The Fat is Where It's At PA
Rating
1749
peak 1750
Contests
53
in the data
First seen
latest 2026-05-16
Best ToY finish
#71
Master 2024
Grand champs
7
6 reserve
Category wins
12
39 podiums
Overall top-10s
37
of 53 contests
Avg finish
top 22%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
6 🔥
Current form
613.18 ▲
last 5 vs career avg 554.68 (+58.49)
Walk rate
94%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
16
best run (overall)
Consistency
±146.55
std dev of overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Brisket
avg 171.74 · weakest Pork Ribs (169.09)
Road miles
6314
mi across 52 mapped stops · furthest 670 mi
Storylines
🎯 The one to beat
Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit has finished one call ahead of The Fat is Where It's At 6 times — their closest competition in the data.
👀 Looking over their shoulder
Kane's BBQ has landed one call behind them 6 times.
⚔️ A tough matchup
IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ has come out ahead in 3 of their 3 shared contests.
⚔️ A strong matchup
They've finished ahead of PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ in 25 of their 26 shared contests.
🏕️ Happy hunting ground
New Jersey KnoQ-out: Day 1-CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES is their spot: 2 Grand Championships in 2 visits.
💔 The heartbreaker
Came within 0.0228 points of the Grand Championship at Red White & Que: Day 1 CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (2021-10-22).
🗡️ Giant slayer
Took the Grand Championship over a 53-team field at BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard).
📅 A April team
Something about April: average finish in the top 2% across 3 contests, versus top 22% the rest of the year.
🃏 Against the odds
Their Grand Championship at Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2) (2024-07-27) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 33-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN.
Teams like this (closest power rating, PA first)
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 51 | 29 | 4 | 13 | 180.0000 🔥 | 148.5600 | 171.01 | top 32% |
| Pork Ribs | 53 | 31 | 4 | 14 | 180.0000 🔥 | 154.7772 | 169.09 | top 31% |
| Pork | 40 | 26 | 2 | 8 | 180.0000 🔥 | 148.5144 | 170.31 | top 30% |
| Brisket | 26 | 15 | 2 | 4 | 180.0000 🔥 | 155.9200 | 171.74 | top 28% |
“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 | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| PA | 22 | 3 | top 19% |
| VA | 12 | 1 | top 24% |
| NJ | 8 | 3 | top 22% |
| NY | 4 | 0 | top 31% |
| AL | 2 | 0 | top 18% |
| TN | 1 | 0 | top 72% |
| DC | 1 | 0 | top 6% |
| MD | 1 | 0 | top 22% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 5 | 1 | top 28% |
| Medium (20–39) | 23 | 2 | top 23% |
| Large (40+) | 23 | 4 | top 21% |
The story so far
- Busiest season: 2022 (15 contests)
- Cooks mostly in PA (22 of 53 contests)
- Most-entered category: Pork Ribs (53 entries)
- First Grand Championship in the data: New Jersey KnoQ-out: Day 1-CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (2021-04-23)
- Wins it all in 13% of contests
- All-time average overall score: 554.68
- 6 perfect 180s on the books 🔥
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
Category scores over time
Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)
Where they finish (overall)
Best vs average (by meat)
Team of the Year rank by season
Season by season
| Season | Contests | GCs | Category wins | Best overall | Avg overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 314.2744 | 314.27 |
| 2026 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 703.9428 | 687.90 |
| 2025 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 703.3828 | 692.93 |
| 2024 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 703.9544 | 687.63 |
| 2023 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 690.2400 | 680.86 |
| 2022 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 693.5996 | 448.88 |
| 2021 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 513.6344 | 410.47 |
| 2020 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 509.0744 | 442.60 |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 632.4684 | 632.47 |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-16 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 2) Morgantown, PA | 1 / 17 (703.9428) | 8 (174.2628) | 4 (171.9772) | 1 (180.0000) | 2 (177.7028) |
| 2026-05-15 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 1) Morgantown, PA | 8 / 25 (682.1484) | 12 (170.8228) | 3 (174.2628) | 8 (171.9772) | 13 (165.0856) |
| 2026-05-02 | Grand American Barbecue New York State Championship Open (OPEN FORMAT) New Paltz, NY | 34 / 59 (676.4572) | 31 (171.9772) | 55 (162.2400) | 35 (169.1200) | 15 (173.1200) |
| 2026-05-01 | Grand American Barbecue World Championship Invitational (COMPETITOR SERIES) New Paltz, NY | 11 / 43 (689.0632) | 25 (171.9772) | 18 (171.9772) | 15 (174.2744) | 22 (170.8344) |
| 2025-08-02 | Grand American Barbecue New York State Championship (Open) Port Jervis, NY | 14 / 47 (692.4800) | 4 (177.7028) | 12 (175.4172) | 42 (162.8000) | 7 (176.5600) |
| 2025-08-01 | Grand American Barbecue World Championship (Invitational) (COMPETITOR SERIES) Port Jervis, NY | 4 / 34 (703.3828) | 12 (174.2628) | 3 (178.8572) | 9 (176.5600) | 15 (173.7028) |
| 2025-07-26 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2) New Freedom, PA | 9 / 27 (680.4688) | 11 (171.9772) | 17 (166.2400) | 13 (169.6916) | 5 (172.5600) |
| 2025-07-25 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) New Freedom, PA | 6 / 30 (695.3828) | 1 (180.0000) | 26 (158.2400) | 5 (177.1428) | 2 (180.0000) |
| 2024-10-11 | Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (Competitor's Series) (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) Lynchburg, TN | 63 / 87 (667.3368) | 58 (167.4056) | 62 (167.9656) | 81 (157.7028) | 13 (174.2628) |
| 2024-10-04 | Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship Harrisburg, PA | 6 / 25 (689.0628) | 7 (173.7144) | 6 (168.5372) | 6 (175.4056) | 6 (171.4056) |
| 2024-08-23 | New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA | 17 / 38 (672.9944) | 23 (168.5256) | 27 (162.8116) | 2 (176.5600) | 22 (165.0972) |
| 2024-07-27 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2) New Freedom, PA | 1 / 32 (703.9544) | 3 (178.8572) | 6 (174.2744) | 5 (176.5600) | 6 (174.2628) |
| 2024-07-26 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) New Freedom, PA | 10 / 35 (675.8512) | 25 (165.0856) | 3 (176.5600) | 16 (167.9772) | 14 (166.2284) |
| 2024-06-22 | Giant National Capital Barbecue Battle Washington, DC | 2 / 36 (701.1200) | 10 (176.0000) | 12 (173.7144) | 5 (177.1428) | 7 (174.2628) |
| 2024-05-18 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 2) Morgantown, PA | 1 / 26 (702.2516) | 8 (173.1200) | 1 (180.0000) | 3 (176.5600) | 6 (172.5716) |
| 2024-05-17 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 1) Morgantown, PA | 5 / 37 (683.8856) | 30 (165.6800) | 22 (162.8000) | 2 (180.0000) | 4 (175.4056) |
| 2024-03-23 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard) Urbanna, VA | 5 / 42 (697.0628) | 20 (171.9656) | 9 (175.4172) | 11 (174.2628) | 4 (175.4172) |
| 2024-03-22 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) Urbanna, VA | 15 / 45 (682.7428) | 26 (169.6800) | 33 (163.9428) | 11 (173.1200) | 4 (176.0000) |
| 2023-10-06 | Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship Harrisburg, PA | 11 / 28 (659.2572) | 8 (169.1084) | 5 (168.5488) | 9 (165.6800) | 24 (155.9200) |
| 2023-08-25 | New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA | 15 / 44 (669.0168) | 7 (174.2628) | 25 (161.1084) | 4 (171.9884) | 26 (161.6572) |
| 2023-07-29 | Smoke on the Rail (Day 2) New Freedom, PA | 8 / 40 (690.2400) | 17 (173.1200) | 15 (170.8800) | 4 (176.5600) | 15 (169.6800) |
| 2023-07-28 | Smoke on the Rail (Day 1) New Freedom, PA | 10 / 51 (687.9544) | 6 (177.7028) | 30 (167.4172) | 10 (170.8344) | 11 (172.0000) |
| 2023-06-16 | York County BBQ Festival Delta, PA | 4 / 29 (688.4800) | 9 (173.1200) | 4 (173.7028) | 8 (173.1200) | 10 (168.5372) |
| 2023-05-19 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke Morgantown, PA | 2 / 37 (690.2056) | 2 (177.7028) | 9 (170.8228) | 23 (163.3828) | 1 (178.2972) |
| 2022-11-12 | 4th Annual KCBS World Invitational - BACKYARD SERIES INVITATIONAL Gadsden, AL | 12 / 49 (344.5372) | 4 (177.7144) | 25 (166.8228) | — | — |
| 2022-11-11 | 4th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN Gadsden, AL | 10 / 91 (693.5996) | 62 (169.6684) | 19 (174.2628) | 49 (169.6684) | 1 (180.0000) |
| 2022-10-22 | Red White & Que: Day 2 - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES Jackson, NJ | 6 / 27 (338.8228) | 10 (167.3828) | 4 (171.4400) | — | — |
| 2022-10-21 | Red White & Que: Day 1 - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES Jackson, NJ | 9 / 29 (331.9428) | 17 (159.9428) | 2 (172.0000) | — | — |
| 2022-09-24 | Americamps BBQ Throwdown - Day 2 (BACKYARD ONLY) Ashland, VA | 8 / 18 (513.0860) | 13 (167.3828) | 5 (173.7260) | 5 (171.9772) | — |
| 2022-09-23 | Americamps BBQ Throwdown - Day 1 (BACKYARD ONLY) Ashland, VA | 7 / 20 (517.6800) | 6 (174.8572) | 6 (174.2628) | 15 (168.5600) | — |
| 2022-09-23 | Americamps BBQ Throwdown (One Meat Ribs) Ashland, VA | — | — | 6 (173.7372) | — | — |
| 2022-07-30 | Smoke in the Grove (Day 2) Spring Grove, PA | 3 / 42 (513.0512) | 4 (175.4056) | 11 (167.9656) | 6 (169.6800) | — |
| 2022-07-29 | Smoke in the Grove (Day 1) Spring Grove, PA | 2 / 54 (515.9772) | 11 (171.9656) | 2 (176.0116) | 10 (168.0000) | — |
| 2022-05-13 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke Morgantown, PA | 2 / 39 (341.6684) | 3 (170.2628) | 4 (171.4056) | — | — |
| 2022-04-23 | New Jersey KnoQ-out: Day 2-CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES Blairstown, NJ | 1 / 41 (341.6684) | 3 (170.2628) | 1 (171.4056) | — | — |
| 2022-04-22 | New Jersey KnoQ-out: Day 1-CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES Blairstown, NJ | 1 / 48 (342.2400) | 1 (170.2744) | 2 (171.9656) | — | — |
| 2022-04-22 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - Master of Ribs - Friday Night Blairstown, NJ | — | — | 8 (168.0000) | — | — |
| 2022-03-26 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard) Urbanna, VA | 2 / 50 (518.2400) | 3 (174.2628) | 1 (175.4400) | 8 (168.5372) | — |
| 2022-03-25 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) Urbanna, VA | 1 / 53 (522.8800) | 2 (176.5600) | 2 (172.5600) | 2 (173.7600) | — |
| 2021-10-22 | Red White & Que: Day 1 CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES Jackson, NJ | 2 / 31 (340.5028) | 3 (169.6800) | 2 (170.8228) | — | — |
| 2021-09-25 | Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown at Americamps - Day 2 (BACKYARD ONLY) Ashland, VA | 4 / 18 (513.6344) | 4 (177.7028) | 13 (166.2516) | 4 (169.6800) | — |
| 2021-09-24 | Rufus Teague BBQ Throwdown at Americamps - Day 1 (BACKYARD ONLY) Ashland, VA | 9 / 19 (499.9428) | 12 (165.7256) | 1 (170.8344) | 11 (163.3828) | — |
| 2021-08-20 | Pig Out in the Park (BACKYARD ONLY) Frostburg, MD | 4 / 18 (338.8116) | 3 (173.1316) | 8 (165.6800) | — | — |
| 2021-07-30 | Smoke in the Grove Spring Grove, PA | 13 / 54 (331.3600) | 20 (163.9656) | 8 (167.3944) | 1 (170.2628) | — |
| 2021-05-14 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke Morgantown, PA | 6 / 46 (333.6456) | 7 (166.2628) | 4 (167.3828) | — | — |
| 2021-04-23 | New Jersey KnoQ-out: Day 1-CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES Blairstown, NJ | 1 / 40 (346.2628) | 1 (177.1428) | 3 (169.1200) | — | — |
| 2021-03-27 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) Urbanna, VA | 13 / 40 (493.5884) | 11 (165.0972) | 17 (162.2512) | 9 (166.2400) | — |
| 2021-03-26 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) Urbanna, VA | 11 / 46 (496.4916) | 17 (162.2400) | 14 (164.5372) | 3 (169.7144) | — |
| 2020-10-30 | Zom-B-Q Wytheville, VA | 3 / 33 (509.0744) | 1 (176.5600) | 7 (165.6916) | 7 (166.8228) | — |
| 2020-10-29 | The Nightmare Before Zom-B-Q Wytheville, VA | 9 / 33 (491.8856) | 6 (167.9884) | 15 (154.7772) | 2 (169.1200) | — |
| 2020-07-24 | Smoke in the Grove Spring Grove, PA | 11 / 59 (326.8460) | 3 (171.4400) | 18 (155.4060) | 17 (160.0000) | — |
| 2019-10-11 | Red White & Que: Day 1 CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES Jackson, NJ | 26 / 32 (632.4684) | 24 (162.2744) | 20 (157.1196) | 28 (148.5144) | 9 (164.5600) |
| Fire In the Sky BBQ Lite'N Up Broadway (BACKYARD ONLY) Broadway Westville, NJ | 6 / 23 (314.2744) | 14 (148.5600) | 3 (165.7144) | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Master | #243 (472 pts) | #409 (312 pts) | #289 (477 pts) | #238 (472 pts) | #252 (462 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #452 (422 pts) | #377 (612 pts) | #684 (272 pts) | #532 (352 pts) | #374 (597 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #71 (1698 pts) | #219 (1003 pts) | #138 (1313 pts) | #63 (1643 pts) | #97 (1488 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Backyard | — | #207 (210 pts) | #344 (60 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #176 (1122 pts) | #191 (1047 pts) | #288 (847 pts) | #212 (972 pts) | #189 (1057 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Backyard | — | #17 (1172 pts) | #5 (1292 pts) | — | — |
| 2021 ↗ | Backyard | — | #25 (1042 pts) | #24 (1075 pts) | — | — |
| 2020 ↗ | Backyard | — | #29 (433 pts) | #45 (248 pts) | — | — |