The heartbreaker
2.2168
points from the title
Came within 2.2168 points of the Grand Championship at 6th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship (Mar 31, 2017).
The Brisket Brothers
The Brisket Brothers is a competition barbecue team with 39 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2015 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 2nd of 77 at the 6th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship (2017), and they have finished Reserve Grand Champion once. They are ranked #1470 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “The Brisket Brother's”.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1567
peak 1575 · rated over 39 contests
Contests
39
in the data
First seen
Sep 11, 2015
latest Sep 18, 2026 · 11 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
1 reserve
Category wins
1
9 podiums
Overall top-10s
4
10% of 39 contests
Avg finish
top 48%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
686.09 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 672.23 (+13.86)
Walk rate
62%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±13.54
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork
avg 170.01 · weakest Brisket (166.78)
Road miles
8,379
across 39 mapped stops · furthest 1,697 mi
Schedule strength
67%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1585)
Purse competed for
$257K
listed at 23 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 24 state-championship entries
Master avg
672.23 / 720
37 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
337.13 / 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Master | #633 (221 pts) | #619 (261 pts) | #733 (216 pts) | #599 (266 pts) | #563 (291 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #383 (548 pts) | #402 (568 pts) | #477 (483 pts) | #318 (703 pts) | #386 (573 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #716 (205 pts) | #908 (145 pts) | #768 (225 pts) | #895 (135 pts) | #546 (355 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #498 (414 pts) | #768 (234 pts) | #377 (679 pts) | #297 (819 pts) | #539 (394 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #836 (150 pts) | #942 (130 pts) | #890 (160 pts) | #570 (310 pts) | #904 (135 pts) |
| 2020 ↗ | Master | #655 (120 pts) | #696 (120 pts) | #701 (120 pts) | #600 (165 pts) | #600 (165 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #475 (689 pts) | #502 (684 pts) | #516 (674 pts) | #409 (824 pts) | #439 (764 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #826 (392 pts) | #834 (407 pts) | #700 (512 pts) | #636 (587 pts) | #792 (432 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #869 (415 pts) | #914 (425 pts) | #1131 (300 pts) | #861 (455 pts) | #693 (575 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to The Brisket Brothers, each with one reason worth a look.
40 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1,471 of the rated field
- Contests
- 27
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 22%
- Peak
- 1591
1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to The Brisket Brothers)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team The Brisket Brothers has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#1,465 of the rated field
- Contests
- 24
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 71%
- Peak
- 1613
1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to The Brisket Brothers)
They've been 1613 at their best, 46 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Head-to-head#1,473 of the rated field
- Contests
- 8
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 63%
- Peak
- 1567
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to The Brisket Brothers)
Fewer contests behind them than The Brisket Brothers has cooked, 8 to 39, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Head-to-head#1,464 of the rated field
- Contests
- 50
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 28%
- Peak
- 1623
Their last contest in the data was back in 2021, 5 years before The Brisket Brothers's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#1,475 of the rated field
- Contests
- 52
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 31%
- Peak
- 1573
52 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 31% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#1,469 of the rated field
- Contests
- 54
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 9%
- Peak
- 1591
Level with The Brisket Brothers on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LADY OF Q | 35 | 9 | 26 | 26% | ⚔ compare |
| SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | 28 | 7 | 21 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| Meat Candy Q | 28 | 6 | 22 | 21% | ⚔ compare |
| Burnin and Lootin | 26 | 0 | 26 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| B' Mackin BBQ | 22 | 3 | 19 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| Porterhouse BBQ | 21 | 11 | 10 | 52% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKE HOUND BBQ | 21 | 10 | 11 | 48% | ⚔ compare |
| RAD FONDO BBQ | 19 | 8 | 11 | 42% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG RED BBQ | 18 | 11 | 7 | 61% | ⚔ compare |
| PAPA LA RUE'S BBQ | 18 | 11 | 7 | 61% | ⚔ compare |
| Smokin it Up BBQ | 17 | 6 | 11 | 35% | ⚔ compare |
| LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | 17 | 4 | 13 | 24% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG POPPA SMOKERS | 17 | 2 | 15 | 12% | ⚔ compare |
| 7 SINS BBQ | 16 | 12 | 4 | 75% | ⚔ compare |
| NOTHING COMPARES 2 Q | 16 | 9 | 7 | 56% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 38 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 177.1544 | 155.9312 | 167.62 | top 54% |
| Pork Ribs | 38 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 178.8800 | 153.0628 | 167.21 | top 51% |
| Pork | 31 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 177.7600 | 161.1544 | 170.01 | top 40% |
| Brisket | 36 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 177.7372 | 152.4800 | 166.78 | top 47% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium (20–39) | 18 | 0 | top 50% |
| Large (40+) | 21 | 0 | top 45% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horse Town Brew n Que Festival (Day 2) | 4 | 6 | 0 | top 44% | May 31, 2025 |
| BBQ, Boots & Brew | 4 | 13 | 0 | top 56% | Apr 11, 2025 |
| BBQ Jackpot | 2 | 33 | 0 | top 53% | Nov 21, 2025 |
| Turf & Surf BBQ Championship | 2 | 11 | 0 | top 39% | Aug 16, 2019 |
| Horse Town Brew B Que Festival | 2 | 11 | 0 | top 29% | Jun 1, 2018 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2019
7 contests
Contests a season
3.9
across 10 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
CA
33 of 39 contests · 4 states in all
Contests visited
30
5 of them more than once
Opponents faced
997
finished ahead 1,213 times, behind 952
Longest layoff
1.7 yrs
Aug 12, 2022 → Apr 12, 2024
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20261 milestone
- Most recent contest 22nd Annual Burnt Offerings BBQ Contest
20223 milestones
- 25th tracked contest BBQ, Boots & Brew
- First category win (Pork Ribs) Horse Town Brew N Que Festival
- Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)178.8800 Horse Town Brew N Que Festival
20191 milestone
- Peak power rating (1575) Turf & Surf BBQ Championship
20181 milestone
- 10th tracked contest 7th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship
20174 milestones
- First overall top-10 6th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship
- First overall podium 6th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship
- First Reserve Championship 6th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship
- Career-best overall score703.4632 6th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship
20153 milestones
- First tracked contest The Outlets @ Lake Elsinore BBQ State Championship
- First call The Outlets @ Lake Elsinore BBQ State Championship
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score672.5028 The Outlets @ Lake Elsinore BBQ State Championship
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +17.6 | 6th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship | Mar 31, 2017 |
| +13.8 | The Smithfield Guinea Pig | Feb 17, 2017 |
| +11.1 | Horse Town Brew B Que Festival ( Judges Full) | Jun 2, 2017 |
| +10.4 | The Smithfield Guinea Pig (JUDGES FULL) | Feb 23, 2018 |
| +10.3 | Horse Town Brew N Que Festival (JUDGES FULL) | May 31, 2019 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -10.2 | Indio California State BBQ Championship & Festival | Nov 1, 2019 |
| -7.7 | 22nd Annual Burnt Offerings BBQ Contest | Sep 18, 2026 |
| -7.1 | Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | Jun 19, 2026 |
| -5.8 | Reata Round Up BBQ Contest | Aug 12, 2022 |
| -5.1 | OC BBQ Competition | Oct 13, 2017 |
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 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 25% | top 52% | 95.4% | 94.1% |
| 2025 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 80% | top 44% | 97.3% | 94.7% |
| 2024 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 51% | 94.3% | 93.8% |
| 2022 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 100% | top 50% | 94.5% | 93.7% |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 43% | 90.4% | 90.4% |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 68% | 91.4% | 91.4% |
| 2019 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 43% | top 47% | 94.3% | 92.7% |
| 2018 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 60% | top 46% | 95.1% | 93.1% |
| 2017 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 57% | top 42% | 97.7% | 93.2% |
| 2015 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 64% | 93.4% | 93.4% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 18, 2026 | 22nd Annual Burnt Offerings BBQ Contest 🏅 Riverside, CA | 21 / 31 (677.6460) | 13 (170.2628) | 17 (171.9772) | — | 27 (162.2860) |
| Aug 15, 2026 | Vine St BBQ Competition & Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) Park Ridge, IL | 6 / 30 (343.4404) | 9 (169.1660) | 3 (174.2744) | — | — |
| Jun 19, 2026 | Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 29 / 41 (330.8116) | 26 (165.1316) | 30 (165.6800) | — | — |
| Jan 30, 2026 | The Golden State Battle VIII 🏅 Riverside, CA | 20 / 41 (684.4688) | 20 (171.9772) | 26 (168.5372) | — | 13 (171.9772) |
| Nov 21, 2025 | BBQ Jackpot 🏅 Las Vegas, NV | 33 / 90 (685.6460) | 60 (167.9772) | 40 (171.4172) | 41 (170.8344) | 14 (175.4172) |
| Sep 12, 2025 | 21st Annual Burnt Offerings BBQ Contest 🏅 Riverside, CA | 7 / 35 (700.4912) | 13 (176.5600) | 22 (173.1084) | 8 (176.5600) | 10 (174.2628) |
| May 31, 2025 | Horse Town Brew n Que Festival (Day 2) 🏅 Norco, CA | 11 / 20 (682.1944) | 5 (176.0116) | 16 (168.5256) | 12 (171.4172) | 13 (166.2400) |
| May 30, 2025 | Horse Town Brew n Que Festival (Day 1) 🏅 Norco, CA | 16 / 27 (665.6004) | 14 (167.9772) | 18 (164.5488) | 10 (170.2744) | 16 (162.8000) |
| Apr 11, 2025 | BBQ, Boots & Brew 🏅 Perris, CA | 13 / 26 (676.9824) | 13 (171.4056) | 13 (166.2284) | 2 (177.7028) | 17 (161.6456) |
| Dec 6, 2024 | BBQ Jackpot 🏅 Las Vegas, NV | 51 / 74 (670.7660) | 68 (159.9544) | 13 (173.7144) | 61 (161.6800) | 9 (175.4172) |
| May 31, 2024 | Horsetown Brew n' Que Festival 🏅 Norco, CA | 12 / 39 (677.0284) | 20 (166.8344) | 7 (169.6684) | 24 (166.2628) | 4 (174.2628) |
| Apr 12, 2024 | BBQ Boots & Brew 🏅 Perris, CA | 21 / 39 (678.7312) | 28 (166.8228) | 25 (168.5372) | 23 (169.1084) | 9 (174.2628) |
| Aug 12, 2022 | Reata Round Up BBQ Contest 🏅 San Juan Capistrano, CA | 17 / 25 (666.7772) | 24 (155.9312) | 21 (163.3944) | — | 8 (169.1544) |
| Jun 3, 2022 | Horse Town Brew N Que Festival 🏅 Norco, CA | 19 / 37 (677.6456) | 29 (160.5484) | 1 (178.8800) | 6 (175.4172) | 30 (162.8000) |
| Apr 8, 2022 | BBQ, Boots & Brew 🏅 Perris, CA | 15 / 29 (674.1716) | 24 (165.0972) | 3 (176.5716) | 7 (171.9772) | 22 (160.5256) |
| Apr 1, 2022 | 9th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship 🏅 Arcadia, CA | 11 / 37 (680.5144) | 27 (166.2744) | 18 (167.9772) | 4 (176.5600) | 13 (169.7028) |
| Sep 16, 2021 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 86 / 467 (487.9200) | 114 (171.4172) | 90 (172.0344) | 172 (167.4056) | 265 (162.2400) |
| May 21, 2021 | BBQ, Boots & Brew 🏅 Perris, CA | 17 / 25 (651.2000) | 21 (160.5028) | 15 (161.6572) | 2 (176.5600) | 20 (152.4800) |
| Feb 21, 2020 | The Tyson Guinea Pig, Matt Dalton Memorial 🏅 Coachella, CA | 34 / 50 (658.1484) | 28 (166.2628) | 46 (158.2516) | 27 (166.2284) | 16 (167.4056) |
| Nov 1, 2019 | Indio California State BBQ Championship & Festival 🏅 Indio, CA | 32 / 37 (635.8288) | 29 (160.5488) | 32 (154.2400) | 16 (168.5372) | 33 (152.5028) |
| Aug 16, 2019 | Turf & Surf BBQ Championship 🏅 Del Mar, CA | 11 / 35 (674.6968) | 18 (166.8228) | 7 (170.8228) | — | 24 (163.9428) |
| Aug 2, 2019 | 10th Annual Vista BBQ Classic 🏅 Vista, CA | 12 / 34 (678.2172) | 25 (164.5488) | 4 (173.7256) | — | 18 (166.8228) |
| May 31, 2019 | Horse Town Brew N Que Festival (JUDGES FULL) 🏅 Norco, CA | 6 / 49 (679.3144) | — | — | — | — |
| Mar 30, 2019 | 8th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship Day 2 🏅 Arcadia, CA | 21 / 47 (677.2004) | 15 (172.0344) | 33 (165.1200) | 25 (169.7488) | 16 (170.2972) |
| Mar 29, 2019 | 8th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship Day 1 🏅 Arcadia, CA | 37 / 70 (661.6912) | 27 (168.5828) | 49 (161.6912) | 54 (161.1544) | 22 (170.2628) |
| Feb 15, 2019 | The Smithfield Guinea Pig (TEAMS AND JUDGES FULL) Indian Wells, CA | 34 / 49 (662.6856) | 14 (170.8228) | 45 (154.2172) | 38 (162.2400) | 3 (175.4056) |
| Dec 14, 2018 | Down Town Barbecue Throwdown Las Vegas, NV | 21 / 32 (664.4912) | 23 (163.9656) | 13 (170.8344) | 8 (171.4284) | 25 (158.2628) |
| Aug 17, 2018 | Turf & Surf BBQ Championship Del Mar, CA | 24 / 51 (658.6856) | 24 (162.8000) | 38 (153.0628) | 7 (171.9656) | 9 (170.8572) |
| Jun 1, 2018 | Horse Town Brew B Que Festival Norco, CA | 22 / 57 (678.2288) | 26 (169.6800) | 34 (166.2744) | 14 (172.0116) | 15 (170.2628) |
| Mar 23, 2018 | 7th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship Arcadia, CA | 40 / 78 (664.4344) | 50 (165.1200) | 11 (171.9772) | 41 (165.6800) | 52 (161.6572) |
| Feb 23, 2018 | The Smithfield Guinea Pig (JUDGES FULL) Coachella, CA | 14 / 47 (684.5376) | 8 (175.4172) | 9 (174.8688) | 18 (172) | 43 (162.2516) |
| Oct 13, 2017 | OC BBQ Competition Costa Messa, CA | 40 / 56 (651.2800) | 42 (162.2400) | 48 (155.9772) | 29 (165.0972) | 17 (167.9656) |
| Aug 18, 2017 | Del Mar BBQ Championship Del Mar, CA | 34 / 52 (650.1028) | 35 (161.6572) | 26 (165.1200) | 27 (166.2400) | 39 (157.0856) |
| Jul 28, 2017 | 8th Annual Vista BBQ Classic (JUDGES FULL) Vista, CA | 16 / 40 (671.9660) | 6 (174.2744) | 26 (163.9772) | 24 (165.1888) | 13 (168.5256) |
| Jun 2, 2017 | Horse Town Brew B Que Festival ( Judges Full) Norco, CA | 11 / 57 (689.1088) | 34 (168.5488) | 28 (167.9772) | 4 (174.8800) | 3 (177.7028) |
| May 19, 2017 | SoCal BBQ Bash and Expo (JUDGES FULL) Pomona, CA | 33 / 46 (655.8856) | 23 (169.7028) | 42 (160.5600) | 33 (163.3828) | 32 (162.2400) |
| Mar 31, 2017 | 6th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship Arcadia, CA | 2 / 77 (703.4632) | 8 (177.1544) | 23 (170.8688) | 5 (177.7028) | 2 (177.7372) |
| Feb 17, 2017 | The Smithfield Guinea Pig Indio, CA | 12 / 49 (677.0972) | 31 (166.2400) | 33 (163.9544) | 2 (177.7600) | 14 (169.1428) |
| Sep 11, 2015 | The Outlets @ Lake Elsinore BBQ State Championship 🏅 Lake Elsinore, CA | 18 / 28 (672.5028) | 15 (173.1200) | 6 (173.7144) | 15 (167.4056) | 23 (158.2628) |