They almost always walk
89%
of contests with a top-10 call
A call in 8 of 9 contests
A top-10 category call in 89% of their 9 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
POTBELLY COOKERS
POTBELLY COOKERS is a competition barbecue team with 9 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2018. Their best overall finish is 6th of 22 at the Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluesgrass Festival (2016). They are ranked #2510 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “POT BELLY COOKERS - SC”.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1520
peak 1523 · rated over 8 contests
Contests
9
in the data
First seen
May 31, 2013
latest Nov 16, 2018 · 5.5 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
2 podiums
Overall top-10s
2
22% of 9 contests
Best top-10 run
2
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 51%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
654.33 ▼
last 5 Master vs avg 658.36 (-4.04)
Walk rate
89%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±13.65
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 168.76 · weakest Brisket (160.89)
Road miles
376
across 9 mapped stops · furthest 140 mi
Schedule strength
50%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1565)
Master avg
658.36 / 720
8 Master contests · 0 GCs
Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to POTBELLY COOKERS, each with one reason worth a look.
82 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#2,509 of the rated field
- Contests
- 8
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 38%
- Peak
- 1520
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 8 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#2,503 of the rated field
- Contests
- 8
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 13%
- Peak
- 1530
Careers of much the same size, 8 contests to 9, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#2,508 of the rated field
- Contests
- 9
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 67%
- Peak
- 1520
Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 9 contests, alongside a 67% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Compare careers#2,504 of the rated field
- Contests
- 9
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 22%
- Peak
- 1524
They turned up 11 years after POTBELLY COOKERS did, first appearing in 2024.
⚔ Compare careers#2,517 of the rated field
- Contests
- 7
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1530
Level with POTBELLY COOKERS on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careers#2,513 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 20%
- Peak
- 1531
Careers of much the same size, 10 contests to 9, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QUEOLOGY | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| FIRE AND SMOKE SHAK | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| YES, DEAR BBQ | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| ELITE BBQ SMOKERS | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Smokin Gringos BBQ | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 8 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 177.7372 | 161.6572 | 168.76 | top 38% |
| Pork Ribs | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 172.5600 | 147.9088 | 163.59 | top 54% |
| Pork | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 171.9772 | 157.6456 | 164.66 | top 49% |
| Brisket | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 176.5600 | 148.5028 | 160.89 | top 57% |
“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.
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke on the Harbor BBQ throwdown | 3 | 11 | 0 | top 47% | Nov 16, 2018 |
| Sam's Club National BBQ Tour | 2 | 18 | 0 | top 78% | Aug 11, 2017 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2017
3 contests
Contests a season
2.3
across 4 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
SC
9 of 9 contests
Contests visited
5
2 of them more than once
Opponents faced
119
finished ahead 97 times, behind 96
Longest layoff
2.9 yrs
Sep 20, 2013 → Jul 29, 2016
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20181 milestone
- Most recent contest Smoke on the Harbor BBQ throwdown
20171 milestone
- Peak power rating (1523) Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluegrass Festival (PALMETTO BBQ SERIES)
20164 milestones
- First overall top-10 Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluesgrass Festival
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score685.1200 Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluesgrass Festival
- Career-best overall score685.1200 Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluesgrass Festival
- Career-best single call (Chicken)177.7372 Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluesgrass Festival
20132 milestones
- First tracked contest Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
- First call Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +11.8 | Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluesgrass Festival | Jul 29, 2016 |
| +7.3 | Low Country Hog Fest | Sep 2, 2016 |
| +3.9 | Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluegrass Festival (PALMETTO BBQ SERIES) | Jul 28, 2017 |
| +3.8 | Smoke on the Harbor BBQ throwdown | Nov 11, 2016 |
| +3.1 | Smoke on the Harbor BBQ throwdown (PALMETTO BBQ SERIES) | Nov 10, 2017 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -8.6 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour | Aug 11, 2017 |
| -4.1 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour | May 31, 2013 |
Scores over time (% of a perfect score — tap a meat to add it)
Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)
Where they finish (overall)
Best vs average (by meat)
How entries end (by meat)
Season by season
| Season | Contests | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 52% | 90.8% | 90.8% |
| 2017 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 67% | top 62% | 93.3% | 91.5% |
| 2016 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 100% | top 35% | 95.2% | 92.1% |
| 2013 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 67% | 90% | 90% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 16, 2018 | Smoke on the Harbor BBQ throwdown Mt. Pleasant, SC | 13 / 25 (653.4972) | 10 (168.5372) | 15 (160.5144) | 14 (161.6456) | 12 (162.8000) |
| Nov 10, 2017 | Smoke on the Harbor BBQ throwdown (PALMETTO BBQ SERIES) Mt. Pleasant, SC | 11 / 25 (659.2576) | 14 (161.6572) | 5 (170.8344) | 12 (165.0972) | 11 (161.6688) |
| Aug 11, 2017 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour N. Charleston, SC | 24 / 27 (644.9604) | 21 (163.9544) | 19 (162.8116) | 25 (157.6456) | 19 (160.5488) |
| Jul 28, 2017 | Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluegrass Festival (PALMETTO BBQ SERIES) Summerville, SC | 13 / 25 (671.8856) | 11 (168.5256) | 23 (161.1200) | 18 (165.6800) | 3 (176.5600) |
| Nov 11, 2016 | Smoke on the Harbor BBQ throwdown Mt. Pleasant, SC | 11 / 25 (642.0344) | 10 (163.9428) | 20 (147.9088) | 4 (170.8228) | 12 (159.3600) |
| Sep 2, 2016 | Low Country Hog Fest Charleston, SC | 9 / 26 (662.1484) | 4 (173.7028) | 5 (172.5600) | 10 (167.3828) | 23 (148.5028) |
| Jul 29, 2016 | Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluesgrass Festival Summerville, SC | 6 / 22 (685.1200) | 3 (177.7372) | 9 (169.7256) | 5 (171.9772) | 15 (165.6800) |
| Sep 20, 2013 | Anne Springs Close Greenway BBQ & Bluegrass Festival (Competitor's Series) Fort Mills, SC | — | — | 10 (162.2400) | 11 (162.2400) | — |
| May 31, 2013 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour N. Charleston, SC | 18 / 27 (647.9994) | 5 (171.9998) | 16 (164.5712) | 11 (159.4286) | 21 (151.9998) |