GRILLIN' GANGSTERS

GRILLIN' GANGSTERS is a competition barbecue team with 18 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2019. Their best overall finish is 30th of 60 at the Hog Happnin' (2015). They are ranked #6416 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#6,416

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1387

peak 1387 · rated over 18 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

May 17, 2013

latest May 17, 2019 · 6 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#1955

Master 2019 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

0 podiums

Overall top-10s

0% of 18 contests

Avg finish

top 85%

overall standings

Best overall

663.8972 / 720

Master · Hog Happnin'

Perfect 180s

Current form

626.54 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 634.96 (-8.41)

Walk rate

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

171.4056

Brisket · Hog Happnin'

Consistency

±14.48

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 162.15 · weakest Brisket (154.01)

Road miles

1,408

across 18 mapped stops · furthest 129 mi

Schedule strength

48%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1563)

Purse competed for

$17K

listed at 1 contest — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 1 state-championship entry

Master avg

634.96 / 720

18 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (9 found in their record)

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

High-water mark

663.8972 career-best overall

92.2% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 663.8972 at Hog Happnin' — 92.2% of a perfect 720.

Master
Nov 6, 2015

A tough matchup

14–0 behind in the head-to-head

ROCKY TOP BARBEQUE ahead in 100% of their meetings

ROCKY TOP BARBEQUE has come out ahead in 14 of their 14 shared contests.

The weak link

−8.1 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 8.14 points below their pork, and turns into a call 0% of the time against 6%.

Brisket avg 154.01
Pork avg 162.15
0 calls in 18 entries

A strong matchup

6–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 86% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of JERRY'S TENDER BUTT BBQ in 6 of their 7 shared contests.

Pork nemesis

13 of 14 shared pork entries lost

ROCKY TOP BARBEQUE ahead 93% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, ROCKY TOP BARBEQUE has out-cooked them in 13 of 14 shared pork entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

PORK-N-BONES has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A November team

Top 75% average finish in November

Something about November: average finish in the top 75% across 3 contests, versus top 85% the rest of the year.

3 November contests
top 85% the rest of the year

Show 2 more storylines

The metronome

±2.01% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.01% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 88.2% of a perfect score
18 contests

A standing appointment

4 years running at one contest

They've cooked Hog Happnin' every year from 2013 to 2016 — the contest they never miss.

4 visits in all
best finish 30th

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
2019 ↗	Master	#1955 (60 pts)	#2049 (60 pts)	#2026 (60 pts)	#2029 (60 pts)	#2010 (60 pts)

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to GRILLIN' GANGSTERS, each with one reason worth a look.

CAUGHT BY THE FIRE

#6,414 of the rated field

1388 power rating

Contests: 27
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1388

1–5 in 6 shared contests (17% to GRILLIN' GANGSTERS)

These two have cooked 6 of the same contests — CAUGHT BY THE FIRE ahead 5–1 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 27 contests
last seen Jun 25, 2021

⚔ Head-to-head

RUB ME TENDER

#6,415 of the rated field

1388 power rating

Contests: 17
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1388

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 16 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 16 contests
last seen Jul 23, 2021

⚔ Compare careers

HOKIE POKIE Q

#6,417 of the rated field

1387 power rating

Contests: 23
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 4%
Peak: 1387

Careers of much the same size, 23 contests to 18, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 23 contests
last seen Apr 11, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

CRITTER COOKER'S

#6,423 of the rated field

1386 ▼ 1 power rating

Contests: 23
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1504

4–3 in 7 shared contests (57% to GRILLIN' GANGSTERS)

23 contests and no Grand Championship yet.

rated over 21 contests
last seen Jun 11, 2021

⚔ Head-to-head

2 GUYS AND A CHICK

#6,420 of the rated field

1387 ▼ 1 power rating

Contests: 18
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1387

Level with GRILLIN' GANGSTERS on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 18 contests
last seen Sep 24, 2021

⚔ Compare careers

SMOKIN GOOD BBQ

#6,421 of the rated field

1386 ▼ 1 power rating

Contests: 23
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 9%
Peak: 1509

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.

rated over 23 contests
last seen Aug 9, 2024

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
ROCKY TOP BARBEQUE	14	0	14	0%	⚔ compare
SAUCED! BBQ TEAM	12	0	12	0%	⚔ compare
HOGGY BOTTOM BOYS	11	3	8	27%	⚔ compare
SWIGGIN PIG	11	0	11	0%	⚔ compare
SMOKE THIS	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare
CONTAGIOUS Q	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare
FIREHOUSE SMOKERS TN	9	2	7	22%	⚔ compare
SUE E PIGG	9	2	7	22%	⚔ compare
SMOKE ON THIS	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
THE SMOKEHOUSE MAFIA	9	0	9	0%	⚔ compare
BAYOU POKER SMOKERS	8	1	7	13%	⚔ compare
OLD PLANTATION BBQ	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
WILD BUNCH BUTT BURNERS	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
JERRY'S TENDER BUTT BBQ	7	6	1	86%	⚔ compare
CRITTER COOKER'S	7	4	3	57%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	18	0	169.7028	150.2172	160.03	top 79%
Pork Ribs	18	0	169.6684	138.8000	158.76	top 72%
Pork	18	1	170.2856	148.4912	162.15	top 68%
Brisket	18	0	171.4056	138.2056	154.01	top 82%

“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 state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
TN	7	top 85%
NC	7	top 79%
GA	4	top 94%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass	4	38	top 86%	May 17, 2019
Dillard Bluegrass & Barbeque Festival	4	49	top 94%	Aug 4, 2017
Hog Happnin'	4	30	top 73%	Nov 4, 2016
Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass	2	37	top 84%	May 20, 2016

More numbers

Busiest season 2014 4 contests

Contests a season 2.6 across 7 seasons in the data

Most contests held in TN 7 of 18 contests · 3 states in all

Contests visited 8 4 of them more than once

Opponents faced 396 finished ahead 146 times, behind 791

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

20191 milestone

May 17 Most recent contest Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass

20153 milestones

Nov 6 10th tracked contest Hog Happnin'
Nov 6 Career-best overall score663.8972 Hog Happnin'
Nov 6 Career-best single call (Brisket)171.4056 Hog Happnin'

20141 milestone

Oct 31 First overall past 90% of a perfect score651.8056 Hog Happnin'

20133 milestones

May 17 First tracked contest Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass
May 17 Peak power rating (1492) Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass
Jul 26 First call WNC Barbeque Festival

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+6	Hog Happnin'	Nov 6, 2015

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-12.8	Dillard Bluegrass & Barbeque Festival (GBC Qualifier)	Aug 2, 2013
-10.7	Hog Happnin'	Nov 1, 2013
-8.4	Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass	May 17, 2013
-8.3	Dillard Bluegrass & Barbeque Festival (GBC Qualifier)	Aug 5, 2016
-8.2	WNC BBQ Festival	Jul 25, 2014

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	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2019	1	0%	top 91%	86%	86%
2018	2	0%	top 91%	87.8%	87%
2017	2	0%	top 93%	88%	87.5%
2016	3	0%	top 89%	89.6%	88.9%
2015	2	0%	top 68%	92.2%	91.6%
2014	4	0%	top 80%	90.5%	88.3%
2013	4	25%	top 87%	89.5%	87.3%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
May 17, 2019	Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass 🏅 Sevierville, TN	39 / 43 (619.2456)	38 (158.2516)	25 (164)	31 (158.7884)	41 (138.2056)
Aug 10, 2018	Mountain High BBQ Festival & Car Show Franklin, NC	48 / 51 (632.3884)	46 (158.2628)	47 (154.8228)	38 (163.3828)	43 (155.9200)
May 18, 2018	Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass Sevierville, TN	38 / 43 (620.8912)	40 (150.2172)	33 (158.8228)	39 (155.3600)	35 (156.4912)
Aug 4, 2017	Dillard Bluegrass & Barbeque Festival Dillard, GA	55 / 57 (633.4856)	49 (163.3828)	43 (162.8228)	55 (156.5028)	55 (150.7772)
May 19, 2017	Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass Sevierville, TN	44 / 49 (626.6976)	47 (150.8116)	43 (155.3944)	13 (170.2744)	46 (150.2172)
Nov 4, 2016	Hog Happnin' Shelby, NC	46 / 56 (642.7084)	37 (162.2744)	20 (166.8572)	30 (167.3712)	56 (146.2056)
Aug 5, 2016	Dillard Bluegrass & Barbeque Festival (GBC Qualifier) Dillard, GA	54 / 56 (632.9828)	48 (160.5372)	50 (158.8228)	53 (160.5600)	55 (153.0628)
May 20, 2016	Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass Sevierville, TN	41 / 46 (645.4624)	42 (155.9084)	20 (169.6684)	39 (162.8228)	42 (157.0628)
Nov 6, 2015	Hog Happnin' Shelby, NC	30 / 60 (663.8972)	36 (165.0972)	24 (166.2744)	44 (161.1200)	15 (171.4056)
May 15, 2015	Sevierville Bloomin' BBQ and Bluegrass Festival Sevierville, TN	38 / 44 (654.7660)	24 (169.7028)	23 (167.9772)	25 (168.5372)	44 (148.5488)
Oct 31, 2014	Hog Happnin' Shelby, NC	41 / 61 (651.8056)	42 (163.3828)	47 (158.8000)	23 (167.9656)	43 (161.6572)
Aug 1, 2014	Dillard Bluegrass & Barbeque Festival (GBC Qualifier) Dillard, GA	49 / 56 (634.6856)	29 (168.5944)	54 (144.4916)	34 (165.1084)	45 (156.4912)
Jul 25, 2014	WNC BBQ Festival Maggie Valley, NC	41 / 46 (611.2800)	37 (159.3944)	45 (138.8000)	45 (149.0740)	26 (164.0116)
May 16, 2014	Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass Sevierville, TN	42 / 56 (643.9312)	34 (165.7144)	24 (165.1200)	31 (166.8456)	53 (146.2512)
Nov 1, 2013	Hog Happnin' Shelby, NC	69 / 75 (615.2800)	69 (151.3944)	52 (160.5372)	69 (156.4912)	68 (146.8572)
Aug 2, 2013	Dillard Bluegrass & Barbeque Festival (GBC Qualifier) Dillard, GA	59 / 61 (614.6508)	48 (161.6800)	48 (157.0968)	61 (148.4912)	60 (147.3828)
Jul 26, 2013	WNC Barbeque Festival Maggie Valley, NC	38 / 48 (640.4800)	47 (155.9428)	44 (156)	9 (169.7028)	34 (158.8344)
May 17, 2013	Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass Sevierville, TN	37 / 47 (644.5712)	39 (160.0002)	42 (151.4284)	18 (170.2856)	26 (162.8570)

GRILLIN' GANGSTERS

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

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 (9 found in their record)

High-water mark

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

Pork nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

A November team

The metronome

A standing appointment

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

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 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 — 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)