Big Cat BBQ CA
Rating
1542
peak 1575 · rated over 44 contests
Best runs
4
straight top-10s
Contests
44
in the data
First seen
2019-11-08
latest 2026-08-08
Best ToY finish
#185
Master 2026
Grand champs
1
1 reserve
Category wins
4
13 podiums
Overall top-10s
15
of 44 contests
Avg finish
top 51%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
1 🔥
Current form
684.82 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 675.09 (+9.73)
Walk rate
66%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
4
best run (overall)
Consistency
±11.18
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork
avg 169.38 · weakest Brisket (167.97)
Road miles
19117
mi across 44 mapped stops · furthest 2207 mi
Schedule strength
64%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1559)
Purse competed for
$593K
listed at 41 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
1 🏅
GCs in 42 state-championship entries
Master avg
675.09 / 720
44 Master contests · 1 GC
Storylines
🎯 The one to beat
BONE RUBBIN BBQ has finished one call ahead of Big Cat BBQ 4 times — their closest competition in the data.
👀 Looking over their shoulder
BULL MARKET BBQ has landed one call behind them 3 times.
⚔️ A tough matchup
Meat Candy Q has come out ahead in 25 of their 29 shared contests.
⚔️ A strong matchup
They've finished ahead of RBQ in 13 of their 16 shared contests.
😤 Pork nemesis
Even in their strongest meat, Meat Candy Q has out-cooked them in 21 of 29 shared pork entries.
📅 A August team
Something about August: average finish in the top 36% across 4 contests, versus top 51% the rest of the year.
🃏 Against the odds
Their Grand Championship at CBCA Clayton BBQ and Brews Festival (MASTERS) (2024-06-14) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 30-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, Cynical BBQ.
🔁 The comeback
Off the trail for 2.2 years, then back at Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge (2022-01-14).
Teams like this (closest power rating, CA first)
Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meat Candy Q | 29 | 4 | 25 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| BAR-B-CUDA BBQ | 26 | 16 | 10 | 62% | ⚔ compare |
| BULL MARKET BBQ | 26 | 5 | 21 | 19% | ⚔ compare |
| Smokin' Bliss BBQ | 25 | 12 | 13 | 48% | ⚔ compare |
| BONE RUBBIN BBQ | 25 | 7 | 18 | 28% | ⚔ compare |
| SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | 24 | 7 | 17 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| Cynical BBQ | 23 | 3 | 20 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| Cherry Anchor BBQ | 22 | 4 | 18 | 18% | ⚔ compare |
| Bad Bears BBQ | 20 | 6 | 14 | 30% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ | 20 | 6 | 14 | 30% | ⚔ compare |
| Pops BBQ 22 | 19 | 13 | 6 | 68% | ⚔ compare |
| Big Boys BBQ | 19 | 9 | 10 | 47% | ⚔ compare |
| Porterhouse BBQ | 19 | 8 | 11 | 42% | ⚔ compare |
| Old Town Franklin BBQ | 19 | 8 | 11 | 42% | ⚔ compare |
| OM BBQ COMPANY | 18 | 4 | 14 | 22% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 44 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 177.7600 | 153.6572 | 169.16 | top 55% |
| Pork Ribs | 44 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 180.0000 🔥 | 157.6456 | 168.57 | top 54% |
| Pork | 44 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 178.8572 | 157.6912 | 169.38 | top 51% |
| Brisket | 44 | 16 | 2 | 5 | 179.4400 | 145.6572 | 167.97 | top 47% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA | 26 | 1 | top 49% |
| KS | 4 | 0 | top 77% |
| OR | 4 | 0 | top 48% |
| AZ | 4 | 0 | top 39% |
| TX | 2 | 0 | top 52% |
| NC | 2 | 0 | top 44% |
| NV | 1 | 0 | top 62% |
| IA | 1 | 0 | top 67% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 3 | 0 | top 55% |
| Medium (20–39) | 27 | 1 | top 49% |
| Large (40+) | 14 | 0 | top 54% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lodi BeerFest & State BBQ Championship | 3 | 12 | 0 | top 53% | 2026-04-24 |
| Dinuba's BBQ & Brew Fest | 3 | 2 | 0 | top 33% | 2026-03-20 |
| Roaring Camp BBQ Cook Off (Day 2) | 2 | 10 | 0 | top 55% | 2026-08-08 |
| American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest | 2 | 129 | 0 | top 84% | 2025-11-05 |
| American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | 2 | 260 | 0 | top 69% | 2025-11-05 |
| The Santiam Smoke Show (Day 2) | 2 | 4 | 0 | top 51% | 2025-05-31 |
| The Golden State Battle VII (Day 2) | 2 | 14 | 0 | top 71% | 2025-01-25 |
| Polar Pig BBQ Cook-Off (Duel B) | 2 | 14 | 0 | top 44% | 2019-11-09 |
The story so far
- Busiest season: 2025 (12 contests)
- Cooks mostly in CA (26 of 44 contests)
- Most-entered category: Chicken (44 entries)
- First Grand Championship in the data: CBCA Clayton BBQ and Brews Festival (MASTERS) (2024-06-14)
- Wins it all in 2% of contests
- Average Master overall score: 675.09 / 720
- 1 perfect 180 on the books 🔥
Milestones
- 🚩 2019-11-08 — First tracked contest · Polar Pig BBQ Cook-Off (Duel A)
- 📣 2019-11-08 — First call · Polar Pig BBQ Cook-Off (Duel A)
- 🏆 2024-06-14 — First Grand Championship · CBCA Clayton BBQ and Brews Festival (MASTERS)
- ⭐ 2024-06-14 — Career-best overall score (698.2744) · CBCA Clayton BBQ and Brews Festival (MASTERS)
- 📈 2024-06-14 — Peak power rating (1575) · CBCA Clayton BBQ and Brews Festival (MASTERS)
- 🎖️ 2024-09-20 — 25th tracked contest · Tri City BBQ Fest
- 🔥 2026-03-20 — First perfect 180 (Pork Ribs) · Dinuba's BBQ & Brew Fest
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +16.2 | Dinuba's BBQ & Brew Fest | 2026-03-20 |
| +14.7 | Reata Round Up BBQ Contest | 2022-08-12 |
| +14.4 | The Santiam Smoke Show (Day 1) | 2025-05-30 |
| +14.3 | CBCA Clayton BBQ and Brews Festival (MASTERS) | 2024-06-14 |
| +13.2 | 9th Annual Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge | 2024-01-12 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -13.3 | The Golden State Battle VII (Day 2) | 2025-01-25 |
| -11 | The Santiam Smoke Show (Day 2) | 2025-05-31 |
| -10.9 | The Golden State Battle IV - Day 2 | 2022-01-22 |
| -8.8 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | 2025-11-05 |
| -8.2 | Tri City BBQ Fest | 2024-09-20 |
Category scores over time
Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)
Where they finish (overall)
Best vs average (by meat)
How entries end (by meat)
Team of the Year rank by season
Season by season
| Season | Contests | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 80% | top 47% | 96.9% | 95.1% |
| 2025 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 50% | top 62% | 96% | 93.3% |
| 2024 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 75% | top 45% | 97% | 94.5% |
| 2023 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 67% | top 44% | 95.3% | 93.7% |
| 2022 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 64% | top 51% | 95.5% | 93.1% |
| 2019 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 44% | 94.1% | 94.1% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-08 | Roaring Camp BBQ Cook Off (Day 2) 🏅 Felton, CA | 10 / 17 (697.6572) | 13 (171.9656) | 12 (173.1316) | 13 (173.1200) | 1 (179.4400) |
| 2026-08-07 | Roaring Camp BBQ Cook Off (Day 1) 🏅 Felton, CA | 13 / 25 (682.1828) | 10 (171.4172) | 13 (170.8228) | 10 (174.2628) | 17 (165.6800) |
| 2026-04-24 | Lodi BeerFest & State BBQ Championship 🏅 Lodi, CA | 12 / 29 (680.5256) | 14 (171.4056) | 20 (165.7256) | 12 (171.9772) | 9 (171.4172) |
| 2026-03-20 | Dinuba's BBQ & Brew Fest 🏅 Dinuba, CA | 2 / 27 (696.5144) | 14 (173.1084) | 1 (180.0000) | 9 (172.5716) | 7 (170.8344) |
| 2026-01-30 | The Golden State Battle VIII 🏅 Riverside, CA | 31 / 41 (667.2220) | 34 (163.3596) | 33 (165.0856) | 24 (170.8112) | 22 (167.9656) |
| 2025-11-21 | BBQ Jackpot 🏅 Las Vegas, NV | 56 / 90 (676.4572) | 25 (174.2628) | 66 (166.8344) | 70 (165.6800) | 47 (169.6800) |
| 2025-11-05 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest Kansas City, KS | 129 / 158 (672.4452) | 123 (168.0000) | 124 (168.5256) | 92 (170.2512) | 125 (165.6684) |
| 2025-11-05 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 321 / 401 (651.9200) | 384 (153.6572) | 276 (165.7028) | 232 (168.0000) | 263 (164.5600) |
| 2025-07-19 | Sutherlin Throwdown 🏅 Sutherlin, OR | 9 / 35 (691.3716) | 22 (170.2744) | 11 (173.1200) | 5 (176.5716) | 9 (171.4056) |
| 2025-05-31 | The Santiam Smoke Show (Day 2) 🏅 Sweet Home, OR | 25 / 28 (666.1484) | 22 (167.9772) | 23 (167.3828) | 14 (171.4056) | 27 (159.3828) |
| 2025-05-30 | The Santiam Smoke Show (Day 1) 🏅 Sweet Home, OR | 4 / 30 (687.9200) | 19 (169.1200) | 12 (173.1200) | 10 (171.9772) | 3 (173.7028) |
| 2025-05-16 | Gold Country Casino Resort BrewFest & State BBQ Championship 🏅 Oroville, CA | 10 / 19 (673.0512) | 5 (174.2744) | 10 (168.5484) | 15 (163.4172) | 11 (166.8112) |
| 2025-04-25 | Lodi BeerFest & State BBQ Championship 🏅 Lodi, CA | 19 / 31 (668.5032) | 16 (171.9772) | 9 (173.7260) | 7 (171.9772) | 28 (150.8228) |
| 2025-03-28 | Q's & Brews 🏅 Lake Havasu, AZ | 19 / 26 (659.8172) | 20 (167.3944) | 18 (165.6800) | 15 (167.3828) | 20 (159.3600) |
| 2025-03-14 | Dinuba's BBQ & Brew Fest 🏅 Dinuba, CA | 17 / 26 (677.6916) | 23 (162.8344) | 15 (169.7144) | 9 (171.4400) | 8 (173.7028) |
| 2025-01-25 | The Golden State Battle VII (Day 2) 🏅 Hollister, CA | 26 / 27 (662.1716) | 27 (159.9888) | 22 (169.1316) | 25 (166.8112) | 21 (166.2400) |
| 2025-01-24 | The Golden State Battle VII (Day 1) 🏅 Hollister, CA | 14 / 31 (676.5260) | 21 (166.8344) | 3 (177.1544) | 18 (166.8344) | 15 (165.7028) |
| 2024-10-30 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest Kansas City, KS | 145 / 169 (670.6968) | 137 (167.3828) | 92 (170.8228) | 152 (164.5256) | 125 (167.9656) |
| 2024-10-30 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 260 / 444 (670.1944) | 330 (163.3828) | 300 (165.6916) | 88 (173.7372) | 221 (167.3828) |
| 2024-09-20 | Tri City BBQ Fest 🏅 Denison, IA | 20 / 30 (668.4456) | 27 (162.8228) | 17 (166.8344) | 28 (163.3828) | 6 (175.4056) |
| 2024-06-14 | CBCA Clayton BBQ and Brews Festival (MASTERS) 🏅 Clayton, CA | 1 / 25 (698.2744) | 5 (176.0000) | 3 (176.0000) | 8 (173.1200) | 6 (173.1544) |
| 2024-04-26 | Lodi BeerFest & State BBQ Championship 🏅 Lodi, CA | 19 / 34 (678.1940) | 9 (175.4400) | 25 (165.0856) | 8 (175.4056) | 26 (162.2628) |
| 2024-03-15 | Dinuba's BBQ & Brew Fest 🏅 Dinuba, CA | 7 / 27 (688.4912) | 10 (169.6684) | 12 (169.6800) | 2 (178.8572) | 13 (170.2856) |
| 2024-03-01 | The Golden State Battle VI 🏅 Hollister, CA | 16 / 33 (676.4456) | 25 (168.5256) | 22 (163.9428) | 16 (169.7028) | 4 (174.2744) |
| 2024-01-12 | 9th Annual Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge 🏅 Bullhead City, AZ | 7 / 58 (690.1828) | 6 (176.5600) | 7 (176.5600) | 10 (175.4172) | 40 (161.6456) |
| 2023-11-17 | Golden State Battle of Indio 🏅 Indio, CA | 27 / 40 (682.7884) | 16 (174.2628) | 31 (168.5600) | 27 (170.2628) | 25 (169.7028) |
| 2023-09-29 | Field, Fire Fork! 🏅 Los Banos, CA | 10 / 19 (672.9940) | 1 (175.4172) | 16 (157.6456) | 11 (173.1084) | 11 (166.8228) |
| 2023-08-04 | Dinuba's Annual BBQ & Brew Fest 🏅 Dinuba, CA | 6 / 29 (686.2512) | 14 (170.8228) | 6 (172.0000) | 2 (176.5600) | 15 (166.8684) |
| 2023-03-31 | Cedar Fest BBQ Cookoff 🏅 Cedar Park, TX | 31 / 57 (650.7544) | 28 (165.7144) | 27 (167.9656) | 16 (171.4172) | 51 (145.6572) |
| 2023-03-03 | The Golden State Battle V 🏅 Hollister, CA | 13 / 28 (676.4916) | 11 (173.7028) | 18 (163.9660) | 15 (167.9656) | 9 (170.8572) |
| 2023-01-13 | Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge 🏅 Bullhead City, AZ | 10 / 45 (679.3140) | 14 (171.9772) | 29 (164.5600) | 11 (171.9656) | 10 (170.8112) |
| 2022-09-23 | The Great Kearney BBQ Smoke-Out 🏅 Fresno, CA | 10 / 43 (675.9428) | 12 (168.5484) | 7 (171.4172) | 3 (176.0344) | 29 (159.9428) |
| 2022-08-12 | Reata Round Up BBQ Contest 🏅 San Juan Capistrano, CA | 3 / 25 (687.9084) | 9 (171.4056) | 14 (169.1200) | 9 (171.9772) | 1 (175.4056) |
| 2022-07-08 | Clayton BBQ Cook-off 🏅 Clayton, CA | 10 / 27 (666.7428) | 6 (171.4056) | 7 (168.5372) | 13 (164.0000) | 14 (162.8000) |
| 2022-07-02 | Sweet Home Icebox Cookoff 2022 🏅 Sweet Home, OR | 22 / 34 (658.7880) | 18 (169.1428) | 21 (163.4056) | 27 (158.8340) | 16 (167.4056) |
| 2022-04-29 | 3rd Annual Lodi BeerFest & BBQ Championship 🏅 Lodi, CA | 8 / 29 (680.0116) | 4 (174.8800) | 17 (167.9772) | 20 (161.7372) | 2 (175.4172) |
| 2022-04-02 | 9th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship - Day 2 🏅 Arcadia, CA | 22 / 27 (667.2912) | 19 (169.1428) | 24 (161.6572) | 22 (164.5256) | 16 (171.9656) |
| 2022-04-01 | 9th Annual Santa Anita Winners' Circle BBQ Championship 🏅 Arcadia, CA | 21 / 37 (672.5372) | 2 (177.7600) | 21 (167.3944) | 27 (163.4172) | 22 (163.9656) |
| 2022-04-01 | Cedar Fest BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Cedar Park, TX | 28 / 56 (658.7768) | 35 (159.3712) | 14 (171.4516) | 43 (157.6912) | 15 (170.2628) |
| 2022-01-22 | The Golden State Battle IV - Day 2 🏅 Santa Barbara, CA | 23 / 25 (669.0172) | 22 (169.1316) | 20 (166.2400) | 22 (161.6684) | 10 (171.9772) |
| 2022-01-21 | The Golden State Battle IV - Day 1 🏅 Santa Barbara, CA | 19 / 30 (666.1484) | 23 (164.5372) | 26 (157.6800) | 18 (169.6684) | 5 (174.2628) |
| 2022-01-14 | Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge 🏅 Bullhead City, AZ | 28 / 59 (668.4456) | 25 (169.1200) | 35 (165.6916) | 32 (167.3712) | 20 (166.2628) |
| 2019-11-09 | Polar Pig BBQ Cook-Off (Duel B) 🏅 Concord, NC | 19 / 33 (676.9824) | 26 (165.6800) | 14 (170.8228) | 8 (171.9656) | 16 (168.5140) |
| 2019-11-08 | Polar Pig BBQ Cook-Off (Duel A) 🏅 Concord, NC | 14 / 47 (677.6000) | 38 (163.3944) | 8 (173.1200) | 35 (163.9428) | 2 (177.1428) |
Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)
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 | #185 (822 pts) | #263 (627 pts) | #216 (832 pts) | #213 (727 pts) | #152 (917 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #216 (1011 pts) | #269 (831 pts) | #213 (1118 pts) | #193 (1126 pts) | #205 (1065 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #196 (1049 pts) | #240 (959 pts) | #271 (914 pts) | #205 (1024 pts) | #226 (954 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #377 (536 pts) | #370 (616 pts) | #544 (406 pts) | #351 (601 pts) | #413 (491 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #197 (1062 pts) | #155 (1257 pts) | #265 (927 pts) | #238 (962 pts) | #126 (1362 pts) |
| 2020 ↗ | Master | #496 (203 pts) | #749 (118 pts) | #442 (268 pts) | #508 (213 pts) | #335 (363 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #1166 (203 pts) | #1676 (118 pts) | #1055 (268 pts) | #1208 (213 pts) | #862 (363 pts) |