PAPA LA RUE'S BBQ

PAPA LA RUE'S BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 40 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2015 and 2020. Their best overall finish is 2nd of 70 at the 8th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship Day 1 (2019), and they have finished Reserve Grand Champion once. They are ranked #1813 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#1,813

of 6,476 rated · rankings

Rating

1547

peak 1560 · rated over 40 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Feb 20, 2015

latest Feb 21, 2020 · 5 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#276

Master 2019 · every season

Grand champs

1 reserve

Category wins

8 podiums

Overall top-10s

15% of 40 contests

Avg finish

top 60%

overall standings

Best overall

692.5488 / 720

Master · 8th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship Day 1

Perfect 180s

1 🔥

Current form

664.09 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 657.06 (+7.03)

Walk rate

48%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

180 🔥

Brisket · Turf & Surf BBQ Championship

Consistency

±20.22

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 166.08 · weakest Pork Ribs (162.03)

Road miles

7,594

across 40 mapped stops · furthest 1,295 mi

Schedule strength

70%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1589)

Purse competed for

$89K

listed at 8 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 10 state-championship entries

Master avg

657.06 / 720

40 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (13 found in their record)

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

Perfect scores on the board

1 perfect 180

1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in brisket.

Brisket ×1

On the rise

+32 rating points in a year

Their power rating has climbed 32 points across 10 contests since Mar 29, 2019 — from 1515 up to 1547.

10 contests since Mar 29, 2019
now 1547

Happy hunting ground

Top 15% average finish here

Turf & Surf BBQ Championship is their spot: an average finish in the top 15% across 2 visits.

2 visits
best finish 4th
average top 15%

High-water mark

692.5488 career-best overall

96.2% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 692.5488 at 8th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship Day 1 — 96.2% of a perfect 720.

Master
Mar 29, 2019

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

SMOKING TOKING BBQ has finished one call ahead of PAPA LA RUE'S BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2019 their best year

2019 was the year it came together: 10 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 34%.

10 contests
4 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 34%

A tough matchup

29–0 behind in the head-to-head

Burnin and Lootin ahead in 100% of their meetings

Burnin and Lootin has come out ahead in 29 of their 29 shared contests.

Show 6 more storylines

The weak link

−4.0 points behind their best meat

Pork Ribs is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.05 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 18% of the time against 23%.

Pork Ribs avg 162.03
Chicken avg 166.08
7 calls in 39 entries

A strong matchup

15–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 94% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of JOLLEY'S BAD TO THE BONE BARBEQUE in 15 of their 16 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

24 of 28 shared chicken entries lost

Burnin and Lootin ahead 86% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, Burnin and Lootin has out-cooked them in 24 of 28 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

COOL GRILLING has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A March team

Top 38% average finish in March

Something about March: average finish in the top 38% across 5 contests, versus top 60% the rest of the year.

5 March contests
top 60% the rest of the year

The long haul

7,594 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 7,594 miles across 40 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 1,295 miles to 39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN).

40 mapped stops
furthest 1,295 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
2020 ↗	Master	#639 (125 pts)	#615 (160 pts)	#665 (135 pts)	#538 (190 pts)	#681 (120 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#276 (1,075 pts)	#259 (1,115 pts)	#313 (975 pts)	#379 (895 pts)	#383 (855 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#487 (734 pts)	#178 (1,440 pts)	#421 (863 pts)	#475 (775 pts)	#271 (1,162 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#512 (750 pts)	#568 (705 pts)	#511 (775 pts)	#464 (840 pts)	#459 (870 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#1775 (120 pts)	#1883 (120 pts)	#1884 (120 pts)	#1818 (130 pts)	#1839 (120 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#1409 (179 pts)	#1538 (174 pts)	#1551 (169 pts)	#1275 (244 pts)	#1384 (194 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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

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

OMERTA BBQ

#1,818 of the rated field

1547 power rating

Contests: 22
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 55%
Peak: 1552

Fewer contests behind them than PAPA LA RUE'S BBQ has cooked, 22 to 40, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 22 contests
last seen Sep 7, 2019

⚔ Compare careers

TNT Explosive BBQ

#1,808 of the rated field

1547 power rating

Contests: 21
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 33%
Peak: 1568

Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 21 contests, alongside a 33% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 19 contests
last seen May 1, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Badboy Butchers BBQ

#1,824 of the rated field

1546 power rating

Contests: 16
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 38%
Peak: 1546

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 16 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 16 contests
last seen Aug 22, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Cook Shack BBQ

#1,822 of the rated field

1546 power rating

Contests: 17
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 29%
Peak: 1554

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

rated over 16 contests
last seen Sep 13, 2024

⚔ Compare careers

SAUCY SWINE-O'S

#1,812 of the rated field

1547 power rating

Contests: 16
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 13%
Peak: 1548

Their last contest in the data was back in 2017, 3 years before PAPA LA RUE'S BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 16 contests

⚔ Compare careers

Florida Boy's BBQ

#1,817 of the rated field

1547 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 25%
Peak: 1547

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 12 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 12 contests
last seen Jul 25, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
RAD FONDO BBQ	31	5	26	16%	⚔ compare
Burnin and Lootin	29	0	29	0%	⚔ compare
SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ	27	4	23	15%	⚔ compare
BIG POPPA SMOKERS	26	2	24	8%	⚔ compare
Smokin it Up BBQ	25	4	21	16%	⚔ compare
LADY OF Q	25	2	23	8%	⚔ compare
NOTHING COMPARES 2 Q	23	7	16	30%	⚔ compare
TEAM WOODSHED	22	6	16	27%	⚔ compare
Meat Candy Q	21	5	16	24%	⚔ compare
HICKORY AND SPICE BBQ	21	0	21	0%	⚔ compare
BIG RED BBQ	20	11	9	55%	⚔ compare
Sharpe's Woodshed	20	4	16	20%	⚔ compare
7 SINS BBQ	19	14	5	74%	⚔ compare
7-8-9 BBQ	19	2	17	11%	⚔ compare
SMOKE HOUND BBQ	18	7	11	39%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	39	9	0	3	178.2972	147.9772	166.08	top 55%
Pork Ribs	39	7	0	1	177.7372	143.4172	162.03	top 64%
Pork	36	4	1	2	176.5600	149.6572	164.50	top 57%
Brisket	39	8	1	2	180 🔥	146.8000	163.65	top 56%

“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 20%
Medium (20–39)	15	top 63%
Large (40+)	24	top 59%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
CA	35	top 61%
NV	2	top 45%
AZ	2	top 60%
KS	1	top 46%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Indio California State BBQ Championship & Festival	3	24	top 76%	Nov 1, 2019
Turf & Surf BBQ Championship	2	4	top 15%	Aug 16, 2019
Horse Town Brew B Que Festival	2	28	top 51%	Jun 1, 2018

More numbers

Busiest season 2018 13 contests

Contests a season 6.7 across 6 seasons in the data

Most contests held in CA 35 of 40 contests · 4 states in all

Contests visited 36 3 of them more than once

Opponents faced 904 finished ahead 972 times, behind 1,215

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

20201 milestone

Feb 21 Most recent contest The Tyson Guinea Pig, Matt Dalton Memorial

20193 milestones

Mar 29 First Reserve Championship 8th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship Day 1
Mar 29 Career-best overall score692.5488 8th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship Day 1
Sep 13 Peak power rating (1560) America's Finest BBQ State Championship (JUDGES FULL)

20182 milestones

Aug 17 First perfect 180 (Brisket) Turf & Surf BBQ Championship
Aug 24 25th tracked contest Wild West BBQ Shoot Out

20176 milestones

Feb 17 First overall past 90% of a perfect score648.5372 The Smithfield Guinea Pig
Mar 31 First call 6th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship
Jul 28 10th tracked contest 8th Annual Vista BBQ Classic (JUDGES FULL)
Sep 2 First category win (Pork) Redwood Coast Grills Gone Wild
Sep 2 First overall top-10 Redwood Coast Grills Gone Wild
Sep 2 First overall podium Redwood Coast Grills Gone Wild

20151 milestone

Feb 20 First tracked contest The Pig (Guinea Pig) Competitor's Series

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+19	8th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship Day 1	Mar 29, 2019
+15.1	Turf & Surf BBQ Championship	Aug 16, 2019
+15	Redwood Coast Grills Gone Wild	Sep 2, 2017
+15	Turf & Surf BBQ Championship	Aug 17, 2018
+14.6	6th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship	Mar 31, 2017

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-11.4	The Tyson Guinea Pig, Matt Dalton Memorial	Feb 21, 2020
-11.3	The Pig (Guinea Pig) Competitor's Series	Feb 20, 2015
-10.6	The Pig (Guinea Pig)	Feb 19, 2016
-10.5	Havasu Landing CA (JUDGES LIST IS FULL)	Mar 27, 2015
-9.8	West Coast BBQ Classic	May 8, 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	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2020	1	0	0	0%	top 96%	88.2%	88.2%
2019	10	4	0	70%	top 34%	96.2%	93.9%
2018	13	1	1	62%	top 59%	93.6%	92.1%
2017	10	1	1	40%	top 63%	94.4%	90.5%
2016	2	0	0	0%	top 91%	89.2%	87.6%
2015	4	0	0	0%	top 92%	86.4%	86.1%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Feb 21, 2020	The Tyson Guinea Pig, Matt Dalton Memorial 🏅 Coachella, CA	48 / 50 (635.2228)	43 (161.0856)	42 (159.9656)	29 (165.1316)	50 (149.0400)
Nov 1, 2019	Indio California State BBQ Championship & Festival 🏅 Indio, CA	24 / 37 (660.9948)	17 (169.6916)	22 (166.2400)	11 (169.6916)	30 (155.3716)
Sep 13, 2019	America's Finest BBQ State Championship (JUDGES FULL) 🏅 San Diego, CA	14 / 30 (674.7544)	3 (177.7144)	12 (170.2744)	16 (166.2284)	19 (160.5372)
Aug 16, 2019	Turf & Surf BBQ Championship 🏅 Del Mar, CA	4 / 35 (682.1596)	12 (169.1084)	8 (170.8228)	—	10 (170.8228)
Aug 2, 2019	10th Annual Vista BBQ Classic 🏅 Vista, CA	19 / 34 (667.3256)	31 (161.0856)	10 (171.9772)	—	17 (166.8572)
Jul 5, 2019	Smoke & Hops 🏅 Harmony, CA	10 / 26 (681.1200)	15 (167.9772)	10 (167.4172)	—	11 (170.8456)
May 31, 2019	Horse Town Brew N Que Festival (JUDGES FULL) 🏅 Norco, CA	16 / 49 (668.4912)	—	—	—	—
May 24, 2019	The Best Dam Barbeque 🏅 Boulder City, NV	7 / 29 (679.3828)	21 (165.0856)	16 (165.1200)	3 (174.8572)	4 (174.3200)
Mar 30, 2019	8th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship Day 2 🏅 Arcadia, CA	17 / 47 (679.3484)	20 (171.4056)	14 (172.5600)	11 (173.1428)	37 (162.2400)
Mar 29, 2019	8th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship Day 1 🏅 Arcadia, CA	2 / 70 (692.5488)	2 (178.2972)	8 (172.5944)	37 (166.2400)	6 (175.4172)
Feb 15, 2019	The Smithfield Guinea Pig (TEAMS AND JUDGES FULL) Indian Wells, CA	14 / 49 (677.1084)	8 (173.7144)	18 (169.7028)	36 (162.8340)	13 (170.8572)
Nov 3, 2018	Indio California State BBQ Championship & Festival DAY 2 (JUDGES FULL) Indio, CA	26 / 33 (663.9200)	18 (169.7028)	22 (162.8572)	21 (169.1200)	28 (162.2400)
Nov 2, 2018	Indio California State BBQ Championship & Festival DAY 1 (JUDGES FULL) Indio, CA	27 / 33 (664.4576)	7 (175.4172)	30 (157.6688)	22 (166.8344)	24 (164.5372)
Oct 12, 2018	Temecula State BBQ Championship Temecula, CA	29 / 46 (659.8972)	25 (166.8228)	33 (163.4172)	31 (164.5372)	26 (165.1200)
Sep 15, 2018	39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS	213 / 467 (663.9084)	360 (159.3828)	7 (177.7372)	195 (166.8112)	305 (159.9772)
Aug 24, 2018	Wild West BBQ Shoot Out Wendover, NV	30 / 46 (659.2684)	29 (165.6800)	44 (154.8000)	8 (174.2628)	25 (164.5256)
Aug 17, 2018	Turf & Surf BBQ Championship Del Mar, CA	9 / 51 (673.6916)	4 (175.4400)	33 (159.3944)	33 (158.8572)	1 (180)
Jul 13, 2018	9th Annual Vista BBQ Classic (JUDGES FULL) Vista, CA	18 / 37 (666.7316)	5 (174.2744)	30 (158.8116)	25 (163.9656)	13 (169.6800)
Jun 1, 2018	Horse Town Brew B Que Festival Norco, CA	30 / 57 (669.6340)	2 (175.4172)	45 (161.6800)	44 (162.8112)	18 (169.7256)
May 25, 2018	Big Bear Memorial Weekend BBQ Festival (JUDGES FULL) Big Bear Lake, CA	21 / 29 (641.5656)	15 (167.4056)	25 (150.2628)	19 (161.0856)	16 (162.8116)
May 4, 2018	City of Show Low's 6th Annual BBQ Throwdown Show Low, AZ	27 / 52 (666.8000)	5 (177.1428)	19 (170.8800)	34 (163.4172)	39 (155.3600)
Mar 23, 2018	7th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship Arcadia, CA	29 / 78 (670.7544)	51 (163.9772)	6 (173.1316)	69 (157.0856)	2 (176.5600)
Feb 23, 2018	The Smithfield Guinea Pig (JUDGES FULL) Coachella, CA	40 / 47 (665.0744)	35 (168.5600)	37 (165.7144)	32 (169.1200)	46 (161.6800)
Jan 19, 2018	Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge Bullhead City, AZ	48 / 70 (658.7660)	13 (173.7144)	63 (156.5488)	20 (170.8572)	58 (157.6456)
Nov 3, 2017	Indio California State BBQ Championship & Festival ( JUDGES FULL) Indio, CA	29 / 35 (640.4108)	26 (165.0740)	21 (165.6912)	33 (153.7028)	28 (155.9428)
Oct 13, 2017	OC BBQ Competition Costa Messa, CA	44 / 56 (643.3944)	52 (155.4172)	46 (158.3200)	23 (166.2628)	35 (163.3944)
Sep 29, 2017	Unruly Country Brew N' Que Festival (JUDGES FULL) Sonora, CA	22 / 30 (642.8000)	23 (157.7488)	17 (165.7028)	24 (159.9656)	17 (159.3828)
Sep 15, 2017	3rd Annual Hot Q's & Cold Brews BBQ Championship Oroville, CA	34 / 48 (638.7204)	32 (162.2744)	42 (155.3944)	36 (159.9428)	29 (161.1088)
Sep 2, 2017	Redwood Coast Grills Gone Wild Crescent City, CA	3 / 15 (671.8972)	10 (158.2400)	2 (173.7028)	1 (176.5600)	5 (163.3944)
Aug 18, 2017	Del Mar BBQ Championship Del Mar, CA	43 / 52 (628.4572)	36 (161.1200)	44 (153.6916)	48 (149.6572)	25 (163.9884)
Jul 28, 2017	8th Annual Vista BBQ Classic (JUDGES FULL) Vista, CA	28 / 40 (648.9944)	29 (163.9772)	32 (155.3600)	10 (171.4400)	30 (158.2172)
Jun 2, 2017	Horse Town Brew B Que Festival ( Judges Full) Norco, CA	28 / 57 (675.3716)	12 (174.8572)	29 (167.9656)	45 (159.4172)	10 (173.1316)
Mar 31, 2017	6th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship Arcadia, CA	16 / 77 (679.4056)	17 (173.7372)	61 (156.5256)	23 (172.5600)	6 (176.5828)
Feb 17, 2017	The Smithfield Guinea Pig Indio, CA	41 / 49 (648.5372)	37 (163.4744)	46 (150.2284)	21 (167.9888)	27 (166.8456)
Nov 11, 2016	Indio California State BBQ Championship & Festival ( Judges Full) Indio, CA	31 / 38 (642.1484)	30 (161.0856)	30 (157.6800)	23 (163.9772)	28 (159.4056)
Feb 19, 2016	The Pig (Guinea Pig) Indio, CA	48 / 48 (619.8516)	44 (157.6800)	46 (153.1316)	46 (151.3712)	41 (157.6688)
Nov 13, 2015	Indio California State BBQ Championship- JUDGES FULL Indio, CA	31 / 34 (622.1372)	32 (154.2744)	31 (153.6800)	24 (163.3828)	29 (150.8000)
May 8, 2015	West Coast BBQ Classic Long Beach, CA	52 / 57 (617.0172)	42 (159.9772)	42 (159.9772)	53 (150.2628)	54 (146.8000)
Mar 27, 2015	Havasu Landing CA (JUDGES LIST IS FULL) Havasu Landing, CA	23 / 25 (619.9432)	24 (151.9772)	25 (143.4172)	11 (166.2744)	20 (158.2744)
Feb 20, 2015	The Pig (Guinea Pig) Competitor's Series Rancho Mirage, CA	45 / 49 (620.4572)	46 (147.9772)	48 (149.1088)	27 (162.2628)	29 (161.1084)

PAPA LA RUE'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

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 (13 found in their record)

Perfect scores on the board

On the rise

Happy hunting ground

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

Chicken nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

A March team

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)