High-water mark
695.9884
career-best overall
96.7% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 695.9884 at American Royal World Series of Barbecue - INVITATIONAL CONTEST — 96.7% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- Sep 29, 2022
M & K BBQ
M & K BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 20 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2014 and 2025. Their best overall finish is 4th of 10 at the Osceola County Sheriff's Office Smoke on the Range BBQ Invitational (BACKYARD ONLY) (). They are ranked #2527 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “M&K BBQ”, “MK BBQ” and “MK-BBQ”.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1519
peak 1533 · rated over 15 contests5 invitational or side-series contests not counted
Contests
20
in the data
First seen
Oct 17, 2014
latest Oct 17, 2025 · 11 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
1
2 podiums
Overall top-10s
3
15% of 20 contests
Best top-10 run
2
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 55%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
667.45 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 659.35 (+8.10)
Walk rate
40%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±19.73
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Brisket
avg 166.27 · weakest Chicken (163.94)
Road miles
3,641
across 19 mapped stops · furthest 478 mi
Schedule strength
61%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1577)
Purse competed for
$203K
listed at 8 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 7 state-championship entries
Master avg
659.35 / 720
17 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
330.81 / 360
2 Backyard contests · 0 GCs
These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard out of 360), 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #908 (304 pts) | #958 (299 pts) | #876 (354 pts) | #962 (304 pts) | #924 (324 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #1476 (130 pts) | #1819 (100 pts) | #1827 (100 pts) | #1754 (115 pts) | #1462 (155 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #1722 (120 pts) | #2286 (60 pts) | #1732 (135 pts) | #1773 (125 pts) | #1538 (175 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #2074 (93 pts) | #2087 (108 pts) | #2157 (98 pts) | #2226 (78 pts) | #2047 (113 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to M & K BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
78 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#2,520 of the rated field
- Contests
- 14
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 7%
- Peak
- 1534
1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to M & K BBQ)
2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team M & K BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#2,536 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1529
2–0 in 2 shared contests (100% to M & K BBQ)
Fewer contests behind them than M & K BBQ has cooked, 11 to 20, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Head-to-head#2,522 of the rated field
- Contests
- 6
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1520
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to M & K BBQ)
Level with M & K BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Head-to-head#2,532 of the rated field
- Contests
- 14
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 21%
- Peak
- 1551
They've been 1551 at their best, 32 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Compare careers#2,530 of the rated field
- Contests
- 14
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1543
Their last contest in the data was back in 2017, 8 years before M & K BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#2,535 of the rated field
- Contests
- 13
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 46%
- Peak
- 1554
13 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 46% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| One2BBQ | 11 | 1 | 10 | 9% | ⚔ compare |
| SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ | 11 | 0 | 11 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| T-MAC SMOKIN | 9 | 2 | 7 | 22% | ⚔ compare |
| TRIPLE H BBQ | 8 | 6 | 2 | 75% | ⚔ compare |
| Carrol Lou's Smokehouse | 8 | 3 | 5 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| GETTIN' BASTED | 8 | 1 | 7 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| LA PASADITA | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| BUNCH OF SWINES | 7 | 3 | 4 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | 7 | 3 | 4 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG POPPA SMOKERS | 7 | 3 | 4 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| INSANE SWINE BBQ | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| BUCKSHOT BBQ - TX | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| Heavy Smoke BBQ | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 20 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 174.2628 | 151.4056 | 163.94 | top 63% |
| Pork Ribs | 20 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 173.7144 | 144.5716 | 164.26 | top 53% |
| Pork | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 177.7028 | 152.5144 | 164.29 | top 55% |
| Brisket | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 174.2856 | 150.2400 | 166.27 | top 46% |
“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) | 5 | 0 | top 67% |
| Medium (20–39) | 1 | 0 | top 76% |
| Large (40+) | 14 | 0 | top 49% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown | 2 | 13 | 0 | top 31% | Jul 19, 2019 |
| 37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) | 2 | 154 | 0 | top 73% | Oct 29, 2016 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2019
5 contests
Contests a season
1.8
across 11 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
KS
6 of 20 contests · 7 states in all
Contests visited
18
2 of them more than once
Opponents faced
1,339
finished ahead 1,338 times, behind 1,258
Longest layoff
2 yrs
Sep 29, 2022 → Oct 4, 2024
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20251 milestone
- Most recent contest Balloons and Barbeque
20223 milestones
- Career-best overall score695.9884 American Royal World Series of Barbecue - INVITATIONAL CONTEST
- Career-best single call (Pork)177.7028 American Royal World Series of Barbecue - INVITATIONAL CONTEST
- Peak power rating (1533) American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST
20191 milestone
- 10th tracked contest PigMania Franklin State Championship BBQ Competition
20161 milestone
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score659.2680 37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue (INVITATIONAL)
—4 milestones
- First tracked contest Osceola County Sheriff's Office Smoke on the Range BBQ Invitational (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First call Osceola County Sheriff's Office Smoke on the Range BBQ Invitational (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First category win (Chicken) Osceola County Sheriff's Office Smoke on the Range BBQ Invitational (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First overall top-10 Osceola County Sheriff's Office Smoke on the Range BBQ Invitational (BACKYARD ONLY)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +10.5 | Main Street BBQ & Blues Fest | Apr 20, 2018 |
| +10.4 | Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (JUDGES FULL) | Jul 21, 2017 |
| +8.9 | CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ | Oct 12, 2018 |
| +7.3 | 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST | Sep 12, 2019 |
| +6.4 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST | Sep 29, 2022 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -9.9 | Casino Queen BBQ Competition | Oct 17, 2014 |
| -8.1 | Balloons and Barbeque | Oct 17, 2025 |
| -6.2 | Assumption Fest Smokin Hot BBQ Contest | Jun 24, 2016 |
| -5.1 | Rock Island BBQ Competition (BACKYARD ONLY) | Oct 11, 2024 |
| -3 | PigMania Franklin State Championship BBQ Competition | Mar 22, 2019 |
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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 100% | top 40% | 87.8% | 87.8% |
| 2025 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 87% | 86.6% | 86.6% |
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 100% | top 63% | 92.9% | 91.9% |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 24% | 96.7% | 95.2% |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 50% | 94.4% | 94.4% |
| 2019 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20% | top 57% | 94.3% | 92.8% |
| 2018 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 30% | 93.3% | 92.7% |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 27% | 90.5% | 90.5% |
| 2016 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 76% | 91.6% | 90.4% |
| 2015 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 60% | 88.5% | 88.5% |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 91% | 85.8% | 85.8% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 17, 2025 | Balloons and Barbeque 🏅 Poteau, OK | 13 / 15 (623.8744) | 12 (156.5716) | 14 (150.8000) | 15 (152.5144) | 11 (163.9884) |
| Oct 11, 2024 | Rock Island BBQ Competition (BACKYARD ONLY) Stover, MO | 7 / 10 (327.3488) | 5 (171.9772) | 10 (155.3716) | 6 (161.0972) | — |
| Oct 4, 2024 | Red White & Q (BACKYARD ONLY) Henryetta, OK | 5 / 9 (334.2628) | 6 (162.8572) | 4 (171.4056) | — | — |
| Sep 29, 2022 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 191 / 505 (675.3140) | 317 (165.0856) | 201 (169.1200) | 29 (177.1428) | 276 (163.9656) |
| Sep 29, 2022 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - INVITATIONAL CONTEST unrated Kansas City, KS | 26 / 249 (695.9884) | 72 (174.2628) | 147 (169.7372) | 23 (177.7028) | 44 (174.2856) |
| Mar 26, 2021 | Kickin It Route 66 Barbeque Challenge 🏅 St. Roberts, MO | 26 / 52 (679.3256) | 33 (167.9656) | 20 (169.6916) | 16 (172) | 21 (169.6684) |
| Oct 25, 2019 | 31st Annual Jack Daniels World Championship Invitational Barbecue (JUDGES FULL) (COMPETITORS SERIES) unrated Lynchburg, TN | 68 / 97 (662.7424) | 70 (165.1312) | 69 (166.8228) | 75 (162.2284) | 42 (168.5600) |
| Sep 12, 2019 | 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 89 / 468 (678.9256) | 117 (170.2972) | 65 (172.5828) | 265 (164.0228) | 85 (172.0228) |
| Sep 12, 2019 | 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- INVITATIONAL CONTEST 🏅 unrated Kansas City, KS | 113 / 135 (667.8968) | 121 (163.9540) | 106 (165.1316) | 117 (164.5256) | 31 (174.2856) |
| Jul 19, 2019 | Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Peoria, IL | 14 / 40 (670.1824) | 12 (169.6684) | 15 (165.6684) | 13 (170.2628) | 22 (164.5828) |
| Mar 22, 2019 | PigMania Franklin State Championship BBQ Competition 🏅 Franklin, IN | 22 / 29 (659.8288) | 25 (157.0744) | 11 (170.2744) | 23 (161.6572) | 10 (170.8228) |
| Oct 12, 2018 | CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ Arthur, IL | 15 / 45 (663.3144) | 30 (163.3944) | 19 (162.8344) | 7 (169.7144) | 15 (167.3712) |
| Apr 20, 2018 | Main Street BBQ & Blues Fest Washington, MO | 11 / 40 (671.9200) | 17 (167.3828) | 17 (165.6916) | 14 (166.2628) | 8 (172.5828) |
| Jul 21, 2017 | Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (JUDGES FULL) Peoria, IL | 13 / 48 (651.8512) | 36 (155.9312) | 10 (163.9772) | 12 (163.9428) | 6 (168) |
| Oct 29, 2016 | 37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS | 335 / 557 (647.9084) | 404 (158.2744) | 239 (166.8228) | 398 (159.9656) | 267 (162.8456) |
| Oct 28, 2016 | 37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue (INVITATIONAL) unrated Kansas City, KS | 154 / 180 (659.2680) | 162 (162.7768) | 84 (169.6800) | 148 (162.8456) | 143 (163.9656) |
| Jun 24, 2016 | Assumption Fest Smokin Hot BBQ Contest Assumption, IL | 15 / 18 (646.0680) | 12 (167.3712) | 14 (158.2284) | 18 (153.0512) | 11 (167.4172) |
| Jul 24, 2015 | 5th Annual Morton BBQ Throwdown Morton, IL | 28 / 47 (637.0052) | 37 (155.9540) | 3 (173.7144) | 35 (155.3828) | 39 (151.9540) |
| Oct 17, 2014 | Casino Queen BBQ Competition Greater St. Louis, IL | 40 / 44 (617.5996) | 43 (151.4056) | 35 (153.1084) | 25 (162.8456) | 39 (150.2400) |
| — | Osceola County Sheriff's Office Smoke on the Range BBQ Invitational (BACKYARD ONLY) unrated St. Cloud, FL | 4 / 10 (316.0344) | 1 (171.4628) | 8 (144.5716) | — | — |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.