PARADISE QUE

PARADISE QUE is a competition barbecue team with 34 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2019. Their best overall finish is 8th of 28 at the Mid-South BBQ Festival (2017). They are ranked #6256 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#6,256

of 6,476 rated · rankings

Rating

1415

peak 1415 · rated over 34 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

May 3, 2013

latest Jul 26, 2019 · 6.2 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#500

Master 2016 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

2 podiums

Overall top-10s

3% of 34 contests

Avg finish

top 77%

overall standings

Best overall

687.3716 / 720

Master · Mid-South BBQ Festival

Perfect 180s

Current form

646.21 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 649.17 (-2.96)

Walk rate

41%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

176.5600

Chicken · The Tony Stone Cookeville Cookoff

Consistency

±17.67

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 166.81 · weakest Brisket (156.90)

Road miles

3,429

across 34 mapped stops · furthest 385 mi

Schedule strength

64%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1581)

Purse competed for

$32K

listed at 3 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 6 state-championship entries

Master avg

649.17 / 720

34 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (9 found in their record)

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

High-water mark

687.3716 career-best overall

95.5% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 687.3716 at Mid-South BBQ Festival — 95.5% of a perfect 720.

Master
Oct 20, 2017

A tough matchup

22–0 behind in the head-to-head

Under the Radar ahead in 100% of their meetings

Under the Radar has come out ahead in 22 of their 22 shared contests.

The weak link

−9.9 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 9.91 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 6% of the time against 24%.

Brisket avg 156.90
Chicken avg 166.81
2 calls in 34 entries

A strong matchup

6–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 86% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of SNORING HOGS BBQ in 6 of their 7 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

20 of 25 shared chicken entries lost

DIRTY OL' BUTT SLAPPERS ahead 80% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, DIRTY OL' BUTT SLAPPERS has out-cooked them in 20 of 25 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

WOOD SHED REAL PIT BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.

An October team

Top 69% average finish in October

Something about October: average finish in the top 69% across 4 contests, versus top 77% the rest of the year.

4 October contests
top 77% the rest of the year

Show 2 more storylines

The long haul

3,429 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 3,429 miles across 34 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 385 miles to Beach Boogie & BBQ Festival.

34 mapped stops
furthest 385 mi

The metronome

±2.45% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.45% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 90.2% of a perfect score
34 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	#892 (313 pts)	#806 (408 pts)	#973 (303 pts)	#639 (523 pts)	#885 (343 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#1954 (60 pts)	#1529 (135 pts)	#1996 (60 pts)	#1970 (70 pts)	#1990 (60 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#586 (672 pts)	#464 (832 pts)	#586 (687 pts)	#642 (637 pts)	#414 (937 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#500 (792 pts)	#213 (1,362 pts)	#386 (1,000 pts)	#485 (837 pts)	#589 (684 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#915 (352 pts)	#862 (417 pts)	#827 (437 pts)	#963 (367 pts)	#968 (352 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#2084 (75 pts)	#2167 (75 pts)	#2161 (75 pts)	#2172 (75 pts)	#2148 (75 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#2397 (71 pts)	#1255 (221 pts)	#2436 (71 pts)	#2452 (71 pts)	#2440 (71 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to PARADISE QUE, each with one reason worth a look.

Bluedog BBQ

#6,254 of the rated field

1416 power rating

Contests: 41
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 7%
Peak: 1512

They've been 1512 at their best, 97 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 41 contests
last seen Aug 15, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

PIG PEN

#6,260 of the rated field

1415 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1415

Fewer contests behind them than PARADISE QUE has cooked, 15 to 34, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 15 contests
last seen Sep 24, 2021

⚔ Compare careers

BIG AL'S BIG TIME BBQ

#6,255 of the rated field

1415 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1415

14 contests and no Grand Championship yet.

rated over 14 contests
last seen Jun 9, 2017

⚔ Compare careers

Just Smoke It! BBQ

#6,257 of the rated field

1415 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 9%
Peak: 1415

They turned up 9 years after PARADISE QUE did, first appearing in 2022.

rated over 11 contests
last seen Aug 30, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

ATTITUDES OF SMOKE

#6,259 of the rated field

1415 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1415

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

rated over 10 contests
last seen Nov 5, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

JUST Q IT

#6,261 of the rated field

1415 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1415

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 9 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 9 contests
last seen Oct 18, 2019

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
DIRTY OL' BUTT SLAPPERS	25	5	20	20%	⚔ compare
Under the Radar	22	0	22	0%	⚔ compare
CONTAGIOUS Q	22	0	22	0%	⚔ compare
SMOKE ON THIS	21	2	19	10%	⚔ compare
SOGGY BOTTOM SMOKERS	21	1	20	5%	⚔ compare
Q SMOKE	20	4	16	20%	⚔ compare
RIVER ROAD GRILLBILLIES	20	0	20	0%	⚔ compare
BAR-B-Q 101	19	3	16	16%	⚔ compare
Organizer Portal	19	1	18	5%	⚔ compare
THE ALGOOD BAR-B-Q PIT CREW	19	0	19	0%	⚔ compare
Sons of Smoke	17	0	17	0%	⚔ compare
HIGH ON THE HAWG	17	0	17	0%	⚔ compare
HOGGY BOTTOM BOYS	16	5	11	31%	⚔ compare
Chairman of the Boar	16	1	15	6%	⚔ compare
SWIGGIN PIG	16	0	16	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	34	8	1	176.5600	146.8000	166.81	top 59%
Pork Ribs	34	3	0	174.2744	150.2854	162.88	top 69%
Pork	34	4	0	174.2628	152.4800	162.58	top 73%
Brisket	34	2	1	174.8572	137.1426	156.90	top 77%

“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 76%
Medium (20–39)	20	top 78%
Large (40+)	13	top 76%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
TN	30	top 77%
AL	2	top 76%
SC	1	top 76%
NC	1	top 74%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Cumberland Plateau BBQ Cook-off & Cruise In	3	25	top 95%	Jul 12, 2019
Blount County BBQ Bash	3	19	top 79%	Jun 21, 2019
Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass	3	30	top 81%	May 17, 2019
Mid-South BBQ Festival	2	8	top 53%	Oct 20, 2017
High on the Hog Festival	2	25	top 67%	Apr 21, 2017
Bar-B-Cure	2	27	top 91%	Nov 18, 2016

More numbers

Busiest season 2016 11 contests

Contests a season 4.9 across 7 seasons in the data

Most contests held in TN 30 of 34 contests · 4 states in all

Contests visited 25 6 of them more than once

Opponents faced 557 finished ahead 351 times, behind 1,047

Longest layoff 1 yrs May 3, 2013 → May 16, 2014

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

20191 milestone

Jul 26 Most recent contest Cotton Pickin BBQ Cook-Off

20173 milestones

Jul 9 25th tracked contest Cumberland Plateau BBQ Cook-off & Cruise In (Day 2)
Oct 20 First overall top-10 Mid-South BBQ Festival
Oct 20 Career-best overall score687.3716 Mid-South BBQ Festival

20162 milestones

May 20 10th tracked contest Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass
Sep 9 Career-best single call (Chicken)176.5600 The Tony Stone Cookeville Cookoff

20151 milestone

May 15 First overall past 90% of a perfect score648.4116 Sevierville Bloomin' BBQ and Bluegrass Festival

20133 milestones

May 3 First tracked contest West Knoxville RotaryBBQ Cookoff
May 3 First call West Knoxville RotaryBBQ Cookoff
May 3 Peak power rating (1489) West Knoxville RotaryBBQ Cookoff

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+16.4	Mid-South BBQ Festival	Oct 20, 2017
+9.8	Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ Cookoff	May 27, 2016
+8	High on the Hog Festival	Apr 15, 2016
+6	Tony Stone-Cookeville Cook-off	Sep 8, 2017
+4.9	The Tony Stone Cookeville Cookoff	Sep 9, 2016

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-11.9	The Rotary Club of Bearden - Que Fest	May 29, 2015
-11.8	Tony Stone-Cookeville Cookoff	Sep 11, 2015
-11.4	Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass	May 16, 2014
-10.9	West Knoxville RotaryBBQ Cookoff	May 3, 2013
-9.9	Sevierville Bloomin' BBQ and Bluegrass Festival	May 15, 2015

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	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2019	6	0	33%	top 75%	91.7%	90%
2018	1	0	100%	top 74%	91.1%	91.1%
2017	8	1	25%	top 77%	95.5%	90.9%
2016	11	0	73%	top 69%	94.4%	91.6%
2015	6	0	0%	top 91%	90.4%	88.4%
2014	1	0	0%	top 93%	84.7%	84.7%
2013	1	0	100%	top 85%	85.2%	85.2%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Jul 26, 2019	Cotton Pickin BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Hartselle, AL	24 / 27 (625.5200)	17 (166.8572)	21 (158.2172)	22 (157.6572)	26 (142.7884)
Jul 12, 2019	Cumberland Plateau BBQ Cook-off & Cruise In 🏅 Jamestown, TN	25 / 29 (648.9372)	25 (163.9428)	24 (159.3716)	5 (174.2628)	28 (151.3600)
Jun 21, 2019	Blount County BBQ Bash 🏅 Maryville, TN	19 / 27 (660.4000)	16 (167.3828)	27 (153.6344)	7 (170.8228)	12 (168.5600)
May 17, 2019	Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass 🏅 Sevierville, TN	30 / 43 (643.8288)	16 (169.6800)	33 (158.2288)	27 (163.9656)	35 (151.9544)
May 3, 2019	The Whistlestop Festival & Rocket City BBQ 🏅 Huntsville, AL	34 / 54 (652.3888)	39 (161.6572)	23 (166.8344)	49 (157.0744)	25 (166.8228)
Mar 8, 2019	Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Nashville, TN	48 / 67 (656.9716)	44 (166.2628)	44 (165.1088)	63 (155.9200)	30 (169.6800)
Mar 9, 2018	Smoke on the Shores Nashville, TN	64 / 87 (655.8972)	10 (174.8572)	78 (154.8000)	23 (172)	77 (154.2400)
Oct 20, 2017	Mid-South BBQ Festival Mount Pleasant, TN	8 / 28 (687.3716)	6 (176)	24 (162.8116)	7 (173.7028)	2 (174.8572)
Sep 8, 2017	Tony Stone-Cookeville Cook-off Cookeville, TN	19 / 34 (670.1600)	15 (170.2628)	22 (164.5372)	30 (162.2400)	4 (173.1200)
Jul 9, 2017	Cumberland Plateau BBQ Cook-off & Cruise In (Day 2) Jamestown, TN	30 / 30 (654.0800)	28 (166.2400)	30 (157.0744)	23 (167.3828)	27 (163.3828)
Jul 8, 2017	Cumberland Plateau BBQ Cook-Off & Cruise In (DAY 1) Jamestown, TN	36 / 36 (643.8284)	33 (161.0972)	20 (167.9656)	26 (167.3828)	36 (147.3828)
Jun 23, 2017	Blount County BBQ Bash Maryville, TN	28 / 35 (651.7944)	27 (165.6800)	13 (170.8344)	34 (153.6228)	28 (161.6572)
May 19, 2017	Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass Sevierville, TN	40 / 49 (638.6056)	30 (165.6684)	44 (153.0744)	47 (152.4800)	29 (167.3828)
Apr 21, 2017	High on the Hog Festival Winchester, TN	37 / 41 (636.9944)	33 (166.8228)	28 (164.5716)	38 (159.9656)	39 (145.6344)
Mar 10, 2017	Smoke on the Shores Nashville, TN	51 / 62 (651.8284)	46 (164.5372)	20 (168.5372)	57 (157.0856)	46 (161.6684)
Nov 18, 2016	Bar-B-Cure Knoxville, TN	27 / 29 (646.6744)	26 (161.0972)	6 (173.7144)	29 (155.3600)	27 (156.5028)
Oct 28, 2016	Dickson County Smoke Fest Dickson, TN	34 / 40 (649.5424)	31 (164.5256)	30 (164.5256)	34 (162.2284)	34 (158.2628)
Oct 14, 2016	Mid-South BBQ Festival Mount Pleasant, TN	21 / 27 (665.6684)	13 (172.5600)	9 (172.5484)	17 (166.2972)	26 (154.2628)
Sep 9, 2016	The Tony Stone Cookeville Cookoff Cookeville, TN	16 / 30 (677.0284)	2 (176.5600)	18 (169.6800)	15 (169.6800)	26 (161.1084)
Sep 2, 2016	Beach Boogie & BBQ Festival Myrtle Beach, SC	13 / 17 (634.1828)	9 (170.3200)	14 (157.0628)	13 (161.0972)	14 (145.7028)
Aug 12, 2016	Mountain High BBQ Festival & Car Show Franklin, NC	25 / 34 (645.5432)	6 (174.8572)	31 (158.2516)	27 (161.6572)	32 (150.7772)
Jul 8, 2016	Cumberland Plateau BBQ Cook-off and Cruise In Jamestown, TN	15 / 22 (660.9596)	16 (167.9772)	13 (166.8228)	10 (169.6684)	17 (156.4912)
Jun 24, 2016	Big BBQ Bash Maryville, TN	26 / 31 (652.9484)	19 (170.2628)	26 (162.8000)	21 (167.3828)	27 (152.5028)
May 27, 2016	Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ Cookoff Lewisburg, TN	11 / 31 (679.3716)	4 (174.8572)	7 (174.2744)	16 (167.9656)	22 (162.2744)
May 20, 2016	Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass Sevierville, TN	29 / 46 (664.4456)	14 (172)	39 (161.6800)	42 (161.0856)	22 (169.6800)
Apr 15, 2016	High on the Hog Festival Winchester, TN	25 / 56 (674.7084)	10 (175.4172)	44 (162.2400)	34 (166.2284)	23 (170.8228)
Nov 20, 2015	Bar-B-Cure Knoxville, TN	31 / 35 (626.6628)	33 (146.8000)	26 (161.6456)	22 (163.3944)	25 (154.8228)
Oct 16, 2015	Mid-South Barbecue Festival Mount Pleasant, TN	26 / 31 (650.7088)	15 (168.5600)	27 (161.0856)	26 (162.2516)	26 (158.8116)
Sep 11, 2015	Tony Stone-Cookeville Cookoff Cookeville, TN	31 / 31 (627.7940)	22 (167.4056)	30 (158.2284)	30 (157.6456)	31 (144.5144)
Jun 26, 2015	Blount County BBQ Bash Maryville, TN	33 / 38 (632.4004)	33 (157.0972)	17 (163.9544)	28 (158.8344)	35 (152.5144)
May 29, 2015	The Rotary Club of Bearden - Que Fest Knoxville, TN	38 / 39 (632.4116)	39 (150.7884)	33 (161.6916)	30 (166.8572)	37 (153.0744)
May 15, 2015	Sevierville Bloomin' BBQ and Bluegrass Festival Sevierville, TN	40 / 44 (648.4116)	39 (162.8000)	16 (171.4172)	43 (157.6456)	39 (156.5488)
May 16, 2014	Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass Sevierville, TN	52 / 56 (610.0340)	51 (157.0856)	45 (160.5028)	52 (154.2284)	56 (138.2172)
May 3, 2013	West Knoxville RotaryBBQ Cookoff Knoxville, TN	39 / 46 (613.7134)	4 (173.7142)	40 (150.2854)	37 (152.5712)	45 (137.1426)

PARADISE QUE

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 (9 found in their record)

High-water mark

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

Chicken nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

An October team

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)