They almost always walk
74%
of contests with a top-10 call
A call in 17 of 23 contests
A top-10 category call in 74% of their 23 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
The BBQ Yard
The BBQ Yard is a competition barbecue team with 23 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2017 and 2023. Their best overall finish is 4th of 12 at the Queen Mary Waterfront Cook-Off (2019). They are ranked #1732 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1551
peak 1571 · rated over 22 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted
Contests
23
in the data
First seen
Feb 17, 2017
latest May 26, 2023 · 6.3 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
1
7 podiums
Overall top-10s
5
22% of 23 contests
Best top-10 run
2
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 50%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
664.11 ▼
last 5 Master vs avg 667.19 (-3.08)
Walk rate
74%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±10.40
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
avg 167.98 · weakest Pork (164.57)
Road miles
4,200
across 23 mapped stops · furthest 411 mi
Schedule strength
73%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1593)
Purse competed for
$200K
listed at 19 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 21 state-championship entries
Master avg
667.19 / 720
23 Master contests · 0 GCs
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 | #1134 (85 pts) | #1087 (110 pts) | #818 (185 pts) | #1262 (60 pts) | #1245 (60 pts) |
| 2020 ↗ | Master | #620 (135 pts) | #615 (160 pts) | #701 (120 pts) | #579 (175 pts) | #447 (260 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #269 (1,089 pts) | #277 (1,074 pts) | #167 (1,409 pts) | #420 (804 pts) | #123 (1,604 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to The BBQ Yard, each with one reason worth a look.
62 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1,742 of the rated field
- Contests
- 63
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 29%
- Peak
- 1599
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to The BBQ Yard)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team The BBQ Yard has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#1,725 of the rated field
- Contests
- 25
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 16%
- Peak
- 1581
They've been 1581 at their best, 30 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Compare careers#1,729 of the rated field
- Contests
- 17
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 35%
- Peak
- 1566
Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 5 years before The BBQ Yard's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#1,736 of the rated field
- Contests
- 17
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 29%
- Peak
- 1550
Careers of much the same size, 17 contests to 23, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#1,727 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 40%
- Peak
- 1552
Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 15 contests, alongside a 40% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Compare careers#1,745 of the rated field
- Contests
- 14
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 29%
- Peak
- 1558
Level with The BBQ Yard 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MUDVILLE BBQ | 16 | 3 | 13 | 19% | ⚔ compare |
| TEAM WOODSHED | 15 | 6 | 9 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| B' Mackin BBQ | 15 | 4 | 11 | 27% | ⚔ compare |
| LADY OF Q | 15 | 1 | 14 | 7% | ⚔ compare |
| SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | 14 | 4 | 10 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| RAD FONDO BBQ | 14 | 4 | 10 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| Old Town Franklin BBQ | 14 | 3 | 11 | 21% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG POPPA SMOKERS | 14 | 1 | 13 | 7% | ⚔ compare |
| Burnin and Lootin | 14 | 0 | 14 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| 7 SINS BBQ | 12 | 7 | 5 | 58% | ⚔ compare |
| Meat Candy Q | 12 | 5 | 7 | 42% | ⚔ compare |
| 7-8-9 BBQ | 12 | 2 | 10 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG RED BBQ | 11 | 7 | 4 | 64% | ⚔ compare |
| BULL MARKET BBQ | 11 | 4 | 7 | 36% | ⚔ compare |
| NOTHING COMPARES 2 Q | 11 | 3 | 8 | 27% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 23 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 175.4400 | 154.2172 | 166.74 | top 52% |
| Pork Ribs | 23 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 176 | 158.8000 | 167.98 | top 43% |
| Pork | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 173.1200 | 155.9428 | 164.57 | top 60% |
| Brisket | 23 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 179.4400 | 149.0972 | 167.66 | top 41% |
“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) | 2 | 0 | top 43% |
| Medium (20–39) | 10 | 0 | top 55% |
| Large (40+) | 10 | 0 | top 46% |
More numbers
Busiest season
2019
16 contests
Contests a season
3.8
across 6 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
CA
21 of 23 contests · 2 states in all
Contests visited
23
a different one every time
Opponents faced
314
finished ahead 456 times, behind 413
Longest layoff
1.9 yrs
Feb 17, 2017 → Jan 25, 2019
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20231 milestone
- Most recent contest Big Bear Grill & Chill BBQ Championship
20211 milestone
- Peak power rating (1571) The Golden State Battle III - Day 1
20196 milestones
- First call The Golden State Battle
- First overall top-10 The Golden State Battle
- Career-best overall score682.2972 The Golden State Battle
- First category win (Brisket) Queen Mary Waterfront Cook-Off
- 10th tracked contest Throwdown in the Vineyards
- Career-best single call (Brisket)179.4400 Silicon Valley BBQ Championship
20172 milestones
- First tracked contest The Smithfield Guinea Pig
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score656.5256 The Smithfield Guinea Pig
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +14.4 | Turf & Surf BBQ Championship | Aug 16, 2019 |
| +14.2 | The Golden State Battle | Jan 25, 2019 |
| +13.4 | 8th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship Day 1 | Mar 29, 2019 |
| +10.4 | Queen Mary Waterfront Cook-Off | May 10, 2019 |
| +9.4 | Arizona National BBQ Stampede | Dec 27, 2019 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -9.4 | The Golden State Battle IV - Day 2 | Jan 22, 2022 |
| -8.9 | The Golden State Battle IV - Day 1 | Jan 21, 2022 |
| -6.4 | 8th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship Day 2 | Mar 30, 2019 |
| -3.7 | The Golden State Battle II | Jan 24, 2020 |
| -3.6 | The Smithfield Guinea Pig | Feb 17, 2017 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 53% | 92.7% | 92.7% |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 86% | 93% | 92% |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 49% | 92.1% | 92.1% |
| 2020 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 51% | 92.6% | 92.5% |
| 2019 | 16 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 81% | top 43% | 94.8% | 92.9% |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 78% | 91.2% | 91.2% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 26, 2023 | Big Bear Grill & Chill BBQ Championship 🏅 Big Bear Lake, CA | 10 / 19 (667.3372) | 15 (164.5488) | 6 (172.5828) | 13 (164.5256) | 11 (165.6800) |
| Jan 22, 2022 | The Golden State Battle IV - Day 2 🏅 Santa Barbara, CA | 22 / 25 (669.5884) | 14 (173.1084) | 16 (168.5256) | 17 (166.8228) | 22 (161.1316) |
| Jan 21, 2022 | The Golden State Battle IV - Day 1 🏅 Santa Barbara, CA | 25 / 30 (655.2572) | 28 (154.2172) | 7 (173.1200) | 28 (157.0972) | 13 (170.8228) |
| Apr 16, 2021 | The Golden State Battle III - Day 1 🏅 Hollister, CA | 20 / 41 (663.3140) | 15 (166.8228) | 5 (174.2972) | — | 35 (154.7884) |
| Feb 21, 2020 | The Tyson Guinea Pig, Matt Dalton Memorial 🏅 Coachella, CA | 22 / 50 (665.0400) | 17 (168.5600) | 44 (158.8344) | 14 (169.6684) | 14 (167.9772) |
| Jan 24, 2020 | The Golden State Battle II 🏅 Hollister, CA | 27 / 46 (666.7312) | 39 (163.4056) | 28 (163.9428) | 28 (166.2400) | 9 (173.1428) |
| Dec 27, 2019 | Arizona National BBQ Stampede 🏅 Phoenix, AZ | 13 / 44 (678.8340) | 18 (169.1312) | 19 (169.1428) | — | 2 (176.5944) |
| Nov 1, 2019 | Indio California State BBQ Championship & Festival 🏅 Indio, CA | 23 / 37 (665.5884) | 12 (171.4056) | 26 (164.5372) | 26 (162.8228) | 19 (166.8228) |
| Sep 27, 2019 | Mazatzal Grill Masters-BBQ Competition & Testicle Festival 🏅 Payson, AZ | 18 / 33 (662.1824) | 22 (161.6684) | 20 (163.9656) | 11 (170.2856) | 18 (166.2628) |
| Sep 13, 2019 | America's Finest BBQ State Championship (JUDGES FULL) 🏅 San Diego, CA | 10 / 30 (681.0512) | 12 (169.1200) | 13 (170.2628) | 17 (165.6684) | 2 (176) |
| Aug 16, 2019 | Turf & Surf BBQ Championship 🏅 Del Mar, CA | 5 / 35 (681.6340) | 5 (174.8456) | 6 (170.8228) | — | 15 (169.1428) |
| Aug 2, 2019 | 10th Annual Vista BBQ Classic 🏅 Vista, CA | 18 / 34 (670.1484) | 8 (172.5716) | 26 (159.9428) | — | 8 (171.9656) |
| Jun 21, 2019 | Silicon Valley BBQ Championship 🏅 unrated Santa Clara, CA | 16 (669.1200) | 22 (166.8456) | 23 (163.4400) | 31 (159.3944) | 2 (179.4400) |
| May 31, 2019 | Throwdown in the Vineyards 🏅 Murphy, CA | 11 / 20 (642.6856) | 6 (167.3712) | 4 (170.2744) | 14 (155.9428) | 16 (149.0972) |
| May 24, 2019 | Big Bear Grill & Chill 🏅 Big Bear Lake, CA | 13 / 25 (656.5028) | 21 (158.2400) | 2 (172.5600) | 16 (163.4284) | 12 (162.2744) |
| May 10, 2019 | Queen Mary Waterfront Cook-Off 🏅 Long Beach, CA | 4 / 12 (682.1944) | 8 (165.6800) | 7 (166.8228) | 5 (173.1200) | 1 (176.5716) |
| May 3, 2019 | Elk Grove Western Festival and BBQ Championship 🏅 Elk Grove, CA | 16 / 27 (657.1196) | 25 (154.3084) | 7 (172.5600) | 19 (161.6684) | 4 (168.5828) |
| Apr 26, 2019 | Lodi Beerfest & BBQ Championship 🏅 Lodi, CA | 25 / 48 (654.7656) | 18 (169.1200) | 14 (169.1888) | 26 (163.4056) | 35 (153.0512) |
| Mar 30, 2019 | 8th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship Day 2 🏅 Arcadia, CA | 37 / 47 (664.4912) | 42 (162.2512) | 6 (176) | 42 (158.2744) | 26 (167.9656) |
| Mar 29, 2019 | 8th Annual Santa Anita Winners Circle BBQ Championship Day 1 🏅 Arcadia, CA | 12 / 70 (679.9316) | 16 (171.4056) | 48 (161.6916) | 24 (170.2744) | 3 (176.5600) |
| Feb 15, 2019 | The Smithfield Guinea Pig (TEAMS AND JUDGES FULL) Indian Wells, CA | 18 / 49 (673.0740) | 4 (175.4400) | 8 (173.7144) | 33 (165.6684) | 43 (158.2512) |
| Jan 25, 2019 | The Golden State Battle 🏅 Santa Ynez, CA | 10 / 48 (682.2972) | 14 (171.4400) | 19 (168.5600) | 25 (167.4400) | 2 (174.8572) |
| Feb 17, 2017 | The Smithfield Guinea Pig Indio, CA | 38 / 49 (656.5256) | 38 (163.4628) | 42 (158.8000) | 32 (165.1200) | 15 (169.1428) |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.