from Idaho, Oregon and throughout Washington, going after prize money and having fun at the same time. Many of the top 10 competitors in the Northwest competed.

It was the final event of a two-day Harvest Festival, in its fifth running.

Vying for the big bucks, a Tacoma, Washington griller, Pitbull BBQ, picked up the top prize of $2,000 and the grand champion award. Wine Country Q, from Duvall, Washington, picked up reserve grand champion and $1,000.

Those two topped out grillers competing in the Pacific Northwest BBQ Association-sanctioned competition.

In the ribs category, Wine Country Q won first and $225; Pitbull BBQ second and $185; Smokeys Bar B Que third and $150; Bad Bones BBQ fourth and $115; Hoagie Smokes BBQ fifth and $75; and sixth place went to Pork Daddy’s.

In the chicken division, the first-place award went to Bad Bones BBQ, along with the $225 prize money. Second was Caveman BBQ with $185 awarded; third was Pork Daddy’s, who got $150; fourth was Dances with Smoke BBQ, who won $115; fifth went to Smokeys Bar B Que for $75; and sixth place to Pitbull BBQ.

In the brisket competition the $225 first-place prize money was won by Pork Daddy’s; second was JB’s BBQ for $185; third was Pitbull BBQ with a $150 cash prize; fourth was Dances with Smoke BBQ and $115; fifth was Bad Bones BBQ, who got $75; and sixth place went to Wine Country Q.

In the pork category, Wine Country Q won the $225 and first place; Caveman BBQ won second and $185; JB’s BBQ won third and $150; Hoagie Smokes BQ won fourth and $115; Roxx Boxx BBQ won fifth and $75; and sixth place went to Pitbull BBQ.

A new addition to the GCDA Chamber of Commerce-sponsored BBQ competition this year was special categories: Steak and “Anything Spam.”

In the steak competition, JB’s BBQ won first-place money of $150, with Jackwagon Barbeque getting second place and $75. Third went to Hoagie Smokes BBQ, who got $25.

In the Spam competition, Bad Bones BBQ won first and $150; Ala Carte Family BBQ won second and $75; and Pitbull BBQ third with a $25 award.

It was all part of the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce’s Harvest Festival that filled North Dam Park picnic area and the Banks Lake Park, adjacent to it.