Serial Grillers

Serial Grillers is a competition barbecue team with 25 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 2nd of 39 at the WhistleStop BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) (2025), and they have finished Reserve Grand Champion once. They are ranked #4642 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#4,642

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1470

peak 1470 · rated over 25 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Sep 19, 2013

latest Jun 6, 2026 · 12.7 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#179

Backyard 2025 · every season

Grand champs

1 reserve

Category wins

2 podiums

Overall top-10s

4% of 25 contests

Avg finish

top 67%

overall standings

Best overall

685.0856 / 720

Master · Murphysboro BBQ Cook Off

Perfect 180s

Current form

660.24 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 637.92 (+22.32)

Walk rate

32%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

177.7144

Brisket · Southaven Springfest

Consistency

±48.27

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 162.65 · weakest Pork Ribs (156.82)

Road miles

29,708

across 25 mapped stops · furthest 8,794 mi

Schedule strength

59%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1574)

Purse competed for

$150K

listed at 11 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 9 state-championship entries

Master avg

637.92 / 720

24 Master contests · 0 GCs

Backyard avg

353.12 / 360

1 Backyard contest · 0 GCs

These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard out of 360), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.

This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.

Storylines (10 found in their record)

Each card leads with the number behind the story, straight from their results.

The heartbreaker

1.1544 points from the title

Came within 1.1544 points of the Grand Championship at WhistleStop BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) (Oct 17, 2025).

High-water mark

685.0856 career-best overall

95.2% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 685.0856 at Murphysboro BBQ Cook Off — 95.2% of a perfect 720.

Master
Sep 20, 2019

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

Camo Cookers has finished one call ahead of Serial Grillers 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

8–1 behind in the head-to-head

IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ ahead in 89% of their meetings

IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ has come out ahead in 8 of their 9 shared contests.

The weak link

−5.8 points behind their best meat

Pork Ribs is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 5.83 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 12% of the time against 16%.

Pork Ribs avg 156.82
Chicken avg 162.65
3 calls in 25 entries

A strong matchup

7–3 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 70% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of AUTO"BE"GRILLIN in 7 of their 10 shared contests.

The comeback

2.6 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 2.6 years, then back at Southaven Springfest (Apr 22, 2022).

last seen Sep 20, 2019
back Apr 22, 2022

Show 3 more storylines

Chicken nemesis

8 of 9 shared chicken entries lost

IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ ahead 89% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ has out-cooked them in 8 of 9 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

FIRE DANCER BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.

The long haul

29,708 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 29,708 miles across 25 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 8,794 miles to Queensland BBQ Championship.

25 mapped stops
furthest 8,794 mi

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
2025 ↗	Backyard	#179 (260 pts)	#245 (165 pts)	#222 (210 pts)	—	—
2025 ↗	Master	#1135 (64 pts)	#1021 (114 pts)	#1284 (64 pts)	#1414 (59 pts)	#1414 (59 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#1223 (181 pts)	#1258 (191 pts)	#1363 (166 pts)	#918 (326 pts)	#878 (346 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to Serial Grillers, each with one reason worth a look.

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

BAR BQ POSSE

#4,636 of the rated field

1470 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1470

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to Serial Grillers)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Serial Grillers has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 8 contests
last seen Jun 21, 2019

⚔ Head-to-head

3 PUTTIN PIGGIES

#4,663 of the rated field

1470 power rating

Contests: 7
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 14%
Peak: 1470

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to Serial Grillers)

Their last contest in the data was back in 2022, 4 years before Serial Grillers's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 7 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

ELWOOD BBQ

#4,628 of the rated field

1470 power rating

Contests: 29
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 10%
Peak: 1531

They've been 1531 at their best, 61 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 29 contests
last seen Sep 2, 2023

⚔ Compare careers

Beantown Smokers

#4,633 of the rated field

1470 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 5%
Peak: 1500

Careers of much the same size, 19 contests to 25, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 19 contests
last seen Aug 9, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

Pig in a Poke

#4,631 of the rated field

1470 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 5%
Peak: 1522

19 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 5% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 19 contests
last seen Mar 19, 2021

⚔ Compare careers

PURPLE SHADOW

#4,647 of the rated field

1470 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1534

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

rated over 19 contests
last seen Oct 16, 2020

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
AUTO"BE"GRILLIN	10	7	3	70%	⚔ compare
IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare
BOARS NIGHT OUT	8	2	6	25%	⚔ compare
RAZORRACKS	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
Party Q	7	6	1	86%	⚔ compare
FIRE DANCER BBQ	7	2	5	29%	⚔ compare
ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
THE BBQ BUS	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
Swine Life	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
Organizer Portal	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
Q-BONES BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
Dewey Smokem & Howe	6	6	0	100%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN' BUTTS	6	3	3	50%	⚔ compare
Backdraft Cooking Systems	6	2	4	33%	⚔ compare
JANKY LEG BBQ	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	25	4	0	1	176.5944	140.5712	162.65	top 65%
Pork Ribs	25	3	0	0	176.5600	20	156.82	top 59%
Pork	24	4	0	0	174.2628	127.9884	161.50	top 64%
Brisket	24	2	1	1	177.7144	111.4168	158.35	top 66%

“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	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	1	top 73%
Medium (20–39)	10	top 68%
Large (40+)	14	top 65%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
MS	7	top 71%
IL	7	top 62%
AL	4	top 43%
WI	2	top 94%
NS	1	top 73%
DC	1	top 79%
BC	1	top 95%

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Southaven Springfest	5	16	top 71%	Apr 25, 2025
Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard	3	37	top 81%	Sep 20, 2024
Southaven Springfest	2	26	top 70%	Apr 22, 2022
The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ	2	27	top 50%	May 4, 2018
Murphysboro BBQ Cookoff	2	29	top 55%	Sep 22, 2017

More numbers

Busiest season 2018 5 contests

Contests a season 2.1 across 12 seasons in the data

Most contests held in MS 7 of 25 contests · 7 states and provinces in all

Contests visited 16 5 of them more than once

Opponents faced 702 finished ahead 393 times, behind 706

Longest layoff 2.6 yrs Sep 20, 2019 → Apr 22, 2022

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

20262 milestones

Jun 6 25th tracked contest Throttled Up BBQ Throwdown
Jun 6 Most recent contest Throttled Up BBQ Throwdown

20253 milestones

Oct 17 First overall top-10 WhistleStop BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)
Oct 17 First overall podium WhistleStop BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)
Oct 17 First Reserve Championship WhistleStop BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)

20193 milestones

Apr 26 First category win (Brisket) Southaven Springfest
Apr 26 Career-best single call (Brisket)177.7144 Southaven Springfest
Sep 20 Career-best overall score685.0856 Murphysboro BBQ Cook Off

20182 milestones

Apr 27 First call Southaven Springfest
May 4 10th tracked contest The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ

20133 milestones

Sep 19 First tracked contest Murphysboro Barbecue Cook-off
Sep 19 First overall past 90% of a perfect score649.6568 Murphysboro Barbecue Cook-off
Sep 19 Peak power rating (1499) Murphysboro Barbecue Cook-off

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+18.5	WhistleStop BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)	Oct 17, 2025
+14.3	Murphysboro BBQ Cook Off	Sep 20, 2019
+5.6	Southaven Springfest	Apr 27, 2018
+5	The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ	May 1, 2015
+3.7	Queensland BBQ Championship	Jun 29, 2019

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-13.3	Barn Burner BBQ	Mar 21, 2015
-11.8	Nassau Bahamas Smokin' Hot BBQ	May 2, 2014
-11.4	Southaven Springfest	Apr 26, 2019
-9.1	Gold Ribbin' BBQ Fest of Greater Green Bay-Heat 2	Jul 14, 2018
-6.3	Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard	Sep 20, 2024

Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — 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	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2026	1	0	0	100%	top 73%	92.5%	92.5%
2025	2	1	0	50%	top 38%	98.1%	95.9%
2024	1	0	0	0%	top 88%	88.9%	88.9%
2023	2	0	0	0%	top 72%	92.4%	91.7%
2022	2	0	0	0%	top 76%	91.4%	90%
2019	4	0	1	100%	top 58%	95.2%	87.9%
2018	5	0	0	40%	top 74%	93.6%	88.5%
2017	2	0	0	0%	top 61%	92.5%	92.3%
2016	2	0	0	0%	top 63%	92.2%	91.6%
2015	2	0	0	0%	top 69%	92.4%	82.3%
2014	1	0	0	0%	top 88%	71%	71%
2013	1	0	0	0%	top 58%	90.2%	90.2%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Jun 6, 2026	Throttled Up BBQ Throwdown Upper Onslow, NS	11 / 15 (665.7372)	4 (175.4628)	12 (161.7372)	10 (167.9884)	13 (160.5488)
Oct 17, 2025	WhistleStop BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Huntsville, AL	2 / 39 (353.1200)	7 (176.5600)	4 (176.5600)	—	—
Apr 25, 2025	Southaven Springfest 🏅 Southaven, MS	24 / 34 (674.7200)	14 (173.1084)	24 (171.4288)	26 (166.2400)	30 (163.9428)
Sep 20, 2024	Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard 🏅 Murphysboro, IL	51 / 58 (640.4228)	52 (160.5484)	47 (164.5372)	43 (168)	57 (147.3372)
Sep 21, 2023	Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard 🏅 Murphysboro, IL	37 / 50 (655.3372)	42 (158.2400)	24 (171.4172)	45 (158.2400)	25 (167.4400)
Apr 21, 2023	Southaven Springfest 🏅 Southaven, MS	24 / 34 (664.9712)	28 (165.6800)	11 (173.1200)	25 (163.3944)	26 (162.7768)
Sep 23, 2022	Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard 🏅 Murphysboro, IL	37 / 46 (637.5544)	32 (166.8344)	38 (160)	36 (165.0856)	45 (145.6344)
Apr 22, 2022	Southaven Springfest 🏅 Southaven, MS	26 / 36 (658.1028)	35 (158.2172)	22 (165.6800)	24 (166.2284)	15 (167.9772)
Sep 20, 2019	Murphysboro BBQ Cook Off 🏅 Murphysboro, IL	12 / 54 (685.0856)	10 (172.0228)	15 (171.9772)	6 (174.2628)	24 (166.8228)
Sep 13, 2019	RiverFest 🏅 Decatur, AL	25 / 37 (651.3140)	33 (155.9772)	8 (171.4172)	22 (162.7884)	24 (161.1312)
Jun 29, 2019	Queensland BBQ Championship Cleveland Queensland	19 / 41 (666.8456)	3 (176.5944)	19 (167.9884)	34 (158.8228)	22 (163.4400)
Apr 26, 2019	Southaven Springfest 🏅 Southaven, MS	30 / 31 (529.6456)	26 (160.5256)	31 (20)	8 (171.4056)	1 (177.7144)
Jul 14, 2018	Gold Ribbin' BBQ Fest of Greater Green Bay-Heat 2 Green Bay, WI	49 / 49 (602.8224)	44 (156.5484)	49 (149.1084)	48 (148.0228)	49 (149.1428)
Jul 13, 2018	Gold Ribbin' BBQ Fest of Greater Green Bay-Heat1 Green Bay, WI	47 / 54 (616.4228)	47 (153.0856)	52 (143.3600)	48 (154.2972)	24 (165.6800)
Jun 23, 2018	Giant National Capital Barbecue Battle Washington, DC	33 / 42 (623.1540)	31 (154.2056)	25 (164.5372)	35 (155.3600)	35 (149.0512)
May 4, 2018	The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ Huntsville, AL	35 / 61 (668.4800)	38 (166.2744)	30 (167.3828)	8 (174.2628)	48 (160.5600)
Apr 27, 2018	Southaven Springfest Southaven, MS	16 / 34 (673.5884)	25 (164.5256)	4 (176)	28 (161.0856)	8 (171.9772)
Sep 22, 2017	Murphysboro BBQ Cookoff Murphysboro, IL	29 / 55 (663.3484)	38 (164.5256)	38 (163.4172)	17 (170.2628)	24 (165.1428)
Apr 28, 2017	Southaven Springfest Southaven, MS	23 / 33 (666.1372)	18 (169.1316)	20 (167.3828)	18 (168.5372)	26 (161.0856)
Sep 23, 2016	Murphysboro BBQ Cookoff Murphysboro, IL	37 / 64 (663.9084)	37 (166.8456)	29 (166.2628)	51 (161.6800)	21 (169.1200)
Apr 22, 2016	Southaven Springfest Southaven, MS	28 / 41 (655.8280)	31 (162.8112)	24 (166.8228)	27 (166.2400)	30 (159.9540)
May 1, 2015	The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ Huntsville, AL	27 / 63 (665.5884)	34 (165.1316)	29 (167.3828)	21 (170.8228)	40 (162.2512)
Mar 21, 2015	Barn Burner BBQ Yarrow, BC	20 / 21 (519.9884)	21 (140.5712)	21 (119.4172)	21 (127.9884)	20 (132.0116)
May 2, 2014	Nassau Bahamas Smokin' Hot BBQ Nassau Bahamas	21 / 24 (511.4052)	11 (142.2744)	21 (125.6456)	13 (132.0684)	23 (111.4168)
Sep 19, 2013	Murphysboro Barbecue Cook-off Murphysboro, IL	44 / 76 (649.6568)	55 (160.5484)	16 (168.0228)	38 (162.8456)	54 (158.2400)

Serial Grillers

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Purse competed for

State championships

Master avg

Backyard avg

Storylines (10 found in their record)

The heartbreaker

High-water mark

The one to beat

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

The comeback

Chicken nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

The long haul

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

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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

By meat

By field size and state

By contest size

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

More numbers

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

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

📉 Toughest weekends

Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — 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

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

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