FAT BOTTOM BBQ

FAT BOTTOM BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 28 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2015 and 2022. Their best overall finish is 9th of 17 at the Downtown BBQ Throwdown (2022). They are ranked #3215 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#3,215

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1500

peak 1526 · rated over 18 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

May 29, 2015

latest Apr 22, 2022 · 6.9 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#851

Master 2016 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

2 podiums

Overall top-10s

11% of 28 contests

Avg finish

top 62%

overall standings

Best overall

678.2056 / 720

Master · Smoke Out in the Valley

Perfect 180s

Current form

661.94 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 651.87 (+10.07)

Walk rate

29%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

176

Pork · Smoke Out in the Valley

Consistency

±21.83

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 164.62 · weakest Brisket (159.67)

Road miles

5,906

across 28 mapped stops · furthest 646 mi

Schedule strength

56%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1572)

Purse competed for

$19K

listed at 3 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 3 state-championship entries

Master avg

651.87 / 720

14 Master contests · 0 GCs

Backyard avg

315.10 / 360

2 Backyard contests · 0 GCs

Backyard (3-meat) avg

476.82 / 540

2 Backyard (3-meat) contests · 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.

Storylines (10 found in their record)

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

High-water mark

678.2056 career-best overall

94.2% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 678.2056 at Smoke Out in the Valley — 94.2% of a perfect 720.

Master
Jun 17, 2017

Their season

2017 their best year

2017 was the year it came together: 4 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 42%.

4 contests
0 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 42%

A tough matchup

10–0 behind in the head-to-head

HUNKA HUNKA BURNIN' RUB ahead in 100% of their meetings

HUNKA HUNKA BURNIN' RUB has come out ahead in 10 of their 10 shared contests.

The weak link

−5.0 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.96 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 7% of the time against 22%.

Brisket avg 159.67
Chicken avg 164.62
1 call in 14 entries

A strong matchup

5–2 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 71% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of END OF THE ROAD BBQ in 5 of their 7 shared contests.

The comeback

2.6 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 2.6 years, then back at Smoke on the Falls (Apr 9, 2021).

last seen Sep 15, 2018
back Apr 9, 2021

Chicken nemesis

9 of 10 shared chicken entries lost

HUNKA HUNKA BURNIN' RUB ahead 90% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, HUNKA HUNKA BURNIN' RUB has out-cooked them in 9 of 10 shared chicken entries.

Show 3 more storylines

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

FARM TO FIRE has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A September team

Top 50% average finish in September

Something about September: average finish in the top 50% across 5 contests, versus top 62% the rest of the year.

5 September contests
top 62% the rest of the year

The long haul

5,906 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 5,906 miles across 28 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 646 miles to Leavenworth Break-out BBQ.

28 mapped stops
furthest 646 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
2022 ↗	Backyard	—	#172 (207 pts)	#153 (252 pts)	—	—
2018 ↗	Master	#1954 (60 pts)	#2012 (60 pts)	#1996 (60 pts)	#2030 (60 pts)	#1990 (60 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#1365 (185 pts)	#1617 (160 pts)	#1683 (145 pts)	#1442 (190 pts)	#1424 (195 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#851 (417 pts)	#756 (527 pts)	#730 (552 pts)	#970 (387 pts)	#900 (397 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to FAT BOTTOM BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

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

All Four Aces BBQ

#3,208 of the rated field

1500 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 5%
Peak: 1523

1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to FAT BOTTOM BBQ)

2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team FAT BOTTOM BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 19 contests
last seen Jun 21, 2024

⚔ Head-to-head

Willingham's

#3,199 of the rated field

1501 power rating

Contests: 91
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 8%
Peak: 1505

0–2 in 2 shared contests (0% to FAT BOTTOM BBQ)

91 contests to 28: their number has had years to settle where FAT BOTTOM BBQ's is still finding its level.

rated over 90 contests
last seen Sep 4, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

CRESCENT MOON BBQ

#3,233 of the rated field

1500 power rating

Contests: 17
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 6%
Peak: 1522

17 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 6% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 17 contests
last seen Jun 18, 2021

⚔ Compare careers

Rob's Smokin and Grillin BBQ

#3,218 of the rated field

1500 power rating

Contests: 23
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 17%
Peak: 1505

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

rated over 20 contests
last seen Oct 15, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Cold Beer BBQ

#3,231 of the rated field

1500 power rating

Contests: 21
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 19%
Peak: 1505

They turned up 6 years after FAT BOTTOM BBQ did, first appearing in 2021.

rated over 21 contests
last seen Apr 25, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

FLATLANDER BARBECUE

#3,223 of the rated field

1500 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1503

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 15 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 15 contests
last seen Sep 28, 2019

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
SLAPS BBQ	10	1	9	10%	⚔ compare
HUNKA HUNKA BURNIN' RUB	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare
AMERICAN FIRE BBQ	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare
DIRT ROAD BBQ	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
BROWNIES BBQ	8	4	4	50%	⚔ compare
Sons of a Brisket	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
END OF THE ROAD BBQ	7	5	2	71%	⚔ compare
ROADKILL BBQ	7	3	4	43%	⚔ compare
SOCIAL SMOKERS BBQ SQUAD	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
Theslabs.com	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
BURNT FINGER BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
THE SMOKING HILLS	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
CLARK CREW BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
SKUNK RIVER BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
GETTIN' BASTED	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	18	4	1	172.5716	150.8572	164.62	top 53%
Pork Ribs	18	5	0	173.1200	146.8000	163.18	top 56%
Pork	16	3	1	176	141.6912	160.89	top 57%
Brisket	14	1	0	168.5484	147.3712	159.67	top 60%

“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)	2	top 59%
Medium (20–39)	7	top 75%
Large (40+)	9	top 52%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
MO	8	top 44%
KS	5	top 70%
AL	2	top 106%
WV	1	top 53%
IN	1	top 64%
OK	1	top 80%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Kelley Wilson BBQ	2	12	top 29%	Jun 1, 2018
Smoking in the Golden Valley	2	10	top 45%	Sep 29, 2017
Kelley Wilson Memorial BBQ Competition (KWBBQ)	2	27	top 65%	Jun 3, 2016

More numbers

Busiest season 2016 8 contests

Contests a season 3.5 across 8 seasons in the data

Most contests held in MO 8 of 28 contests · 8 states in all

Contests visited 15 3 of them more than once

Opponents faced 1,236 finished ahead 852 times, behind 1,219

Longest layoff 2.6 yrs Sep 15, 2018 → Apr 9, 2021

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

20221 milestone

Apr 22 Most recent contest Downtown BBQ Throwdown

20211 milestone

Apr 9 25th tracked contest Smoke on the Falls

20181 milestone

Jun 1 Peak power rating (1526) Kelley Wilson BBQ

20172 milestones

Jun 17 Career-best overall score678.2056 Smoke Out in the Valley
Jun 17 Career-best single call (Pork)176 Smoke Out in the Valley

20164 milestones

Apr 29 10th tracked contest Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Jun 3 First call Kelley Wilson Memorial BBQ Competition (KWBBQ)
Sep 9 First overall past 90% of a perfect score677.0856 Independence Fire & Ice BBQ
Sep 23 First overall top-10 Smoking in the Golden Valley

20131 milestone

Jul 26 First tracked contest Foothills Country Fair BBQ Bash

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+12.2	Independence Fire & Ice BBQ	Sep 9, 2016
+11.3	Kelley Wilson BBQ	Jun 2, 2017
+6.1	Kelley Wilson BBQ	Jun 1, 2018
+4.8	Smoking in the Golden Valley	Sep 23, 2016
+4.7	Smoking in the Golden Valley	Sep 29, 2017

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-13.3	Smoke on the Falls	Apr 9, 2021
-10.8	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	Apr 29, 2016
-7.4	39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN)	Sep 15, 2018
-5.8	Mocklahoma Ribs & Roll BBQ Championship	Jun 10, 2016
-5.2	Kelley Wilson Memorial BBQ Competition	May 29, 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	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2022	2	1	50%	top 75%	90.9%	89.9%
2021	2	1	50%	top 90%	87.7%	85.9%
2018	3	0	33%	top 59%	92.8%	90.3%
2017	4	0	75%	top 42%	94.2%	93%
2016	8	1	25%	top 61%	94%	89.6%
2015	5	0	0%	top 70%	87.6%	87.6%
2014	3	0	0%	—	—	—
2013	1	0	0%	—	—	—

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Apr 22, 2022	Downtown BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Ripley, WV	9 / 17 (479.9656)	7 (161.1428)	4 (169.7372)	13 (149.0856)	—
Apr 8, 2022	Smoke on the Falls 🏅 Gadsden, AL	33 / 34 (327.3716)	25 (165.6916)	35 (161.6800)	—	—
Jul 23, 2021	Hot Summer Nights Smoke n Sauce BBQ- (BACKYARD ONLY) Bloomington, IN	9 / 14 (473.6684)	3 (168.5828)	5 (163.3944)	13 (141.6912)	—
Apr 9, 2021	Smoke on the Falls 🏅 Gadsden, AL	44 / 38 (302.8232)	44 (150.8572)	42 (151.9660)	—	—
Sep 15, 2018	39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS	373 / 467 (632.9596)	383 (157.6800)	336 (160.5484)	400 (153.6456)	295 (161.0856)
Jun 1, 2018	Kelley Wilson BBQ Kansas City, MO	18 / 48 (667.8400)	11 (169.1200)	9 (173.1200)	21 (167.3828)	30 (158.2172)
Apr 27, 2018	BBQ Boogie & Blues Calhoun, GA	—	—	—	—	—
Sep 29, 2017	Smoking in the Golden Valley Clinton, MO	13 / 29 (670.7888)	18 (162.2516)	6 (171.9772)	8 (170.8456)	13 (165.7144)
Sep 1, 2017	38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS	215 / 407 (659.9200)	349 (155.4632)	82 (171.9772)	193 (166.8112)	182 (165.6684)
Jun 17, 2017	Smoke Out in the Valley Buckner, MO	11 / 21 (678.2056)	10 (172.5716)	11 (165.1084)	2 (176)	12 (164.5256)
Jun 2, 2017	Kelley Wilson BBQ Kansas City, MO	12 / 61 (670.1712)	17 (166.2628)	20 (165.6800)	11 (170.8228)	10 (167.4056)
Oct 29, 2016	37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS	257 / 557 (657.0284)	130 (170.2628)	356 (161.1316)	94 (171.4056)	411 (154.2284)
Oct 8, 2016	Leavenworth Break-out BBQ Levenworth, KS	16 / 22 (653.0628)	16 (166.8916)	13 (164.5600)	17 (161.6800)	19 (159.9312)
Sep 23, 2016	Smoking in the Golden Valley Clinton, MO	10 / 22 (664.4684)	8 (169.7028)	18 (161.6800)	8 (172.5828)	11 (160.5028)
Sep 9, 2016	Independence Fire & Ice BBQ Independence, MO	19 / 76 (677.0856)	17 (170.2744)	30 (167.9656)	24 (170.2972)	20 (168.5484)
Jun 10, 2016	Mocklahoma Ribs & Roll BBQ Championship Okmulgee, OK	33 / 41 (621.5424)	13 (171.4288)	34 (152.5140)	38 (150.2284)	33 (147.3712)
Jun 3, 2016	Kelley Wilson Memorial BBQ Competition (KWBBQ) Kansas City, MO	27 / 45 (637.5428)	19 (166.8456)	4 (172.5600)	42 (146.2172)	34 (151.9200)
Apr 29, 2016	BBQ Boogie & Blues (GBC Qualifier) Calhoun, GA	—	—	—	—	—
Apr 29, 2016	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Overland Park, KS	30 / 30 (604.8452)	23 (161.6456)	30 (146.8000)	30 (144.4568)	27 (151.9428)
Oct 3, 2015	Smoke-N-Thunder BBQ Classic Day 2 (GBC Qualifier) Rome, GA	—	—	—	—	—
May 29, 2015	Kelley Wilson Memorial BBQ Competition Kansas City, MO	30 / 43 (630.6972)	32 (156.5256)	32 (154.8344)	26 (161.0856)	27 (158.2516)
May 8, 2015	Roman Roast on the River Rome, GA	—	—	—	—	—
Apr 24, 2015	BBQ Boogie & Blues (GBC Qualifier) Calhoun, GA	—	—	—	—	—
Apr 10, 2015	Smoke on the Falls Gadsden, AL	—	—	—	—	—
Nov 21, 2014	The National BBQ Cup (SBBQA) Cumming, GA	—	—	—	—	—
Oct 18, 2014	Smoke-N-Thunder BBQ Classic (SBBQA) Rome, GA	—	—	—	—	—
Apr 25, 2014	BBQ Boogie & Blues (SBBQA) Calhoun, GA	—	—	—	—	—
Jul 26, 2013	Foothills Country Fair BBQ Bash Cleveland, TN	—	—	—	—	—

FAT BOTTOM 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

Backyard avg

Backyard (3-meat) avg

Storylines (10 found in their record)

High-water mark

Their season

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

The comeback

Chicken nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

A September 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)