Whole Hog Cafe

Whole Hog Cafe is a competition barbecue team with 11 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2022. Their best overall finish is 12th of 28 at the Valley Music Fest BBQ Cookoff (2016). They are ranked #2784 of 6,485 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#2,784

of 6,485 rated · rankings

Rating

1511

peak 1518 · rated over 11 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Apr 19, 2013

latest Oct 21, 2022 · 9.5 years on the trail

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

1 podium

Overall top-10s

0% of 11 contests

Avg finish

top 51%

overall standings

Best overall

668.4684 / 720

Master · Rock'n N Ribs BBQ Festival

Perfect 180s

Current form

653.84 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 638.93 (+14.91)

Walk rate

45%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

176

Chicken · Rock'n N Ribs BBQ Festival

Consistency

±23.30

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 161.33 · weakest Brisket (157.32)

Road miles

2,425

across 11 mapped stops · furthest 1,011 mi

Schedule strength

27%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1537)

Purse competed for

$70K

listed at 2 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 3 state-championship entries

Master avg

638.93 / 720

11 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (8 found in their record)

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

High-water mark

668.4684 career-best overall

92.8% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 668.4684 at Rock'n N Ribs BBQ Festival — 92.8% of a perfect 720.

Master
Apr 21, 2017

A tough matchup

7–0 behind in the head-to-head

GETTIN' BASTED ahead in 100% of their meetings

GETTIN' BASTED has come out ahead in 7 of their 7 shared contests.

The weak link

−4.0 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.01 points below their pork, and turns into a call 18% of the time against 18%.

Brisket avg 157.32
Pork avg 161.33
2 calls in 11 entries

A strong matchup

4–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of BIG BAD WOLVES in 4 of their 4 shared contests.

The comeback

2 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 2 years, then back at Ozarks BBQ Fest (Apr 23, 2021).

last seen Apr 26, 2019
back Apr 23, 2021

Pork nemesis

7 of 7 shared pork entries lost

GETTIN' BASTED ahead 100% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, GETTIN' BASTED has out-cooked them in 7 of 7 shared pork entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

Hogzilla has landed one call behind them 2 times.

Show 1 more storyline

A standing appointment

4 years running at one contest

They've cooked New Jersey State Barbecue Championship every year from 2013 to 2016 — the contest they never miss.

4 visits in all
best finish 12th

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to Whole Hog Cafe, each with one reason worth a look.

126 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.

LOS HERMANOS DE CARNE

#2,798 of the rated field

1511 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1519

Careers of much the same size, 11 contests to 11, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 11 contests
last seen Sep 30, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Five Q

#2,778 of the rated field

1512 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 27%
Peak: 1512

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 11 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 11 contests
last seen Aug 29, 2025

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VETERANS Q

#2,783 of the rated field

1511 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 9%
Peak: 1511

Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 3 years before Whole Hog Cafe's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 11 contests

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THIN BLUE QUE

#2,782 of the rated field

1512 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 10%
Peak: 1518

Level with Whole Hog Cafe on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 10 contests
last seen May 26, 2023

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Slowburn BBQ - AR

#2,779 of the rated field

1512 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 23%
Peak: 1531

13 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 23% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 13 contests
last seen Sep 30, 2026

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Animal House BBQ

#2,795 of the rated field

1511 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1511

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

rated over 13 contests
last seen Jun 26, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
GETTIN' BASTED	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
Hogzilla	5	3	2	60%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	11	1	0	0	176	143.9656	160.56	top 58%
Pork Ribs	11	1	0	0	174.8572	146.2172	159.72	top 54%
Pork	11	2	1	1	170.8800	149.0972	161.33	top 52%
Brisket	11	2	0	0	168.5484	130.2400	157.32	top 52%

“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)	2	0	top 54%
Large (40+)	9	0	top 50%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
MO	5	top 47%
NJ	4	top 52%
AR	2	top 60%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
New Jersey State Barbecue Championship	4	12	0	top 52%	Jul 8, 2016

More numbers

Busiest season 2016 2 contests

Contests a season 1.2 across 9 seasons in the data

Most contests held in MO 5 of 11 contests · 3 states in all

Contests visited 8 1 of them more than once

Opponents faced 352 finished ahead 285 times, behind 281

Longest layoff 2 yrs Apr 26, 2019 → Apr 23, 2021

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

20221 milestone

Oct 21 Most recent contest Saracen Casino Smoke on the Water

20211 milestone

Apr 23 10th tracked contest Ozarks BBQ Fest

20172 milestones

Apr 21 Career-best overall score668.4684 Rock'n N Ribs BBQ Festival
Apr 21 Career-best single call (Chicken)176 Rock'n N Ribs BBQ Festival

20161 milestone

Aug 13 First overall past 90% of a perfect score665.0400 Valley Music Fest BBQ Cookoff

20141 milestone

Jul 11 Peak power rating (1518) New Jersey State Barbecue Championship

20133 milestones

Apr 19 First tracked contest Rock'n Ribs BBQ Festival
Apr 19 First call Rock'n Ribs BBQ Festival
Jul 12 First category win (Pork) New Jersey State Barbecue Championship

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+10.6	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship	Jul 12, 2013
+8.4	Rock'n N Ribs BBQ Festival	Apr 21, 2017
+5.4	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship	Jul 11, 2014
+5.2	Valley Music Fest BBQ Cookoff	Aug 13, 2016
+3.5	Rock'n N Ribs BBQ Festival	Apr 20, 2018

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-10.1	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship	Jul 10, 2015
-7.1	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship	Jul 8, 2016
-4	Saracen Casino Smoke on the Water	Oct 21, 2022
-2.3	Ozarks BBQ Fest	Apr 23, 2021

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	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2022	1	0	0%	top 77%	90.6%	90.6%
2021	1	0	0%	top 65%	90.1%	90.1%
2019	1	0	0%	top 53%	88.5%	88.5%
2018	1	0	0%	top 42%	92%	92%
2017	1	0	100%	top 27%	92.8%	92.8%
2016	2	0	50%	top 58%	92.4%	88%
2015	1	0	0%	top 82%	82.6%	82.6%
2014	1	0	100%	top 34%	86.7%	86.7%
2013	2	1	100%	top 33%	88.7%	88.5%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Oct 21, 2022	Saracen Casino Smoke on the Water 🏅 Pine Bluff, AR	36 / 47 (652.4456)	38 (164.5256)	29 (166.2856)	43 (156.5372)	31 (165.0972)
Apr 23, 2021	Ozarks BBQ Fest 🏅 Springfield, MO	24 / 37 (649.0632)	11 (173.1772)	30 (155.3716)	26 (163.3828)	26 (157.1316)
Apr 26, 2019	Rock N Ribs BBQ Festival 🏅 Springfield, MO	21 / 40 (637.0056)	20 (164.5372)	25 (157.1200)	25 (156.5256)	27 (158.8228)
Apr 20, 2018	Rock'n N Ribs BBQ Festival Springfield, MO	18 / 43 (662.2284)	11 (173.7028)	24 (164.0116)	35 (156.5256)	14 (167.9884)
Apr 21, 2017	Rock'n N Ribs BBQ Festival Springfield, MO	15 / 55 (668.4684)	5 (176)	11 (170.2628)	29 (160.5256)	22 (161.6800)
Aug 13, 2016	Valley Music Fest BBQ Cookoff Russellville, AR	12 / 28 (665.0400)	17 (166.8344)	22 (160.5144)	11 (169.1428)	10 (168.5484)
Jul 8, 2016	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship North Wildwood, NJ	48 / 65 (601.6116)	57 (144.0116)	33 (155.9884)	49 (149.0972)	33 (152.5144)
Jul 10, 2015	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship North Wildwood, NJ	53 / 65 (594.6968)	45 (155.9540)	53 (147.9656)	22 (160.5372)	61 (130.2400)
Jul 11, 2014	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship North Wildwood, NJ	22 / 65 (623.9544)	60 (143.9656)	48 (146.2172)	4 (170.3428)	9 (163.4288)
Jul 12, 2013	New Jersey State Barbecue Championship North Wildwood, NJ	12 / 65 (635.4060)	39 (150.2972)	17 (158.2744)	1 (170.8800)	17 (155.9544)
Apr 19, 2013	Rock'n Ribs BBQ Festival Springfield, MO	32 / 68 (638.2848)	47 (153.1426)	5 (174.8572)	36 (161.1424)	48 (149.1426)

Whole Hog Cafe

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

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 (8 found in their record)

High-water mark

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

The comeback

Pork nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

A standing appointment

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 — 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)