SaucyRossyBBQ KCBS Helper

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KCBS in California CA

355 tracked contests over 13.7 years, 2,439 teams on the scoresheets — the 4th busiest of 94 regions on file.

⚔ Compare CA with another region

At a glance

Contests

355
257 scored · 2 upcoming

This season

11
contests in 2026 · 168 teams competing

Teams competed

2,439
distinct teams on record

Typical field

34
teams · biggest 100

Avg winning score

694.42
Master · of 720 · best 718.86

Avg category score

162.82
across 33,526 meat entries

Perfect 180s

222 🔥
6.6 per 1,000 entries

Grand champions

253
titles handed out here

State championships

89 🏅
on the calendar

Towns

87
160 venues · 234 recurring contests

Seasons on record

15
2012 – 2026

Published purses

$662,875
across 89 contests that listed one

Cancelled

27
not counted as contests held

How California stacks up (against all 94 regions on file)

The bar is California's standing on that measure: a full bar is the region that leads it, an empty one is the region that trails it. Rate-based measures need a minimum body of results before a region is ranked at all, so a single hot weekend can't buy a place. The median is the middle region, not the average — one huge region would drag an average somewhere no region actually is.

In the record book (2 in the KCBS record book)

Where this state or province stands in the all-time KCBS record book, against every other one on file.

Regions like this one

Matched on the shape of the scene — how many contests it runs, how deep the fields get, how the room scores and how often it hands out a 180 — not on the map. Counts are compared on a log scale, because 5 contests to 15 is a different scene while 300 to 310 is the same one.

Season by season

Click a column heading to re-sort. Winning score is the Master overall (of 720); a season with no scored Master contest leaves it blank.

SeasonContestsTeamsAvg fieldBiggest Avg winBest180sState titles
2026 11 168 24 41 702.08 710.26 18 6 events →
2025 18 188 23 35 703.99 718.86 23 12 events →
2024 14 213 26 39 702.25 713.70 25 9 events →
2023 16 187 24 43 701.46 713.71 10 11 events →
2022 24 199 25 43 702.44 711.98 28 18 events →
2021 9 127 26 41 697.70 706.23 7 8 events →
2020 3 89 48 50 694.85 695.39 1 3 events →
2019 21 362 34 70 695.88 709.14 16 18 events →
2018 29 366 40 78 696.77 706.82 16 1 events →
2017 38 488 39 77 694.90 708.59 21 — events →
2016 38 521 37 75 696.54 712.58 19 — events →
2015 31 530 43 100 695.52 712.61 27 2 events →
2014 51 549 39 97 688.36 709.68 6 — events →
2013 35 526 41 99 678.11 694.82 5 — events →
2012 1 24 25 25 693.14 693.14 — — events →

Contests per season (up to 2026)

When they cook (month of year)

Field depth over time (average teams per contest, and teams competing that season)

What it took to win (average Master winning score, and 180s scored)

How the room scores (every judged meat, against the sport as a whole)

A lower average means a harder room. “vs sport” is this region's average minus the same meat's average everywhere KCBS is scored. California marks pork hardest — 1.09 points below the rest of the sport.

MeatAvg herevs sportEntries180s180s /1k
Chicken 164.20 -0.96 8,542 84 9.8
Pork Ribs 162.68 -0.94 8,770 23 2.6
Pork 163.21 -1.09 7,970 61 7.7
Brisket 161.15 -1.07 8,244 54 6.6

Top teams who cook here (by power rating)

Power rankTeamRating
#1SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ1988
#2CLARK CREW BBQ1967
#5GREY STREET BBQ1943
#6DIRT ROAD BBQ1942
#7BIG POPPA SMOKERS1935
#8GETTIN' BASTED1929
#10BOOMERANG BBQ1922
#11ROCKY TOP BARBEQUE1921
#13THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ1902
#15TRIPLE H BBQ1891
#18Rio Valley Meat BBQ1876
#19SAUCED! BBQ TEAM1874
#22PORKY BUTTS BBQ1873
#24SHIGGIN & GRINNIN1872
#26SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA1868

The regulars (most contests cooked in California)

TeamContestsGCsLast
SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ13713Sep 18, 2026
LADY OF Q1173Sep 18, 2026
BIG POPPA SMOKERS10524Jun 14, 2024
Burnin and Lootin10116Sep 18, 2026
Meat Candy Q926Sep 18, 2026
RIDGE ROUTE BOYS BBQ813Mar 1, 2024
Porterhouse BBQ724Sep 18, 2026
7 SINS BBQ723Aug 8, 2026
ZZYZX BAR.B.Q656Sep 14, 2018
B' Mackin BBQ648Sep 18, 2026
Smokey and the Pirate635Jan 24, 2020
COOL GRILLING62—Oct 20, 2023

Highest scores in California (Master · /720)

ScoreTeamWhere
718.8572B' Mackin BBQ 21st Annual Burnt Offerings BBQ Contest Sep 12, 2025
714.2628Poppa Pig 21st Annual Burnt Offerings BBQ Contest Sep 12, 2025
713.7144Meat Candy Q BBQ, Boots & Brew Apr 28, 2023
713.7028Cherry Anchor BBQ Roaring Camp BBQ Cook Off May 24, 2024
713.1316Burnin and Lootin 21st Annual Burnt Offerings BBQ Contest Sep 12, 2025
712.6060ZZYZX BAR.B.Q The Outlets @ Lake Elsinore BBQ State Championship Sep 13, 2015
712.5828IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ Indio California State BBQ Championship & Festival ( Judges Full) Nov 11, 2016
711.9884LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ Horse Town Brew n Que Festival (Day 1) May 30, 2025
711.9772LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ 9th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship Apr 1, 2022
710.8344LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ Ignite your Passion Jun 14, 2024

Most GCs in California

TeamGCs
BIG POPPA SMOKERS24
Burnin and Lootin16
SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ13
SON OF SMOKE10
B' Mackin BBQ8
LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ8
LEFT COAST Q7
ZZYZX BAR.B.Q6
Meat Candy Q6
Smokey and the Pirate5

Contests that come back (recurring)

ContestEditionsBiggestLast held
Harry Soo - Slap Yo' Daddy BBQ 1019—Sep 8, 2018
Horse Town Brew n Que Festival875May 29, 2026
BBQ 1018—Jul 5, 2014
Elk Grove Western Festival and BBQ Championship (POSTPONED)735May 6, 2022
Harry Soo - Slap Yo' Daddy BBQ 101 Class7—May 28, 2016
Table Captain Class6—Mar 10, 2018
Dinuba's BBQ & Brew Fest527Apr 2, 2027
BBQ, Boots & Brew539Apr 11, 2025
2022 Indio California State BBQ Championship & Festival538Nov 4, 2022
Certified BBQ Judging Class5—Jun 4, 2017
Certified BBQ Judging Class5—Mar 11, 2017
Roaring Camp BBQ Cook Off (Day 2)425Aug 8, 2026

Where it happens (towns in California)

TownContestsSeasonsAvg fieldLast
Riverside291326Sep 18, 2026
Diamond Bar284—Sep 8, 2018
Norco17946May 31, 2025
Clayton14622Jun 14, 2024
Indio141038Nov 17, 2023
San Diego12820Jun 20, 2025
Lodi11835Apr 24, 2026
Elk Grove10729May 6, 2022
Santa Clara10853Jun 18, 2021
Arcadia9762Apr 2, 2022
Sacramento8622Jul 31, 2026
Hollister7533Jan 25, 2025

Reps who work California

RepContestsLast
Kelly McIntosh60Sep 18, 2026
Julie Poe54Apr 2, 2027
Kathleen McIntosh54Sep 18, 2026
Ian Schmidt51Apr 2, 2027
Michael Santiago16Apr 11, 2025
Rhonda Santiago16Apr 11, 2025
Connie Amidei1May 26, 2023
Jonathan Amidei1May 26, 2023
Merrialyce Alvarez1Aug 16, 2019
Steve Alvarez1Aug 16, 2019

State championships 🏅

ContestTeamsGrand champion
Dinuba's BBQ & Brew Fest Apr 2, 2027 — —
22nd Annual Burnt Offerings BBQ Contest Sep 18, 2026 31 BURNIN AND LOOTIN
Roaring Camp BBQ Cook Off (Day 2) Aug 8, 2026 17 Colorado Bulldawg BBQ
Roaring Camp BBQ Cook Off (Day 1) Aug 7, 2026 25 CYNICAL BBQ
Lodi BeerFest & State BBQ Championship Apr 24, 2026 29 Smokin' Bliss BBQ
Dinuba's BBQ & Brew Fest Mar 20, 2026 27 Cynical BBQ
The Golden State Battle VIII Jan 30, 2026 41 Loot N' Booty BBQ
21st Annual Burnt Offerings BBQ Contest Sep 12, 2025 35 B' Mackin BBQ
3rd Annual Roaring Camp BBQ Cook Off (Day 2) Aug 9, 2025 21 Smokin' Volts BBQ
3rd Annual Roaring Camp BBQ Cook Off (Day 1) Aug 8, 2025 25 Smokin' Bliss BBQ

Coming up in California

DateContestTown
Apr 2, 2027 Dinuba's BBQ & Brew Fest 🏅 Dinuba
Apr 2, 2027 Dinuba's BBQ & Brew Fest (ONE MEAT RIBS) Dinuba

Where else these teams cook

Of the 1,810 teams with a recorded finish in California, this is where else they turn up — the honest picture of which scenes share a travelling field. Follow one to open it up.

RegionShared teamsShare of the field hereContests they cooked there
Nevada NV 251 14% 51 compare →
Arizona AZ 244 13% 54 compare →
Kansas KS 183 10% 343 compare →
Missouri MO 162 9% 345 compare →
Tennessee TN 154 9% 175 compare →
Alabama AL 115 6% 150 compare →
Arkansas AR 99 5% 73 compare →
Georgia GA 91 5% 193 compare →

On the map (every mapped contest in California — tap a pin)

⚔ Compare CA with another region 🗺 Browse every region

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