Dozens competing for cash prize and barbecue restaurant inside KCI
WESTON, Mo. —
Dozens of barbecue teams are competing right now in Weston, Missouri, for a chance to win thousands of dollars and their own restaurant space.
The Made for KC BBQ Championship pits more than 40 local barbecue teams against each other.
The teams have been working on their best meats from Friday night into Saturday morning, and the final products will be turned in to more than 30 judges late Saturday.
It all leads up to a champion being crowned at 3 p.m. Saturday.
The winning team gets a $10,000 cash prize and an 18-month license agreement to put their name, recipes, rubs and sauces on the menu of The KC BBQ Experience.
The KC BBQ Experience is an award-winning restaurant inside Concourse B in Kansas City International Airport.
In June 2025, the BBQ Experience won the Americas Regional Award and the Global Ward for Best Airport Casual Dining Restaurant at the Airport Food & Beverage Hospitality Awards.
On Saturday morning, Milan Patel, creator of the Made for KC BBQ Championship and president and CEO of OHM Concession Group, stopped by KMBC9 First News to talk about all the fun of this one-of-a-kind competition.
Judging for chicken, ribs, pork and brisket is from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday. Patel said visitors will be able to sample some of the best barbecue in the area as judges make their decisions.
Dining and Cooking