Perfect scores on the board
2
perfect 180s
2 perfect 180s in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, across 2 different meats.
- Chicken ×1
- Pork Ribs ×1
Szendo Smoke BBQ Team
Szendo Smoke BBQ Team is a competition barbecue team with 28 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2024 and 2026. They have won 4 Grand Championships, most recently at the Polish Open Grill and BBQ Championships (2026), and finished Reserve Grand Champion once. They are ranked #1574 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1559
peak 1572 · rated over 19 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted
Contests
28
in the data
First seen
May 18, 2024
latest Sep 26, 2026 · 2.4 years on the trail
Grand champs
4
1 reserve · wins it all 14% of the time
Category wins
3
26 podiums
Overall top-10s
14
50% of 28 contests
Best top-10 run
5
straight overall top-10s · 2 straight GCs
Avg finish
top 49%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
2 🔥
Current form
673.58 ▼
last 5 Master vs avg 678.86 (-5.27)
Walk rate
93%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±17.06
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 173.32 · weakest Brisket (164.79)
Road miles
5,226
across 28 mapped stops · furthest 495 mi
Schedule strength
33%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1545)
Master avg
678.86 / 720
20 Master contests · 4 GCs
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Master | #88 (1,444 pts) | #83 (1,524 pts) | #101 (1,454 pts) | #92 (1,379 pts) | #110 (1,289 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #156 (1,310 pts) | #155 (1,334 pts) | #96 (1,701 pts) | #115 (1,460 pts) | #177 (1,170 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #419 (487 pts) | #380 (607 pts) | #260 (955 pts) | #394 (552 pts) | #490 (422 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Szendo Smoke BBQ Team, each with one reason worth a look.
39 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1,578 of the rated field
- Contests
- 7
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 86%
- Peak
- 1559
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to Szendo Smoke BBQ Team)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Szendo Smoke BBQ Team has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#1,573 of the rated field
- Contests
- 20
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 20%
- Peak
- 1559
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 20 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#1,570 of the rated field
- Contests
- 25
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 16%
- Peak
- 1585
Their last contest in the data was back in 2022, 4 years before Szendo Smoke BBQ Team's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#1,569 of the rated field
- Contests
- 13
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 23%
- Peak
- 1560
Fewer contests behind them than Szendo Smoke BBQ Team has cooked, 13 to 28, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Compare careers#1,576 of the rated field
- Contests
- 33
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 3%
- Peak
- 1581
Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 33 contests, alongside a 3% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Compare careers#1,577 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1559
They were already cooking in 2013, 11 years before Szendo Smoke BBQ Team's first contest.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BBQ Hot Yard | 14 | 7 | 7 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| SCHLUCHTENGRILLER BBQ | 12 | 3 | 9 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| COOKLOUNGE BBQ | 12 | 2 | 10 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| Onkel Felix BBQ | 11 | 6 | 5 | 55% | ⚔ compare |
| Woodquarter Smokerheads | 11 | 2 | 9 | 18% | ⚔ compare |
| Smoky Cotte | 11 | 0 | 11 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Ribs in Peace | 9 | 3 | 6 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| Barbecoa BBQ Team | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| Stammtischgriller | 6 | 5 | 1 | 83% | ⚔ compare |
| 3BBQ | 6 | 2 | 4 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| Westside BBQ | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| SOUTH BRIXIA | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| Tracica BBQ Team | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| FOOD'VENTURE GRILL & BBQ | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| The BBQ Ranch | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 21 | 19 | 1 | 7 | 180 🔥 | 166.2516 | 173.32 | top 41% |
| Pork Ribs | 26 | 19 | 1 | 7 | 180 🔥 | 152.5144 | 169.21 | top 50% |
| Pork | 21 | 14 | 1 | 7 | 179.4400 | 154.2172 | 170.59 | top 48% |
| Brisket | 20 | 14 | 0 | 5 | 178.3200 | 147.9540 | 164.79 | top 58% |
“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 | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 15 | 3 | top 51% |
| Medium (20–39) | 4 | 1 | top 47% |
| Large (40+) | 1 | 0 | top 33% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild West Fest on Fire 2026 | 3 | 6 | 0 | top 62% | Aug 8, 2026 |
| Marchfelder Feuerfest | 2 | 4 | 0 | top 58% | May 2, 2026 |
| Vienna BBQ Days | 2 | 10 | 0 | top 81% | Oct 18, 2025 |
| Muehlviertler BBQ Festival | 2 | 4 | 0 | top 50% | May 17, 2025 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2025
13 contests · 2 GCs
Contests a season
9.3
across 3 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
NO
3 of 28 contests
Contests visited
15
4 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
26 entries · 1 win · 19 calls
First title
Sep 12, 2025
Bulgarian Barbecue Championship
Opponents faced
131
finished ahead 159 times, behind 136
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20264 milestones
- First multi-meat day Transylvanian Steak & BBQ Fest
- Peak power rating (1572) Polish Open Grill and BBQ Championships
- 25th tracked contest European Invitational Championship (COMPETITOR SERIES)
- Most recent contest I Love Smoky Exhibition and BBQ Competition
20257 milestones
- First overall podium Transylvanian Grill & BBQ Camp
- First Reserve Championship Transylvanian Grill & BBQ Camp
- 10th tracked contest Muehlviertler BBQ Festival
- First category win (Pork) Bulgarian Barbecue Championship
- First Grand Championship Bulgarian Barbecue Championship
- Career-best overall score705.6800 Bulgarian Barbecue Championship
- First perfect 180 (Pork Ribs) V. I Love Smoky Exhibition and BBQ Competition
20244 milestones
- First tracked contest Muehlviertler BBQ Festival
- First call Muehlviertler BBQ Festival
- First overall top-10 Wild West Fest on Fire
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score678.8000 Wild West Fest on Fire
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +16.2 | V. I Love Smoky Exhibition and BBQ Competition | Oct 11, 2025 |
| +15.2 | Bulgarian Barbecue Championship | Sep 12, 2025 |
| +14.2 | Transylvanian Steak & BBQ Fest | May 9, 2026 |
| +13.6 | Polish Open Grill and BBQ Championships | Jun 5, 2026 |
| +12.4 | Transylvanian Grill & BBQ Camp | May 10, 2025 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -10.7 | No Smoke, No Glory | Jul 10, 2026 |
| -10.1 | Vienna BBQ Days | Oct 18, 2025 |
| -8.4 | Wild West Fest on Fire 2026 | Aug 8, 2026 |
| -4.5 | Muehlviertler BBQ Festival | May 18, 2024 |
| -3 | Vienna BBQ Days | Oct 19, 2024 |
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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 100% | top 51% | 97.5% | 94.5% |
| 2025 | 13 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 85% | top 40% | 98% | 94.9% |
| 2024 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 100% | top 66% | 94.3% | 92.1% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2026 | I Love Smoky Exhibition and BBQ Competition Szerencs | 5 / 14 (693.6344) | 3 (180) | 6 (175.4172) | 5 (173.1316) | 9 (165.0856) |
| Aug 8, 2026 | Wild West Fest on Fire 2026 Medvode | 13 / 18 (664.9368) | 9 (174.2628) | 9 (168.5256) | 10 (168.5256) | 16 (153.6228) |
| Jul 18, 2026 | Open Barbecue Championship Wilhering | 10 / 20 (681.0632) | 8 (171.4172) | 13 (170.2744) | 12 (169.6916) | 8 (169.6800) |
| Jul 17, 2026 | European Invitational Championship (COMPETITOR SERIES) unrated Wilhering | 17 / 17 (661.0172) | 8 (174.2972) | 9 (171.4172) | 17 (154.2172) | 13 (161.0856) |
| Jul 10, 2026 | No Smoke, No Glory Zagreb | 14 / 16 (667.2684) | 8 (174.2628) | 14 (163.9428) | 16 (161.6572) | 8 (167.4056) |
| Jun 5, 2026 | Polish Open Grill and BBQ Championships Mazowieckie | 1 / 14 (700.5944) | 6 (173.1200) | 7 (170.2972) | 2 (178.8572) | 2 (178.3200) |
| May 9, 2026 | Transylvanian Steak & BBQ Fest Targu Mures | 1 / 7 (702.2400) | 1 (178.8572) | 1 (176) | 2 (175.4056) | 3 (171.9772) |
| May 2, 2026 | Marchfelder Feuerfest Orth an der Donau, NO | 4 / 8 (683.3140) | 2 (177.7028) | 3 (174.2628) | 5 (171.4056) | 6 (159.9428) |
| Apr 11, 2026 | BBQ Expo Master's Challenge Parma | 14 / 42 (679.3600) | 22 (171.9656) | 2 (175.4516) | 26 (166.2284) | 20 (165.7144) |
| Feb 28, 2026 | Vienna Pet Fair BBQ Contest Vienna | 7 / 12 (671.8976) | 4 (174.2744) | 12 (160.5144) | 3 (174.2744) | 9 (162.8344) |
| Oct 18, 2025 | Vienna BBQ Days Vienna | 10 / 11 (662.6740) | 10 (169.1084) | 10 (159.3600) | 3 (174.8572) | 10 (159.3484) |
| Oct 18, 2025 | Vienna BBQ Days (ONE MEAT RIBS) Vienna | — | — | 13 (170.2744) | — | — |
| Oct 11, 2025 | V. I Love Smoky Exhibition and BBQ Competition Szerencs | 1 / 21 (703.9428) | 2 (178.8572) | 2 (180) | 5 (175.4056) | 5 (169.6800) |
| Oct 11, 2025 | V. I Love Smoky Exhibition and BBQ Competition (ONE MEAT RIBS) Szerencs | — | — | 5 (166.2516) | — | — |
| Sep 12, 2025 | Bulgarian Barbecue Championship Sofia | 1 / 11 (705.6800) | 3 (175.4056) | 3 (175.4172) | 1 (178.8572) | 3 (176) |
| Aug 9, 2025 | Wild West Fest on Fire Medvode | 12 / 20 (670.7316) | 13 (166.2744) | 14 (163.9544) | 14 (166.2400) | 3 (174.2628) |
| Aug 9, 2025 | Wild West Fest on Fire (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Medvode | — | 9 (169.7028) | — | — | — |
| Aug 9, 2025 | Wild West Fest on Fire (ONE MEAT RIBS) Medvode | — | — | 3 (175.4172) | — | — |
| May 17, 2025 | Muehlviertler BBQ Festival Freistadt | 4 / 15 (676.4684) | 3 (170.8228) | 6 (167.3944) | 5 (167.9884) | 7 (170.2628) |
| May 17, 2025 | Muehlviertler BBQ Festival (ONE MEAT PORK) Freistadt | — | — | — | 6 (173.1200) | — |
| May 10, 2025 | Transylvanian Grill & BBQ Camp Targu Mures | 2 / 10 (702.8228) | 4 (173.1200) | 2 (178.8572) | 3 (179.4400) | 3 (171.4056) |
| May 3, 2025 | Marchfelder Feuerfest Orth an der Donau, NO | 8 / 12 (659.8632) | 8 (166.2516) | 5 (169.6916) | 4 (173.1428) | 12 (150.7772) |
| May 3, 2025 | Marchfelder Feuerfest (ONE MEAT RIBS) Orth an der Donau, NO | — | — | 12 (152.5144) | — | — |
| Oct 19, 2024 | Vienna BBQ Days Vienna | 10 / 14 (663.9776) | 7 (171.4172) | 4 (170.8572) | 13 (162.2744) | 11 (159.4288) |
| Oct 19, 2024 | Vienna BBQ Days (ONE MEAT RIBS) Vienna | — | — | 8 (166.8916) | — | — |
| Aug 10, 2024 | Wild West Fest on Fire Medvode | 6 / 11 (678.8000) | 3 (177.1428) | 7 (166.8572) | 3 (173.7028) | 9 (161.0972) |
| Aug 10, 2024 | Wild West Fest on Fire (ONE MEAT RIBS) Medvode | — | — | 8 (166.2400) | — | — |
| May 18, 2024 | Muehlviertler BBQ Festival Freistadt | 16 / 22 (646.8568) | 9 (171.4400) | 11 (163.4400) | 16 (164.0228) | 20 (147.9540) |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.