The heartbreaker
Tie
level with the champion
Finished level on points with the champion at Smoke on the Plains BBQ & Music Fest (Jun 12, 2026) — the Grand Championship went to the KCBS tiebreaker.
T-Dawg BBQ
T-Dawg BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 41 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2023 and 2026. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (Day 2) (MASTERS and BACKYARD) (2024), and finished Reserve Grand Champion 4 times. They are ranked #569 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “T Dawg BBQ”.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1664
peak 1670 · rated over 32 contests6 invitational or side-series contests not counted
Contests
41
in the data
First seen
Mar 24, 2023
latest Aug 21, 2026 · 3.4 years on the trail
Grand champs
1
4 reserve · wins it all 2% of the time
Category wins
4
15 podiums
Overall top-10s
18
44% of 41 contests
Best top-10 run
4
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 32%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
4 🔥
Current form
342.01 ▲
last 5 Backyard vs avg 340.99 (+1.02)
Walk rate
66%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±7.38
spread of their Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 171.08 · weakest Brisket (165.39)
Road miles
4,428
across 41 mapped stops · furthest 472 mi
Schedule strength
64%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1581)
Purse competed for
$389K
listed at 36 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
1 🏅
won from 23 state-championship entries
Master avg
678.57 / 720
6 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
340.99 / 360
27 Backyard contests · 1 GC
Backyard (3-meat) avg
482.11 / 540
1 Backyard (3-meat) contest · 0 GCs
These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard out of 360, Backyard (3-meat) out of 540), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.
This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.
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 ↗ | Backyard | #79 (629 pts) | #83 (624 pts) | #87 (604 pts) | — | — |
| 2026 ↗ | Master | #874 (115 pts) | #666 (235 pts) | #672 (260 pts) | #1067 (60 pts) | #1051 (60 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #50 (932 pts) | #33 (1,117 pts) | #63 (852 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #621 (250 pts) | #706 (240 pts) | #634 (302 pts) | #693 (225 pts) | #765 (185 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Backyard | #28 (1,064 pts) | #30 (1,028 pts) | #32 (1,021 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #1182 (60 pts) | #1168 (80 pts) | #1317 (60 pts) | #1231 (60 pts) | #1204 (60 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Backyard | — | #122 (510 pts) | #115 (580 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #1255 (60 pts) | #1319 (60 pts) | #1432 (60 pts) | #1287 (60 pts) | #1296 (60 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to T-Dawg BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
#572 of the rated field
- Contests
- 33
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 73%
- Peak
- 1663
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to T-Dawg BBQ)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team T-Dawg BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#566 of the rated field
- Contests
- 25
- GCs
- 4
- Top-10s
- 72%
- Peak
- 1664
0–2 in 2 shared contests (0% to T-Dawg BBQ)
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 24 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-head#568 of the rated field
- Contests
- 30
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 43%
- Peak
- 1667
Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 7 years before T-Dawg BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#571 of the rated field
- Contests
- 31
- GCs
- 3
- Top-10s
- 74%
- Peak
- 1680
Careers of much the same size, 31 contests to 41, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#567 of the rated field
- Contests
- 39
- GCs
- 3
- Top-10s
- 46%
- Peak
- 1675
Their rating is built on 3 Grand Championships in 39 contests, alongside a 46% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Compare careers#570 of the rated field
- Contests
- 22
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 59%
- Peak
- 1663
They were already cooking in 2015, 8 years before T-Dawg BBQ's first contest.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Reds Backyard BBQ | 22 | 14 | 8 | 64% | ⚔ compare |
| MAN MEAT BBQ | 21 | 8 | 12 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| Too Sauced BBQ | 20 | 6 | 14 | 30% | ⚔ compare |
| PARTS 'R' SMOKIN | 19 | 12 | 7 | 63% | ⚔ compare |
| Bushwood BBQ | 17 | 11 | 6 | 65% | ⚔ compare |
| Smokey Bey's Barbecue | 17 | 7 | 10 | 41% | ⚔ compare |
| Poppin Smoke BBQ | 16 | 11 | 5 | 69% | ⚔ compare |
| Dr. Squealgood BBQ | 16 | 6 | 10 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ | 15 | 10 | 5 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| Damn Fine Beef & Swine | 14 | 7 | 7 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| Aww Shucks BBQ | 14 | 7 | 7 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| MUNNY'S STOVE | 14 | 6 | 7 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| Smoke 'n Magic | 13 | 9 | 4 | 69% | ⚔ compare |
| Swine-O-licious BBQ | 13 | 5 | 8 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| JANKY LEG BBQ | 13 | 3 | 10 | 23% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 36 | 20 | 3 | 9 | 180 🔥 | 149.6228 | 171.08 | top 31% |
| Pork Ribs | 39 | 19 | 1 | 5 | 179.4400 | 155.9772 | 168.88 | top 38% |
| Pork | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 176 | 160.5028 | 169.50 | top 42% |
| Brisket | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 172.5600 | 159.9428 | 165.39 | 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 | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 4 | 0 | top 28% |
| Medium (20–39) | 17 | 0 | top 30% |
| Large (40+) | 15 | 1 | top 35% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (Day 2) (MASTERS and BACKYARD) | 3 | 1 | 1 | top 21% | Oct 26, 2024 |
| The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship | 3 | 11 | 0 | top 11% | Jun 26, 2026 |
| Iowa State BBQ Championship | 3 | 10 | 0 | top 29% | Apr 3, 2026 |
| American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest | 3 | 4 | 0 | top 42% | Mar 21, 2025 |
| Smokin on the Osage (Day 2) | 3 | 4 | 0 | top 26% | Jul 20, 2024 |
| Made for KC BBQ Championship 2026 (COMPETITORS SERIES) | 2 | 12 | 0 | top 53% | Aug 21, 2026 |
| Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest (Day 2) | 2 | 10 | 0 | top 34% | Jul 18, 2026 |
| Big Creek BBQ Bash (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 2 | 0 | top 42% | Oct 3, 2025 |
| Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest and Car Show (Day 2) | 2 | 2 | 0 | top 17% | Jul 19, 2025 |
| Cameron Elks BBQ Cook-Off | 2 | 2 | 0 | top 17% | Jul 11, 2025 |
| Smoke on the Plains BBQ & Music Fest | 2 | 5 | 0 | top 14% | Jun 13, 2025 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2025
16 contests
Contests a season
8.2
across 5 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
MO
24 of 41 contests · 4 states in all
Contests visited
21
11 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
39 entries · 1 win · 19 calls
First title
Oct 26, 2024
Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (Day 2) (MASTERS and BACKYARD)
Opponents faced
1,007
finished ahead 1,680 times, behind 889
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20262 milestones
- Peak power rating (1670) The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship
- Most recent contest Made for KC BBQ Championship 2026 (COMPETITORS SERIES)
20252 milestones
- 25th tracked contest The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship
- Career-best overall score694.8000 The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship
20248 milestones
- First perfect 180 (Chicken) American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest
- 10th tracked contest Smoke on the Plains BBQ & Music Fest
- First category win (Pork Ribs) Big Creek BBQ Bash (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First overall podium Big Creek BBQ Bash (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First Reserve Championship Big Creek BBQ Bash (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First Grand Championship Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (Day 2) (MASTERS and BACKYARD)
- First state championship Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (Day 2) (MASTERS and BACKYARD)
- Biggest field won (56 teams) Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (Day 2) (MASTERS and BACKYARD)
20233 milestones
- First call American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score330.7656 American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest
- First overall top-10 Smoke on the Plains Derby BBQ & Music Fest
20221 milestone
- First tracked contest Clay County Juneteenth BBQ Contest (One Meat Ribs)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +17.8 | Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (Day 2) (MASTERS and BACKYARD) | Oct 26, 2024 |
| +14.1 | Smokin on the Osage (Day 2) | Jul 20, 2024 |
| +14.1 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest | Mar 22, 2024 |
| +12.7 | Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest and Car Show (Day 1) | Jul 18, 2025 |
| +12.1 | Big Creek BBQ Bash (BACKYARD ONLY) | Oct 4, 2024 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -21 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue Steak Cook-Off | Mar 21, 2025 |
| -11.3 | Big Creek BBQ Bash (BACKYARD ONLY) | Oct 3, 2025 |
| -4.9 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest | Mar 21, 2025 |
| -4.1 | Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest (Day 1) | Jul 17, 2026 |
| -2.8 | Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest (Day 2) | Jul 18, 2026 |
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 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 100% | top 33% | 98.7% | 94.9% |
| 2025 | 16 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 44% | top 34% | 96.5% | 93.9% |
| 2024 | 11 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 82% | top 19% | 98.4% | 95.4% |
| 2023 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 67% | top 48% | 95.5% | 92.4% |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | — | — | — |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 21, 2026 | Made for KC BBQ Championship 2026 (COMPETITORS SERIES) unrated Weston, MO | 32 / 43 (672.4344) | 37 (166.2400) | 7 (176.5600) | 31 (167.9772) | 38 (161.6572) |
| Jul 18, 2026 | Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest (Day 2) 🏅 Osceola, MO | 12 / 32 (330.7772) | 9 (171.4056) | 15 (159.3716) | — | — |
| Jul 17, 2026 | Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest (Day 1) 🏅 Osceola, MO | 10 / 32 (338.2056) | 7 (171.9656) | 12 (166.2400) | — | — |
| Jun 26, 2026 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 14 / 157 (692.5828) | 3 (180) | 2 (179.4400) | 63 (168.0228) | 68 (165.1200) |
| Jun 12, 2026 | Smoke on the Plains BBQ & Music Fest 🏅 Derby, KS | 2 / 36 (355.4172) | 2 (178.8572) | 3 (176.5600) | — | — |
| May 15, 2026 | West Bottoms Backyard Barbeque (BACKYARD ONLY) Kansas City, MO | 5 / 16 (346.2744) | 11 (169.6800) | 4 (176.5944) | — | — |
| Apr 3, 2026 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 17 / 42 (339.3716) | 3 (177.7144) | 32 (161.6572) | — | — |
| Nov 5, 2025 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nov 5, 2025 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 151 / 401 (683.8972) | 130 (173.1200) | 189 (169.6916) | 169 (171.4056) | 159 (169.6800) |
| Nov 5, 2025 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest unrated Kansas City, KS | 150 / 158 (654.6628) | 109 (170.2628) | 144 (163.9544) | 153 (160.5028) | 152 (159.9428) |
| Oct 3, 2025 | Big Creek BBQ Bash (BACKYARD ONLY) Pleasant Hill, MO | 17 / 23 (330.7656) | 19 (159.9428) | 9 (170.8228) | — | — |
| Jul 19, 2025 | Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest and Car Show (Day 2) 🏅 Osceola, MO | 8 / 28 (333.0628) | 8 (163.9428) | 6 (169.1200) | — | — |
| Jul 18, 2025 | Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest and Car Show (Day 1) 🏅 Osceola, MO | 2 / 32 (343.9656) | 3 (174.2628) | 4 (169.7028) | — | — |
| Jul 11, 2025 | Cameron Elks BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Cameron, MO | 5 / 36 (341.0856) | 4 (171.9656) | 5 (169.1200) | — | — |
| Jul 11, 2025 | Cameron Elks BBQ Cook-Off (Backyard 2) Cameron, MO | 2 / 10 (345.0856) | 1 (173.1200) | 3 (171.9656) | — | — |
| Jul 11, 2025 | Cameron Elks BBQ Cook-Off (ONE MEAT RIBS) Cameron, MO | — | — | 11 (170.8228) | — | — |
| Jun 27, 2025 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 11 / 159 (694.8000) | 13 (176.5600) | 57 (169.6800) | 16 (176) | 24 (172.5600) |
| Jun 13, 2025 | Smoke on the Plains BBQ & Music Fest 🏅 Derby, KS | 6 / 36 (339.3484) | 5 (171.9656) | 8 (167.3828) | — | — |
| May 25, 2025 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational (Sunday, May 25, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN | 24 / 70 (342.8116) | 1 (180) | 41 (162.8116) | — | — |
| May 24, 2025 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational (Saturday, May 24, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN | — | — | — | — | — |
| Apr 4, 2025 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 10 / 49 (344.5484) | 12 (171.9656) | 11 (172.5828) | — | — |
| Mar 21, 2025 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest Kansas City, MO | 19 / 33 (334.8000) | 11 (172.5600) | 26 (162.2400) | — | — |
| Mar 21, 2025 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue Steak Cook-Off Kansas City, MO | 15 (161.6572) | — | — | — | — |
| Oct 26, 2024 | Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (Day 2) (MASTERS and BACKYARD) 🏅 Oak Grove, MO | 1 / 56 (350.2628) | 1 (180) | 8 (170.2628) | — | — |
| Oct 25, 2024 | Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (Day 1) (MASTERS and BACKYARD) 🏅 Oak Grove, MO | 10 / 53 (332.4684) | 9 (169.6684) | 14 (162.8000) | — | — |
| Oct 4, 2024 | Big Creek BBQ Bash (BACKYARD ONLY) Pleasant Hill, MO | 2 / 19 (354.2972) | 3 (174.8572) | 1 (179.4400) | — | — |
| Sep 13, 2024 | Made for KC BBQ Championship (COMPETITORS SERIES) unrated Weston, MO | 12 / 38 (678.7656) | 24 (169.6800) | 22 (168.5600) | 13 (171.9772) | 14 (168.5484) |
| Jul 20, 2024 | Smokin on the Osage (Day 2) 🏅 Osceola, MO | 4 / 33 (350.8228) | 7 (171.9656) | 2 (178.8572) | — | — |
| Jul 19, 2024 | Smokin on the Osage (Day 1) 🏅 Osceola, MO | 7 / 37 (333.6228) | 11 (162.7884) | 4 (170.8344) | — | — |
| Jul 12, 2024 | 2024 Cameron Elks BBQ Cook Off - Backyard A Cameron, MO | 5 / 10 (342.8000) | 5 (171.9772) | 7 (170.8228) | — | — |
| Jun 21, 2024 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 30 / 172 (675.9312) | 21 (174.8572) | 39 (169.1428) | 57 (166.8456) | 63 (165.0856) |
| Jun 7, 2024 | Smoke on the Plains BBQ & Music Fest 🏅 Derby, KS | 5 / 43 (346.2628) | 6 (172.5600) | 6 (173.7028) | — | — |
| Mar 29, 2024 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 11 / 42 (341.6916) | 21 (168.5716) | 6 (173.1200) | — | — |
| Mar 22, 2024 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest Kansas City, MO | 4 / 31 (348.5256) | 3 (180) | 17 (168.5256) | — | — |
| Oct 28, 2023 | Boo-B-Que BBQ Championship (Day 2) (MASTERS and BACKYARD) 🏅 Oak Grove, MO | 17 / 40 (327.9200) | 15 (163.9428) | 15 (163.9772) | — | — |
| Aug 11, 2023 | 5th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN unrated Mayetta, KS | 74 / 90 (669.5660) | 66 (169.6684) | 71 (166.2516) | 35 (173.1316) | 81 (160.5144) |
| Jul 21, 2023 | Smokin on the Osage (Day 1) 🏅 Osceola, MO | 15 / 31 (482.1140) | 16 (149.6228) | 15 (162.8112) | 3 (169.6800) | — |
| Jun 9, 2023 | Smoke on the Plains Derby BBQ & Music Fest 🏅 Derby, KS | 6 / 32 (337.6916) | 6 (170.2744) | 8 (167.4172) | — | — |
| Apr 21, 2023 | Rod Trowbridge Memorial Cook Flyin BBQ Competition 🏅 Derby, KS | 12 / 28 (343.9660) | 10 (175.4288) | 12 (168.5372) | — | — |
| Mar 24, 2023 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest Kansas City, MO | 20 / 37 (330.7656) | 30 (157.6456) | 8 (173.1200) | — | — |
| Jun 17, 2022 | Clay County Juneteenth BBQ Contest (One Meat Ribs) Liberty, MO | — | — | 13 (155.9772) | — | — |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.