Cousin's Catering and BBQ

Cousin's Catering and BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 30 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2016 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 2nd of 17 at the Wolf BBQ FEst Richmond 2017 (2017), and they have finished Reserve Grand Champion once. They are ranked #1011 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

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At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#1,011

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1605

peak 1606 · rated over 30 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Jul 8, 2016

latest Aug 22, 2026 · 10.1 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#332

Master 2026 · every season

Grand champs

1 reserve

Category wins

10 podiums

Overall top-10s

40% of 30 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 43%

overall standings

Best overall

687.9428 / 720

Master · Triple B Festival Day 2

Perfect 180s

Current form

665.08 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 647.00 (+18.08)

Walk rate

83%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

174.8916

Brisket · Oinktoberfest

Consistency

±18.95

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 163.53 · weakest Brisket (160.35)

Road miles

17,064

across 30 mapped stops · furthest 1,807 mi

Schedule strength

42%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1555)

Master avg

647.00 / 720

30 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (10 found in their record)

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

They almost always walk

83% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 25 of 30 contests

A top-10 category call in 83% of their 30 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

687.9428 career-best overall

95.5% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 687.9428 at Triple B Festival Day 2 — 95.5% of a perfect 720.

Master
Jun 24, 2017

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

YOU NEED A BBQ has finished one call ahead of Cousin's Catering and BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

18–1 behind in the head-to-head

SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS ahead in 95% of their meetings

SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS has come out ahead in 18 of their 19 shared contests.

A strong matchup

8–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of SKARA OLD SCHOOL BBQ in 8 of their 8 shared contests.

The comeback

7.9 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 7.9 years, then back at Smoke on the Bay BBQ Cookoff (Aug 22, 2026).

last seen Oct 13, 2018
back Aug 22, 2026

Chicken nemesis

18 of 19 shared chicken entries lost

SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS ahead 95% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS has out-cooked them in 18 of 19 shared chicken entries.

Show 3 more storylines

Built for the big stage

Top 33% average finish in large fields

Field size changes the story: they average a top 33% finish in large fields against top 57% in small ones.

Large (40+): top 33% (10)
Small (<20 teams): top 57% (6)

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

BACKDRAFT BAR-B-Q CT has landed one call behind them 2 times.

The long haul

17,064 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 17,064 miles across 30 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 1,807 miles to BBQ on the Bow.

30 mapped stops
furthest 1,807 mi

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	#332 (600 pts)	#400 (545 pts)	#329 (740 pts)	#341 (625 pts)	#412 (490 pts)

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to Cousin's Catering and BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

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

Casual Smokers SC

#1,010 of the rated field

1605 power rating

Contests: 35
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 23%
Peak: 1605

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 31 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 31 contests
last seen Sep 11, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Stewey Magoos BBQ

#1,007 of the rated field

1605 power rating

Contests: 32
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 25%
Peak: 1605

Careers of much the same size, 32 contests to 30, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 32 contests
last seen Sep 25, 2026
on a 3-contest top-10 run

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Ain't That Rich

#1,014 of the rated field

1604 power rating

Contests: 29
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 41%
Peak: 1612

29 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 41% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 28 contests
last seen Sep 25, 2026

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Chasin Chicken Barbeque

#1,008 of the rated field

1605 power rating

Contests: 28
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 32%
Peak: 1626

Level with Cousin's Catering and BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 28 contests
last seen Jul 27, 2024

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1 Bite BBQ

#1,009 of the rated field

1605 power rating

Contests: 33
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 33%
Peak: 1608

They turned up 6 years after Cousin's Catering and BBQ did, first appearing in 2022.

rated over 33 contests
last seen Oct 17, 2026

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Marty Party BBQ

#1,006 of the rated field

1605 power rating

Contests: 27
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 59%
Peak: 1620

Careers of much the same size, 27 contests to 30, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 26 contests
last seen Aug 15, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS	19	1	18	5%	⚔ compare
GOOD SMOKE BBQ	16	0	16	0%	⚔ compare
TEAM EATAPEDIA	13	4	9	31%	⚔ compare
TRANQUIL CARNIVORES	11	5	6	45%	⚔ compare
BEHIND BBQ	11	5	6	45%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA	11	2	9	18%	⚔ compare
BIG RAZ BBQ	11	2	9	18%	⚔ compare
MEAN MOE'S BBQ	10	5	5	50%	⚔ compare
THE GOOD CUE CREW	10	2	8	20%	⚔ compare
BOYMEETSGRILL	9	7	2	78%	⚔ compare
HANGING BELLIES BBQ	9	7	2	78%	⚔ compare
Q'N CANUCKS	9	2	7	22%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN BOYS AND HOT GRILLS	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare
Rogue Hog BBQ	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare
MILLER'S BACKYARD BBQ	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	30	13	1	1	173.7144	136.5028	163.53	top 44%
Pork Ribs	30	12	0	3	173.7144	147.9660	162.00	top 43%
Pork	30	8	0	3	172.5600	146.8000	161.11	top 49%
Brisket	30	14	2	3	174.8916	135.3256	160.35	top 45%

“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)	6	top 57%
Medium (20–39)	14	top 46%
Large (40+)	10	top 33%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
NY	9	top 43%
ON	6	top 49%
MA	3	top 58%
VT	2	top 48%
NS	1	top 30%
MD	1	top 51%
RI	1	top 63%
QC	1	top 12%
CA	1	top 51%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Oinktoberfest	2	6	top 24%	Sep 22, 2018
BBQ on the Bow	2	9	top 25%	Sep 1, 2018
BBQ in The Valley	2	9	top 47%	May 4, 2018

More numbers

Busiest season 2018 13 contests

Contests a season 7.5 across 4 seasons in the data

Most contests held in NY 9 of 30 contests · 9 states and provinces in all

Contests visited 27 3 of them more than once

Opponents faced 453 finished ahead 585 times, behind 374

Longest layoff 7.9 yrs Oct 13, 2018 → Aug 22, 2026

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

20261 milestone

Aug 22 Most recent contest Smoke on the Bay BBQ Cookoff

20183 milestones

Sep 1 25th tracked contest BBQ on the Bow
Sep 22 Career-best single call (Brisket)174.8916 Oinktoberfest
Oct 12 Peak power rating (1606) Bay State BBQ Championship- CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1)

20177 milestones

Jun 3 First category win (Chicken) Craze Fest
Jun 9 First overall top-10 Drayton Kinsmen Smoke and Sounds Festival
Jun 16 First overall podium Wolf BBQ FEst Richmond 2017
Jun 16 First Reserve Championship Wolf BBQ FEst Richmond 2017
Jun 16 First overall past 90% of a perfect score651.8628 Wolf BBQ FEst Richmond 2017
Jun 24 10th tracked contest Triple B Festival Day 2
Jun 24 Career-best overall score687.9428 Triple B Festival Day 2

20162 milestones

Jul 8 First tracked contest Drayton Kinsmen Smoke and Sound Festival
Aug 6 First call Fatboys Classic-Canadian BBQ Championship

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+16.4	Wolf BBQ FEst Richmond 2017	Jun 16, 2017
+13.1	Triple B Festival Day 2	Jun 24, 2017
+11.9	Porkapalooza BBQ Festival	Jun 16, 2018
+11.5	I Love Barbecue & Music Festival	Jul 6, 2018
+10.2	Oinktoberfest	Sep 22, 2018

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-14.7	Drayton Kinsmen Smoke and Sound Festival	Jul 8, 2016
-6.4	Craze Fest	Jun 3, 2017
-6.3	Back to BAYsics Primitive Contest-CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES ( DAY 2)	Oct 13, 2018
-5.9	Finger Lakes Fire & Smoke	Sep 3, 2016
-3.9	Rotary Ribs and Rhythm & Blues	Jul 21, 2018

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	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2026	1	1	0	100%	top 30%	94%	94%
2018	13	8	2	85%	top 36%	93.2%	90.8%
2017	12	3	1	92%	top 44%	95.5%	90%
2016	4	0	0	50%	top 71%	86.9%	85.2%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Aug 22, 2026	Smoke on the Bay BBQ Cookoff Little Brook, NS	3 / 10 (677.1200)	4 (170.8572)	6 (165.7372)	3 (172.5600)	4 (167.9656)
Oct 13, 2018	Back to BAYsics Primitive Contest-CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES ( DAY 2) Monson, MA	14 / 18 (663.9084)	13 (165.6800)	16 (166.2972)	14 (163.9656)	10 (167.9656)
Oct 12, 2018	Bay State BBQ Championship- CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1) Monson, MA	13 / 26 (669.0856)	5 (173.7028)	19 (162.2628)	20 (162.2400)	8 (170.8800)
Sep 22, 2018	Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY	6 / 51 (658.2748)	16 (161.7144)	24 (157.1204)	11 (164.5484)	1 (174.8916)
Sep 8, 2018	Green Mountain BBQ Championship- CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES Randolph, VT	10 / 33 (657.0172)	9 (168.5600)	10 (167.9772)	2 (170.2972)	28 (150.1828)
Sep 1, 2018	BBQ on the Bow Calgary	9 / 43 (649.1316)	27 (158.2744)	2 (166.8228)	11 (162.8800)	13 (161.1544)
Aug 17, 2018	Hudson Valley Ribfest New Paltz, NY	18 / 58 (658.7548)	33 (162.8116)	22 (165.7144)	13 (167.3944)	16 (162.8344)
Jul 21, 2018	Rotary Ribs and Rhythm & Blues Auburn, NY	19 / 31 (627.9432)	11 (164.5600)	16 (158.2400)	25 (151.9888)	18 (153.1544)
Jul 13, 2018	Niagara Summer Daze BBQ Classic Niagara Falls, ON	5 / 24 (670.7772)	6 (170.2744)	5 (167.9772)	6 (170.2628)	13 (162.2628)
Jul 6, 2018	I Love Barbecue & Music Festival Lake Placid, NY	8 / 39 (640.4916)	15 (162.8344)	16 (156.5716)	3 (166.2512)	19 (154.8344)
Jun 22, 2018	Ayr Charity BBQ Ayr Ontario	8 / 18 (644.3884)	11 (158.8228)	2 (166.8228)	12 (153.0744)	1 (165.6684)
Jun 16, 2018	Porkapalooza BBQ Festival Edmonton	5 / 51 (655.3256)	21 (159.9772)	9 (164.5372)	5 (165.1084)	8 (165.7028)
May 4, 2018	BBQ in The Valley Jamestown, NY	9 / 25 (650.2056)	6 (166.2972)	11 (162.2628)	12 (161.6800)	16 (159.9656)
Apr 20, 2018	Interstate BBQ Festival Hagerstown, MD	34 / 67 (652.4000)	44 (161.1316)	6 (173.7144)	45 (162.7884)	53 (154.7656)
Oct 21, 2017	Ocean Sate BBQ Championship West Kingston, RI	15 / 24 (639.9200)	11 (164)	17 (154.8460)	19 (154.8112)	9 (166.2628)
Oct 14, 2017	Bay State BBQ Championship Monson, MA	14 / 30 (664.4572)	7 (171.9772)	15 (165.6800)	24 (159.3828)	11 (167.4172)
Sep 22, 2017	Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY	19 / 53 (642.6972)	33 (159.3600)	7 (166.8456)	31 (155.9428)	19 (160.5488)
Sep 9, 2017	Green Mountain BBQ Championship Randolph, VT	21 / 32 (652.5148)	28 (157.1544)	14 (165.1316)	14 (167.3944)	18 (162.8344)
Sep 2, 2017	BBQ on the Bow Calgary	12 / 42 (633.0280)	9 (163.4400)	12 (160.5028)	16 (159.9540)	25 (149.1312)
Aug 5, 2017	Capital BBQ Festival Ottawa, ON	12 / 42 (638.8000)	18 (161.1772)	5 (165.1316)	35 (147.3828)	7 (165.1084)
Jun 24, 2017	Triple B Festival Day 2 Kenora, ON	4 / 21 (687.9428)	4 (173.7144)	4 (173.7028)	7 (171.4056)	6 (169.1200)
Jun 23, 2017	Triple B Festival Day 1 Kenora, ON	11 / 22 (649.0636)	5 (169.7144)	13 (156.5832)	6 (167.9772)	15 (154.7888)
Jun 16, 2017	Wolf BBQ FEst Richmond 2017 Richmond, QC	2 / 17 (651.8628)	7 (157.6572)	2 (164.5716)	4 (167.3828)	4 (162.2512)
Jun 9, 2017	Drayton Kinsmen Smoke and Sounds Festival Drayton Ontario	9 / 22 (647.2800)	9 (165.0856)	13 (158.2744)	16 (155.3944)	4 (168.5256)
Jun 3, 2017	Craze Fest Georgina, ON	13 / 17 (627.3716)	1 (173.1772)	15 (147.9660)	14 (149.0856)	10 (157.1428)
May 5, 2017	BBQ In the Valley Jamestown, NY	15 / 26 (645.0512)	6 (170.8800)	18 (161.6684)	23 (146.8000)	10 (165.7028)
Sep 23, 2016	Ointoberfest BBQ Cookoff Clarence, NY	31 / 54 (625.5544)	21 (162.8344)	33 (153.0856)	17 (163.4172)	48 (146.2172)
Sep 3, 2016	Finger Lakes Fire & Smoke Geneva, NY	27 / 35 (623.3484)	27 (157.7256)	6 (166.8572)	11 (163.4400)	34 (135.3256)
Aug 6, 2016	Fatboys Classic-Canadian BBQ Championship Ottawa, CA	21 / 41 (602.1712)	39 (136.5028)	26 (149.1200)	17 (154.8456)	3 (161.7028)
Jul 8, 2016	Drayton Kinsmen Smoke and Sound Festival Drayton, ON	17 / 17 (604.0116)	12 (156.0116)	17 (148)	16 (153.7028)	14 (146.2972)

Cousin's Catering and BBQ

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Best top-10 run

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Master avg

Storylines (10 found in their record)

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

A tough matchup

A strong matchup

The comeback

Chicken nemesis

Built for the big stage

Looking over their shoulder

The long haul

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)

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, 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

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)