Bryant Bank's 'Serious Chili Situation' Wins Tuscaloosa Chili Cookoff

The annual competition saw fierce competition among local teams vying for the Grand Champion title.

Published on Feb. 17, 2026

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The 18th annual Great Tuscaloosa Chili Cookoff was a heated competition, with dozens of chili-cooking teams from West Alabama competing for bragging rights. Bryant Bank's 'Serious Chili Situation' team took home the Grand Champion trophy, followed by Alabama Ag Credit's 'Limp Bizkit' in second place and the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office 'The Posse' team in third.

Why it matters

The Tuscaloosa Chili Cookoff is a longstanding community event that brings together local businesses, organizations, and residents in a spirited competition celebrating the region's culinary talents. The event highlights the vibrant food culture and community pride in Tuscaloosa.

The details

The chili cookoff featured a variety of categories, including creativity, people's choice, and other specialty awards. In addition to the Grand Champion, other notable winners included the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office taking home the Creative Award for Best Booth, 'Legends of the Chili Trail' from Capstone Village winning the People's Choice Award, 'Love At First Bite' from OLLI receiving the Showmanship Award, and 'Don't Tread On Me Chili' from Sons of the American Revolution earning the award for Best Costume.

  • The 18th annual Great Tuscaloosa Chili Cookoff took place this past weekend.

The players

Bryant Bank

A local bank in Tuscaloosa that entered the 'Serious Chili Situation' team, which won the Grand Champion title.

Alabama Ag Credit

A regional agricultural lending cooperative that entered the 'Limp Bizkit' team, which took second place.

Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office

The local law enforcement agency that entered the 'The Posse' team, which placed third, and also won the Creative Award for Best Booth.

Capstone Village

A retirement community in Tuscaloosa whose 'Legends of the Chili Trail' team won the People's Choice Award.

OLLI

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Alabama, whose 'Love At First Bite' team won the Showmanship Award.

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The takeaway

The Tuscaloosa Chili Cookoff showcases the vibrant food culture and community pride in the region, with local businesses, organizations, and residents coming together in a spirited competition that celebrates culinary talents and brings the community together.