Chow Town BBQ

At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)

Power ranking

#5746

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1443

peak 1443 · rated over 7 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2016-03-04

latest 2021-05-07

Best ToY finish

#1722

Master 2017

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

0 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 8 contests

Avg finish

top 85%

overall standings

Best overall

621.0288 / 720

Master · Minnesota in May

Perfect 180s

Current form

602.02

last 5 Master vs avg 601.85 (+0.16)

Walk rate

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

170.2972

Pork Ribs · Minnesota in May

Consistency

±17.72

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 157.34 · weakest Brisket (143.67)

Road miles

478

mi across 8 mapped stops · furthest 51 mi

Schedule strength

37%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1548)

Purse competed for

$12K

listed at 1 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 1 state-championship entries

Master avg

601.85 / 720

6 Master contests · 0 GCs

Backyard avg

330.86 / 360

1 Backyard contest · 0 GCs

Master and Backyard overall scores sit on different scales (Master is 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.

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (6 found in this team's record)

Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.

A tough matchup

7–0 behind in the head-to-head

SHIGGIN & GRINNIN ahead in 100% of their meetings

SHIGGIN & GRINNIN has come out ahead in 7 of their 7 shared contests.

The weak link

−13.7 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 13.67 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 0% of the time against 0%.

Brisket avg 143.67
Chicken avg 157.34
0 calls in 6 entries

A strong matchup

3–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of 3 THIRDS BBQ in 3 of their 3 shared contests.

The comeback

3 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 3 years, then back at Minnesota in May (2021-05-07).

last seen 2018-05-11
back 2021-05-07

Chicken nemesis

7 of 8 shared chicken entries lost

SHIGGIN & GRINNIN ahead 88% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, SHIGGIN & GRINNIN has out-cooked them in 7 of 8 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

BLOW N SMOKE BBQ QUAMBA MN has landed one call behind them 2 times.

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The nearest teams in the power rankings, with a different reason on each card — six teams on one rating are rarely on it for the same reason. Rating decides who makes the list; where teams tie on it, the ones this team has actually cooked against come first, then teams at a similar point in their own career. KCBS doesn’t publish where a team is from, so nothing here is inferred from geography.

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

Pomeroy Family BBQ

#5733 of the rated field

1443 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 7
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1443

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 7 contests to 8, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 7 contests
last seen 2026-07-18

⚔ Head-to-head

3 DOGS BARK BBQ

#5748 of the rated field

1443 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 7
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1443

No shared contest yet.

Level with Chow Town BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 7 contests
last seen 2024-05-17

⚔ Head-to-head

The 918 Que Crew

#5747 of the rated field

1443 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 7
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1443

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 7 contests to 8, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 7 contests
last seen 2019-04-05

⚔ Head-to-head

SWEET BUTT BBQ

#5749 of the rated field

1443 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 7
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1443

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2017, 4 years before Chow Town BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 7 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

Boob-B-Q

#5740 of the rated field

1443 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 6
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1443

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 6 contests to 8, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 6 contests
last seen 2025-10-17

⚔ Head-to-head

SWINE STEWARD

#5744 of the rated field

1443 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 6
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1443

No shared contest yet.

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2016.

rated over 6 contests
last seen 2025-08-29

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
BSQ'S	7	2	5	29%	⚔ compare
SMOKE IN THE EYE	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
SHIGGIN & GRINNIN	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
Hogline	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
TRUE SMOKE BBQ	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
LUCKY 19 SAUCE COMPANY	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
The Docfather BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
BURNT WOOD BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
Totally Sauced	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
WHITEWATER BBQ COMPANY	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
BIG CITY BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
MONKEYS' UNCLES BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
CROIX VALLEY SAUCES	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
ACES HIGH BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
Borgy the BBQ Butcher	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	8	167.9772	149.7028	157.34	top 70%
Pork Ribs	8	170.2972	131.3484	153.90	top 67%
Pork	7	162.8112	143.3484	150.40	top 89%
Brisket	6	150.2400	139.3716	143.67	top 94%

“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.

Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Minnesota in May	2	65	0	top 95%	2018-05-11
Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship	2	44	0	top 97%	2018-03-02

The story so far (18 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 5.2 yrs 2016-03-04 → 2021-05-07

Busiest season 2018 2 contests

Contests a season 1.6 across 5 seasons in the data

Cooks most in MN 8 of 8 contests

Contests visited 5 2 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 8 entries · 0 wins · 0 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 157.34 · weakest Brisket (143.67)

Walk rate 0% a top-10 call in 0 of 8 contests

Overall top-10 rate 0% 0 of 8 contests

Master average 601.85 out of 720 · 6 contests · 0 GCs

Backyard average 330.86 out of 360 · 1 contest · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 241 85–382 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 478 8 mapped stops · furthest 51 mi

Schedule strength 1548 average field rating faced — tougher than 37% of rated contests

Purse competed for $11,500 listed at 1 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 1 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 3 yrs 2018-05-11 → 2021-05-07

Power rating 1443 peak 1443 · #5746 of 6,413 rated

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

2015
Feb 27 First tracked contest Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship (Competitor's Series)
2016
Mar 4 Peak power rating (1488) Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship
May 13 Career-best overall score621.0288 Minnesota in May
May 13 Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)170.2972 Minnesota in May
2021
May 7 First overall past 90% of a perfect score330.8568 Minnesota in May
May 7 Most recent contest Minnesota in May

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+9.6	Minnesota in May	2021-05-07

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-11.9	Minnesota in May	2016-05-13
-11.9	Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship	2016-03-04
-11.8	Minnesota in May	2017-05-12
-11.5	Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship	2018-03-02
-10.2	Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship	2017-03-03

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	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2021	1	0%	top 30%	91.9%	91.9%
2018	2	0%	top 96%	85.8%	82.3%
2017	2	0%	top 95%	84.4%	83.6%
2016	2	0%	top 92%	86.3%	84.9%
2015	1	0%	—	—	—

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2021-05-07	Minnesota in May 🏅 Cambridge, MN	18 / 60 (330.8568)	15 (166.3084)	22 (164.5484)	—	—
2018-05-11	Minnesota in May Falcon Heights, MN	65 / 70 (617.5200)	26 (167.9772)	70 (141.0744)	46 (162.8112)	66 (145.6572)
2018-03-02	Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship Onamia, MN	57 / 57 (567.1768)	57 (150.2400)	57 (131.3484)	55 (143.3484)	54 (142.2400)
2017-05-12	Minnesota in May Falcon Heights, MN	69 / 71 (596.3656)	62 (151.3712)	68 (149.0972)	70 (145.6572)	61 (150.2400)
2017-03-03	Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship Onamia, MN	44 / 47 (607.9888)	34 (161.7372)	42 (153.1544)	43 (149.6800)	45 (143.4172)
2016-05-13	Minnesota in May Falcon Heights, MN	65 / 71 (621.0288)	53 (159.4172)	11 (170.2972)	68 (150.2284)	68 (141.0860)
2016-03-04	Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship Isle, MN	54 / 59 (601.0288)	52 (149.7028)	34 (159.9888)	54 (151.9656)	58 (139.3716)
2015-02-27	Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship (Competitor's Series) Isle, MN	—	38 (151.9772)	19 (161.7028)	40 (149.1428)	—

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
2017 ↗	Master	#1722 (120 pts)	#1802 (120 pts)	#1822 (120 pts)	#1799 (120 pts)	#1794 (120 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#2274 (60 pts)	#2353 (60 pts)	#1818 (130 pts)	#2326 (60 pts)	#2345 (60 pts)