RJ'S BOW TIE BARBECUE

RJ'S BOW TIE BARBECUE is a competition barbecue team with 9 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2015 and 2019. Their best overall finish is 6th of 16 at the Assumption Fest Smokin Hot BBQ 2nd Annual (2017). They are ranked #3563 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#3,563

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1492

peak 1512 · rated over 9 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Jul 24, 2015

latest Sep 20, 2019 · 4.2 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#1114

Master 2017 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

2 podiums

Overall top-10s

11% of 9 contests

Avg finish

top 62%

overall standings

Best overall

669.6232 / 720

Master · Assumption Fest Smokin Hot BBQ 2nd Annual

Perfect 180s

Current form

648.73 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 651.33 (-2.60)

Walk rate

33%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

176.5600

Pork · Assumption Fest Smokin Hot BBQ 2nd Annual

Consistency

±13.19

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 164.60 · weakest Pork Ribs (159.44)

Road miles

1,043

across 9 mapped stops · furthest 117 mi

Schedule strength

52%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1568)

Purse competed for

$12K

listed at 1 contest — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 1 state-championship entry

Master avg

651.33 / 720

9 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (7 found in their record)

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

High-water mark

669.6232 career-best overall

93.0% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 669.6232 at Assumption Fest Smokin Hot BBQ 2nd Annual — 93.0% of a perfect 720.

Master
Jun 30, 2017

Their season

2015 their best year

2015 was the year it came together: 3 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 49%.

3 contests
0 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 49%

A tough matchup

8–0 behind in the head-to-head

One2BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

One2BBQ has come out ahead in 8 of their 8 shared contests.

The weak link

−5.2 points behind their best meat

Pork Ribs is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 5.16 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 11% of the time against 11%.

Pork Ribs avg 159.44
Chicken avg 164.60
1 call in 9 entries

A strong matchup

4–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of KCBEER'S SMOKE SHACK in 4 of their 4 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

7 of 8 shared chicken entries lost

One2BBQ ahead 88% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, One2BBQ has out-cooked them in 7 of 8 shared chicken entries.

The metronome

±1.83% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.83% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 90.5% of a perfect score
9 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	#1955 (60 pts)	#2049 (60 pts)	#2026 (60 pts)	#2029 (60 pts)	#2010 (60 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#1114 (276 pts)	#1072 (331 pts)	#1244 (256 pts)	#891 (436 pts)	#1135 (286 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#2274 (60 pts)	#2353 (60 pts)	#1818 (130 pts)	#2326 (60 pts)	#2345 (60 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#1338 (190 pts)	#1384 (205 pts)	#1335 (220 pts)	#1172 (280 pts)	#1000 (330 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to RJ'S BOW TIE BARBECUE, each with one reason worth a look.

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

Code 3 Spices

#3,573 of the rated field

1492 power rating

Contests: 18
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 6%
Peak: 1521

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to RJ'S BOW TIE BARBECUE)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team RJ'S BOW TIE BARBECUE has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 13 contests
last seen Aug 15, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

SMOKIN' BUTTS

#3,556 of the rated field

1492 power rating

Contests: 108
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 21%
Peak: 1569

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to RJ'S BOW TIE BARBECUE)

They've been 1569 at their best, 77 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 107 contests
last seen May 9, 2025

⚔ Head-to-head

BROTHA K'S BOARBECUE

#3,561 of the rated field

1492 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 33%
Peak: 1516

Careers of much the same size, 9 contests to 9, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 9 contests
last seen Apr 28, 2023

⚔ Compare careers

Sofa King/Good BBQ

#3,544 of the rated field

1492 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1516

Their last contest in the data was back in 2014, 5 years before RJ'S BOW TIE BARBECUE's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 9 contests

⚔ Compare careers

RUMPLEPIGSKIN BBQ

#3,567 of the rated field

1492 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1504

They turned up 8 years after RJ'S BOW TIE BARBECUE did, first appearing in 2023.

rated over 10 contests
last seen Jul 11, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Scott’s Smoke Shack BBQ

#3,564 of the rated field

1492 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 10%
Peak: 1510

Level with RJ'S BOW TIE BARBECUE on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 10 contests
last seen Jun 20, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
QUAU	8	1	7	13%	⚔ compare
PORK PARADISE	8	1	7	13%	⚔ compare
One2BBQ	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
Its 5 Oclock Somewhere	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
ALL IN QUE	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
BOSS HAWG BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
Oui Oui Oui BBQ	5	2	3	40%	⚔ compare
Outsiders BBQ	5	2	3	40%	⚔ compare
Carrol Lou's Smokehouse	5	2	3	40%	⚔ compare
ST. LOUIS BLACK IRON BBQ	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
SMOKEY'S Q	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	9	1	0	1	172.5716	157.0856	164.60	top 57%
Pork Ribs	9	1	0	0	173.1200	143.3144	159.44	top 64%
Pork	9	2	1	1	176.5600	154.2400	163.90	top 56%
Brisket	9	1	0	0	171.9772	155.9428	163.39	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	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	1	top 38%
Medium (20–39)	1	top 80%
Large (40+)	7	top 63%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Murphysboro BBQ Cookoff	2	43	0	top 78%	Sep 22, 2017

More numbers

Busiest season 2017 3 contests

Contests a season 1.8 across 5 seasons in the data

Most contests held in IL 9 of 9 contests

Contests visited 8 1 of them more than once

Opponents faced 222 finished ahead 152 times, behind 253

Longest layoff 1 yrs Oct 6, 2017 → Oct 12, 2018

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

20191 milestone

Sep 20 Most recent contest Murphysboro BBQ Cook Off

20175 milestones

Jun 30 First category win (Pork) Assumption Fest Smokin Hot BBQ 2nd Annual
Jun 30 First overall top-10 Assumption Fest Smokin Hot BBQ 2nd Annual
Jun 30 Career-best overall score669.6232 Assumption Fest Smokin Hot BBQ 2nd Annual
Jun 30 Career-best single call (Pork)176.5600 Assumption Fest Smokin Hot BBQ 2nd Annual
Jun 30 Peak power rating (1512) Assumption Fest Smokin Hot BBQ 2nd Annual

20153 milestones

Jul 24 First tracked contest 5th Annual Morton BBQ Throwdown
Sep 25 First call Murphysboro Barbecue Cook-Off
Sep 25 First overall past 90% of a perfect score663.2800 Murphysboro Barbecue Cook-Off

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+6.8	Assumption Fest Smokin Hot BBQ 2nd Annual	Jun 30, 2017
+3.8	Murphysboro Barbecue Cook-Off	Sep 25, 2015
+2.2	Murphysboro BBQ Cook Off	Sep 20, 2019
+2	Central Illinois Bragging Rights	Oct 9, 2015
+2	5th Annual Morton BBQ Throwdown	Jul 24, 2015

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-9.9	Murphysboro BBQ Cookoff	Sep 22, 2017
-6.2	Decatur's Smokin BBQ Festival (JUDGES FULL)	Oct 6, 2017
-6	CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ	Oct 12, 2018
-2.6	Murphysboro BBQ Cookoff	Sep 23, 2016

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	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2019	1	0	0	0%	top 56%	92%	92%
2018	1	0	0	0%	top 80%	87.8%	87.8%
2017	3	1	1	33%	top 69%	93%	90.2%
2016	1	0	0	0%	top 67%	91.1%	91.1%
2015	3	0	0	67%	top 49%	92.1%	90.9%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Sep 20, 2019	Murphysboro BBQ Cook Off 🏅 Murphysboro, IL	30 / 54 (662.1376)	28 (166.2400)	27 (167.3828)	30 (166.2516)	33 (162.2632)
Oct 12, 2018	CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ Arthur, IL	36 / 45 (632.3200)	15 (169.7144)	43 (143.3144)	37 (155.3484)	24 (163.9428)
Oct 6, 2017	Decatur's Smokin BBQ Festival (JUDGES FULL) Decatur, IL	24 / 30 (650.6856)	27 (157.6572)	24 (157.6800)	14 (167.9656)	12 (167.3828)
Sep 22, 2017	Murphysboro BBQ Cookoff Murphysboro, IL	49 / 55 (628.8912)	48 (159.3828)	54 (150.1828)	53 (154.8000)	28 (164.5256)
Jun 30, 2017	Assumption Fest Smokin Hot BBQ 2nd Annual Assumption, IL	6 / 16 (669.6232)	3 (172.5716)	8 (164.5372)	1 (176.5600)	12 (155.9544)
Sep 23, 2016	Murphysboro BBQ Cookoff Murphysboro, IL	43 / 64 (655.8744)	32 (168.5372)	11 (173.1200)	60 (154.2400)	45 (159.9772)
Oct 9, 2015	Central Illinois Bragging Rights Arthur, IL	24 / 48 (655.8628)	35 (159.3828)	35 (157.0972)	9 (170.8572)	14 (168.5256)
Sep 25, 2015	Murphysboro Barbecue Cook-Off Murphysboro, IL	26 / 55 (663.2800)	20 (170.8228)	41 (155.9544)	30 (164.5256)	8 (171.9772)
Jul 24, 2015	5th Annual Morton BBQ Throwdown Morton, IL	24 / 47 (643.3372)	33 (157.0856)	17 (165.7260)	22 (164.5828)	31 (155.9428)

RJ'S BOW TIE BARBECUE

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 (7 found in their record)

High-water mark

Their season

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

Chicken nemesis

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

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 — 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)