My Smokin' Grillfriend

My Smokin' Grillfriend is a competition barbecue team with 30 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2021. Their best overall finish is 2nd of 49 at the Smoke on the River (2015), and they have finished Reserve Grand Champion 5 times. They are ranked #745 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “MY SMOKIN GRILLFRIEND”.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#745

of 6,476 rated · rankings

Rating

1634

peak 1646 · rated over 29 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Jan 25, 2013

latest May 28, 2021 · 8.3 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#368

Master 2013 · every season

Grand champs

5 reserve

Category wins

9 podiums

Overall top-10s

33% of 30 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 33%

overall standings

Best overall

699.4628 / 720

Master · 7th Annual Vista BBQ Classic

Perfect 180s

2 🔥

Current form

675.81 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 659.55 (+16.27)

Walk rate

73%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

180 🔥

Chicken · 7th Annual Vista BBQ Classic

Consistency

±20.94

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 168.03 · weakest Brisket (162.17)

Road miles

6,997

across 30 mapped stops · furthest 625 mi

Schedule strength

23%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1532)

Purse competed for

$10K

listed at 1 contest — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 1 state-championship entry

Master avg

659.55 / 720

29 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (16 found in their record)

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

The heartbreaker

1.1660 points from the title

Came within 1.1660 points of the Grand Championship at Silicon Valley BBQ Championships (Jun 26, 2015).

Perfect scores on the board

2 perfect 180s

2 perfect 180s in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in chicken.

Chicken ×2

Happy hunting ground

Top 6% average finish here

Smoke on the River is their spot: an average finish in the top 6% across 2 visits.

2 visits
best finish 2nd
average top 6%

They almost always walk

73% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 22 of 30 contests

A top-10 category call in 73% of their 30 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

699.4628 career-best overall

97.1% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 699.4628 at 7th Annual Vista BBQ Classic — 97.1% of a perfect 720.

Master
Jul 24, 2015

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

THE PIT CREW BBQ OF AZ has finished one call ahead of My Smokin' Grillfriend 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2015 their best year

2015 was the year it came together: 10 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 1 category win, at an average finish in the top 20%.

10 contests
6 overall top-10s
1 category win
average top 20%

Show 9 more storylines

A tough matchup

16–5 behind in the head-to-head

KNOCK UR SOX OFF BBQ ahead in 76% of their meetings

KNOCK UR SOX OFF BBQ has come out ahead in 16 of their 21 shared contests.

The weak link

−5.9 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 5.86 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 20% of the time against 38%.

Brisket avg 162.17
Chicken avg 168.03
6 calls in 30 entries

A strong matchup

13–2 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 87% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of TWISTED BRISKET BBQ in 13 of their 15 shared contests.

The comeback

5.7 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 5.7 years, then back at Big Bear Grill & Chill BBQ Championships (May 28, 2021).

last seen Oct 2, 2015
back May 28, 2021

Chicken nemesis

13 of 18 shared chicken entries lost

Burnin and Lootin ahead 72% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, Burnin and Lootin has out-cooked them in 13 of 18 shared chicken entries.

Always the bridesmaid

5 reserve championships

Runner-up for the whole thing 5 times against 0 Grand Championships — close enough to touch it, over and over.

0 Grand Championships
30 contests

Looking over their shoulder

3× one call behind them

BIG B'S DOWN-N-DIRTY BBQ has landed one call behind them 3 times.

A July team

Top 14% average finish in July

Something about July: average finish in the top 14% across 3 contests, versus top 33% the rest of the year.

3 July contests
top 33% the rest of the year

The long haul

6,997 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 6,997 miles across 30 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 625 miles to Colorado Pork & Hops Challenge.

30 mapped stops
furthest 625 mi

In the record book (on 1 all-time board)

Where this team sits in the all-time KCBS record book. A gold line is a record they hold outright; the rest are boards they are on.

#4 😤 Most runner-up finishes without a title 5 reserve championships, no GC · across 29 contests, still waiting · Sep 18, 2015

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	#1121 (87 pts)	#949 (127 pts)	#1109 (112 pts)	#1563 (52 pts)	#1045 (112 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#473 (820 pts)	#515 (750 pts)	#719 (530 pts)	#651 (580 pts)	#633 (590 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#450 (858 pts)	#520 (743 pts)	#350 (1,028 pts)	#460 (838 pts)	#441 (863 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#368 (830 pts)	#318 (950 pts)	#457 (710 pts)	#297 (995 pts)	#368 (850 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to My Smokin' Grillfriend, each with one reason worth a look.

FLAMING PIG

#741 of the rated field

1635 power rating

Contests: 29
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 34%
Peak: 1645

Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 3 years before My Smokin' Grillfriend's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 29 contests

⚔ Compare careers

DEGUELLO BBQ

#744 of the rated field

1635 power rating

Contests: 23
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 65%
Peak: 1643

Careers of much the same size, 23 contests to 30, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 23 contests
last seen Oct 24, 2014

⚔ Compare careers

Not So Famous Dave's BBQ

#742 of the rated field

1635 power rating

Contests: 23
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 43%
Peak: 1635

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 22 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 22 contests
last seen Oct 14, 2022

⚔ Compare careers

SQUEALERS AWARD WINNING BARBEQUE

#746 of the rated field

1634 power rating

Contests: 56
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 25%
Peak: 1651

Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 56 contests, alongside a 25% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 55 contests
last seen Aug 20, 2021

⚔ Compare careers

SECOND CITY SMOKE

#743 of the rated field

1635 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 86%
Peak: 1635

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

rated over 14 contests
last seen Sep 11, 2015

⚔ Compare careers

VICIOUS SMOKE

#738 of the rated field

1636 ▲ 1 power rating

Contests: 36
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 25%
Peak: 1636

5–9 in 14 shared contests (36% to My Smokin' Grillfriend)

These two have cooked 14 of the same contests — VICIOUS SMOKE ahead 9–5 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 35 contests
last seen Aug 17, 2018

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ	21	7	14	33%	⚔ compare
KNOCK UR SOX OFF BBQ	21	5	16	24%	⚔ compare
THE PIT CREW BBQ OF AZ	19	7	12	37%	⚔ compare
LEFT COAST Q	19	4	15	21%	⚔ compare
Burnin and Lootin	18	5	13	28%	⚔ compare
LADY OF Q	16	4	12	25%	⚔ compare
ZZYZX BAR.B.Q	16	4	12	25%	⚔ compare
TWISTED BRISKET BBQ	15	13	2	87%	⚔ compare
MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ	15	7	8	47%	⚔ compare
RIDGE ROUTE BOYS BBQ	15	6	9	40%	⚔ compare
WILD WILLY'S SMOKIN HOT BBQ	15	3	12	20%	⚔ compare
Sharpe's Woodshed	14	9	5	64%	⚔ compare
JET COATINGS - MONKEY STYLE	14	7	7	50%	⚔ compare
VICIOUS SMOKE	14	5	9	36%	⚔ compare
BIG POPPA SMOKERS	14	3	11	21%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	29	11	3	4	180 🔥	157.1426	168.03	top 32%
Pork Ribs	30	9	0	2	177.7372	149.1776	165.02	top 36%
Pork	30	8	0	2	178.2972	146.2628	163.66	top 42%
Brisket	30	6	0	1	175.4056	146.8000	162.17	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
Medium (20–39)	4	0	top 46%
Large (40+)	25	0	top 31%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
CA	26	top 32%
CO	1	top 30%
NV	1	top 70%
AZ	1	top 40%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Smoke on the River	2	2	top 6%	Sep 18, 2015
West Coast BBQ Classic	2	2	top 27%	May 8, 2015
Dana Point State BBQ Championship	2	22	top 41%	Oct 2, 2014

More numbers

Busiest season 2013 11 contests

Contests a season 7.5 across 4 seasons in the data

Most contests held in CA 26 of 30 contests · 4 states in all

Contests visited 26 3 of them more than once

Opponents faced 640 finished ahead 1,132 times, behind 540

Longest layoff 5.7 yrs Oct 2, 2015 → May 28, 2021

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

20211 milestone

May 28 Most recent contest Big Bear Grill & Chill BBQ Championships

20154 milestones

May 8 First perfect 180 (Chicken) West Coast BBQ Classic
Jun 26 25th tracked contest Silicon Valley BBQ Championships
Jul 24 Career-best overall score699.4628 7th Annual Vista BBQ Classic
Sep 18 Peak power rating (1646) Smoke on the River

20142 milestones

Sep 5 First overall podium Smoke on the River
Sep 5 First Reserve Championship Smoke on the River

20136 milestones

Jan 25 First tracked contest 5th Annual Lake Havasu Music Brews & BBQ Championship
Jan 25 First overall past 90% of a perfect score651.4280 5th Annual Lake Havasu Music Brews & BBQ Championship
Mar 15 First call 2nd Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship
May 10 First category win (Chicken) West Coast BBQ Classic
Jul 12 First overall top-10 Wine Country Big Q
Oct 4 10th tracked contest Dana Point State BBQ Championship

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+14.7	West Coast BBQ Classic	May 8, 2015
+14.4	Smoke on the River	Sep 5, 2014
+12.7	7th Annual Vista BBQ Classic	Jul 24, 2015
+12.2	Silicon Valley BBQ Championships	Jun 26, 2015
+11.8	Ribs, Pigs & Watermelons	Aug 16, 2013

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-8.3	Big Bear Grill & Chill BBQ Championships	May 28, 2021
-6.7	RubStock BBQ Championship: A Groovin' Time in the Foothills	Sep 13, 2013
-6.5	Smokin in Mesquite BBQ Championship	Aug 31, 2013
-3.3	City of Dana Point State BBQ Championship	Oct 2, 2015
-3.1	Dana Point State BBQ Championship	Oct 4, 2013

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)
2021	1	0	0	100%	top 67%	89.7%	89.7%
2015	10	6	1	80%	top 20%	97.1%	94.3%
2014	8	2	0	88%	top 34%	94.5%	91.6%
2013	11	2	2	55%	top 42%	93.3%	89.2%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
May 28, 2021	Big Bear Grill & Chill BBQ Championships 🏅 Big Bear Lake, CA	18 / 27 (646.1028)	10 (170.8456)	13 (163.3944)	25 (147.3372)	13 (164.5256)
Oct 2, 2015	City of Dana Point State BBQ Championship Dana Point, CA	34 / 75 (667.9544)	30 (169.6916)	53 (162.2628)	3 (178.2972)	53 (157.7028)
Sep 18, 2015	Smoke on the River Sacramento, CA	2 / 49 (674.1828)	5 (169.6800)	6 (169.1316)	4 (171.9656)	12 (163.4056)
Aug 7, 2015	Ribs, Pigs & Watermelons Huntington Beach, CA	6 / 58 (691.3716)	9 (174.8572)	4 (176)	12 (171.9772)	24 (168.5372)
Jul 24, 2015	7th Annual Vista BBQ Classic Vista, CA	2 / 54 (699.4628)	1 (180)	4 (177.7372)	17 (171.4056)	13 (170.3200)
Jun 26, 2015	Silicon Valley BBQ Championships Santa Clara, CA	2 / 49 (676.5828)	11 (164.5484)	7 (172.0344)	4 (169.7028)	4 (170.2972)
May 29, 2015	Horse Town Brew n Que Festival Norco, CA	22 / 75 (682.8000)	7 (176.5600)	29 (170.2744)	43 (165.1200)	29 (170.8456)
May 15, 2015	Bakersfield's Biggest, Baddest BBQ Championship Bakersfield, CA	7 / 53 (673.7028)	14 (169.7372)	9 (170.8344)	13 (169.1084)	20 (164.0228)
May 8, 2015	West Coast BBQ Classic Long Beach, CA	2 / 57 (694.2628)	2 (180)	17 (169.1316)	15 (169.7256)	6 (175.4056)
Mar 20, 2015	4th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship Arcadia, CA	41 / 100 (671.4172)	21 (173.1200)	27 (169.7028)	21 (172.0228)	84 (156.5716)
Feb 20, 2015	The Pig (Guinea Pig) Competitor's Series Rancho Mirage, CA	23 / 49 (654.8004)	37 (159.9888)	14 (169.1316)	28 (161.6800)	19 (164)
Oct 2, 2014	Dana Point State BBQ Championship Dana Point, CA	22 / 97 (676.5716)	60 (165.1200)	8 (174.2744)	45 (165.7144)	14 (171.4628)
Sep 12, 2014	Colorado Pork & Hops Challenge Grand Junction, CO	14 / 47 (669.6112)	13 (170.8344)	26 (161.0856)	16 (169.1428)	10 (168.5484)
Sep 5, 2014	Smoke on the River Sacramento, CA	2 / 26 (674.2628)	6 (169.7028)	3 (173.1772)	13 (162.8344)	2 (168.5484)
Jul 25, 2014	6th Annual Vista Q Classic Vista, CA	10 / 60 (680.5372)	11 (174.2628)	26 (166.2744)	4 (175.4400)	31 (164.5600)
May 16, 2014	Bakersfield's Biggest, Baddest BBQ Championship Bakersfield, CA	22 / 56 (647.3488)	32 (161.1200)	27 (157.1428)	9 (166.8344)	18 (162.2516)
May 9, 2014	West Coast BBQ Classic Long Beach, CA	30 / 59 (648.4912)	39 (160.5484)	13 (168.5600)	37 (160.5484)	31 (158.8344)
Mar 21, 2014	3rd Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship Arcadia, CA	33 / 69 (641.6572)	37 (162.2400)	2 (173.7372)	38 (157.1084)	52 (148.5716)
Feb 21, 2014	The Guinea Pig (Competitor's Series) Indio, CA	29 / 48 (636.5600)	15 (164.5828)	29 (157.1200)	44 (146.2628)	6 (168.5944)
Nov 7, 2013	World Food Championships - World Barbecue Championship (Competitor's Series) Las Vegas, NV	—	—	17 (170.8228)	63 (149.6456)	54 (150.8456)
Oct 4, 2013	Dana Point State BBQ Championship Dana Point, CA	58 / 99 (635.9656)	22 (169.7028)	33 (165.1200)	89 (147.4056)	70 (153.7372)
Sep 13, 2013	RubStock BBQ Championship: A Groovin' Time in the Foothills Cameron Park, CA	27 / 39 (622.6744)	21 (159.9544)	28 (154.8344)	30 (152.5028)	25 (155.3828)
Aug 31, 2013	Smokin in Mesquite BBQ Championship Mesquite, NV	38 / 54 (623.8056)	35 (158.2056)	38 (154.8344)	19 (163.9656)	38 (146.8000)
Aug 16, 2013	Ribs, Pigs & Watermelons Huntington State Beach, CA	8 / 63 (672.1032)	8 (170.8684)	15 (166.9488)	9 (171.4172)	16 (162.8688)
Jul 12, 2013	Wine Country Big Q Santa Rosa, CA	10 / 44 (654.9260)	1 (176)	32 (149.1776)	18 (159.9884)	5 (169.7600)
May 17, 2013	Bakersfield's Biggest Baddest BBQ Championship Bakersfield, CA	18 / 65 (634.8566)	32 (157.1426)	44 (149.7142)	7 (167.4284)	11 (160.5714)
May 10, 2013	West Coast BBQ Classic Long Beach, CA	27 / 54 (637.7136)	1 (177.1428)	46 (151.9998)	43 (153.1424)	29 (155.4286)
Apr 20, 2013	High Desert BBQ Showdown Victorville, CA	13 / 32 (643.4286)	19 (159.4284)	8 (164.0002)	3 (172.5714)	23 (147.4286)
Mar 15, 2013	2nd Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship Arcadia, CA	15 / 57 (642.2852)	10 (165.7142)	18 (159.9998)	21 (158.8568)	29 (157.7144)
Jan 25, 2013	5th Annual Lake Havasu Music Brews & BBQ Championship Lake Havasu City, AZ	34 / 86 (651.4280)	45 (161.1424)	29 (162.2858)	56 (160.5714)	18 (167.4284)

My Smokin' Grillfriend

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 (16 found in their record)

The heartbreaker

Perfect scores on the board

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

Chicken nemesis

Always the bridesmaid

Looking over their shoulder

A July team

The long haul

In the record book (on 1 all-time board)

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)