POTBELLY COOKERS

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

Power ranking

#2481

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1520

peak 1523 · rated over 8 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-05-31

latest 2018-11-16

Best ToY finish

#1912

Master 2013

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

2 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 9 contests

Avg finish

top 51%

overall standings

Best overall

685.1200 / 720

Master · Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluesgrass Festival

Perfect 180s

Current form

654.33 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 658.36 (-4.04)

Walk rate

89%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

177.7372

Chicken · Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluesgrass Festival

Consistency

±13.65

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 168.76 · weakest Brisket (160.89)

Road miles

376

mi across 9 mapped stops · furthest 140 mi

Schedule strength

51%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1566)

Master avg

658.36 / 720

8 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (10 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.

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.

High-water mark

685.1200 career-best overall

95.2% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 685.1200 at Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluesgrass Festival — 95.2% of a perfect 720.

Master
2016-07-29

Their season

2016 their best year

2016 was the year it came together: 3 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 35%.

3 contests
2 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 35%

A tough matchup

5–0 behind in the head-to-head

YES, DEAR BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

YES, DEAR BBQ has come out ahead in 5 of their 5 shared contests.

The weak link

−7.9 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 7.87 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 13% of the time against 63%.

Brisket avg 160.89
Chicken avg 168.76
1 calls in 8 entries

A strong matchup

4–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of BACKDRAFT BBQ SC in 4 of their 4 shared contests.

The comeback

2.9 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 2.9 years, then back at Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluesgrass Festival (2016-07-29).

last seen 2013-09-20
back 2016-07-29

Chicken nemesis

4 of 5 shared chicken entries lost

FIRE AND SMOKE SHAK ahead 80% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, FIRE AND SMOKE SHAK has out-cooked them in 4 of 5 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

Smoked Mullet has landed one call behind them 2 times.

The metronome

±1.90% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.90% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 91.4% of a perfect score
9 contests

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.

80 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.

PIGGIE SMALLS

#2486 of the rated field

1520 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 13%
Peak: 1530

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 8 contests to 9, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 8 contests
last seen 2022-04-22

⚔ Head-to-head

FOUR STAR BBQ

#2476 of the rated field

1521 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 63%
Peak: 1521

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 8 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 8 contests
last seen 2017-09-09
on a 3-contest top-10 run

⚔ Head-to-head

I Cinghiali

#2490 of the rated field

1520 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 67%
Peak: 1520

No shared contest yet.

Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 9 contests, alongside a 67% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 9 contests
last seen 2026-06-20

⚔ Head-to-head

Givey's Que

#2485 of the rated field

1520 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 22%
Peak: 1524

No shared contest yet.

They turned up 11 years after POTBELLY COOKERS did, first appearing in 2024.

rated over 9 contests
last seen 2025-11-05

⚔ Head-to-head

DAN'S RIGHTEOUS RIBS

#2483 of the rated field

1520 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 7
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 29%
Peak: 1523

No shared contest yet.

Level with POTBELLY COOKERS on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 7 contests
last seen 2017-08-18

⚔ Head-to-head

Smokin Colt

#2487 of the rated field

1520 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 30%
Peak: 1520

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 10 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2026-08-08

⚔ Head-to-head

Familiar 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	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	8	5	1	177.7372	161.6572	168.76	top 38%
Pork Ribs	9	4	0	172.5600	147.9088	163.59	top 54%
Pork	9	3	0	171.9772	157.6456	164.66	top 49%
Brisket	8	1	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.

Contest-by-contest record (recurring 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%	2018-11-16
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2	18	0	top 78%	2017-08-11

The story so far (16 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 5.5 yrs 2013-05-31 → 2018-11-16

Busiest season 2017 3 contests

Contests a season 2.3 across 4 seasons in the data

Cooks most in SC 9 of 9 contests

Contests visited 5 2 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Pork Ribs 9 entries · 0 wins · 4 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 168.76 · weakest Brisket (160.89)

Walk rate 89% a top-10 call in 8 of 9 contests

Overall top-10 rate 22% 2 of 9 contests

Best top-10 run 2 straight contests

Master average 658.36 out of 720 · 8 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 121 97–96 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 376 9 mapped stops · furthest 140 mi

Schedule strength 1566 average field rating faced — tougher than 51% of rated contests

Longest layoff 2.9 yrs 2013-09-20 → 2016-07-29

Power rating 1520 peak 1523 · #2481 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
May 31 First tracked contest Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
May 31 First call Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
2016
Jul 29 First overall top-10 Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluesgrass Festival
Jul 29 First overall past 90% of a perfect score685.1200 Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluesgrass Festival
Jul 29 Career-best overall score685.1200 Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluesgrass Festival
Jul 29 Career-best single call (Chicken)177.7372 Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluesgrass Festival
2017
Jul 28 Peak power rating (1523) Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluegrass Festival (PALMETTO BBQ SERIES)
2018
Nov 16 Most recent contest Smoke on the Harbor BBQ throwdown

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+11.9	Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluesgrass Festival	2016-07-29
+7.3	*Low Country Hog Fest	2016-09-02
+3.9	Smoke on the Harbor BBQ throwdown	2016-11-11
+3.9	Smoke on the Shrine Lake & Bluegrass Festival (PALMETTO BBQ SERIES)	2017-07-28
+3.1	Smoke on the Harbor BBQ throwdown(PALMETTO BBQ SERIES)	2017-11-10

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-8.4	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2017-08-11
-4.1	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2013-05-31

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	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2018	1	0	100%	top 52%	90.8%	90.8%
2017	3	0	67%	top 62%	93.3%	91.5%
2016	3	2	100%	top 35%	95.2%	92.1%
2013	2	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
2018-11-16	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)
2017-11-10	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)
2017-08-11	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)
2017-07-28	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)
2016-11-11	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)
2016-09-02	*Low Country Hog Fest Charleston, SC	9 / 26 (662.1484)	4 (173.7028)	5 (172.5600)	10 (167.3828)	23 (148.5028)
2016-07-29	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)
2013-09-20	Anne Springs Close Greenway BBQ & Bluegrass Festival (Competitor's Series) Fort Mills, SC	—	—	10 (162.2400)	11 (162.2400)	—
2013-05-31	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)

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
2017 ↗	Master	#2814 (57 pts)	#2208 (72 pts)	#2179 (82 pts)	#2917 (52 pts)	#2127 (82 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#1912 (87 pts)	#1430 (177 pts)	#1925 (97 pts)	#1814 (122 pts)	#2427 (72 pts)