High-water mark
688.5600
career-best overall
95.6% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 688.5600 at WashMo BBQ & Bluesfest (JUDGING FULL) — 95.6% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- Apr 28, 2023
A&R Q
A&R Q is a competition barbecue team with 16 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2023 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 7th of 30 at the Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITORS SERIES) (2023). They are ranked #3832 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1486
peak 1524 · rated over 11 contests3 invitational or side-series contests not counted
Contests
16
in the data
First seen
Apr 28, 2023
latest Mar 20, 2026 · 2.9 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
1 podium
Overall top-10s
4
25% of 16 contests
Best top-10 run
3
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 59%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
663.73 ▼
last 5 Master vs avg 669.03 (-5.30)
Walk rate
31%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±16.10
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork
avg 169.00 · weakest Brisket (163.53)
Road miles
3,021
across 16 mapped stops · furthest 495 mi
Schedule strength
79%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1602)
Purse competed for
$220K
listed at 13 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 11 state-championship entries
Master avg
669.03 / 720
12 Master contests · 0 GCs
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 ↗ | Master | #1065 (60 pts) | #909 (120 pts) | #980 (120 pts) | #1111 (60 pts) | #1102 (60 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #561 (314 pts) | #530 (379 pts) | #582 (374 pts) | #557 (349 pts) | #547 (354 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #379 (531 pts) | #441 (501 pts) | #321 (796 pts) | #317 (671 pts) | #436 (461 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to A&R Q, each with one reason worth a look.
139 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#3,823 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 10%
- Peak
- 1502
Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 8 years before A&R Q's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#3,819 of the rated field
- Contests
- 9
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 11%
- Peak
- 1502
Fewer contests behind them than A&R Q has cooked, 9 to 16, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Compare careers#3,836 of the rated field
- Contests
- 9
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 11%
- Peak
- 1504
They were already cooking in 2015, 8 years before A&R Q's first contest.
⚔ Compare careers#3,839 of the rated field
- Contests
- 9
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 11%
- Peak
- 1486
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 9 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#3,841 of the rated field
- Contests
- 9
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1486
Level with A&R Q on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careers#3,853 of the rated field
- Contests
- 14
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 36%
- Peak
- 1535
14 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 36% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kith n' Kin | 9 | 1 | 8 | 11% | ⚔ compare |
| ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ | 8 | 1 | 7 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| JANKY LEG BBQ | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| COCAMOKE SMOKE BBQ | 6 | 2 | 4 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| HOT COLE'S BBQ | 6 | 2 | 4 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| BAD ROOSTER BBQ | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| RAZORRACKS | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Shiggin aint easy | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| SmokinGhost BBQ | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| TENNESSEE SMOKE SHOWIN | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| TRIPLE H BBQ | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| THE BBQ BUS | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| ZIPS BBQ | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 174.2744 | 150.2628 | 167.66 | top 57% |
| Pork Ribs | 15 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 176.5944 | 149.6800 | 168.71 | top 46% |
| Pork | 14 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 177.7144 | 154.7772 | 169.00 | top 49% |
| Brisket | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 170.2628 | 151.3372 | 163.53 | top 69% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 1 | 0 | top 44% |
| Medium (20–39) | 6 | 0 | top 51% |
| Large (40+) | 7 | 0 | top 68% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bands & BBQ at the Point | 2 | 21 | 0 | top 76% | Sep 13, 2024 |
| Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES) | 2 | 7 | 0 | top 25% | Jun 7, 2024 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2023
8 contests
Contests a season
5.3
across 3 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
TN
8 of 16 contests · 8 states in all
Contests visited
12
2 of them more than once
Opponents faced
934
finished ahead 589 times, behind 750
Longest layoff
1.5 yrs
Sep 13, 2024 → Mar 20, 2026
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20261 milestone
- Most recent contest Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship
20241 milestone
- 10th tracked contest 6th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN
20237 milestones
- First tracked contest WashMo BBQ & Bluesfest (JUDGING FULL)
- First call WashMo BBQ & Bluesfest (JUDGING FULL)
- First overall top-10 WashMo BBQ & Bluesfest (JUDGING FULL)
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score688.5600 WashMo BBQ & Bluesfest (JUDGING FULL)
- Career-best overall score688.5600 WashMo BBQ & Bluesfest (JUDGING FULL)
- Career-best single call (Pork)177.7144 3rd Annual Obion County Fair BBQ Cook Off - Day 1
- Peak power rating (1524) American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +15.1 | WashMo BBQ & Bluesfest (JUDGING FULL) | Apr 28, 2023 |
| +12.1 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | Sep 27, 2023 |
| +8.2 | 3rd Annual Obion County Fair BBQ Cook Off - Day 1 | May 19, 2023 |
| +2.2 | Southaven Springfest | Apr 26, 2024 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -11.2 | Bands & BBQ at the Point | Sep 8, 2023 |
| -10 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship | Mar 20, 2026 |
| -8.9 | Atlanta BBQ Store Classic | Nov 17, 2023 |
| -8.5 | Poosa Q | Oct 5, 2023 |
| -6.8 | Bands & BBQ at the Point | Sep 13, 2024 |
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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 94% | 87.2% | 87.2% |
| 2024 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20% | top 62% | 94.5% | 93.6% |
| 2023 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 50% | top 52% | 95.6% | 93.7% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 20, 2026 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 118 / 125 (627.7716) | 82 (168.5372) | 121 (153.1200) | 122 (154.7772) | 122 (151.3372) |
| Mar 20, 2026 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Lebanon, TN | — | 47 (167.3828) | — | — | — |
| Mar 20, 2026 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT RIBS) Lebanon, TN | — | — | 82 (149.6800) | — | — |
| Sep 13, 2024 | Bands & BBQ at the Point 🏅 Carrollton, KY | 21 / 31 (671.3604) | 18 (170.8228) | 25 (161.1316) | 14 (169.1432) | 14 (170.2628) |
| Jun 21, 2024 | Big BBQ Bash 🏅 Maryville, TN | 26 / 33 (663.2456) | 23 (163.9428) | 17 (170.8228) | 29 (162.2400) | 24 (166.2400) |
| Jun 7, 2024 | Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES) unrated Springfield, TN | 9 / 33 (510.1944) | 14 (167.3828) | 11 (170.8344) | 5 (171.9772) | — |
| May 24, 2024 | 6th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN unrated Lebanon, TN | 91 / 118 (675.8512) | 74 (171.9656) | 65 (170.2512) | 53 (171.9772) | 100 (161.6572) |
| Apr 26, 2024 | Southaven Springfest 🏅 Southaven, MS | 25 / 44 (680.4340) | 17 (171.9656) | 17 (173.7144) | 31 (168.5256) | 28 (166.2284) |
| Nov 17, 2023 | Atlanta BBQ Store Classic 🏅 Cumming, GA | 49 / 60 (665.5660) | 35 (169.6916) | 38 (169.6800) | 37 (167.3944) | 56 (158.8000) |
| Oct 5, 2023 | Poosa Q 🏅 Montgomery, AL | 57 / 73 (661.0288) | 49 (166.2628) | 45 (166.2628) | 21 (171.4288) | 67 (157.0744) |
| Sep 27, 2023 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 107 / 487 (685.6800) | 184 (170.8228) | 52 (175.4172) | 194 (169.7144) | 160 (169.7256) |
| Sep 21, 2023 | Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard 🏅 Murphysboro, IL | 32 / 50 (663.8972) | 39 (159.9428) | 7 (174.2972) | 41 (162.2744) | 27 (167.3828) |
| Sep 8, 2023 | Bands & BBQ at the Point 🏅 Carrollton, KY | 28 / 33 (658.2284) | 33 (150.2628) | 15 (170.8228) | 18 (170.2628) | 21 (166.8800) |
| Jun 9, 2023 | Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITORS SERIES) unrated Springfield, TN | 7 / 30 (687.3716) | 12 (170.8460) | 6 (171.4056) | 4 (176) | — |
| May 19, 2023 | 3rd Annual Obion County Fair BBQ Cook Off - Day 1 🏅 Union City, TN | 8 / 18 (686.7772) | 5 (174.2744) | 4 (176.5600) | 2 (177.7144) | 15 (158.2284) |
| Apr 28, 2023 | WashMo BBQ & Bluesfest (JUDGING FULL) 🏅 Washington, MO | 8 / 37 (688.5600) | 18 (170.8228) | 4 (176.5944) | 10 (172.5828) | 15 (168.5600) |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.