The Docfather BBQ

The Docfather BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 34 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2015 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 3rd of 22 at the Big Muddy Brew N Que (2018). They are ranked #853 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#853

of 6,476 rated · rankings

Rating

1621

peak 1648 · rated over 32 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted

Contests

in the data

First seen

Jun 19, 2015

latest May 8, 2026 · 10.9 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#209

Master 2018 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

13 podiums

Overall top-10s

29% of 34 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 38%

overall standings

Best overall

687.9544 / 720

Master · Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship

Perfect 180s

Current form

665.69 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 668.21 (-2.52)

Walk rate

74%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

177.7372

Pork · Minnesota in May

Consistency

±12.30

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 169.13 · weakest Brisket (162.82)

Road miles

4,860

across 34 mapped stops · furthest 437 mi

Schedule strength

66%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1583)

Purse competed for

$77K

listed at 9 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 9 state-championship entries

Master avg

668.21 / 720

32 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (14 found in their record)

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

Happy hunting ground

Top 12% average finish here

Minnesota in May is their spot: an average finish in the top 12% across 2 visits.

2 visits
best finish 3rd
average top 12%

They almost always walk

74% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 25 of 34 contests

A top-10 category call in 74% of their 34 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

687.9544 career-best overall

95.5% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 687.9544 at Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship — 95.5% of a perfect 720.

Master
Mar 2, 2018

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

QUETOPIA has finished one call ahead of The Docfather BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2018 their best year

2018 was the year it came together: 9 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 27%.

9 contests
4 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 27%

A tough matchup

18–4 behind in the head-to-head

SHIGGIN & GRINNIN ahead in 82% of their meetings

SHIGGIN & GRINNIN has come out ahead in 18 of their 22 shared contests.

The weak link

−6.3 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 6.31 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 19% of the time against 55%.

Brisket avg 162.82
Chicken avg 169.13
6 calls in 32 entries

Show 7 more storylines

A strong matchup

12–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Swampview BBQ in 12 of their 12 shared contests.

The comeback

4.7 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 4.7 years, then back at Minnesota in May (May 8, 2026).

last seen Sep 3, 2021
back May 8, 2026

Looking over their shoulder

3× one call behind them

RUB MY RACK has landed one call behind them 3 times.

A March team

Top 23% average finish in March

Something about March: average finish in the top 23% across 3 contests, versus top 38% the rest of the year.

3 March contests
top 38% the rest of the year

The long haul

4,860 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 4,860 miles across 34 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 437 miles to Socially Distanced Smoking - Brisket presented by The BBQ League.

34 mapped stops
furthest 437 mi

The metronome

±1.69% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.69% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 92.8% of a perfect score
34 contests

A standing appointment

4 years running at one contest

They've cooked KTD Smokin' Gobbler Cook-off every year from 2018 to 2021 — the contest they never miss.

5 visits in all
best finish 7th

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
2021 ↗	Master	#495 (358 pts)	#383 (518 pts)	#688 (243 pts)	#637 (258 pts)	#496 (388 pts)
2020 ↗	Master	#411 (267 pts)	#490 (232 pts)	#415 (292 pts)	#529 (197 pts)	#446 (262 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#1027 (251 pts)	#711 (476 pts)	#634 (536 pts)	#924 (321 pts)	#1274 (181 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#209 (1,382 pts)	#135 (1,612 pts)	#372 (942 pts)	#336 (1,002 pts)	#278 (1,137 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#540 (724 pts)	#531 (749 pts)	#461 (849 pts)	#613 (659 pts)	#738 (534 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#616 (633 pts)	#539 (758 pts)	#529 (793 pts)	#293 (1,188 pts)	#872 (418 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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

Sweaty Hogs

#852 of the rated field

1621 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 7
Top-10s: 83%
Peak: 1621

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to The Docfather BBQ)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team The Docfather BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 10 contests
last seen Aug 19, 2022
on an 8-contest top-10 run

⚔ Head-to-head

STEEL CITY BBQ

#857 of the rated field

1621 power rating

Contests: 33
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 45%
Peak: 1632

Their last contest in the data was back in 2020, 6 years before The Docfather BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 33 contests

⚔ Compare careers

West Coast BBQ Shop

#859 of the rated field

1621 power rating

Contests: 31
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 45%
Peak: 1630

Careers of much the same size, 31 contests to 34, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 31 contests
last seen Sep 18, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

SMOKIN T'S

#855 of the rated field

1621 power rating

Contests: 32
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 44%
Peak: 1627

Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 32 contests, alongside a 44% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 29 contests
last seen Oct 12, 2018

⚔ Compare careers

SIN CITY SMOKERS

#856 of the rated field

1621 power rating

Contests: 28
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 46%
Peak: 1631

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

rated over 28 contests
last seen May 24, 2019

⚔ Compare careers

BARREL BOYS BBQ

#854 of the rated field

1621 power rating

Contests: 43
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 35%
Peak: 1653

They've been 1653 at their best, 31 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 38 contests
last seen Jun 13, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Hogline	23	6	17	26%	⚔ compare
SPITFIRE	22	6	16	27%	⚔ compare
SHIGGIN & GRINNIN	22	4	18	18%	⚔ compare
LUCKY 19 SAUCE COMPANY	21	10	11	48%	⚔ compare
CROIX VALLEY SAUCES	18	11	7	61%	⚔ compare
TRUE SMOKE BBQ	18	8	10	44%	⚔ compare
RUB MY RACK	18	5	13	28%	⚔ compare
Totally Sauced	16	5	11	31%	⚔ compare
CITY SLICKERS BBQ	16	4	12	25%	⚔ compare
LUCKY'S Q	16	3	13	19%	⚔ compare
BARK 'N BONES BBQ	15	7	8	47%	⚔ compare
WHITEWATER BBQ COMPANY	15	5	10	33%	⚔ compare
ACES HIGH BBQ	15	4	11	27%	⚔ compare
CASE OF RIBS	14	11	3	79%	⚔ compare
HOT DADDY'S BBQ	14	10	4	71%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	33	18	0	5	177.7144	149.0856	169.13	top 37%
Pork Ribs	33	13	1	2	177.1544	145.0972	166.70	top 42%
Pork	32	11	2	5	177.7372	158.2400	168.01	top 40%
Brisket	32	6	0	1	176.5828	145.6800	162.82	top 55%

“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)	16	0	top 39%
Large (40+)	17	0	top 38%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
MN	27	top 38%
WI	2	top 47%
IA	2	top 37%
MO	1	top 37%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
KTD Smokin' Gobbler Cook-off	5	7	top 52%	Jul 16, 2021
Big Muddy Brew N Que	2	3	top 19%	Sep 1, 2018
Mankato Cookout (Day 2)	2	16	top 38%	Jun 9, 2018
Minnesota in May	2	3	top 12%	May 11, 2018
Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship	2	3	top 22%	Mar 2, 2018

More numbers

Busiest season 2018 9 contests

Contests a season 4.3 across 8 seasons in the data

Most contests held in MN 28 of 34 contests · 4 states in all

Contests visited 25 5 of them more than once

Opponents faced 571 finished ahead 897 times, behind 579

Longest layoff 4.7 yrs Sep 3, 2021 → May 8, 2026

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

20261 milestone

May 8 Most recent contest Minnesota in May

20191 milestone

May 10 25th tracked contest Minnesota in May

20183 milestones

Mar 2 First overall podium Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship
Mar 2 Career-best overall score687.9544 Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship
Oct 5 Peak power rating (1648) SMOKEToBERFEST

20171 milestone

Mar 3 10th tracked contest Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship

20161 milestone

May 13 Career-best single call (Pork)177.7372 Minnesota in May

20155 milestones

Feb 27 First tracked contest Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship (Competitor's Series)
Jun 19 First call State Center Rose Festival BBQ Championship
Jun 19 First category win (Pork) State Center Rose Festival BBQ Championship
Jun 19 First overall top-10 State Center Rose Festival BBQ Championship
Jun 19 First overall past 90% of a perfect score661.0860 State Center Rose Festival BBQ Championship

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+13.9	Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship	Mar 2, 2018
+13	Minnesota in May	May 11, 2018
+12.5	Mankato Cookout Day 1 and (BACKYARD)	Jun 9, 2017
+12	Lake Minnetonka BBQ & Beer Fest (Teams spots Full)	Aug 12, 2016
+10.1	Minnesota in May	May 12, 2017

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-17.1	Minnesota in May	May 8, 2026
-14.1	KTD Smokin' Gobbler Cook-off	Jul 16, 2021
-5.6	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	Jul 22, 2016
-5.2	Smokin In Steele	May 31, 2019
-4.6	KTD Smokin Gobbler Cook-Off	Sep 13, 2019

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	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2026	1	0	0	0%	top 99%	90.5%	90.5%
2021	3	1	0	67%	top 51%	95.1%	92.6%
2020	3	1	0	33%	top 37%	94%	93.4%
2019	3	0	0	100%	top 49%	93.5%	91.9%
2018	9	4	0	89%	top 27%	95.5%	94.3%
2017	6	2	1	67%	top 31%	94.1%	93%
2016	6	1	1	100%	top 43%	93.9%	91.4%
2015	3	1	1	33%	top 41%	91.8%	91.2%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
May 8, 2026	Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN	76 / 77 (651.8516)	68 (166.2744)	76 (158.2400)	40 (169.6800)	73 (157.6572)
Sep 3, 2021	Smokin' in the Bogs 🏅 Warrens, WI	12 / 25 (664.3880)	3 (174.8456)	11 (166.2628)	18 (161.6340)	12 (161.6456)
Aug 20, 2021	13th Annual Big Island BBQ 🏅 Albert Lea, MN	5 / 35 (684.4800)	3 (176.5600)	24 (163.9428)	14 (169.1316)	4 (174.8456)
Jul 16, 2021	KTD Smokin' Gobbler Cook-off 🏅 Worthington, MN	30 / 33 (650.6968)	29 (162.2400)	25 (163.9772)	29 (162.2168)	24 (162.2628)
Sep 18, 2020	KTD Smokin' Gobbler Cook-off 🏅 Worthington, MN	16 / 35 (677.0400)	15 (171.9772)	13 (169.6800)	19 (166.8344)	17 (168.5484)
Jun 19, 2020	The Hayfield 🏅 Fort Ripley, MN	6 / 22 (677.0512)	10 (167.9884)	5 (173.7028)	—	6 (167.3944)
Apr 6, 2020	Socially Distanced Smoking - Brisket presented by The BBQ League unrated washington, MO	40 / 109 (165.7028)	—	—	—	—
Sep 13, 2019	KTD Smokin Gobbler Cook-Off 🏅 Worthington, MN	14 / 26 (658.8228)	9 (169.1084)	4 (172)	4 (172.0344)	23 (145.6800)
May 31, 2019	Smokin In Steele 🏅 Owatonna, MN	24 / 43 (654.1024)	7 (173.7028)	12 (168.5484)	30 (162.2284)	35 (149.6228)
May 10, 2019	Minnesota in May 🏅	21 / 57 (672.9940)	6 (175.4056)	4 (176.5600)	41 (158.2400)	36 (162.7884)
Oct 5, 2018	SMOKEToBERFEST Ottumwa, IA	15 / 40 (664.5028)	7 (171.4400)	25 (161.1316)	11 (170.2628)	23 (161.6684)
Sep 14, 2018	KTD Smokin ' Gobbler Cook-Off Worthington, MN	7 / 25 (681.1088)	10 (169.7144)	7 (171.4172)	8 (172)	10 (167.9772)
Sep 1, 2018	Big Muddy Brew N Que Winona, MN	3 / 22 (682.8004)	4 (175.4288)	10 (168.5372)	2 (173.7028)	9 (165.1316)
Aug 17, 2018	SMSU Smokefest Marshall, MN	11 / 40 (677.6576)	2 (177.7144)	27 (163.9888)	10 (169.6800)	17 (166.2744)
Jun 22, 2018	Rotary Rockn Ribs LaCrosse, WI	19 / 41 (665.0056)	17 (168.5484)	16 (167.3944)	29 (161.0856)	14 (167.9772)
Jun 9, 2018	Mankato Cookout (Day 2) Mankato, MN	17 / 42 (681.0404)	4 (176.5716)	12 (173.1316)	23 (168.5372)	36 (162.8000)
Jun 8, 2018	Mankato Cookout (Day 1) Mankato, MN	16 / 44 (682.8460)	20 (169.1544)	10 (173.1544)	18 (171.4172)	24 (169.1200)
May 11, 2018	Minnesota in May Falcon Heights, MN	3 / 70 (686.3088)	4 (175.4744)	20 (168.5716)	33 (165.6800)	2 (176.5828)
Mar 2, 2018	Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship Onamia, MN	3 / 57 (687.9544)	2 (177.7144)	18 (168.5372)	35 (165.7028)	4 (176)
Sep 2, 2017	Big Muddy Brew N Que Winona, MN	5 / 21 (670.7316)	6 (168.5372)	1 (177.1544)	6 (169.1316)	17 (155.9084)
Aug 25, 2017	10th Annual Big Island BBQ Albert Lea, MN	22 / 56 (666.7200)	12 (172.5600)	47 (155.9544)	19 (167.3828)	14 (170.8228)
Jun 10, 2017	Mankato Cookout Day 2 Mankato, MN	12 / 33 (677.6112)	18 (169.7144)	9 (171.9656)	5 (174.2628)	25 (161.6684)
Jun 9, 2017	Mankato Cookout Day 1 and (BACKYARD) Mankato, MN	9 / 35 (674.2748)	22 (167.4172)	5 (172.5944)	16 (167.4172)	17 (166.8460)
May 12, 2017	Minnesota in May Falcon Heights, MN	14 / 71 (670.2404)	5 (172.5600)	21 (166.8344)	32 (163.4172)	17 (167.4288)
Mar 3, 2017	Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship Onamia, MN	18 / 47 (659.3024)	15 (169.1200)	15 (167.9656)	32 (159.3940)	22 (162.8228)
Sep 16, 2016	KTD Smokin ' Gobbler Cook-Off Worthington, MN	12 / 29 (665.6116)	10 (170.2628)	9 (167.9888)	13 (168)	20 (159.3600)
Aug 12, 2016	Lake Minnetonka BBQ & Beer Fest (Teams spots Full) Tonka Bay, MN	7 / 35 (675.9316)	6 (171.4400)	3 (172)	14 (168.5372)	25 (163.9544)
Jul 22, 2016	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Woodbury, MN	22 / 30 (640.4916)	28 (153.1088)	18 (161.1428)	5 (171.4172)	22 (154.8228)
Jun 17, 2016	Treasure Island BBQ/ Steak Food Fest Red Wing, MN	15 / 34 (655.8744)	2 (173.1200)	27 (155.9428)	3 (170.2744)	19 (156.5372)
May 13, 2016	Minnesota in May Falcon Heights, MN	37 / 71 (648.4460)	46 (161.1088)	63 (153.0972)	1 (177.7372)	50 (156.5028)
Mar 4, 2016	Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship Isle, MN	15 / 59 (663.9544)	21 (166.8344)	4 (171.4172)	2 (176.5828)	51 (149.1200)
Aug 7, 2015	Med City BBQ & Musicfest Rochester, MN	21 / 47 (651.8744)	28 (165.0856)	21 (164)	23 (165.1200)	30 (157.6688)
Jun 19, 2015	State Center Rose Festival BBQ Championship State Center, IA	10 / 27 (661.0860)	26 (151.3600)	5 (169.1544)	1 (177.7372)	15 (162.8344)
Feb 27, 2015	Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship (Competitor's Series) Isle, MN	—	41 (149.0856)	47 (145.0972)	20 (160)	—

An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.

The Docfather BBQ

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Best top-10 run

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

Storylines (14 found in their record)

Happy hunting ground

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

The comeback

Looking over their shoulder

A March team

The long haul

The metronome

A standing appointment

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)