The heartbreaker
Tie
level with the champion
Finished level on points with the champion at Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (Mar 20, 2026) — the Grand Championship went to the KCBS tiebreaker.
Big James Kitchen
Big James Kitchen is a competition barbecue team with 29 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2023 and 2026. They have won 6 Grand Championships, most recently at the Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES) (2026), and finished Reserve Grand Champion 4 times. They are ranked #598 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1659
peak 1660 · rated over 18 contests9 invitational or side-series contests not counted
Contests
29
in the data
First seen
Nov 17, 2023
latest Jul 24, 2026 · 2.7 years on the trail
Grand champs
6
4 reserve · wins it all 21% of the time
Category wins
4
19 podiums
Overall top-10s
15
52% of 29 contests
Best top-10 run
6
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 20%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
4 🔥
Current form
354.27 ▲
last 5 Backyard vs avg 349.07 (+5.20)
Walk rate
72%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±7.03
spread of their Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 175.39 · weakest Brisket (169.03)
Road miles
4,336
across 29 mapped stops · furthest 476 mi
Schedule strength
74%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1595)
Purse competed for
$190K
listed at 23 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
1 🏅
won from 13 state-championship entries
Master avg
684.30 / 720
7 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
349.07 / 360
15 Backyard contests · 3 GCs
These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard out of 360), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.
This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.
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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Backyard | #81 (628 pts) | #93 (558 pts) | #92 (578 pts) | — | — |
| 2026 ↗ | Master | #867 (117 pts) | #963 (107 pts) | #846 (162 pts) | #974 (92 pts) | #833 (122 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #26 (1,135 pts) | #46 (999 pts) | #45 (974 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #799 (146 pts) | #670 (261 pts) | #1116 (111 pts) | #403 (549 pts) | #845 (151 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Backyard | #142 (403 pts) | #176 (308 pts) | #148 (373 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #489 (383 pts) | #513 (398 pts) | #680 (278 pts) | #521 (383 pts) | #581 (323 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Big James Kitchen, each with one reason worth a look.
#597 of the rated field
- Contests
- 54
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 24%
- Peak
- 1659
2–1 in 3 shared contests (67% to Big James Kitchen)
These two have cooked 3 of the same contests — Big James Kitchen ahead 2–1 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.
⚔ Head-to-head#601 of the rated field
- Contests
- 71
- GCs
- 4
- Top-10s
- 37%
- Peak
- 1682
1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to Big James Kitchen)
A longer road to the same neighbourhood — 71 contests to 29.
⚔ Head-to-head#596 of the rated field
- Contests
- 47
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 49%
- Peak
- 1685
Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 7 years before Big James Kitchen's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#600 of the rated field
- Contests
- 57
- GCs
- 3
- Top-10s
- 51%
- Peak
- 1712
They've been 1712 at their best, 54 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Compare careers#599 of the rated field
- Contests
- 88
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 44%
- Peak
- 1702
88 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 44% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#603 of the rated field
- Contests
- 24
- GCs
- 3
- Top-10s
- 67%
- Peak
- 1658
3–1 in 4 shared contests (75% to Big James Kitchen)
3 straight overall top-10s says this rating is a moving target.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electro-Que-ted | 20 | 7 | 12 | 35% | ⚔ compare |
| BAD ROOSTER BBQ | 14 | 5 | 8 | 36% | ⚔ compare |
| Blue Smoke Q | 13 | 8 | 5 | 62% | ⚔ compare |
| ZIPS BBQ | 13 | 8 | 5 | 62% | ⚔ compare |
| LEE LA Q | 13 | 8 | 5 | 62% | ⚔ compare |
| Rollin Smoke BBQ | 13 | 8 | 5 | 62% | ⚔ compare |
| Smokey Bees BBQ - MS | 13 | 7 | 6 | 54% | ⚔ compare |
| TRIPLE H BBQ | 13 | 6 | 7 | 46% | ⚔ compare |
| NORALA BBQ TEAM | 13 | 5 | 8 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | 13 | 4 | 9 | 31% | ⚔ compare |
| COOL HAND QUE | 12 | 10 | 2 | 83% | ⚔ compare |
| HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ | 12 | 9 | 3 | 75% | ⚔ compare |
| Bentley Que | 12 | 7 | 5 | 58% | ⚔ compare |
| MAYA JANE BBQ CO. | 11 | 9 | 2 | 82% | ⚔ compare |
| Dogpatch Q | 11 | 9 | 2 | 82% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 26 | 17 | 1 | 6 | 180 🔥 | 169.6684 | 175.39 | top 20% |
| Pork Ribs | 26 | 15 | 2 | 8 | 180 🔥 | 157.0628 | 172.73 | top 29% |
| Pork | 17 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 177.7144 | 167.3712 | 173.90 | top 22% |
| Brisket | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 173.7028 | 160.5144 | 169.03 | top 55% |
“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) | 11 | 5 | top 18% |
| Large (40+) | 15 | 1 | top 22% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES) | 3 | 1 | 2 | top 4% | Jun 12, 2026 |
| Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship | 3 | 2 | 0 | top 13% | Mar 20, 2026 |
| Atlanta BBQ Store Classic | 3 | 3 | 0 | top 27% | Nov 14, 2025 |
| Smoke on the Water Guntersville (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 1 | 2 | top 3% | Sep 12, 2025 |
| Sip & Swine BBQ Festival | 2 | 1 | 1 | top 3% | Mar 6, 2026 |
| 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational (Sunday, May 25, 2025) | 2 | 5 | 0 | top 17% | May 25, 2025 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2025
14 contests · 2 GCs
Contests a season
7.3
across 4 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
TN
13 of 29 contests · 7 states in all
Contests visited
17
6 of them more than once
First title
Apr 19, 2024
Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES)
Opponents faced
707
finished ahead 1,453 times, behind 396
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20266 milestones
- First state championship Sip & Swine BBQ Festival
- 25th tracked contest Sip & Swine BBQ Festival
- 5th Grand Championship Sip & Swine BBQ Festival
- Biggest field won (44 teams) Sip & Swine BBQ Festival
- Peak power rating (1660) Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship
- Most recent contest Fire on the Mountain BBQ
20249 milestones
- First call Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship
- First category win (Chicken) Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES)
- First overall top-10 Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES)
- First overall podium Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES)
- First Grand Championship Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES)
- First perfect 180 (Chicken) Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES)
- First Reserve Championship Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES)
- Career-best overall score695.3600 BBQ & Fly-In on the River
- 10th tracked contest Atlanta BBQ Store Classic
20232 milestones
- First tracked contest Atlanta BBQ Store Classic
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score674.1372 Atlanta BBQ Store Classic
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +17.8 | Smoke on the Water Guntersville (BACKYARD ONLY) | Sep 13, 2024 |
| +15.7 | Smoke on the Water Guntersville (BACKYARD ONLY) | Sep 12, 2025 |
| +15.1 | Sip & Swine BBQ Festival | Mar 7, 2025 |
| +14.8 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship | Mar 15, 2024 |
| +14.6 | BBQ & Fly-In on the River | Aug 16, 2024 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -9.4 | Honeybee BBQ Competition | May 30, 2025 |
| -4.4 | Atlanta BBQ Store Classic | Nov 17, 2023 |
| -4 | Poosa Q | Jun 20, 2025 |
| -1.3 | Fire on the Mountain BBQ | Jul 24, 2026 |
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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 80% | top 16% | 99.7% | 97.7% |
| 2025 | 14 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 79% | top 22% | 99.4% | 96.7% |
| 2024 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 67% | top 15% | 98.4% | 96.2% |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 63% | 93.6% | 93.6% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 24, 2026 | Fire on the Mountain BBQ 🏅 Leburn, KY | 11 / 22 (683.8624) | 13 (169.6684) | 6 (174.2744) | 16 (167.3712) | 10 (172.5484) |
| Jun 12, 2026 | Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES) unrated Springfield, TN | 1 / 32 (535.4288) | 3 (180) | 2 (178.8572) | 3 (176.5716) | — |
| May 24, 2026 | 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: Master Series Invitational and the Backyard Series Invitational (Sunday, May 24, 2026) unrated Lebanon, TN | 20 / 82 (346.2284) | 14 (175.4056) | 31 (170.8228) | — | — |
| Mar 20, 2026 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 2 / 125 (358.8572) | 2 (180) | 3 (178.8572) | 12 (172.5716) | — |
| Mar 6, 2026 | Sip & Swine BBQ Festival 🏅 Lawrenceville, GA | 1 / 44 (354.2744) | 5 (175.4172) | 1 (178.8572) | — | — |
| Nov 14, 2025 | Atlanta BBQ Store Classic 🏅 Cumming, GA | 3 / 56 (354.2744) | 5 (176.5716) | 3 (177.7028) | — | — |
| Sep 12, 2025 | Smoke on the Water Guntersville (BACKYARD ONLY) Guntersville, AL | 1 / 28 (357.7144) | 6 (177.7144) | 3 (180) | — | — |
| Sep 12, 2025 | The Great Alabama BBQ Cook-off Qualifier "Lakeside Pork Fest" (ONE MEAT PORK) Guntersville, AL | — | — | — | 1 (176.5716) | — |
| Aug 22, 2025 | Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) Lincoln, IL | 6 / 31 (348.5256) | 7 (175.4056) | 10 (173.1200) | — | — |
| Aug 1, 2025 | Smoke on the Water BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Florence, AL | 2 / 23 (351.9656) | 2 (176.5600) | 6 (175.4056) | 13 (169.1200) | — |
| Jun 20, 2025 | Poosa Q 🏅 Montgomery, AL | 26 / 42 (334.2056) | 21 (169.6800) | 27 (164.5256) | — | — |
| Jun 13, 2025 | Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES) unrated Springfield, TN | 1 / 36 (535.4172) | 2 (178.8572) | 3 (178.8572) | 2 (177.7028) | — |
| May 30, 2025 | Honeybee BBQ Competition 🏅 Lafayette, GA | 18 / 26 (673.0056) | 8 (175.4056) | 25 (157.0628) | 3 (175.4172) | 17 (165.1200) |
| May 25, 2025 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational (Sunday, May 25, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN | 5 / 70 (352.5716) | 7 (176) | 6 (176.5716) | — | — |
| May 24, 2025 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational (Saturday, May 24, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN | 29 / 106 (692.4800) | 14 (177.7028) | 61 (170.8344) | 27 (175.4056) | 67 (168.5372) |
| May 23, 2025 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational Anything Molasses (Friday, May 23, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mar 21, 2025 | Singing River Smoke-O-Rama (BACKYARD ONLY) Athens, AL | 16 / 43 (342.8116) | 22 (169.6800) | 8 (173.1316) | — | — |
| Mar 14, 2025 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 22 / 100 (342.8000) | 18 (173.1200) | 25 (169.6800) | 5 (176.5600) | — |
| Mar 7, 2025 | Sip & Swine BBQ Festival 🏅 Lawrenceville, GA | 2 / 45 (354.2744) | 2 (177.7028) | 2 (176.5716) | 2 (177.7144) | — |
| Nov 15, 2024 | Atlanta BBQ Store Classic 🏅 Cuming, GA | 7 / 58 (345.0856) | 7 (175.4056) | 13 (169.6800) | 5 (175.4172) | — |
| Sep 13, 2024 | Smoke on the Water Guntersville (BACKYARD ONLY) Guntersville, AL | 1 / 33 (354.2628) | 6 (175.4056) | 1 (178.8572) | — | — |
| Aug 16, 2024 | BBQ & Fly-In on the River 🏅 Excelsior Springs, MO | 11 / 65 (695.3600) | 14 (175.4172) | 29 (170.2628) | 12 (176.5600) | 23 (173.1200) |
| Jul 19, 2024 | The Buckeye BBQ Classic 🏅 Hillsboro, OH | 10 / 33 (682.2056) | 7 (173.7028) | 17 (165.6800) | 16 (169.1200) | 10 (173.7028) |
| Jun 7, 2024 | Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES) unrated Springfield, TN | 2 / 33 (521.6572) | 4 (176.5600) | 8 (173.1200) | 6 (171.9772) | — |
| May 24, 2024 | 6th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN unrated Lebanon, TN | 39 / 118 (689.0284) | 29 (175.4172) | 88 (167.3828) | 18 (176.5600) | 64 (169.6684) |
| Apr 19, 2024 | Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES) unrated Murfreesboro, TN | 1 / 37 (529.1428) | 1 (180) | 7 (173.1200) | — | — |
| Mar 15, 2024 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 13 / 93 (338.2284) | 10 (171.4056) | 19 (166.8228) | 10 (170.8228) | — |
| Mar 15, 2024 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT RIBS) Lebanon, TN | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nov 17, 2023 | Atlanta BBQ Store Classic 🏅 Cumming, GA | 38 / 60 (674.1372) | 29 (171.9656) | 31 (170.8344) | 28 (170.8228) | 54 (160.5144) |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.