MOON RIVER BARBEQUE

At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)

Power ranking

#903

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1615

peak 1622 · rated over 46 contests ⓘ

Best runs

straight top-10s

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-07-12

latest 2019-03-08

Best ToY finish

#351

Master 2018

Grand champs

1 reserve

Category wins

12 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 46 contests

Avg finish

top 43%

overall standings

Best overall

683.3712 / 720

Master · Twin Valley Fire And Smoke

Perfect 180s

1 🔥

Current form

651.06 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 642.30 (+8.76)

Walk rate

67%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

180.0000 🔥

Pork · Twin Valley Fire And Smoke

Consistency

±20.98

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 162.29 · weakest Brisket (158.44)

Road miles

5,973

mi across 46 mapped stops · furthest 330 mi

Schedule strength

45%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1558)

Purse competed for

$8K

listed at 1 contests — purses, not winnings

Master avg

642.30 / 720

46 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (11 found in this team's record)

Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.

Perfect scores on the board

1 perfect 180s

1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in pork.

Pork ×1

They almost always walk

67% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 31 of 46 contests

A top-10 category call in 67% of their 46 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

683.3712 career-best overall

94.9% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 683.3712 at Twin Valley Fire And Smoke — 94.9% of a perfect 720.

Master
2018-05-18

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

QUEGASM has finished one call ahead of MOON RIVER BARBEQUE 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

26–5 behind in the head-to-head

Dr. Pearl's Medicinal Smoke BBQ Team ahead in 84% of their meetings

Dr. Pearl's Medicinal Smoke BBQ Team has come out ahead in 26 of their 31 shared contests.

A strong matchup

15–6 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 71% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of SMOKIN' TEX BBQ in 15 of their 21 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

19 of 31 shared chicken entries lost

Dr. Pearl's Medicinal Smoke BBQ Team ahead 61% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, Dr. Pearl's Medicinal Smoke BBQ Team has out-cooked them in 19 of 31 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

3× one call behind them

Chicken Chokers has landed one call behind them 3 times.

A July team

Top 29% average finish in July

Something about July: average finish in the top 29% across 6 contests, versus top 43% the rest of the year.

6 July contests
top 43% the rest of the year

The long haul

5,973 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 5,973 miles across 46 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 330 miles to *Thrillin & Grillin at Aquaboggan Water park.

46 mapped stops
furthest 330 mi

A standing appointment

4 years running at one contest

They've cooked Hudson Valley Ribfest every year from 2015 to 2018 — the contest they never miss.

4 visits in all
best finish 12th

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The nearest teams in the power rankings, with a different reason on each card — six teams on one rating are rarely on it for the same reason. Rating decides who makes the list; where teams tie on it, the ones this team has actually cooked against come first, then teams at a similar point in their own career. KCBS doesn’t publish where a team is from, so nothing here is inferred from geography.

SMOKE ON WHEELS

#900 of the rated field

1616 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 54
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 31%
Peak: 1669

No shared contest yet.

They've been 1669 at their best, 53 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 51 contests
last seen 2025-09-26

⚔ Head-to-head

BOWLING OVER PIGS

#901 of the rated field

1615 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 53
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 30%
Peak: 1669

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 53 contests to 46, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 52 contests
last seen 2019-08-23

⚔ Head-to-head

FALLOUT BBQ

#898 of the rated field

1616 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 38
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 34%
Peak: 1668

No shared contest yet.

Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 38 contests, alongside a 34% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 34 contests
last seen 2026-05-15

⚔ Head-to-head

Bubba Grills

#904 of the rated field

1615 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 25
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 36%
Peak: 1615

No shared contest yet.

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.

rated over 24 contests
last seen 2025-07-25

⚔ Head-to-head

STICKY FINGERS BARBECUE TEAM

#899 of the rated field

1616 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 25
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 84%
Peak: 1616

No shared contest yet.

5 straight overall top-10s says this rating is a moving target.

rated over 24 contests
last seen 2021-09-25

⚔ Head-to-head

SMOKIN VAN NORMAN

#902 of the rated field

1615 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 22
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 23%
Peak: 1615

No shared contest yet.

Level with MOON RIVER BARBEQUE on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 22 contests
last seen 2021-03-19

⚔ Head-to-head

Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Dr. Pearl's Medicinal Smoke BBQ Team	31	5	26	16%	⚔ compare
Chicken Chokers	30	12	18	40%	⚔ compare
BLAZIN' BUTTZ BBQ	23	5	18	22%	⚔ compare
Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit	22	7	15	32%	⚔ compare
SMOKOPOLIS BBQ	22	6	16	27%	⚔ compare
RIBS WITHIN	22	5	17	23%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA	22	4	18	18%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN' TEX BBQ	21	15	6	71%	⚔ compare
Hot Rod's BBQ	20	14	6	70%	⚔ compare
Q HAVEN BBQ	20	4	16	20%	⚔ compare
Rogue Hog BBQ	20	3	17	15%	⚔ compare
ACK-QUE	18	6	12	33%	⚔ compare
BEERBEQUE	18	5	13	28%	⚔ compare
Top Gun Barbecue	17	9	8	53%	⚔ compare
BACKDRAFT BAR-B-Q CT	16	9	7	56%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	46	10	0	3	174.8456	149.6568	162.29	top 47%
Pork Ribs	46	13	0	3	172.0572	138.7772	160.64	top 43%
Pork	46	11	1	5	180.0000 🔥	138.2628	160.93	top 44%
Brisket	46	10	0	1	174.8572	139.3600	158.44	top 46%

“Calls” = top-10 category finishes (getting called to the stage). Scores here are the final weighted totals KCBS publishes; per-criterion appearance/taste/tenderness marks aren’t in the public results feed.

By state / province

Where	Contests	Avg finish
NJ	14	top 50%
NY	11	top 35%
PA	11	top 41%
CT	5	top 41%
ME	2	top 34%
DE	2	top 42%
VA	1	top 72%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	16	0	top 41%
Large (40+)	30	0	top 43%

Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Hudson Valley Ribfest	4	12	top 27%	2018-08-17
Ridgefield Gone Country BBQ Festival	3	14	top 45%	2018-05-05
New Jersey State Barbecue Championship	3	9	top 29%	2015-07-10
Historic New Castle Colonial BBQ Competition	2	12	top 42%	2018-06-08
Twin Valley Fire And Smoke	2	2	top 23%	2018-05-18
NYC BBQ Cookoff	2	11	top 47%	2018-04-06
Que for the Troops	2	18	top 46%	2017-06-02
* Que by the Sea	2	31	top 71%	2016-09-17
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2	10	top 39%	2016-06-10
Red, White and Que	2	12	top 56%	2015-09-26
New York City BBQ Cookoff	2	10	top 42%	2015-04-10
DO AC Smokin' Hot Atlantic City BBQ Championship	2	27	top 61%	2014-10-03

The story so far (17 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 5.7 yrs 2013-07-12 → 2019-03-08

Busiest season 2017 11 contests

Contests a season 6.6 across 7 seasons in the data

Cooks most in NJ 14 of 46 contests · 7 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 30 12 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 46 entries · 0 wins · 10 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 162.29 · weakest Brisket (158.44)

Walk rate 67% a top-10 call in 31 of 46 contests

Overall top-10 rate 22% 10 of 46 contests

Best top-10 run 3 straight contests

Master average 642.30 out of 720 · 46 contests · 0 GCs

Perfect 180s 1 every judge at the table handing back a nine

Opponents faced 675 1,208–892 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 5,973 46 mapped stops · furthest 330 mi

Schedule strength 1558 average field rating faced — tougher than 45% of rated contests

Purse competed for $7,500 listed at 1 contests — purses, not winnings

Power rating 1615 peak 1622 · #903 of 6,413 rated

Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)

2013
Jul 12 First tracked contest New Jersey State Barbecue Championship
Jul 12 First call New Jersey State Barbecue Championship
Jul 12 First overall top-10 New Jersey State Barbecue Championship
2015
May 8 10th tracked contest Smoke in the Valley BBQ Competition & Festival
Jun 5 First overall past 90% of a perfect score649.1428 Que for the Troops
2016
Sep 24 25th tracked contest Red White and Que
2017
Jul 28 First overall podium *The Great Adirondack BBQ
2018
May 18 First category win (Pork) Twin Valley Fire And Smoke
May 18 First Reserve Championship Twin Valley Fire And Smoke
May 18 First perfect 180 (Pork) Twin Valley Fire And Smoke
May 18 Career-best overall score683.3712 Twin Valley Fire And Smoke
May 18 Peak power rating (1622) Twin Valley Fire And Smoke
2019
Mar 8 Most recent contest Mid Atlantic BBQ Expo

Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+14	Twin Valley Fire And Smoke	2018-05-18
+13.5	*Smokin at the Ballpark BBQ Fest	2017-07-15
+12.9	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2017-08-04
+12.5	*The Great Adirondack BBQ	2017-07-28
+12.2	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship	2013-07-12

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-9.2	DO AC Smokin' Hot Atlantic City BBQ Championship	2013-10-05
-7.2	* Que by the Sea	2016-09-17
-6.9	Red, White and Que	2014-09-06
-6.5	Que by the Sea	2013-09-21
-5.7	Que for the Troops	2017-06-02

Category scores over time

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Team of the Year rank by season

Season by season

Season	Contests	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2019	1	0	0	100%	top 50%	89.9%	89.9%
2018	9	1	1	67%	top 43%	94.9%	90.9%
2017	11	3	0	64%	top 39%	94.3%	90.6%
2016	8	2	0	75%	top 40%	91.4%	89.6%
2015	9	3	0	78%	top 43%	91.7%	88.7%
2014	5	0	0	60%	top 45%	89%	86.4%
2013	3	1	0	33%	top 55%	88.4%	83.9%

Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2019-03-08	Mid Atlantic BBQ Expo Atlantic City, NJ	33 / 66 (647.2680)	5 (174.8456)	10 (168.5484)	29 (164.5140)	59 (139.3600)
2018-08-17	Hudson Valley Ribfest New Paltz, NY	13 / 58 (667.8516)	13 (170.8344)	30 (162.8000)	16 (166.8228)	10 (167.3944)
2018-08-11	*Thrillin & Grillin at Aquaboggan Water park Saco, ME	16 / 30 (654.1824)	27 (154.8228)	9 (167.4056)	13 (166.8228)	12 (165.1312)
2018-07-27	Smoke in the Grove Spring Grove, PA	35 / 54 (639.2684)	29 (160.5600)	15 (167.4172)	46 (153.6456)	39 (157.6456)
2018-06-08	Historic New Castle Colonial BBQ Competition New Castle, DE	24 / 42 (646.7200)	13 (165.7028)	16 (163.4172)	30 (158.8000)	25 (158.8000)
2018-06-02	Sun BBQ Fest Uncasville, CT	33 / 59 (651.8856)	24 (167.4172)	32 (161.6800)	18 (168.5600)	42 (154.2284)
2018-05-18	Twin Valley Fire And Smoke Morgantown, PA	2 / 47 (683.3712)	22 (166.2972)	24 (165.1084)	1 (180.0000)	7 (171.9656)
2018-05-05	Ridgefield Gone Country BBQ Festival Ridgefield, CT	14 / 40 (657.6456)	12 (166.8456)	8 (166.2856)	16 (165.7028)	21 (158.8116)
2018-04-28	New Jersey KnoQ-out-CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES Blairstown, NJ	25 / 40 (643.3028)	17 (166.8344)	9 (168.0000)	32 (153.6572)	30 (154.8112)
2018-04-06	NYC BBQ Cookoff Staten Island, NY	11 / 36 (647.8740)	15 (164.0000)	13 (160.5256)	2 (169.6800)	25 (153.6684)
2017-09-15	Smoke on the Water New Jersey State Barbecue Championship Atlantic City, NJ	20 / 42 (648.9600)	20 (163.9772)	16 (166.2516)	28 (159.3600)	24 (159.3712)
2017-08-25	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Richmond, VA	21 / 29 (664.4112)	26 (166.2400)	25 (161.6800)	14 (167.3828)	8 (169.1084)
2017-08-18	Hudson Valley Ribfest New Paltz, NY	12 / 59 (659.3028)	29 (161.6684)	29 (158.8344)	18 (163.9428)	3 (174.8572)
2017-08-04	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour South Windsor, CT	4 / 30 (668.0572)	3 (173.7028)	3 (172.0572)	12 (166.2972)	20 (156.0000)
2017-07-28	*The Great Adirondack BBQ Old Forge, NY	3 / 30 (664.5716)	19 (158.8228)	9 (165.7488)	2 (173.1772)	6 (166.8228)
2017-07-15	*Smokin at the Ballpark BBQ Fest Old Orchard Beach, ME	4 / 29 (678.8000)	4 (172.5600)	12 (166.2744)	2 (176.5600)	18 (163.4056)
2017-06-09	Historic New Castle Colonial BBQ Competition New Castle, DE	12 / 46 (666.1828)	36 (157.6456)	3 (172.0000)	17 (165.6800)	5 (170.8572)
2017-06-02	Que for the Troops Levittown, PA	41 / 63 (623.3032)	31 (162.8344)	44 (156.5716)	59 (147.9200)	37 (155.9772)
2017-05-19	Twin Valley Fire and Smoke Morgantown, PA	22 / 53 (655.3144)	46 (159.3716)	33 (160.5944)	16 (168.5256)	13 (166.8228)
2017-05-06	Ridgefield Gone Country BBQ Festival Ridgefield, CT	22 / 38 (624.5944)	16 (158.8800)	17 (157.7488)	24 (151.3828)	15 (156.5828)
2017-04-07	NYC BBQ Cookoff Staten Island, NY	27 / 43 (620.4916)	29 (154.2400)	25 (154.8344)	7 (167.4628)	39 (143.9544)
2016-09-24	Red White and Que Cresskill, NJ	22 / 41 (635.3484)	36 (150.2856)	22 (155.9772)	14 (163.3944)	15 (165.6912)
2016-09-17	* Que by the Sea Seaside Heights, NJ	31 / 44 (616.9480)	38 (150.2284)	17 (162.3200)	39 (144.4340)	18 (159.9656)
2016-08-19	Hudson Valley Ribfest New Paltz, NY	16 / 52 (655.9656)	34 (160.5828)	5 (172.0000)	10 (169.6800)	35 (153.7028)
2016-06-10	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Harrisburg, PA	10 / 29 (658.2172)	8 (167.4172)	11 (161.0972)	3 (171.4400)	14 (158.2628)
2016-06-03	Que for the Troops Levittown, PA	9 / 67 (658.2056)	28 (164.0000)	23 (164.0000)	7 (165.1200)	22 (165.0856)
2016-05-06	Smoke in the Valley BBQ competition Greenlane, PA	15 / 47 (656.4680)	32 (159.4284)	4 (169.1200)	24 (161.1084)	13 (166.8112)
2016-04-30	Ridgefield Gone Country BBQ Festival Ridgefield, CT	17 / 39 (642.2632)	28 (153.1200)	15 (162.2744)	19 (158.8688)	4 (168.0000)
2016-04-08	NYC BBQ Cookoff Staten Island, NY	14 / 35 (639.9312)	9 (165.7256)	13 (160.0116)	15 (162.2284)	20 (151.9656)
2015-10-09	Smokin Hot Atlantic City BBQ Championship $15,000 Atlantic City, NJ	10 / 46 (659.9428)	4 (172.0228)	22 (156.5716)	14 (167.3828)	11 (163.9656)
2015-09-26	Red, White and Que Cresskill, NJ	12 / 35 (643.3368)	13 (163.4628)	18 (157.0856)	7 (165.6684)	12 (157.1200)
2015-08-21	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Harrisburg, PA	13 / 30 (646.2744)	15 (164.0228)	12 (159.4404)	22 (155.4056)	5 (167.4056)
2015-08-14	Hudson Valley Ribfest New Paltz, NY	19 / 57 (636.5484)	15 (164.0000)	43 (149.7028)	12 (160.5256)	10 (162.3200)
2015-07-10	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship North Wildwood, NJ	33 / 65 (629.0060)	41 (157.1200)	46 (152.5488)	31 (157.6572)	19 (161.6800)
2015-06-27	1st Annual Greenport Harbor Beer, BBQ & Blues Peconic, NY	10 / 21 (623.8968)	3 (172.0000)	14 (158.2972)	15 (143.9084)	11 (149.6912)
2015-06-05	Que for the Troops Levittown, PA	36 / 54 (649.1428)	20 (166.2972)	37 (158.3316)	22 (167.3940)	40 (157.1200)
2015-05-08	Smoke in the Valley BBQ Competition & Festival Green Lane, PA	33 / 57 (632.3424)	21 (164.5484)	48 (148.4800)	8 (167.9772)	38 (151.3368)
2015-04-10	New York City BBQ Cookoff Staten Island, NY	10 / 33 (625.1084)	3 (165.1772)	6 (162.2628)	19 (149.6684)	14 (148.0000)
2014-10-03	DO AC Smokin' Hot Atlantic City BBQ Championship Atlantic City, NJ	27 / 65 (630.7196)	37 (157.1428)	22 (160.5256)	48 (153.1084)	20 (159.9428)
2014-09-06	Red, White and Que Cresskill, NJ	24 / 31 (597.0856)	27 (149.7028)	15 (153.6912)	22 (150.8456)	23 (142.8460)
2014-07-11	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship North Wildwood, NJ	15 / 65 (631.2452)	47 (149.6568)	6 (163.9656)	15 (159.9428)	19 (157.6800)
2014-06-06	Que for the Troops Levittown, PA	18 / 65 (640.6404)	8 (168.0456)	2 (167.4744)	41 (153.1432)	36 (151.9772)
2014-04-11	New York City BBQ Cookoff Staten Island, NY	20 / 37 (612.0460)	14 (160.0000)	8 (160.5944)	23 (150.8572)	30 (140.5944)
2013-10-05	DO AC Smokin' Hot Atlantic City BBQ Championship Atlantic City, NJ	69 / 85 (590.1260)	45 (157.1544)	79 (138.7772)	71 (144.5028)	50 (149.6916)
2013-09-21	Que by the Sea Seaside Heights, NJ	35 / 49 (585.0968)	32 (150.3084)	30 (145.7256)	47 (138.2628)	24 (150.8000)
2013-07-12	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship North Wildwood, NJ	9 / 65 (636.5828)	5 (165.6912)	42 (145.2116)	5 (164.5600)	8 (161.1200)

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)

Team of the Year standings (rank per category by season — year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Year	Series	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2019 ↗	Master	#1955 (60 pts)	#1276 (185 pts)	#1489 (135 pts)	#2029 (60 pts)	#2010 (60 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#351 (970 pts)	#440 (830 pts)	#362 (960 pts)	#269 (1145 pts)	#453 (800 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#374 (974 pts)	#485 (804 pts)	#411 (944 pts)	#339 (1064 pts)	#489 (814 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#480 (839 pts)	#622 (654 pts)	#392 (994 pts)	#411 (969 pts)	#475 (864 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#420 (899 pts)	#273 (1224 pts)	#484 (804 pts)	#391 (949 pts)	#361 (1009 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#752 (458 pts)	#757 (493 pts)	#488 (818 pts)	#875 (418 pts)	#848 (408 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#945 (309 pts)	#924 (349 pts)	#1281 (224 pts)	#917 (349 pts)	#945 (324 pts)