BIG BELLY BBQ

BIG BELLY BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 32 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2022. Their best overall finish is 2nd at the Cambridge Rib Fest (GRILLING SERIES) (), and they have finished Reserve Grand Champion once. They are ranked #5101 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “BIG BELLY BBQ - SC” and “BIG BELLY BBQ - TX”.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#5,101

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1461

peak 1535 · rated over 31 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Jun 28, 2013

latest Sep 23, 2022 · 9.2 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#765

Master 2014 · every season

Grand champs

1 reserve

Category wins

4 podiums

Overall top-10s

9% of 32 contests

Avg finish

top 60%

overall standings

Best overall

673.8060 / 720

Master · Crossborder Blues, Brews & Que

Perfect 180s

Current form

642.16 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 637.76 (+4.40)

Walk rate

56%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

174.8572

Chicken · Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championship

Consistency

±15.37

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork Ribs

avg 161.06 · weakest Brisket (157.39)

Road miles

18,084

across 31 mapped stops · furthest 1,427 mi

Schedule strength

39%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1551)

Purse competed for

$81K

listed at 7 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 7 state-championship entries

Master avg

637.76 / 720

31 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (10 found in their record)

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

High-water mark

673.8060 career-best overall

93.6% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 673.8060 at Crossborder Blues, Brews & Que — 93.6% of a perfect 720.

Master
Jun 13, 2014

Their season

2014 their best year

2014 was the year it came together: 3 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 28%.

3 contests
1 overall top-10
0 category wins
average top 28%

A tough matchup

11–1 behind in the head-to-head

GOOD SMOKE BBQ ahead in 92% of their meetings

GOOD SMOKE BBQ has come out ahead in 11 of their 12 shared contests.

A strong matchup

8–3 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 73% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of SMOKIN' AIN'T EASY in 8 of their 11 shared contests.

The comeback

2 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 2 years, then back at Smokin' For Garrett (Sep 16, 2022).

last seen Sep 25, 2020
back Sep 16, 2022

Pork Ribs nemesis

10 of 14 shared pork ribs entries lost

KISS MY BBQ ahead 71% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, KISS MY BBQ has out-cooked them in 10 of 14 shared pork ribs entries.

Announced themselves early

2nd at their very first contest

Finished 2 at their very first tracked contest, Cambridge Rib Fest (GRILLING SERIES) ().

Show 3 more storylines

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

GALLOWAY'S HELLFIRE BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.

The long haul

18,084 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 18,084 miles across 31 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 1,427 miles to Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championship.

31 mapped stops
furthest 1,427 mi

The metronome

±2.13% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.13% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 88.6% of a perfect score
32 contests

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
2019 ↗	Master	#1352 (153 pts)	#1435 (153 pts)	#1410 (153 pts)	#1275 (188 pts)	#1339 (173 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#1196 (204 pts)	#1249 (209 pts)	#1234 (224 pts)	#993 (314 pts)	#1267 (204 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#1951 (105 pts)	#2286 (60 pts)	#2304 (60 pts)	#1799 (120 pts)	#1715 (135 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#914 (372 pts)	#1004 (352 pts)	#944 (392 pts)	#797 (492 pts)	#943 (372 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#977 (316 pts)	#1132 (276 pts)	#973 (356 pts)	#1437 (204 pts)	#853 (421 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#765 (446 pts)	#630 (601 pts)	#1092 (301 pts)	#1191 (271 pts)	#731 (506 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#1970 (75 pts)	#2073 (75 pts)	#1885 (105 pts)	#2080 (75 pts)	#2034 (75 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to BIG BELLY BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

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

JERRY KING MIDLAND TX

#5,082 of the rated field

1461 power rating

Contests: 27
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1532

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to BIG BELLY BBQ)

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

rated over 27 contests
last seen Mar 23, 2018

⚔ Head-to-head

CHEFFIE EFFIE BBQ

#5,107 of the rated field

1460 power rating

Contests: 5
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1460

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to BIG BELLY BBQ)

Their last contest in the data was back in 2017, 5 years before BIG BELLY BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 5 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

SMOKE THIS L.I.

#5,100 of the rated field

1461 power rating

Contests: 31
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 3%
Peak: 1520

They've been 1520 at their best, 59 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 31 contests
last seen Oct 22, 2022

⚔ Compare careers

TUFF DAWG GRILLERS

#5,077 of the rated field

1461 power rating

Contests: 36
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 14%
Peak: 1512

Careers of much the same size, 36 contests to 32, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 36 contests
last seen Mar 6, 2020

⚔ Compare careers

Sloppy Seconds

#5,091 of the rated field

1461 power rating

Contests: 20
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1520

20 contests and no Grand Championship yet.

rated over 20 contests
last seen Sep 27, 2024

⚔ Compare careers

BAD NEWS BEER 'N' QUE

#5,093 of the rated field

1461 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 5%
Peak: 1461

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

rated over 19 contests
last seen May 18, 2018

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
KISS MY BBQ	14	8	6	57%	⚔ compare
RED VALLEY BBQ	14	3	11	21%	⚔ compare
THE GOOD CUE CREW	13	9	4	69%	⚔ compare
BEHIND BBQ	12	6	6	50%	⚔ compare
SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS	12	6	6	50%	⚔ compare
GOOD SMOKE BBQ	12	1	11	8%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN' AIN'T EASY	11	8	3	73%	⚔ compare
TRANQUIL CARNIVORES	11	6	5	55%	⚔ compare
BLACK DAWG BBQ	10	6	4	60%	⚔ compare
Sweet Heat BBQ	10	5	5	50%	⚔ compare
THREE DOGS BBQ	10	5	5	50%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN BOYS AND HOT GRILLS	10	3	7	30%	⚔ compare
BUTTS & LINKS BBQ	9	8	1	89%	⚔ compare
THE 5TH ARTERY	9	4	5	44%	⚔ compare
Big Pappa's Smokin' BBQ	8	7	1	88%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	31	5	0	2	174.8572	145.1200	160.46	top 61%
Pork Ribs	32	6	1	1	169.6916	145.6456	161.06	top 53%
Pork	31	5	0	0	172	138.1828	159.13	top 58%
Brisket	31	6	0	1	172.6516	133.1088	157.39	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.

By field size and state

By contest size

Field	Contests	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	2	top 82%
Medium (20–39)	13	top 70%
Large (40+)	16	top 48%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
NY	14	top 40%
SC	9	top 71%
TN	2	top 85%
WI	2	top 65%
TX	2	top 70%
IL	1	top 93%
PA	1	top 79%
CO	1	top 100%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Oinktoberfest	6	13	top 45%	Sep 21, 2019
Smoke on the Harbor BBQ throwdown	3	16	top 71%	Nov 16, 2018
SC Festival of Discovery	2	52	top 62%	Jul 12, 2019
Low Country Hog Fest	2	12	top 62%	Sep 2, 2016

More numbers

Busiest season 2016 8 contests

Contests a season 3.2 across 10 seasons in the data

Most contests held in NY 14 of 32 contests · 8 states in all

Contests visited 23 4 of them more than once

Most-entered meat Pork Ribs 32 entries · 1 win · 6 calls

Opponents faced 722 finished ahead 591 times, behind 753

Longest layoff 2 yrs Sep 25, 2020 → Sep 16, 2022

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

20221 milestone

Sep 23 Most recent contest TN River BBQ Battle

20181 milestone

Nov 16 25th tracked contest Smoke on the Harbor BBQ throwdown

20161 milestone

Aug 26 Career-best single call (Chicken)174.8572 Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championship

20152 milestones

May 23 Peak power rating (1535) Roc City Rib Fest
Sep 4 10th tracked contest Low Country Hog Fest

20141 milestone

Jun 13 Career-best overall score673.8060 Crossborder Blues, Brews & Que

—7 milestones

First tracked contest Cambridge Rib Fest (GRILLING SERIES)
First call Cambridge Rib Fest (GRILLING SERIES)
First category win (Pork Ribs) Cambridge Rib Fest (GRILLING SERIES)
First overall top-10 Cambridge Rib Fest (GRILLING SERIES)
First overall podium Cambridge Rib Fest (GRILLING SERIES)
First Reserve Championship Cambridge Rib Fest (GRILLING SERIES)
First overall past 90% of a perfect score325.6460 Cambridge Rib Fest (GRILLING SERIES)

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+14.6	Crossborder Blues, Brews & Que	Jun 13, 2014
+10.2	Roc City Rib Fest	May 28, 2016
+8.1	Oinktoberfest	Sep 19, 2015
+7.7	Oinktoberfest	Sep 22, 2017
+6.6	Oinktoberfest	Sep 20, 2014

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-13.7	Wild West BBQ Cook Off	May 13, 2016
-9.8	Smokin' For Garrett	Sep 16, 2022
-9.7	Smoke on the Harbor BBQ throwdown	Nov 11, 2016
-9.5	Piggin In The Park	Jun 1, 2018
-8.7	Oinktoberfest	Sep 21, 2019

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)
—	1	1	1	100%	—	90.5%	90.5%
2022	2	0	0	50%	top 87%	91%	89.9%
2020	1	0	0	0%	top 89%	88.2%	88.2%
2019	4	0	0	25%	top 70%	89.9%	88.5%
2018	4	0	0	25%	top 76%	89.6%	87.2%
2017	1	0	0	100%	top 30%	89.7%	89.7%
2016	8	0	0	75%	top 61%	92.3%	88.2%
2015	6	1	0	67%	top 53%	90.5%	88.5%
2014	3	1	0	100%	top 28%	93.6%	90.7%
2013	2	0	0	0%	top 39%	89.6%	88.4%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Sep 23, 2022	TN River BBQ Battle 🏅 Saltillo, TN	13 / 16 (655.2920)	14 (163.4060)	6 (169.6916)	15 (162.2400)	13 (159.9544)
Sep 16, 2022	Smokin' For Garrett 🏅 Mt. Carmel, IL	25 / 27 (639.2456)	25 (156)	15 (166.2400)	24 (161.0856)	23 (155.9200)
Sep 25, 2020	TN River BBQ Battle & Music Fest 🏅 Savannah, TN	42 / 47 (635.3488)	38 (162.8800)	36 (162.2516)	44 (159.9772)	45 (150.2400)
Sep 21, 2019	Oinktoberfest 🏅 Clarence, NY	30 / 43 (633.6460)	37 (155.3944)	32 (155.9888)	26 (158.8456)	17 (163.4172)
Jul 12, 2019	SC Festival of Discovery 🏅 Greenwood, SC	52 / 83 (647.2688)	57 (161.1088)	47 (162.8000)	17 (170.8228)	65 (152.5372)
Jun 28, 2019	Saltwater BBQ Bash 🏅 John's Island, SC	15 / 18 (639.8516)	15 (161.1316)	15 (160.5488)	16 (152.5028)	11 (165.6684)
Apr 26, 2019	The Great Wisconsin Tune Up BBQ Contest 🏅 Manawa, WI	17 / 26 (629.1660)	18 (157.7488)	23 (150.8456)	8 (162.8800)	13 (157.6916)
Nov 16, 2018	Smoke on the Harbor BBQ throwdown Mt. Pleasant, SC	18 / 25 (630.6512)	17 (159.3712)	16 (159.9544)	15 (161.1200)	18 (150.2056)
Sep 22, 2018	Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY	38 / 51 (595.9540)	45 (145.1200)	23 (157.1312)	44 (142.2972)	23 (151.4056)
Jul 12, 2018	SC Festival Of Discovery Greenwood, SC	55 / 89 (638.6628)	42 (165.6800)	61 (156.5372)	58 (160.5256)	60 (155.9200)
Jun 1, 2018	Piggin In The Park Woodruff, SC	32 / 34 (644.9940)	34 (150.2056)	23 (166.2628)	8 (172)	31 (156.5256)
Sep 22, 2017	Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY	16 / 53 (645.7144)	36 (158.8116)	26 (160.0228)	13 (163.4288)	10 (163.4512)
Nov 11, 2016	Smoke on the Harbor BBQ throwdown Mt. Pleasant, SC	21 / 25 (611.1656)	20 (147.3372)	6 (167.9772)	22 (138.1828)	15 (157.6684)
Sep 23, 2016	Ointoberfest BBQ Cookoff Clarence, NY	24 / 54 (637.2232)	26 (161.6800)	19 (159.4516)	20 (162.9028)	30 (153.1888)
Sep 2, 2016	Low Country Hog Fest Charleston, SC	12 / 26 (646.6856)	19 (159.9428)	9 (167.9656)	5 (171.4056)	24 (147.3716)
Aug 26, 2016	Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championship Lubbock, TX	49 / 72 (638.8232)	3 (174.8572)	26 (168)	41 (162.8572)	71 (133.1088)
Aug 12, 2016	Salamanca Rock'in Ribfest Salamanca, NY	12 / 28 (651.9200)	20 (156.5028)	21 (159.4172)	6 (168.5828)	8 (167.4172)
Jun 10, 2016	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Harrisburg, PA	23 / 29 (616.4684)	15 (161.6912)	6 (164.0116)	29 (138.2284)	22 (152.5372)
May 28, 2016	Roc City Rib Fest Rochester, NY	12 / 50 (664.5832)	15 (169.1772)	33 (161.6916)	5 (170.2972)	18 (163.4172)
May 13, 2016	Wild West BBQ Cook Off Lamar, CO	33 / 33 (611.9316)	33 (150.2744)	32 (145.6456)	20 (162.8800)	30 (153.1316)
Nov 13, 2015	Smoke on the Harbor BBQ Throwdown Mount Pleasant, SC	16 / 28 (646.1256)	8 (166.2516)	19 (157.6800)	19 (157.6456)	11 (164.5484)
Sep 19, 2015	Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY	13 / 52 (642.1944)	20 (160.5256)	22 (160.5944)	33 (153.6916)	7 (167.3828)
Sep 4, 2015	Low Country Hog Fest Charleston, SC	20 / 26 (629.6456)	17 (166.3200)	24 (147.3828)	11 (165.1428)	23 (150.8000)
Aug 28, 2015	Raider Red Meats BBQ and Ribeye Championship Lubbock, TX	41 / 57 (628.3768)	46 (155.3484)	28 (163.9772)	49 (150.2628)	31 (158.7884)
May 23, 2015	Roc City Rib Fest Rochester, NY	22 / 57 (651.3828)	40 (160.5372)	20 (163.9656)	35 (159.4172)	9 (167.4628)
May 15, 2015	Salt City BBQ Festival Syracuse, NY	10 / 21 (626.7544)	9 (160.5716)	4 (165.1428)	18 (146.2172)	12 (154.8228)
Sep 20, 2014	Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY	19 / 66 (637.6916)	3 (172.0572)	39 (153.1316)	16 (165.1200)	51 (147.3828)
Aug 8, 2014	Smokin' Eagles International BBQ Festival N. Tonawanda, NY	19 / 39 (646.8344)	12 (167.9540)	20 (160.0116)	34 (152.5716)	8 (166.2972)
Jun 13, 2014	Crossborder Blues, Brews & Que Wilson, NY	3 / 47 (673.8060)	4 (171.4172)	12 (168.0572)	22 (161.6800)	2 (172.6516)
Sep 20, 2013	Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY	30 / 71 (628.0120)	37 (156.5600)	19 (159.9888)	42 (156.0460)	35 (155.4172)
Jun 28, 2013	Boston Hill BBQ Fest Hamburg, NY	18 / 49 (645.1426)	28 (158.2854)	16 (161.7144)	21 (162.2856)	17 (162.8572)
—	Cambridge Rib Fest (GRILLING SERIES) Cambridge, WI	2 (325.6460)	—	1 (169.6916)	—	—

BIG BELLY BBQ

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

Storylines (10 found in their record)

High-water mark

Their season

A tough matchup

A strong matchup

The comeback

Pork Ribs nemesis

Announced themselves early

Looking over their shoulder

The long haul

The metronome

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)