PB&J's BBQ

PB&J's BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 37 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2017 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 2nd of 18 at the September Fest (2024), and they have finished Reserve Grand Champion twice. They are ranked #1109 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “PB & J's BBQ”, “PBJ'S BBQ” and “PB&Js BBQ”.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#1,109

of 6,476 rated · rankings

Rating

1594

peak 1594 · rated over 31 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted

Contests

in the data

First seen

Oct 27, 2017

latest Aug 16, 2026 · 8.8 years on the trail

Grand champs

2 reserve

Category wins

13 podiums

Overall top-10s

19% of 37 contests

Avg finish

top 46%

overall standings

Best overall

695.3484 / 720

Master · All American BBQ Throwdown

Perfect 180s

Current form

682.87 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 672.54 (+10.32)

Walk rate

62%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

178.8572

Brisket · GLBBQA Spring Fling

Consistency

±11.56

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 169.73 · weakest Pork (166.82)

Road miles

4,912

across 37 mapped stops · furthest 531 mi

Schedule strength

78%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1600)

Purse competed for

$206K

listed at 34 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 26 state-championship entries

Master avg

672.54 / 720

31 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (12 found in their record)

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

The heartbreaker

1.6568 points from the title

Came within 1.6568 points of the Grand Championship at September Fest (Sep 13, 2024).

They almost always walk

62% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 23 of 37 contests

A top-10 category call in 62% of their 37 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

695.3484 career-best overall

96.6% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 695.3484 at All American BBQ Throwdown — 96.6% of a perfect 720.

Master
Aug 5, 2022

The one to beat

3× one call ahead of them

BooyaQ has finished one call ahead of PB&J's BBQ 3 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2019 their best year

2019 was the year it came together: 4 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 27%.

4 contests
2 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 27%

A tough matchup

22–4 behind in the head-to-head

iBQ'n ahead in 85% of their meetings

iBQ'n has come out ahead in 22 of their 26 shared contests.

A strong matchup

12–4 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 75% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of B&R SMOKE in 12 of their 16 shared contests.

Show 5 more storylines

Chicken nemesis

18 of 26 shared chicken entries lost

iBQ'n ahead 69% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, iBQ'n has out-cooked them in 18 of 26 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

Shiggin aint easy has landed one call behind them 2 times.

The long haul

4,912 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 4,912 miles across 37 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 531 miles to Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY).

37 mapped stops
furthest 531 mi

The metronome

±1.58% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.58% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 93.4% of a perfect score
37 contests

A standing appointment

7 years running at one contest

They've cooked All American BBQ Throwdown every year from 2020 to 2026 — the contest they never miss.

7 visits in all
best finish 4th

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to PB&J's BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

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

Bucked Up BBQ

#1,112 of the rated field

1594 power rating

Contests: 16
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 44%
Peak: 1601

2–5 in 7 shared contests (29% to PB&J's BBQ)

These two have cooked 7 of the same contests — Bucked Up BBQ ahead 5–2 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 16 contests
last seen Aug 21, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

Char-Cole Grillers

#1,111 of the rated field

1594 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 60%
Peak: 1597

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to PB&J's BBQ)

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 10 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 10 contests
last seen Jul 17, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

SinBin BBQ

#1,107 of the rated field

1594 power rating

Contests: 32
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 31%
Peak: 1596

Careers of much the same size, 32 contests to 37, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 32 contests
last seen Sep 18, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

First Class BBQ

#1,106 of the rated field

1594 power rating

Contests: 37
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 24%
Peak: 1601

37 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 24% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 30 contests
last seen Nov 5, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

B 3 BBQ

#1,110 of the rated field

1594 power rating

Contests: 40
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 18%
Peak: 1623

Level with PB&J's BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 39 contests
last seen Aug 14, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

MAXIMUM LOIN

#1,108 of the rated field

1594 power rating

Contests: 24
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 13%
Peak: 1594

Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 7 years before PB&J's BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 24 contests

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
KEVLAR BBQ	26	8	18	31%	⚔ compare
iBQ'n	26	4	22	15%	⚔ compare
BooyaQ	25	10	15	40%	⚔ compare
THE REAL SMOKIN ACES	25	6	19	24%	⚔ compare
Q-JITSU	23	12	11	52%	⚔ compare
Shiggin aint easy	20	6	14	30%	⚔ compare
TIRE SMOKE BBQ	20	6	14	30%	⚔ compare
PapaDads BBQ	18	10	8	56%	⚔ compare
BO B Q BBQ	18	8	10	44%	⚔ compare
Mac Attack BBQ	18	6	12	33%	⚔ compare
THE BBQ BUS	17	4	13	24%	⚔ compare
BAD HABIT BBQ	17	4	13	24%	⚔ compare
B&R SMOKE	16	12	4	75%	⚔ compare
FIREHOUSE SMOKE	16	6	10	38%	⚔ compare
BAD WOLF BBQ	15	9	6	60%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	31	10	0	5	177.7028	158.8228	169.73	top 45%
Pork Ribs	36	7	0	1	178.8572	157.1200	167.58	top 48%
Pork	31	6	0	2	177.1428	159.3828	166.82	top 55%
Brisket	31	15	1	5	178.8572	151.9316	168.44	top 42%

“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	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	3	top 33%
Medium (20–39)	11	top 49%
Large (40+)	18	top 46%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
MI	23	top 43%
IN	4	top 50%
TN	2	top 43%
OH	2	top 57%
PA	1	top 64%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
All American BBQ Throwdown	7	4	top 43%	Jul 31, 2026
GLBBQA Spring Fling	2	24	top 50%	Apr 18, 2025
Smoke in the Mitten BBQ Competition	2	12	top 68%	May 3, 2024
Rumble on the River Presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com	2	2	top 46%	Sep 25, 2020
Bordertown BBQ Brawl	2	13	top 54%	Jul 17, 2020
Covid-Que Relief (Day 2)	2	40	top 63%	Jun 20, 2020

More numbers

Busiest season 2020 8 contests

Contests a season 3.7 across 10 seasons in the data

Most contests held in MI 28 of 37 contests · 5 states in all

Contests visited 21 6 of them more than once

Most-entered meat Pork Ribs 36 entries · 0 wins · 7 calls

Opponents faced 564 finished ahead 786 times, behind 640

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

20263 milestones

Apr 17 Career-best single call (Brisket)178.8572 GLBBQA Spring Fling
Jul 31 Peak power rating (1594) All American BBQ Throwdown
Aug 16 Most recent contest Great Lakes Smoke Showdown BBQ Cook Off (COMPETITOR SERIES)

20241 milestone

Aug 2 25th tracked contest All American BBQ Throwdown

20221 milestone

Aug 5 Career-best overall score695.3484 All American BBQ Throwdown

20202 milestones

Jul 17 First category win (Brisket) Bordertown BBQ Brawl
Jul 17 10th tracked contest Bordertown BBQ Brawl

20193 milestones

Jun 21 First overall top-10 11th Annual Auburn Hills Barbecue Cook-Off
Sep 20 First overall podium Rumble on the River Presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com
Sep 20 First Reserve Championship Rumble on the River Presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com

20181 milestone

Oct 12 First call Smoke & Ale Fall Festival

20172 milestones

Oct 27 First tracked contest Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY)
Oct 27 First overall past 90% of a perfect score672.4684 Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY)

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+19.2	Rumble on the River Presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com	Sep 20, 2019
+15.2	All American BBQ Throwdown	Aug 5, 2022
+14.1	11th Annual Auburn Hills Barbecue Cook-Off	Jun 21, 2019
+13.9	September Fest	Sep 13, 2024
+10.4	Rockin BBQ	May 29, 2020

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-10.4	Smoke in the Mitten BBQ Competition	May 3, 2024
-8.8	Rumble on the River Presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com	Sep 25, 2020
-7	All American BBQ Throwdown	Aug 6, 2021
-5.3	Grizzly BBQ Brawl	Sep 5, 2025
-3.6	GLBBQA Spring Fling	Apr 18, 2025

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)
2026	7	2	0	57%	top 37%	96.2%	94.5%
2025	4	1	0	50%	top 55%	95.4%	94.4%
2024	5	1	0	20%	top 45%	95.2%	93.6%
2023	3	0	0	67%	top 51%	94.5%	93.8%
2022	2	1	0	100%	top 8%	96.6%	96.6%
2021	2	0	0	50%	top 59%	92.8%	91.5%
2020	8	0	1	75%	top 55%	93.6%	92.2%
2019	4	2	0	100%	top 27%	95.7%	93.6%
2018	1	0	0	100%	top 39%	91.8%	91.8%
2017	1	0	0	0%	top 61%	93.4%	93.4%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Aug 16, 2026	Great Lakes Smoke Showdown BBQ Cook Off (COMPETITOR SERIES) unrated Lapeer, MI	3 / 12 (668.5372)	—	—	—	—
Jul 31, 2026	All American BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Westland, MI	22 / 45 (682.7540)	28 (171.9656)	35 (166.8228)	7 (174.2628)	23 (169.7028)
Jul 31, 2026	All American BBQ Throwdown (ONE MEAT RIBS) Westland, MI	—	—	13 (170.8688)	—	—
May 1, 2026	Smoke in the Mitten 🏅 Westland, MI	9 / 34 (679.3600)	9 (171.4172)	17 (169.1200)	26 (163.9772)	3 (174.8456)
May 1, 2026	Smoke in the Mitten (ONE MEAT RIBS) Westland, MI	—	—	23 (159.9772)	—	—
Apr 17, 2026	GLBBQA Spring Fling 🏅 Coldwater, MI	28 / 48 (678.7196)	13 (174.8456)	40 (164.5256)	47 (160.4912)	3 (178.8572)
Mar 20, 2026	Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN	30 / 125 (692.4800)	44 (174.2628)	5 (178.8572)	28 (175.4172)	97 (163.9428)
Sep 6, 2025	Saxonburg BBQ Smokeout Saxonburg, PA	9 / 14 (681.0284)	3 (176.0116)	7 (167.3828)	9 (168.5256)	9 (169.1084)
Sep 5, 2025	Grizzly BBQ Brawl 🏅 Wellington, OH	27 / 42 (673.6112)	23 (171.9656)	20 (169.6800)	24 (168.5828)	30 (163.3828)
Aug 1, 2025	All American BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Westland, MI	14 / 43 (686.7544)	27 (168.5372)	18 (169.6800)	24 (169.6800)	3 (178.8572)
Apr 18, 2025	GLBBQA Spring Fling 🏅 Charlotte, MI	34 / 56 (677.6000)	46 (166.2400)	26 (169.1200)	33 (170.2744)	20 (171.9656)
Sep 13, 2024	September Fest 🏅 Coldwater, MI	2 / 18 (685.6456)	5 (172.5600)	15 (163.3944)	2 (177.1428)	2 (172.5484)
Aug 2, 2024	All American BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Westland, MI	17 / 40 (671.3944)	16 (170.8572)	20 (166.8344)	13 (172.5828)	27 (161.1200)
Aug 2, 2024	All American BBQ Throwdown (ONE MEAT RIBS) Westland, MI	—	—	17 (167.9656)	—	—
May 3, 2024	Smoke in the Mitten BBQ Competition 🏅 Westland, MI	23 / 26 (653.6348)	17 (170.2972)	14 (168.5372)	19 (162.8688)	25 (151.9316)
Apr 19, 2024	GLBBQA Spring Fling 🏅 Charlotte, MI	24 / 62 (683.9660)	11 (176.0116)	44 (163.9772)	31 (170.8572)	14 (173.1200)
Aug 4, 2023	All American BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Westland, MI	24 / 44 (669.6456)	40 (162.8228)	32 (165.1200)	15 (169.1428)	5 (172.5600)
Aug 4, 2023	All American BBQ Throwdown (ONE MEAT RIBS) Westland, MI	—	—	22 (165.6800)	—	—
May 5, 2023	Smoke in the Mitten BBQ Competition 🏅 Westland, MI	12 / 25 (680.4684)	4 (177.7028)	14 (169.1200)	22 (159.3828)	7 (174.2628)
Aug 5, 2022	All American BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Westland, MI	4 / 50 (695.3484)	3 (177.7028)	11 (170.8228)	8 (175.4172)	10 (171.4056)
Aug 5, 2022	All American BBQ Throwdown - One Meat Ribs Westland, MI	—	—	5 (174.2972)	—	—
Sep 24, 2021	Rumble on the River Presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com 🏅 Grand Haven, MI	13 / 28 (667.8860)	3 (174.2744)	17 (163.4288)	24 (161.6572)	9 (168.5256)
Aug 6, 2021	All American BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Westland, MI	23 / 32 (649.0400)	23 (163.3828)	24 (158.2400)	24 (162.8572)	18 (164.5600)
Sep 25, 2020	Rumble on the River Presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com 🏅 Grand Haven, MI	24 / 28 (653.5656)	27 (161.6572)	6 (171.4172)	19 (163.4056)	26 (157.0856)
Sep 18, 2020	Smokin in the Hills 🏅 Hillsboro, OH	20 / 41 (668.4228)	27 (164.5256)	13 (168.5372)	27 (163.3944)	10 (171.9656)
Aug 14, 2020	Big Blue Barbecue 🏅 Shelbyville, IN	24 / 50 (673.6344)	22 (168.5488)	9 (172)	40 (163.4056)	29 (169.6800)
Aug 7, 2020	All American BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Westland, MI	17 / 42 (667.3824)	5 (172.0456)	22 (164.5600)	17 (165.6684)	23 (165.1084)
Jul 17, 2020	Bordertown BBQ Brawl 🏅 Sault Ste Marie, MI	19 / 31 (655.9316)	23 (159.3944)	26 (157.1200)	19 (162.8572)	1 (176.5600)
Jun 20, 2020	Covid-Que Relief (Day 2) Franklin, IN	40 / 63 (663.8284)	44 (167.3828)	52 (160.4912)	36 (166.8344)	25 (169.1200)
Jun 19, 2020	Covid-Que Relief (Day 1) Franklin, IN	43 / 69 (661.1200)	17 (172)	20 (168)	50 (161.7144)	56 (159.4056)
May 29, 2020	Rockin BBQ 🏅 Warsaw, IN	18 / 66 (665.6336)	52 (158.8228)	13 (170.8684)	26 (165.6568)	9 (170.2856)
Sep 20, 2019	Rumble on the River Presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com 🏅 Grand Haven, MI	2 / 28 (689.1428)	2 (176.6172)	8 (170.8456)	12 (169.1200)	9 (172.5600)
Aug 2, 2019	Westland Area Jaycees All American BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Westland, MI	15 / 40 (665.6688)	3 (172)	12 (167.9888)	25 (161.7028)	19 (163.9772)
Jul 19, 2019	Bordertown BBQ Brawl 🏅 Sault Ste Marie, MI	13 / 28 (666.7200)	10 (169.1200)	12 (165.6916)	24 (161.0856)	7 (170.8228)
Jun 21, 2019	11th Annual Auburn Hills Barbecue Cook-Off 🏅 Auburn Hills, MI	5 / 30 (674.8568)	27 (159.9656)	3 (173.7256)	3 (169.1428)	4 (172.0228)
Oct 12, 2018	Smoke & Ale Fall Festival Chelsea, MI	15 / 38 (661.1656)	19 (165.6912)	11 (165.7028)	8 (169.1772)	22 (160.5944)
Oct 27, 2017	Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitation Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) Lynchburg, TN	58 / 95 (672.4684)	32 (173.1200)	33 (172.5600)	68 (165.1084)	74 (161.6800)

An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.

PB&J's BBQ

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 (12 found in their record)

The heartbreaker

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

A strong matchup

Chicken nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

The long haul

The metronome

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, 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)