The Carson City BBQ cook-off booth under a blue sky, American flags flying above a wall of banners. The centrepiece is a flaming “Carson City BBQ” sign with the pig mascot and “Award winning ribs, sauces & people!”. Boards around it read “Winner Best Ribs 2026”, “9 time winner Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook Off”, “Peoples Choice” and “Grand Champion”, beside menu boards for prime rib and beef ribs, macaroni & cheese, a huge pork sandwich and “Let us cater your next event”.

Events

Name: Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-Off
Start: 2026-09-02
End: 2026-09-07
Location: Sparks, NV

We'll be serving up our award-winning ribs and all the tasty side dishes that go with them. Plus, you can check out our apparel and take home some of our award-winning sauces or rub. Come visit us at the following events.

May 8–10, 2026
San Juan Bautista, CA
The Great San Juan Bautista Rib Cook-Off
May 22–25, 2026
Carson City, NV
Casino Fandango Rockin' Rib-Fest
Sept 2–7, 2026
Sparks, NV
Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-Off

Awards

Check out some of the awards we've won throughout the years!

This is the documented record, not the whole of it. The list was not kept from the beginning, and wins that could not be sourced were left out rather than guessed at — so every total here is a floor. As the original site put it: “We have won Best Sauce more than 50 times at rib cook-offs across the country.” 18 of those are documented below. Years are listed where the archive recorded them.

29 wins —Best Ribs

Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-Off
Sparks, Nevada
- 1998
- 1999
- 2017
- 2023
The Great San Juan Bautista Rib Cook-Off
San Juan Bautista, California
- 2009
- 2013
- 2014
- 2017
- 2022
- 2024
- 2026
Casino Fandango's Rockin' Rib-Fest
Carson City, Nevada
- 2024
Armed Forces Day
Hawthorne, Nevada
- 2010
Wine & Ribs
Rancho San Rafael Park, Reno, Nevada
- 2012
Best of the Mountain Rib Cook-Off
Horizon, Lake Tahoe, Nevada
- 1998
- 1999
- 2000
- 2001
- 2002
- 2003
- 2004
- 2005
- 2006
- 2007
- 2008
- 2009
Great American Rib Cook-Off
Fremont, California
- 2002
Great Pleasanton Rib Cook-Off
Pleasanton, California
- 2002
Best of the Silver State–Ormsby House
Carson City, Nevada
- 1997

25 wins —People's Choice

Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-Off
Sparks, Nevada
- 2001
- 2003
The Great San Juan Bautista Rib Cook-Off
San Juan Bautista, California
- 2004
- 2008
- 2009
- 2010
- 2011
- 2012
- 2013
- 2014
- 2015
- 2016
- 2017
- 2022
- 2024
Best of the Mountain Rib Cook-Off
Montbleu, Lake Tahoe, Nevada
- 2009
- 2010
Casino Fandango's Rockin' Rib-Fest
Carson City, Nevada
- 2024
- 2026
Great American Rib Cook-Off
Fremont, California
- 2002
Great Pleasanton Rib Cook-Off
Pleasanton, California
- 2002
- 2003
The Great International Chicken Wing-Off
Carson Station Casino, Carson City, Nevada
- 2011
Bones & Brew
Portland, Oregon
- 2002
Ultimate Wing Wars (The Great International Chicken Wing Society)
Carson Station, Carson City, Nevada
- 2012

18 wins —Best Sauce

Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-Off
Sparks, Nevada
- 2001
- 2004
- 2009
The Great San Juan Bautista Rib Cook-Off
San Juan Bautista, California
- 2004
- 2010
- 2014
- 2017
- 2019
- 2022
Casino Fandango's Rockin' Rib-Fest
Carson City, Nevada
- 2018
- 2019
- 2024
Best of the Mountain Rib Cook-Off
Horizon, Lake Tahoe, Nevada
- 1997
- 2000
Great Pleasanton Rib Cook-Off
Pleasanton, California
- 2002
Best of the Silver State–Ormsby House
Carson City, Nevada
- 1997
Bones & Brew
Portland, Oregon
- 2002
Carson Station's Ribmaster Rumble
Carson City, Nevada
- 2010

5 wins —Best Caterer

Nevada Appeal "Best in Carson City"
Carson City, Nevada
- 2019
- 2021
- 2022
- 2023
- 2024

2 wins —Best Chicken Wings

Best of the Silver State–Ormsby House
Carson City, Nevada
- 1997
The Great International Chicken Wing-Off
Carson Station Casino, Carson City, Nevada
- 2012

1 win —Best Brisket

Best of the Silver State–Ormsby House
Carson City, Nevada
- 1997