M & K BBQ

At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)

Power ranking

#2505

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1520

peak 1533 · rated over 15 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2014-10-17

latest 2025-10-17

Best ToY finish

#908

Master 2019

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

2 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 20 contests

Avg finish

top 55%

overall standings

Best overall

695.9884 / 720

Master · American Royal World Series of Barbecue - INVITATIONAL CONTEST

Perfect 180s

Current form

667.45 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 659.35 (+8.10)

Walk rate

40%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

177.7028

Pork · American Royal World Series of Barbecue - INVITATIONAL CONTEST

Consistency

±19.73

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Brisket

avg 166.27 · weakest Chicken (163.94)

Road miles

3,641

mi 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 🏅

GCs in 7 state-championship entries

Master avg

659.35 / 720

17 Master contests · 0 GCs

Backyard avg

330.81 / 360

2 Backyard contests · 0 GCs

Master and Backyard overall scores sit on different scales (Master is 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.

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (10 found in this team's record)

Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.

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
2022-09-29

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

JaBs BBQ has finished one call ahead of M & K BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

11–0 behind in the head-to-head

SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ has come out ahead in 11 of their 11 shared contests.

A strong matchup

6–2 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 75% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of TRIPLE H BBQ in 6 of their 8 shared contests.

The comeback

2 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 2 years, then back at Red White & Q (BACKYARD ONLY) (2024-10-04).

last seen 2022-09-29
back 2024-10-04

Brisket nemesis

8 of 11 shared brisket entries lost

One2BBQ ahead 73% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, One2BBQ has out-cooked them in 8 of 11 shared brisket entries.

Announced themselves early

4th at their very first contest

Finished 4 of 10 at their very first tracked contest, Osceola County Sheriff's Office Smoke on the Range BBQ Invitational (BACKYARD ONLY) ().

10-team field

Built for the big stage

Top 49% average finish in large fields

Field size changes the story: they average a top 49% finish in large fields against top 67% in small ones.

Large (40+): top 49% (14)
Small (<20 teams): top 67% (5)

A September team

Top 38% average finish in September

Something about September: average finish in the top 38% across 4 contests, versus top 55% the rest of the year.

4 September contests
top 55% the rest of the year

The long haul

3,641 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 3,641 miles across 19 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 478 miles to Red White & Q (BACKYARD ONLY).

19 mapped stops
furthest 478 mi

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The nearest teams in the power rankings, with a different reason on each card — six teams on one rating are rarely on it for the same reason. Rating decides who makes the list; where teams tie on it, the ones this team has actually cooked against come first, then teams at a similar point in their own career. KCBS doesn’t publish where a team is from, so nothing here is inferred from geography.

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

EMERALD BUFFALO

#2499 of the rated field

1520 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 20%
Peak: 1544

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to M & K BBQ)

One contest 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.

rated over 15 contests
last seen 2018-08-03

⚔ Head-to-head

SMOKIN RETURNS

#2501 of the rated field

1520 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1522

0–2 in 2 shared contests (0% to M & K BBQ)

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 11 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 11 contests
last seen 2019-09-12

⚔ Head-to-head

LOS HERMANOS DE CARNE

#2511 of the rated field

1519 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1519

1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to M & K BBQ)

Fewer contests behind them than M & K BBQ has cooked, 10 to 20, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2025-11-05

⚔ Head-to-head

Blue Island

#2515 of the rated field

1519 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1529

2–0 in 2 shared contests (100% to M & K BBQ)

They turned up 7 years after M & K BBQ did, first appearing in 2021.

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2023-07-14

⚔ Head-to-head

TORNADO ALLEY

#2500 of the rated field

1520 ▲ 0 power rating

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.

rated over 6 contests
last seen 2025-11-05

⚔ Head-to-head

JACK'S OLD SOUTH

#2496 of the rated field

1520 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 115
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 28%
Peak: 1697

1–2 in 3 shared contests (33% to M & K BBQ)

Their rating is built on 3 Grand Championships in 115 contests, alongside a 28% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 109 contests
last seen 2025-07-25

⚔ Head-to-head

Familiar 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 state / province

Where	Contests	Avg finish
KS	6	top 49%
IL	6	top 55%
MO	3	top 49%
OK	2	top 71%
TN	1	top 70%
IN	1	top 76%
FL	1	top 40%

By contest size

Field	Contests	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	5	top 67%
Medium (20–39)	1	top 76%
Large (40+)	14	top 49%

Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown	2	13	0	top 31%	2019-07-19
37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue(OPEN)	2	154	0	top 73%	2016-10-29

The story so far (19 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 11 yrs 2014-10-17 → 2025-10-17

Busiest season 2019 5 contests

Contests a season 1.8 across 11 seasons in the data

Cooks most in KS 6 of 20 contests · 7 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 18 2 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 20 entries · 1 win · 3 calls

Strongest meat Brisket averages 166.27 · weakest Chicken (163.94)

Walk rate 40% a top-10 call in 8 of 20 contests

Overall top-10 rate 15% 3 of 20 contests

Best top-10 run 2 straight contests

Master average 659.35 out of 720 · 17 contests · 0 GCs

Backyard average 330.81 out of 360 · 2 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 1,344 1,339–1,258 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 3,641 19 mapped stops · furthest 478 mi

Schedule strength 1577 average field rating faced — tougher than 61% of rated contests

Purse competed for $202,690 listed at 8 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 7 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 2 yrs 2022-09-29 → 2024-10-04

Power rating 1520 peak 1533 · #2505 of 6,413 rated

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

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)
2016
Oct 28 First overall past 90% of a perfect score659.2680 37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue(INVITATIONAL)
2019
Mar 22 10th tracked contest PigMania Franklin State Championship BBQ Competition
2022
Sep 29 Career-best overall score695.9884 American Royal World Series of Barbecue - INVITATIONAL CONTEST
Sep 29 Career-best single call (Pork)177.7028 American Royal World Series of Barbecue - INVITATIONAL CONTEST
Sep 29 Peak power rating (1533) American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST
2025
Oct 17 Most recent contest Balloons and Barbeque

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+10.5	*Main Street BBQ & Blues Fest	2018-04-20
+10.4	*Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (JUDGES FULL)	2017-07-21
+8.9	CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ	2018-10-12
+7.3	40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST	2019-09-12
+6.4	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST	2022-09-29

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-9.9	Casino Queen BBQ Competition	2014-10-17
-8.1	Balloons and Barbeque	2025-10-17
-6.2	Assumption Fest Smokin Hot BBQ Contest	2016-06-24
-5	Rock Island BBQ Competition (BACKYARD ONLY)	2024-10-11
-3	PigMania Franklin State Championship BBQ Competition	2019-03-22

Category scores over time

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Team of the Year rank by season

Season by season

Season	Contests	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
—	1	1	1	100%	top 40%	—	—
2025	1	0	0	0%	top 87%	86.6%	86.6%
2024	2	2	0	100%	top 63%	92.9%	91.9%
2022	2	0	0	0%	top 24%	96.7%	95.2%
2021	1	0	0	0%	top 50%	94.4%	94.4%
2019	5	0	0	20%	top 57%	94.3%	92.8%
2018	2	0	0	100%	top 30%	93.3%	92.7%
2017	1	0	0	100%	top 27%	90.5%	90.5%
2016	3	0	0	0%	top 76%	91.6%	90.4%
2015	1	0	0	100%	top 60%	88.5%	88.5%
2014	1	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
2025-10-17	Balloons and Barbeque 🏅 Poteau, OK	13 / 15 (623.8744)	12 (156.5716)	14 (150.8000)	15 (152.5144)	11 (163.9884)
2024-10-11	Rock Island BBQ Competition (BACKYARD ONLY) Stover, MO	7 / 10 (327.3488)	5 (171.9772)	10 (155.3716)	6 (161.0972)	—
2024-10-04	Red White & Q (BACKYARD ONLY) Henryetta, OK	5 / 9 (334.2628)	6 (162.8572)	4 (171.4056)	—	—
2022-09-29	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)
2022-09-29	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)
2021-03-26	Kickin It Route 66 Barbeque Challenge 🏅 St. Roberts, MO	26 / 52 (679.3256)	33 (167.9656)	20 (169.6916)	16 (172.0000)	21 (169.6684)
2019-10-25	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)
2019-09-12	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)
2019-09-12	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)
2019-07-19	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Peoria, IL	14 / 40 (670.1824)	12 (169.6684)	15 (165.6684)	13 (170.2628)	22 (164.5828)
2019-03-22	PigMania Franklin State Championship BBQ Competition 🏅 Franklin, IN	22 / 29 (659.8288)	25 (157.0744)	11 (170.2744)	23 (161.6572)	10 (170.8228)
2018-10-12	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)
2018-04-20	*Main Street BBQ & Blues Fest Washington, MO	11 / 40 (671.9200)	17 (167.3828)	17 (165.6916)	14 (166.2628)	8 (172.5828)
2017-07-21	*Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (JUDGES FULL) Peoria, IL	13 / 48 (651.8512)	36 (155.9312)	10 (163.9772)	12 (163.9428)	6 (168.0000)
2016-10-29	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)
2016-10-28	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)
2016-06-24	Assumption Fest Smokin Hot BBQ Contest Assumption, IL	15 / 18 (646.0680)	12 (167.3712)	14 (158.2284)	18 (153.0512)	11 (167.4172)
2015-07-24	5th Annual Morton BBQ Throwdown Morton, IL	28 / 47 (637.0052)	37 (155.9540)	3 (173.7144)	35 (155.3828)	39 (151.9540)
2014-10-17	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)	—	—

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)

Team of the Year standings (rank per category by season — 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)