CLIFFS SMOKIN BBQ

CLIFFS SMOKIN BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 16 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2018 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 11th of 16 at the Smoke on the Dragon BBQ-N-Brew (2019). They are ranked #5963 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#5,963

of 6,476 rated · rankings

Rating

1436

peak 1436 · rated over 13 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted

Contests

in the data

First seen

May 26, 2018

latest Mar 20, 2026 · 7.8 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#635

Master 2021 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

0 podiums

Overall top-10s

0% of 16 contests

Avg finish

top 77%

overall standings

Best overall

658.8000 / 720

Master · BBQ, Blues & Brews on the Bay

Perfect 180s

Current form

649.07 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 644.25 (+4.83)

Walk rate

25%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

172.5600

Pork · BBQ, Blues & Brews on the Bay

Consistency

±12.29

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 161.68 · weakest Brisket (159.12)

Road miles

4,085

across 16 mapped stops · furthest 2,068 mi

Schedule strength

62%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1578)

Purse competed for

$129K

listed at 9 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 10 state-championship entries

Master avg

644.25 / 720

13 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (8 found in their record)

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

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

503BACKYARDBBQ has finished one call ahead of CLIFFS SMOKIN BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2019 their best year

2019 was the year it came together: 3 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 59%.

3 contests
0 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 59%

A tough matchup

8–0 behind in the head-to-head

Organizer Portal ahead in 100% of their meetings

Organizer Portal has come out ahead in 8 of their 8 shared contests.

A strong matchup

3–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Bradshaw's Kitchen in 3 of their 3 shared contests.

The comeback

1.6 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 1.6 years, then back at Sip & Swine BBQ Festival (Mar 5, 2021).

last seen Jul 20, 2019
back Mar 5, 2021

Pork nemesis

7 of 8 shared pork entries lost

Organizer Portal ahead 88% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, Organizer Portal has out-cooked them in 7 of 8 shared pork entries.

The long haul

4,085 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 4,085 miles across 16 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 2,068 miles to BBQ Blues & Brews on the Bay (JUDGES FULL).

16 mapped stops
furthest 2,068 mi

Show 1 more storyline

The metronome

±1.80% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.80% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 89.7% of a perfect score
16 contests

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	#1020 (60 pts)	#1093 (60 pts)	#954 (120 pts)	#1067 (60 pts)	#1051 (60 pts)
2025 ↗	Master	#1148 (60 pts)	#1221 (60 pts)	#1020 (120 pts)	#1190 (60 pts)	#1190 (60 pts)
2023 ↗	Master	#1255 (60 pts)	#1319 (60 pts)	#1432 (60 pts)	#1287 (60 pts)	#1296 (60 pts)
2022 ↗	Master	#1309 (60 pts)	#1341 (60 pts)	#1404 (60 pts)	#1348 (60 pts)	#1333 (60 pts)
2021 ↗	Master	#635 (242 pts)	#666 (247 pts)	#698 (237 pts)	#620 (267 pts)	#689 (237 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#868 (326 pts)	#942 (306 pts)	#824 (386 pts)	#882 (346 pts)	#955 (306 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#1366 (162 pts)	#1363 (177 pts)	#1534 (137 pts)	#1251 (207 pts)	#1457 (157 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to CLIFFS SMOKIN BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

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

Wicked Pig BBQ

#5,961 of the rated field

1436 power rating

Contests: 24
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 4%
Peak: 1436

1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to CLIFFS SMOKIN BBQ)

2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team CLIFFS SMOKIN BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 22 contests
last seen Sep 25, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

C&C BBQ

#5,965 of the rated field

1436 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1436

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 12 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 12 contests
last seen Jun 2, 2017

⚔ Compare careers

Double D's BBQ

#5,959 of the rated field

1436 power rating

Contests: 16
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 13%
Peak: 1436

Careers of much the same size, 16 contests to 16, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 15 contests
last seen Oct 11, 2024

⚔ Compare careers

Porkganic BBQ

#5,968 of the rated field

1436 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1436

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

rated over 9 contests
last seen Jan 22, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

HenriQ

#5,967 of the rated field

1436 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1436

Their last contest in the data was back in 2016, 10 years before CLIFFS SMOKIN BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 8 contests

⚔ Compare careers

L&C Smokin BBQ

#5,966 of the rated field

1436 power rating

Contests: 7
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1436

They were already cooking in 2013, 5 years before CLIFFS SMOKIN BBQ's first contest.

rated over 7 contests
last seen Nov 5, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Organizer Portal	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
HOGGY BOTTOM BOYS	7	3	4	43%	⚔ compare
ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
SmokinGhost BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
The Yellow Rose Texas BBQ Company	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
COOL HAND QUE	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
LEE LA Q	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
ZIPS BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
Stewbabys BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
Pig Destroyer	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
CONTINENTAL BARBEQUE CO.	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
Blinkys Offset BBQ	5	2	3	40%	⚔ compare
Purdom's BBQ	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare
BLUE CHIP BBQ	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
CHOOCHOO BBQ	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	14	0	168.5828	150.2284	161.59	top 78%
Pork Ribs	16	1	169.6800	149.6800	161.54	top 67%
Pork	13	2	172.5600	141.1200	161.68	top 72%
Brisket	13	2	165.1428	152.5600	159.12	top 75%

“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)	1	top 69%
Medium (20–39)	6	top 67%
Large (40+)	7	top 86%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
TN	7	top 86%
OR	3	top 64%
GA	2	top 77%
BC	1	top 67%
WA	1	top 56%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship	4	53	top 90%	Mar 20, 2026
Sip & Swine BBQ Festival	2	56	top 77%	Mar 4, 2022
BBQ, Blues & Brews on the Bay	2	14	top 62%	May 25, 2019

More numbers

Busiest season 2021 4 contests

Contests a season 2 across 8 seasons in the data

Most contests held in TN 9 of 16 contests · 5 states and provinces in all

Contests visited 9 3 of them more than once

Most-entered meat Pork Ribs 16 entries · 0 wins · 1 call

Opponents faced 564 finished ahead 142 times, behind 846

Longest layoff 1.6 yrs Jul 20, 2019 → Mar 5, 2021

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

20261 milestone

Mar 20 Most recent contest Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship

20221 milestone

Mar 4 10th tracked contest Sip & Swine BBQ Festival

20193 milestones

May 25 Career-best overall score658.8000 BBQ, Blues & Brews on the Bay
May 25 Career-best single call (Pork)172.5600 BBQ, Blues & Brews on the Bay
May 25 Peak power rating (1496) BBQ, Blues & Brews on the Bay

20183 milestones

May 26 First tracked contest BBQ Blues & Brews on the Bay (JUDGES FULL)
Aug 18 First call 2nd Annual Hudson Bay Heritage Days BBQ Cook Off
Aug 18 First overall past 90% of a perfect score656.4112 2nd Annual Hudson Bay Heritage Days BBQ Cook Off

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+5.3	BBQ, Blues & Brews on the Bay	May 25, 2019

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-8.9	BBQ Blues & Brews on the Bay (JUDGES FULL)	May 26, 2018
-8.4	Sip & Swine BBQ Festival	Mar 5, 2021
-8.3	Smoke on The Shores BBQ Championship	Mar 19, 2021
-7.5	Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship	Mar 17, 2023
-7.4	Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship	Mar 20, 2026

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	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2026	2	0%	top 92%	89.1%	89.1%
2025	2	0%	top 89%	91%	91%
2024	1	0%	top 78%	92.4%	92.4%
2023	1	0%	top 88%	90.1%	90.1%
2022	1	0%	top 77%	89.3%	89.3%
2021	4	0%	top 84%	91.2%	89.4%
2019	3	100%	top 59%	91.5%	89.2%
2018	2	50%	top 69%	91.2%	89.2%

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	115 / 125 (641.4628)	120 (157.0628)	63 (169.6800)	121 (157.0628)	115 (157.6572)
Mar 20, 2026	Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT RIBS) Lebanon, TN	—	—	81 (150.7772)	—	—
Mar 14, 2025	Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN	89 / 100 (655.2804)	86 (165.0972)	56 (169.1316)	80 (165.6800)	94 (155.3716)
Mar 14, 2025	Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT RIBS) Lebanon, TN	—	—	56 (162.8232)	—	—
Apr 19, 2024	Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES) unrated Murfreesboro, TN	29 / 37 (498.7544)	29 (162.8000)	27 (165.6916)	—	—
Mar 17, 2023	Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN	70 / 80 (648.9716)	73 (162.8000)	33 (168.5372)	73 (157.0856)	66 (160.5488)
Mar 4, 2022	Sip & Swine BBQ Festival 🏅 Lawrenceville, GA	56 / 73 (643.1996)	60 (159.3944)	45 (167.9656)	58 (162.7884)	63 (153.0512)
Sep 3, 2021	Smithfield Classic in Nashville 🏅 Nashville, TN	45 / 50 (656.4456)	40 (165.6800)	32 (169.1200)	41 (166.8228)	47 (154.8228)
Jun 25, 2021	Blount County BBQ Bash 🏅 Maryville, TN	24 / 32 (647.2800)	23 (163.9428)	27 (151.9772)	19 (167.4172)	25 (163.9428)
Mar 19, 2021	Smoke on The Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN	53 / 57 (624.9484)	56 (150.2284)	55 (149.6916)	48 (159.9428)	42 (165.0856)
Mar 5, 2021	Sip & Swine BBQ Festival 🏅 Lawrenceville, GA	62 / 81 (646.0800)	67 (159.3600)	62 (158.2400)	57 (164.5256)	53 (163.9544)
Jul 20, 2019	Barn Burner BBQ Chilliwack, BC	14 / 21 (619.3144)	15 (160.5028)	12 (159.4172)	20 (141.1200)	10 (158.2744)
Jul 5, 2019	Smoke on the Dragon BBQ-N-Brew 🏅 Dallas, OR	11 / 16 (649.1884)	13 (157.1428)	6 (167.4400)	13 (159.4628)	9 (165.1428)
May 25, 2019	BBQ, Blues & Brews on the Bay 🏅 North Bend, OR	14 / 34 (658.8000)	15 (168.5828)	13 (165.0972)	6 (172.5600)	26 (152.5600)
Aug 18, 2018	2nd Annual Hudson Bay Heritage Days BBQ Cook Off DuPont, WA	15 / 27 (656.4112)	12 (168.5256)	20 (159.4056)	8 (170.8228)	18 (157.6572)
May 26, 2018	BBQ Blues & Brews on the Bay (JUDGES FULL) North Bend, OR	29 / 35 (627.8284)	27 (161.0856)	33 (149.6800)	25 (156.5372)	23 (160.5256)

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

CLIFFS SMOKIN BBQ

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

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)

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

A strong matchup

The comeback

Pork nemesis

The long haul

The metronome

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Overall rank by season

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)