BANJOMAN'S BBQ

BANJOMAN'S BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 28 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2022. Their best overall finish is 3rd of 26 at the Cornelia Apple Blossom Competition (2017). They are ranked #2137 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#2,137

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1533

peak 1545 · rated over 28 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Oct 11, 2013

latest May 13, 2022 · 8.6 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#544

Master 2017 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

9 podiums

Overall top-10s

18% of 28 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 52%

overall standings

Best overall

688.4800 / 720

Master · Cornelia Apple Blossom Competition

Perfect 180s

Current form

661.50 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 658.37 (+3.13)

Walk rate

71%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

177.7028

Chicken · Smoke on the Mountain - VA State BBQ Championship

Consistency

±11.85

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 167.65 · weakest Pork Ribs (160.31)

Road miles

2,345

across 28 mapped stops · furthest 207 mi

Schedule strength

40%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1553)

Purse competed for

$24K

listed at 2 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 2 state-championship entries

Master avg

658.37 / 720

28 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (11 found in their record)

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

They almost always walk

71% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 20 of 28 contests

A top-10 category call in 71% of their 28 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

688.4800 career-best overall

95.6% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 688.4800 at Cornelia Apple Blossom Competition — 95.6% of a perfect 720.

Master
Apr 21, 2017

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

MCADOO HEIGHTS BBQ has finished one call ahead of BANJOMAN'S BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2017 their best year

2017 was the year it came together: 6 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 1 category win, at an average finish in the top 40%.

6 contests
3 overall top-10s
1 category win
average top 40%

A tough matchup

14–0 behind in the head-to-head

CHECKERED PIG ahead in 100% of their meetings

CHECKERED PIG has come out ahead in 14 of their 14 shared contests.

The weak link

−7.3 points behind their best meat

Pork Ribs is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 7.33 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 11% of the time against 29%.

Pork Ribs avg 160.31
Chicken avg 167.65
3 calls in 28 entries

A strong matchup

8–2 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 80% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of King's Cooking in 8 of their 10 shared contests.

Show 4 more storylines

The comeback

3.2 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 3.2 years, then back at Smoke on the Mountain BBQ Championship (Jul 23, 2021).

last seen May 4, 2018
back Jul 23, 2021

Chicken nemesis

11 of 14 shared chicken entries lost

CHECKERED PIG ahead 79% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, CHECKERED PIG has out-cooked them in 11 of 14 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

3× one call behind them

HOLY SMOKE BBQ-NC has landed one call behind them 3 times.

The metronome

±1.65% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.65% 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
28 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
2022 ↗	Master	#1309 (60 pts)	#1231 (90 pts)	#1404 (60 pts)	#1348 (60 pts)	#1175 (100 pts)
2021 ↗	Master	#1067 (102 pts)	#781 (192 pts)	#1154 (102 pts)	#1081 (107 pts)	#1139 (87 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#544 (718 pts)	#448 (863 pts)	#533 (753 pts)	#602 (673 pts)	#535 (738 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#1364 (202 pts)	#1129 (297 pts)	#1506 (187 pts)	#937 (407 pts)	#1168 (277 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#579 (635 pts)	#549 (710 pts)	#806 (450 pts)	#340 (1,025 pts)	#539 (695 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#752 (458 pts)	#778 (473 pts)	#945 (378 pts)	#917 (393 pts)	#484 (773 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to BANJOMAN'S BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

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

REDNECK BBQ

#2,144 of the rated field

1533 power rating

Contests: 28
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1541

Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 3 years before BANJOMAN'S BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 28 contests

⚔ Compare careers

THE HOG MAFIA

#2,127 of the rated field

1534 power rating

Contests: 30
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 20%
Peak: 1553

Careers of much the same size, 30 contests to 28, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 29 contests
last seen Jul 6, 2023

⚔ Compare careers

ABS of SQUEAL

#2,139 of the rated field

1533 power rating

Contests: 22
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1557

22 contests and no Grand Championship yet.

rated over 22 contests
last seen Sep 30, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

MUST B SMOKIN' SOMETHING

#2,126 of the rated field

1534 power rating

Contests: 21
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 19%
Peak: 1558

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

rated over 21 contests
last seen Jun 1, 2018

⚔ Compare careers

G-QUE KY

#2,129 of the rated field

1534 power rating

Contests: 43
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 16%
Peak: 1544

Level with BANJOMAN'S BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 41 contests
last seen Sep 17, 2021

⚔ Compare careers

2 ROLLING BONES

#2,142 of the rated field

1533 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 21%
Peak: 1556

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

rated over 19 contests

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
CONTAGIOUS Q	14	1	13	7%	⚔ compare
SMOKING BUTT HEADS	14	1	13	7%	⚔ compare
CHECKERED PIG	14	0	14	0%	⚔ compare
SAUCED! BBQ TEAM	14	0	14	0%	⚔ compare
HICKORY BARBEQUE COMPANY	12	5	7	42%	⚔ compare
WHO CARES BBQ	12	4	8	33%	⚔ compare
PICKIN' PORKERS	12	2	10	17%	⚔ compare
TOO SAUCED	11	2	9	18%	⚔ compare
RECYCLED SMOKE	11	1	10	9%	⚔ compare
MUTTLEY CREW BBQ	11	1	10	9%	⚔ compare
THE SMOKEHOUSE MAFIA	11	1	10	9%	⚔ compare
REDNECK SCIENTIFIC	11	0	11	0%	⚔ compare
King's Cooking	10	8	2	80%	⚔ compare
PORKYLICIOUS	10	4	6	40%	⚔ compare
BAYOU POKER SMOKERS	10	2	8	20%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	28	8	0	3	177.7028	157.6684	167.65	top 45%
Pork Ribs	28	3	0	1	174.8572	149.0856	160.31	top 65%
Pork	28	7	2	3	176.5600	153.1200	164.93	top 52%
Brisket	28	10	0	2	176.5600	148.4800	165.48	top 43%

“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)	16	top 49%
Large (40+)	11	top 55%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
NC	18	top 55%
VA	5	top 52%
GA	2	top 40%
SC	2	top 47%
TN	1	top 41%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Jiggy With The Piggy	3	29	top 58%	May 13, 2022
Hog Happnin'	2	33	top 65%	Nov 4, 2016
Smoke on the mountain/VA state BBQ championship	2	9	top 50%	Jul 15, 2016
Fiddle-N-Pig Shindig	2	15	top 47%	Sep 11, 2015

More numbers

Busiest season 2015 8 contests

Contests a season 3.5 across 8 seasons in the data

Most contests held in NC 18 of 28 contests · 5 states in all

Contests visited 23 4 of them more than once

Opponents faced 504 finished ahead 545 times, behind 568

Longest layoff 3.2 yrs May 4, 2018 → Jul 23, 2021

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

20221 milestone

May 13 Most recent contest Jiggy With The Piggy

20174 milestones

Apr 21 First overall podium Cornelia Apple Blossom Competition
Apr 21 Career-best overall score688.4800 Cornelia Apple Blossom Competition
Oct 13 25th tracked contest Grillin & chillin BBQ cook-off
Oct 13 Peak power rating (1545) Grillin & chillin BBQ cook-off

20153 milestones

Apr 17 First category win (Pork) 19th Annual Firehouse BBQ Cook-Off
May 8 10th tracked contest Jiggy with the Piggy BBQ Challenge
Jul 17 Career-best single call (Chicken)177.7028 Smoke on the Mountain - VA State BBQ Championship

20142 milestones

Jun 6 First overall past 90% of a perfect score651.9428 Lincolnton Hog Happenin'
Oct 10 First overall top-10 Grill'n & Chill'n BBQ Cook-Off

20132 milestones

Oct 11 First tracked contest Waxhaw Grill'n and Chill'n BBQ Cook-off
Oct 11 First call Waxhaw Grill'n and Chill'n BBQ Cook-off

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+16	Cornelia Apple Blossom Competition	Apr 21, 2017
+8.4	Smoke on the Mountain - VA State BBQ Championship	Jul 17, 2015
+8.3	Grillin & chillin BBQ cook-off	Oct 13, 2017
+7.3	Grill'n & Chill'n BBQ Cook-Off	Oct 10, 2014
+6.6	Jiggy with the Piggy BBQ Challenge	May 8, 2015

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-10.5	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	Jun 3, 2016
-6.3	Smoke on the Mountain BBQ Championship	Jul 23, 2021
-6.2	Waxhaw Grill'n and Chill'n BBQ Cook-off	Oct 11, 2013
-5.3	Hog Happnin'	Nov 4, 2016
-4.4	Smoke on the mountain/VA state BBQ championship	Jul 15, 2016

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)
2022	1	0	0	0%	top 63%	92.6%	92.6%
2021	1	0	0	100%	top 76%	90.5%	90.5%
2018	1	0	0	0%	top 63%	90.9%	90.9%
2017	6	3	1	100%	top 40%	95.6%	93%
2016	4	0	0	50%	top 75%	90.3%	90%
2015	8	1	1	75%	top 44%	93.5%	92%
2014	6	1	0	67%	top 49%	92%	90.8%
2013	1	0	0	100%	top 72%	87.3%	87.3%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
May 13, 2022	Jiggy With The Piggy 🏅 Kannapolis, NC	29 / 46 (666.7544)	19 (170.8344)	33 (161.6916)	28 (166.2284)	17 (168)
Jul 23, 2021	Smoke on the Mountain BBQ Championship 🏅 Galax, VA	13 / 17 (651.2912)	4 (171.9656)	13 (162.8000)	12 (164.5484)	16 (151.9772)
May 4, 2018	Jiggy With the Piggy Kannapolis, NC	44 / 70 (654.1604)	16 (173.7144)	55 (155.9544)	60 (155.9316)	23 (168.5600)
Oct 13, 2017	Grillin & chillin BBQ cook-off Waxhaw, NC	9 / 29 (672.5600)	13 (166.8456)	4 (170.8572)	21 (161.7028)	3 (173.1544)
Jul 21, 2017	Smoke on the mountain BBQ championship Galax, VA	10 / 25 (662.7428)	7 (170.8228)	12 (165.6800)	9 (163.9428)	14 (162.2972)
Jun 16, 2017	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Alpharetta, GA	19 / 28 (667.3140)	2 (176.5600)	25 (161.7028)	22 (163.9656)	19 (165.0856)
May 19, 2017	Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass Sevierville, TN	20 / 49 (673.6000)	21 (168.5256)	4 (174.8572)	35 (162.2400)	27 (167.9772)
May 5, 2017	Jiggy With the Piggy Kannapolis, NC	36 / 75 (653.6572)	5 (175.4516)	44 (161.7028)	46 (161.6800)	53 (154.8228)
Apr 21, 2017	Cornelia Apple Blossom Competition Cornelia, GA	3 / 26 (688.4800)	20 (166.8228)	13 (169.6800)	1 (175.4172)	4 (176.5600)
Nov 4, 2016	Hog Happnin' Shelby, NC	42 / 56 (646.7424)	40 (161.1084)	48 (151.3828)	35 (166.2284)	24 (168.0228)
Jul 15, 2016	Smoke on the mountain/VA state BBQ championship Galax, VA	17 / 25 (648.4112)	6 (170.2628)	20 (155.9200)	18 (158.8228)	13 (163.4056)
Jun 3, 2016	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Asheville, NC	25 / 27 (646.7424)	25 (159.9656)	27 (152.5140)	4 (172)	21 (162.2628)
Apr 15, 2016	20th Annual Fire House BBQ Cook-Off Kings Mountain, NC	26 / 41 (650.2512)	21 (166.2628)	38 (149.0856)	13 (167.4400)	18 (167.4628)
Oct 16, 2015	Smoking In The Foothills Barbecue Competition and Festival Lenoir, NC	21 / 37 (665.0400)	16 (168.5372)	20 (165.6800)	13 (170.8344)	27 (159.9884)
Oct 9, 2015	Waxhaw Grill'n & Chill'n Waxhaw, NC	11 / 28 (661.0628)	14 (167.3828)	26 (151.3944)	13 (167.9656)	5 (174.3200)
Sep 11, 2015	Fiddle-N-Pig Shindig Fort Mill, SC	15 / 29 (659.8740)	13 (166.8228)	15 (165.1200)	22 (162.8228)	15 (165.1084)
Jul 17, 2015	Smoke on the Mountain - VA State BBQ Championship Galax, VA	9 / 29 (673.0972)	3 (177.7028)	28 (150.7772)	3 (176.0344)	7 (168.5828)
Jun 5, 2015	Hog Happenin' BBQ & Bike Fest Lincolnton, NC	14 / 34 (661.0172)	31 (157.6684)	21 (161.6572)	4 (173.1316)	10 (168.5600)
May 8, 2015	Jiggy with the Piggy BBQ Challenge Kannapolis, NC	25 / 74 (668.0912)	54 (163.4400)	51 (159.4628)	10 (171.4284)	6 (173.7600)
Apr 24, 2015	BBQ Capital Cook-Off Lexington, NC	26 / 60 (661.5656)	3 (177.1428)	51 (152.5144)	29 (166.2284)	20 (165.6800)
Apr 17, 2015	19th Annual Firehouse BBQ Cook-Off Kings Mountain, NC	22 / 41 (651.8284)	18 (165.1200)	22 (161.6684)	1 (176.5600)	37 (148.4800)
Oct 31, 2014	Hog Happnin' Shelby, NC	33 / 61 (657.0512)	49 (158.2628)	21 (168.5372)	43 (160.5484)	18 (169.7028)
Oct 10, 2014	Grill'n & Chill'n BBQ Cook-Off Waxhaw, NC	9 / 27 (662.2972)	6 (171.9656)	2 (172.6060)	20 (157.7600)	13 (159.9656)
Sep 19, 2014	Fiddle-N-Pig Shindig Fort Mill, SC	15 / 35 (655.2456)	11 (167.9772)	29 (155.3600)	25 (158.8000)	2 (173.1084)
Jul 18, 2014	Smoke on the Mountain - VA State BBQ Championship Galax, VA	13 / 30 (659.3256)	12 (165.7028)	25 (157.0972)	12 (168.5256)	7 (168)
Jun 6, 2014	Lincolnton Hog Happenin' Lincolnton, NC	21 / 38 (651.9428)	28 (161.0972)	19 (163.4172)	33 (155.9884)	7 (171.4400)
Apr 25, 2014	BBQ Capital Cookoff Lexington, NC	39 / 62 (635.8168)	23 (166.8112)	49 (153.0856)	44 (158.2172)	33 (157.7028)
Oct 11, 2013	Waxhaw Grill'n and Chill'n BBQ Cook-off Waxhaw, NC	18 / 25 (628.5028)	18 (159.3828)	16 (156.5828)	20 (153.1200)	9 (159.4172)

BANJOMAN'S BBQ

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Best top-10 run

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 (11 found in their record)

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

The comeback

Chicken nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

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)