Perfect scores on the board
1
perfect 180
1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in chicken.
- Chicken ×1
Old Grunt BBQ
Old Grunt BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 9 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2022 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 32nd of 37 at the University of Arkansas Animal Science Boots, Brews, and BBQ Contest (2026). They are ranked #4857 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1466
peak 1466 · rated over 7 contests
Contests
9
in the data
First seen
Oct 21, 2022
latest Mar 13, 2026 · 3.4 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
0 podiums
Overall top-10s
0
0% of 9 contests
Avg finish
top 81%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
1 🔥
Current form
622.49 ▼
last 5 Master vs avg 625.57 (-3.08)
Walk rate
11%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±59.96
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 166.33 · weakest Brisket (155.46)
Road miles
1,324
across 9 mapped stops · furthest 373 mi
Schedule strength
83%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1611)
Purse competed for
$376K
listed at 9 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 7 state-championship entries
Master avg
625.57 / 720
7 Master contests · 0 GCs
Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Old Grunt BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
130 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#4,849 of the rated field
- Contests
- 14
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 7%
- Peak
- 1466
1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to Old Grunt BBQ)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Old Grunt BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#4,854 of the rated field
- Contests
- 7
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 29%
- Peak
- 1466
Careers of much the same size, 7 contests to 9, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#4,864 of the rated field
- Contests
- 7
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1465
They were already cooking in 2017, 5 years before Old Grunt BBQ's first contest.
⚔ Compare careers#4,845 of the rated field
- Contests
- 7
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1503
They've been 1503 at their best, 37 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Compare careers#4,847 of the rated field
- Contests
- 7
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 14%
- Peak
- 1466
Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 7 years before Old Grunt BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#4,850 of the rated field
- Contests
- 7
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1466
Level with Old Grunt BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kermit's Ex | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| Crossed Rifles BBQ | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| FIRE DANCER BBQ | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| Kith n' Kin | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| LA PASADITA | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| RAZORRACKS | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| CHICKEN FRIED BBQ | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| PARTS 'R' SMOKIN | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| PIGLITICALLY INCORRECT BBQ | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| WOOD HOOK BBQ | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| Ahh Townley BBQ | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| Piggin' Whiskey | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| GETTIN' BASTED | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 180 🔥 | 151.3600 | 166.33 | top 62% |
| Pork Ribs | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 173.1200 | 158.8116 | 165.36 | top 65% |
| Pork | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 168.5600 | 157.0744 | 161.49 | top 78% |
| Brisket | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 167.3944 | 139.9544 | 155.46 | top 85% |
“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) | 1 | 0 | top 86% |
| Large (40+) | 6 | 0 | top 81% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | 2 | 120 | 0 | top 57% | Nov 5, 2025 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2024
3 contests
Contests a season
1.8
across 5 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
KS
5 of 9 contests · 2 states in all
Contests visited
6
1 of them more than once
Opponents faced
778
finished ahead 433 times, behind 1,066
Longest layoff
1 yrs
Oct 30, 2024 → Nov 5, 2025
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20261 milestone
- Most recent contest University of Arkansas Animal Science Boots, Brews, and BBQ Contest
20244 milestones
- First call American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest
- First perfect 180 (Chicken) American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score685.6572 American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest
- Career-best overall score685.6572 American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest
20222 milestones
- First tracked contest Saracen Casino Smoke on the Water
- Peak power rating (1493) Saracen Casino Smoke on the Water
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +12.2 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | Oct 30, 2024 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -10.2 | Smoke on the Water - Saracen Casino PB | Oct 27, 2023 |
| -9.3 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | Sep 27, 2023 |
| -7.8 | Smoke on the Water | Sep 20, 2024 |
| -7.7 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | Nov 5, 2025 |
| -6.9 | Saracen Casino Smoke on the Water | Oct 21, 2022 |
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 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 86% | 91.2% | 91.2% |
| 2025 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 87% | 89.3% | 89.3% |
| 2024 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33% | top 59% | 95.2% | 92.2% |
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 96% | 86.9% | 77.1% |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 87% | 89% | 89% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 13, 2026 | University of Arkansas Animal Science Boots, Brews, and BBQ Contest 🏅 Fayetteville, AR | 32 / 37 (656.9716) | 29 (170.2628) | 32 (162.2400) | 35 (157.0744) | 26 (167.3944) |
| Nov 5, 2025 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nov 5, 2025 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 350 / 401 (642.7320) | 120 (173.1316) | 353 (158.8116) | 352 (159.3944) | 375 (151.3944) |
| Oct 30, 2024 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| Oct 30, 2024 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 120 / 444 (685.6572) | 4 (180) | 120 (173.1200) | 220 (168.5600) | 287 (163.9772) |
| Sep 20, 2024 | Smoke on the Water 🏅 Pine Bluff, AR | 38 / 42 (642.1140) | 38 (158.2284) | 24 (167.9656) | 39 (159.3944) | 39 (156.5256) |
| Oct 27, 2023 | Smoke on the Water - Saracen Casino PB 🏅 Pine Bluff, AR | 49 / 49 (484.9944) | 28 (169.6684) | 40 (161.6916) | — | 45 (153.6344) |
| Sep 27, 2023 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 444 / 487 (625.5316) | 385 (161.6456) | 276 (166.8344) | 419 (157.0972) | 473 (139.9544) |
| Oct 21, 2022 | Saracen Casino Smoke on the Water 🏅 Pine Bluff, AR | 41 / 47 (640.9832) | 46 (151.3600) | 26 (166.8572) | 28 (167.3944) | 39 (155.3716) |