Head-to-head
31 head-to-head wins
Met
45 times in the data
14 head-to-head wins
THE BBQ BUS has taken the last 4 meetings.
Career comparison
| THE BBQ BUS | Rusty Pig BBQ | |
|---|---|---|
| 188 | Contests | 82 |
| 15 | Grand champs | 2 |
| 47 | Category wins | 10 |
| 16 | Perfect 180s | 6 |
| 98.4% | Best overall (% of perfect) | 98.3% |
| 94.9% | Avg overall (% of perfect) | 94.3% |
| top 29% | Avg finish | top 36% |
| ±1.7% | Consistency (% of perfect) | ±3.19% |
Overall scores show as a share of a perfect total (Master /720, Backyard /360) so the two series compare fairly.
Meat by meat (who finishes ahead when both enter the category)
| THE BBQ BUS | Rusty Pig BBQ | |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | Chicken (45 meetings) | 20 |
| 26 | Pork Ribs (46 meetings) | 20 |
| 23 | Pork (45 meetings) | 22 |
| 27 | Brisket (45 meetings) | 18 |
Common ground
- 🏕️ They've both cooked Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard 3 times — THE BBQ BUS leads there 3–0
- 🏕️ They've both cooked Best of the Midwest BBQ 3 times — Rusty Pig BBQ leads there 2–1
- 🏕️ They've both cooked American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 2 times — dead level 1–1
- 🏕️ They've both cooked American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest 2 times — THE BBQ BUS leads there 2–0
- 🏕️ They've both cooked Puckaway Pigfest 2 times — dead level 1–1
- 💥 Biggest beatdown: 172.13 points at Up In Smoke on the Square (2019-05-31)
- 🤏 Closest call: 0.5488 points at Best of the Midwest (2019-10-18)
Every meeting
| Date | Event | THE BBQ BUS | Rusty Pig BBQ | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-11-05 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | 12 / 401 (701.6340) | 19 / 401 (699.9428) | THE BBQ BUS |
| 2025-11-05 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest | 21 / 158 (696.5028) | 53 / 158 (691.3484) | THE BBQ BUS |
| 2025-09-05 | Puckaway Pigfest | 7 / 35 (689.6228) | 10 / 35 (685.0744) | THE BBQ BUS |
| 2025-07-26 | Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main | 20 / 32 (686.1828) | 21 / 32 (684.4684) | THE BBQ BUS |
| 2024-10-30 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | 114 / 444 (686.1940) | 7 / 444 (701.0856) | Rusty Pig BBQ |
| 2024-10-30 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest | 4 / 169 (704.5256) | 16 / 169 (697.6572) | THE BBQ BUS |
| 2024-09-20 | Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard | 1 / 58 (708.5716) | 16 / 58 (691.9316) | THE BBQ BUS |
| 2024-09-06 | Puckaway Pigfest | 15 / 37 (669.0172) | 4 / 37 (685.0284) | Rusty Pig BBQ |
| 2024-07-19 | BBCubed - Brighton Barbeque Bash | 1 / 37 (694.2172) | 15 / 37 (664.5028) | THE BBQ BUS |
| 2024-04-19 | GLBBQA Spring Fling | 16 / 62 (689.0856) | 26 / 62 (683.4056) | THE BBQ BUS |
| 2023-09-27 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest | 53 / 211 (690.1940) | 68 / 211 (687.8856) | THE BBQ BUS |
| 2023-09-27 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | 243 / 487 (673.0168) | 137 / 487 (683.3372) | Rusty Pig BBQ |
| 2023-09-21 | Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard | 10 / 50 (692.4684) | 24 / 50 (678.1944) | THE BBQ BUS |
| 2023-06-10 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 10 / 40 (682.7888) | 12 / 40 (680.4572) | THE BBQ BUS |
| 2023-06-09 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 3 / 43 (693.1088) | 16 / 43 (676.4340) | THE BBQ BUS |
| 2022-10-14 | Best of the Midwest BBQ | 8 / 36 (686.1712) | 9 / 36 (685.0744) | THE BBQ BUS |
| 2022-09-23 | Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard | 4 / 46 (699.4060) | 27 / 46 (680.4688) | THE BBQ BUS |
| 2022-07-15 | Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown | 5 / 25 (687.9084) | 9 / 25 (681.6112) | THE BBQ BUS |
| 2022-06-25 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown (Day Two) | 13 / 32 (685.6116) | 2 / 32 (696.5144) | Rusty Pig BBQ |
| 2022-06-24 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown (Day One) | 13 / 36 (678.1832) | 6 / 36 (689.7032) | Rusty Pig BBQ |
| 2021-10-22 | Best of the Midwest BBQ | 9 / 44 (679.3260) | 2 / 44 (689.6572) | Rusty Pig BBQ |
| 2021-09-24 | Praise the Lard Murphysboro BBQ Cook-Off | 1 / 39 (700.5828) | 12 / 39 (682.7312) | THE BBQ BUS |
| 2021-07-23 | Effingham -Jam | 2 / 29 (682.7772) | 4 / 29 (679.3368) | THE BBQ BUS |
| 2021-07-17 | Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown Day 2 | 8 / 19 (675.3716) | 3 / 19 (691.8968) | Rusty Pig BBQ |
| 2021-07-16 | Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown Day 1 | 2 / 25 (697.6572) | 4 / 25 (691.3484) | THE BBQ BUS |
| 2021-06-26 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown (Day Two) | 19 / 43 (674.7892) | 16 / 43 (676.5144) | Rusty Pig BBQ |
| 2021-06-25 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown (Day one) | 2 / 49 (689.6804) | 12 / 49 (676.4456) | THE BBQ BUS |
| 2021-05-01 | Route 66 Smoke Out | 1 / 44 (703.4172) | 9 / 44 (679.3488) | THE BBQ BUS |
| 2020-11-13 | Second Annual KCBS World Invitational Barbeque Competition | 5 / 94 (700.5256) | 63 / 94 (678.1600) | THE BBQ BUS |
| 2020-10-16 | Best of the Midwest BBQ | 15 / 50 (671.8856) | 9 / 50 (679.3716) | Rusty Pig BBQ |
| 2020-10-02 | Ottumwa Smoketoberfest | 27 / 66 (670.2052) | 49 / 66 (652.5256) | THE BBQ BUS |
| 2020-07-18 | CIBBQ Red Devil Edition Day 2 | 17 / 25 (669.6116) | 2 / 25 (682.2172) | Rusty Pig BBQ |
| 2020-07-17 | CIBBQ Red Devil Edition Day 1 | 20 / 30 (663.3028) | 13 / 30 (674.1712) | Rusty Pig BBQ |
| 2020-07-10 | Harvest On the Fire At the Winery | 32 / 53 (663.8400) | 37 / 53 (658.1712) | THE BBQ BUS |
| 2020-06-20 | Covid-Que Relief (Day 2) | 10 / 63 (681.6344) | 59 / 63 (654.7312) | THE BBQ BUS |
| 2020-06-19 | Covid-Que Relief (Day 1) | 26 / 69 (673.0168) | 53 / 69 (653.5996) | THE BBQ BUS |
| 2020-05-29 | Rockin BBQ | 42 / 66 (649.5312) | 28 / 66 (658.7656) | Rusty Pig BBQ |
| 2019-10-18 | Best of the Midwest | 14 / 52 (660.4228) | 15 / 52 (659.8740) | THE BBQ BUS |
| 2019-10-11 | Central Illinois Bragging Rights(CIBR-BBQ) | 15 / 43 (673.0284) | 17 / 43 (671.3144) | THE BBQ BUS |
| 2019-09-20 | Murphysboro BBQ Cook Off | 17 / 54 (678.7312) | 23 / 54 (670.1024) | THE BBQ BUS |
| 2019-07-12 | Harvest On Fire at The Winery | 14 / 31 (671.3144) | 22 / 31 (648.3880) | THE BBQ BUS |
| 2019-06-22 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Day 2 | 7 / 45 (679.3716) | 12 / 45 (675.3832) | THE BBQ BUS |
| 2019-06-21 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Day 1 | 18 / 50 (665.0516) | 10 / 50 (673.0744) | Rusty Pig BBQ |
| 2019-05-31 | Up In Smoke on the Square | 1 / 36 (682.8576) | 36 / 36 (510.7316) | THE BBQ BUS |
| 2019-05-03 | Route 66 Smoke Out | 17 / 33 (653.0856) | 8 / 33 (677.1200) | Rusty Pig BBQ |