They almost always walk
74%
of contests with a top-10 call
A call in 17 of 23 contests
A top-10 category call in 74% of their 23 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
Bad to the Brisket
Bad to the Brisket is a competition barbecue team with 23 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2016 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 3rd of 27 at the Small Town Smoke Down (2024). They are ranked #3609 of 6,477 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1491
peak 1510 · rated over 23 contests
Contests
23
in the data
First seen
May 14, 2016
latest Sep 4, 2026 · 10.3 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
6 podiums
Overall top-10s
6
26% of 23 contests
Best top-10 run
3
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 55%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
655.56 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 639.20 (+16.36)
Walk rate
74%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±37.92
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 162.39 · weakest Pork Ribs (159.74)
Road miles
1,797
across 23 mapped stops · furthest 168 mi
Schedule strength
20%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1528)
Master avg
639.20 / 720
23 Master contests · 0 GCs
Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)
| Year | Series | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Master | #709 (162 pts) | #591 (282 pts) | #768 (192 pts) | #835 (122 pts) | #681 (202 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #629 (242 pts) | #482 (467 pts) | #871 (172 pts) | #665 (247 pts) | #583 (292 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #1020 (111 pts) | #917 (136 pts) | #1194 (91 pts) | #910 (136 pts) | #1104 (96 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Bad to the Brisket, each with one reason worth a look.
158 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#3,604 of the rated field
- Contests
- 7
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1504
1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to Bad to the Brisket)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Bad to the Brisket has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#3,615 of the rated field
- Contests
- 25
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 20%
- Peak
- 1504
Careers of much the same size, 25 contests to 23, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#3,590 of the rated field
- Contests
- 22
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1522
They've been 1522 at their best, 31 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Compare careers#3,629 of the rated field
- Contests
- 25
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 4%
- Peak
- 1531
Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 8 years before Bad to the Brisket's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#3,619 of the rated field
- Contests
- 18
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 6%
- Peak
- 1491
18 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 6% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#3,621 of the rated field
- Contests
- 19
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 11%
- Peak
- 1520
Level with Bad to the Brisket on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kreiser Barbecue | 19 | 6 | 13 | 32% | ⚔ compare |
| SMELLAQUE | 18 | 1 | 17 | 6% | ⚔ compare |
| Fire BBQ | 17 | 10 | 7 | 59% | ⚔ compare |
| MOTLEY QUE | 17 | 6 | 11 | 35% | ⚔ compare |
| Hogparts School of Smokecraft and Brew'ery | 17 | 4 | 13 | 24% | ⚔ compare |
| Rack Addicts BBQ Team | 15 | 10 | 5 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| HOME COOKIN' BBQ | 15 | 6 | 9 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| Mark's Meats and Treats | 14 | 12 | 2 | 86% | ⚔ compare |
| Homestead Smoke Shack | 14 | 4 | 10 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| ARROWHEAD NORTH BBQ | 14 | 0 | 14 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| ROKER Q | 12 | 6 | 6 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| DIDY SMOKE IT | 12 | 6 | 6 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| Brisket Butts | 12 | 3 | 9 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| ROCKY MOUNTAIN SMOKERS | 12 | 2 | 10 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| Just Katie | 10 | 4 | 6 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 23 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 174.8572 | 143.4284 | 162.39 | top 56% |
| Pork Ribs | 23 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 177.1772 | 135.4172 | 159.74 | top 64% |
| Pork | 22 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 175.4056 | 145.2228 | 162.26 | top 56% |
| Brisket | 22 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 176 | 147.9772 | 161.62 | top 51% |
“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 field size and state
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 2 | 0 | top 64% |
| Medium (20–39) | 18 | 0 | top 54% |
| Large (40+) | 3 | 0 | top 52% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barbeque on the Bow Festival | 4 | 6 | 0 | top 63% | Sep 4, 2026 |
| Small Town Smoke Down | 4 | 3 | 0 | top 42% | May 30, 2026 |
| Didsbury Lions BBQ | 3 | 8 | 0 | top 49% | Jul 26, 2025 |
| Smoke, Wind & Fire | 2 | 11 | 0 | top 64% | Jul 23, 2022 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2024
4 contests
Contests a season
2.6
across 9 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
AB
18 of 23 contests
Contests visited
14
4 of them more than once
Opponents faced
224
finished ahead 302 times, behind 386
Longest layoff
2.1 yrs
Jun 15, 2019 → Jul 10, 2021
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20261 milestone
- Most recent contest Barbeque on the Bow Festival
20251 milestone
- Peak power rating (1510) Small Town Smoke Down
20243 milestones
- First overall podium Small Town Smoke Down
- Career-best overall score681.7832 Prairie Dog on the Bow
- Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)177.1772 Prairie Dog on the Bow
20222 milestones
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score662.2632 Small Town Smoke Down Bassano Alberta
- 10th tracked contest Smoke, Wind & Fire
20211 milestone
- First overall top-10 Didsbury Lions BBQ
20162 milestones
- First tracked contest Smokin Q at Lynnwood Ranch
- First call Smokin Q at Lynnwood Ranch
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +13.5 | Small Town Smoke Down | Jun 8, 2024 |
| +12.2 | Prairie Dog on the Bow | Aug 31, 2024 |
| +11.7 | Barbeque on the Bow Festival | Sep 2, 2023 |
| +9.3 | Small Town Smoke Down | May 31, 2025 |
| +8.6 | Didsbury Lions BBQ | Sep 3, 2021 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -14.2 | Barbeque on the Bow Festival | Aug 31, 2024 |
| -12.5 | Barbeque on the Bow Festival | Sep 4, 2026 |
| -8.3 | BBQ on the Bow | Sep 2, 2017 |
| -7.8 | Smoke, Wind & Fire | Jul 10, 2021 |
| -7.6 | Small Town Smoke Down | Jun 3, 2023 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 76% | 93.4% | 90.7% |
| 2025 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 67% | top 43% | 95.6% | 93.2% |
| 2024 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 75% | top 46% | 96.2% | 88.1% |
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 100% | top 52% | 94.3% | 91.8% |
| 2022 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 51% | 92% | 91.3% |
| 2021 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 67% | top 58% | 88.6% | 86.8% |
| 2019 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 61% | 86.7% | 86.5% |
| 2017 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 64% | 86.7% | 84.8% |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 59% | 87.7% | 87.7% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 4, 2026 | Barbeque on the Bow Festival Calgary, AB | 31 / 33 (633.5088) | 33 (149.6228) | 19 (167.4172) | 33 (157.6688) | 29 (158.8000) |
| May 30, 2026 | Small Town Smoke Down Bassano, AB | 14 / 24 (672.5604) | 3 (174.2972) | 14 (170.2744) | 22 (160.5488) | 8 (167.4400) |
| Aug 30, 2025 | Barbeque on the Bow Festival Calgary, AB | 17 / 38 (671.3372) | 3 (174.8572) | 33 (160.5372) | 20 (168.5372) | 14 (167.4056) |
| Jul 26, 2025 | Didsbury Lions BBQ Didsbury, AB | 22 / 32 (654.7428) | 9 (171.4172) | 31 (154.8000) | 19 (166.8456) | 21 (161.6800) |
| May 31, 2025 | Small Town Smoke Down Bassano, AB | 4 / 25 (172.0228) | 17 (165.1428) | 24 (155.4288) | 20 (162.2972) | 15 (162.7884) |
| Aug 31, 2024 | Prairie Dog on the Bow Calgary, AB | 6 / 24 (681.7832) | 24 (153.6916) | 2 (177.1772) | 3 (174.9144) | 2 (176) |
| Aug 31, 2024 | Barbeque on the Bow Festival Calgary, AB | 35 / 35 (494.1944) | 6 (174.2628) | 32 (154.2516) | 19 (165.6800) | — |
| Jul 27, 2024 | Didsbury Lions BBQ Didsbury, AB | 13 / 28 (669.6344) | 11 (169.7028) | 18 (164.5372) | 23 (161.1316) | 6 (174.2628) |
| Jun 8, 2024 | Small Town Smoke Down Bassano, AB | 3 / 27 (173.1316) | 16 (164.5372) | 22 (159.9772) | 20 (162.8572) | 21 (161.1428) |
| Sep 2, 2023 | Barbeque on the Bow Festival Calgary, AB | 6 / 40 (678.7884) | 18 (167.9772) | 9 (172) | 4 (175.4056) | 18 (163.4056) |
| Jul 20, 2023 | Smoke, Wind & Fire Raymond, AB | 7 / 12 (665.1312) | 11 (156.5256) | 7 (170.2856) | 5 (173.1772) | 7 (165.1428) |
| Jun 3, 2023 | Small Town Smoke Down Bassano, AB | 19 / 23 (638.7424) | 8 (172) | 17 (160.5256) | 22 (145.6684) | 18 (160.5484) |
| Sep 3, 2022 | Barbeque on the Bow Calgary, AB | 17 / 36 (658.8000) | 19 (166.2628) | 29 (158.8572) | 6 (171.4400) | 20 (162.2400) |
| Jul 23, 2022 | Smoke, Wind & Fire Lethbridge | 12 / 20 (651.8968) | 12 (164.5372) | 11 (163.9656) | 19 (151.9884) | 4 (171.4056) |
| Jun 3, 2022 | Small Town Smoke Down Bassano Alberta Bassano, AB | 14 / 31 (662.2632) | 20 (158.2400) | 4 (173.7256) | 16 (165.7144) | 13 (164.5832) |
| Sep 4, 2021 | BBQ on the Bow Didsbury, AB | 22 / 29 (623.2568) | 13 (162.2400) | 27 (142.2284) | 12 (161.1084) | 18 (157.6800) |
| Sep 3, 2021 | Didsbury Lions BBQ Didsbury, AB | 8 / 26 (638.2744) | 22 (151.9772) | 7 (161.7028) | 2 (166.3316) | 8 (158.2628) |
| Jul 10, 2021 | Smoke, Wind & Fire Lethbridge | 11 / 16 (614.2284) | 8 (164) | 15 (142.2628) | 8 (159.9884) | 14 (147.9772) |
| Jun 15, 2019 | Porkapalooza BBQ Festival Edmonton | 28 / 44 (623.9544) | 39 (149.7144) | 34 (151.9772) | — | 26 (154.8344) |
| May 25, 2019 | Heritage Heat Western Smokin BBQ Mountain View, AB | 13 / 22 (621.1772) | 14 (155.4172) | 17 (149.1656) | 6 (162.2628) | 12 (154.3316) |
| Sep 2, 2017 | BBQ on the Bow Calgary | 33 / 42 (597.7372) | 38 (143.4284) | 40 (135.4172) | 13 (161.7600) | 16 (157.1316) |
| May 13, 2017 | Smokin Q at Lynnwood Ranch Okotoks, AB | 17 / 34 (624.0568) | 10 (165.1428) | 10 (162.2512) | 29 (145.2228) | 21 (151.4400) |
| May 14, 2016 | Smokin Q at Lynnwood Ranch Aldersyde, Alberta Canada | 20 / 34 (631.4516) | 22 (160.0688) | 10 (165.1428) | 23 (149.1200) | 12 (157.1200) |