High-water mark
675.3028
career-best overall
93.8% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 675.3028 at Jiggy With the Piggy — 93.8% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- 2018-05-04
5 Alarm BBQ
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1580
peak 1610 · rated over 30 contests ⓘ
Contests
30
in the data
First seen
2013-09-07
latest 2026-06-19
Best ToY finish
#334
Backyard 2026
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
3
3 podiums
Overall top-10s
5
of 30 contests
Avg finish
top 43%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
642.49 ▼
last 5 Master vs avg 648.18 (-5.69)
Walk rate
53%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±14.16
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 164.30 · weakest Pork Ribs (157.46)
Road miles
5,194
mi across 30 mapped stops · furthest 504 mi
Schedule strength
54%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1569)
Purse competed for
$24K
listed at 4 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 4 state-championship entries
Master avg
648.18 / 720
27 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
403.38 / 360
3 Backyard contests · 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.
Storylines (11 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.
The one to beat
2×
one call ahead of them
Mad Hatter BBQ has finished one call ahead of 5 Alarm BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
Their season
2017
their best year
2017 was the year it came together: 6 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 1 category win, at an average finish in the top 31%.
- 6 contests
- 3 overall top-10s
- 1 category wins
- average top 31%
A tough matchup
13–4
behind in the head-to-head
SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA ahead in 76% of their meetings
SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA has come out ahead in 13 of their 17 shared contests.
The weak link
−6.8
points behind their best meat
Pork Ribs is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 6.84 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 13% of the time against 17%.
- Pork Ribs avg 157.46
- Chicken avg 164.30
- 4 calls in 30 entries
A strong matchup
9–1
ahead in the head-to-head
Ahead in 90% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of QUEGASM in 9 of their 10 shared contests.
The comeback
4.4 yrs
off the trail, then back
Off the trail for 4.4 years, then back at Forks of the Buffalo BBQ Throwdown (Day 1) (2023-09-08).
- last seen 2019-04-27
- back 2023-09-08
Looking over their shoulder
3×
one call behind them
Q HAVEN BBQ has landed one call behind them 3 times.
Boom or bust
±13.33%
swing around their own average
Their overall swings ±13.33% of a perfect score around its own average — when it lands they're dangerous, and when it doesn't the weekend is gone by lunch.
- averages 92.2% of a perfect score
- best 163.1%
A June team
Top 26%
average finish in June
Something about June: average finish in the top 26% across 6 contests, versus top 43% the rest of the year.
- 6 June contests
- top 43% the rest of the year
The long haul
5,194
road miles between contests
Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 5,194 miles across 30 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 504 miles to Jiggy With the Piggy.
- 30 mapped stops
- furthest 504 mi
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.
36 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1279 of the rated field
- Contests
- 83
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 20%
- Peak
- 1629
1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to 5 Alarm BBQ)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team 5 Alarm BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#1283 of the rated field
- Contests
- 43
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 14%
- Peak
- 1581
No shared contest yet.
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 43 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-head#1286 of the rated field
- Contests
- 44
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 23%
- Peak
- 1585
No shared contest yet.
A longer road to the same neighbourhood — 44 contests to 30.
⚔ Head-to-head#1288 of the rated field
- Contests
- 44
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 18%
- Peak
- 1590
No shared contest yet.
Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 7 years before 5 Alarm BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-head#1287 of the rated field
- Contests
- 20
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 30%
- Peak
- 1579
No shared contest yet.
20 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 30% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Head-to-head#1285 of the rated field
- Contests
- 47
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 21%
- Peak
- 1579
No shared contest yet.
Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken Chokers | 17 | 9 | 8 | 53% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | 17 | 4 | 13 | 24% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKOPOLIS BBQ | 14 | 4 | 10 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| Dr. Pearl's Medicinal Smoke BBQ Team | 12 | 7 | 5 | 58% | ⚔ compare |
| Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit | 12 | 4 | 8 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| LO' -N- SLO' BBQ | 12 | 0 | 12 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| RIBS WITHIN | 11 | 6 | 5 | 55% | ⚔ compare |
| BEERBEQUE | 11 | 4 | 7 | 36% | ⚔ compare |
| QUEGASM | 10 | 9 | 1 | 90% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN' TEX BBQ | 10 | 9 | 1 | 90% | ⚔ compare |
| MOON RIVER BARBEQUE | 10 | 7 | 3 | 70% | ⚔ compare |
| BLAZIN' BUTTZ BBQ | 10 | 4 | 6 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| BRISKET BURNERS | 10 | 3 | 7 | 30% | ⚔ compare |
| Rogue Hog BBQ | 10 | 2 | 8 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| ACK-QUE | 9 | 6 | 3 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 30 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 176.0000 | 153.1200 | 164.30 | top 46% |
| Pork Ribs | 30 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 170.8572 | 137.0172 | 157.46 | top 60% |
| Pork | 28 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 177.1428 | 147.9200 | 161.62 | top 47% |
| Brisket | 28 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 172.0000 | 141.0628 | 161.89 | top 41% |
“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 state / province
| Where | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| NJ | 8 | 0 | top 40% |
| PA | 6 | 0 | top 37% |
| WV | 3 | 0 | top 75% |
| NY | 3 | 0 | top 39% |
| NC | 3 | 0 | top 50% |
| VA | 2 | 0 | top 46% |
| RI | 2 | 0 | top 58% |
| MD | 1 | 0 | top 16% |
| CT | 1 | 0 | top 17% |
| DE | 1 | 0 | top 29% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 2 | 0 | top 105% |
| Medium (20–39) | 9 | 0 | top 42% |
| Large (40+) | 19 | 0 | top 38% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *Red, White and Que | 4 | 7 | 0 | top 35% | 2017-09-30 |
| Forks of the Buffalo BBQ Throwdown (Day 2) | 2 | 12 | 0 | top 105% | 2023-09-09 |
| *Que by the Sea | 2 | 11 | 0 | top 47% | 2018-09-22 |
| NYC BBQ Cookoff | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 37% | 2018-04-06 |
| BBQ Gives Back | 2 | 23 | 0 | top 46% | 2018-03-23 |
| Que for the Troops | 2 | 14 | 0 | top 30% | 2017-06-02 |
| Smoke in the Valley BBQ competition | 2 | 19 | 0 | top 49% | 2016-05-06 |
The story so far (18 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
12.8 yrs
2013-09-07 → 2026-06-19
Busiest season
2017
6 contests
Contests a season
3.3
across 9 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
NJ
8 of 30 contests · 10 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
21
7 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Chicken
30 entries · 0 wins · 5 calls
Strongest meat
Chicken
averages 164.30 · weakest Pork Ribs (157.46)
Walk rate
53%
a top-10 call in 16 of 30 contests
Overall top-10 rate
17%
5 of 30 contests
Master average
648.18
out of 720 · 27 contests · 0 GCs
Backyard average
403.38
out of 360 · 3 contests · 0 GCs
Opponents faced
608
835–541 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
5,194
30 mapped stops · furthest 504 mi
Schedule strength
1569
average field rating faced — tougher than 54% of rated contests
Purse competed for
$24,225
listed at 4 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0
from 4 state-championship entries
Longest layoff
4.4 yrs
2019-04-27 → 2023-09-08
Power rating
1580
peak 1610 · #1281 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- 2013
- First tracked contest Red, White and Que
- First call Red, White and Que
- First overall top-10 Red, White and Que
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score649.6692 Red, White and Que
- 2015
- First category win (Pork Ribs) Red, White and Que
- 2016
- 10th tracked contest Triple Threat BBQ, Beer and Music Festval
- Career-best single call (Pork)177.1428 Sun BBQ Fest
- 2017
- First overall podium NYC BBQ Cookoff
- Peak power rating (1610) *Red, White and Que
- 2018
- Career-best overall score675.3028 Jiggy With the Piggy
- 25th tracked contest Rotary Ribs and Rhythm & Blues
- 2026
- Most recent contest Almost Heaven BBQ Bash (OPEN FORMAT)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +12.6 | NYC BBQ Cookoff | 2017-04-07 |
| +11.9 | The Great Brunswick BBQ Throwdown | 2017-03-03 |
| +11.6 | Sun BBQ Fest | 2016-06-11 |
| +10.5 | Almost Heaven BBQ Bash (OPEN FORMAT) | 2026-06-19 |
| +10.2 | Que for the Troops | 2014-06-06 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -13.8 | Forks of the Buffalo BBQ Throwdown (Day 1) | 2023-09-08 |
| -12.9 | Forks of the Buffalo BBQ Throwdown (Day 2) | 2023-09-09 |
| -7.2 | *Que by the Sea | 2018-09-22 |
| -6.6 | NYC BBQ Cookoff | 2018-04-06 |
| -5 | Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down | 2017-10-13 |
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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% | top 17% | 163.1% | 163.1% |
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 105% | 87.6% | 86.5% |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 56% | 89% | 89% |
| 2018 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40% | top 51% | 93.8% | 89.5% |
| 2017 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 83% | top 31% | 92.9% | 91.5% |
| 2016 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 50% | top 35% | 92.6% | 90.6% |
| 2015 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 75% | top 37% | 92.2% | 90.5% |
| 2014 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 49% | 89.4% | 87.4% |
| 2013 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 27% | 90.2% | 90.2% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-19 | Almost Heaven BBQ Bash (OPEN FORMAT) 🏅 Buckhannon, WV | 5 / 29 (587.2456) | 32 (153.1200) | 34 (143.9656) | 33 (149.0972) | 34 (141.0628) |
| 2023-09-09 | Forks of the Buffalo BBQ Throwdown (Day 2) 🏅 Mannington, WV | 12 / 11 (307.4400) | 11 (159.4400) | 12 (148.0000) | — | — |
| 2023-09-08 | Forks of the Buffalo BBQ Throwdown (Day 1) 🏅 Mannington, WV | 12 / 12 (315.4516) | 11 (161.1200) | 12 (154.3316) | — | — |
| 2019-04-27 | New Jersey KnoQ-out CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES 🏅 Blairstown, NJ | 24 / 43 (640.4572) | 36 (158.2400) | 35 (153.1088) | 13 (166.8228) | 21 (162.2856) |
| 2018-09-22 | *Que by the Sea Seaside Heights, NJ | 29 / 43 (630.1488) | 31 (157.6572) | 10 (163.4172) | 38 (151.3716) | 21 (157.7028) |
| 2018-07-21 | Rotary Ribs and Rhythm & Blues Auburn, NY | 13 / 31 (642.7544) | 15 (163.3712) | 26 (150.8688) | 12 (163.3944) | 8 (165.1200) |
| 2018-05-04 | Jiggy With the Piggy Kannapolis, NC | 16 / 70 (675.3028) | 44 (167.3828) | 19 (168.5372) | 19 (169.6800) | 17 (169.7028) |
| 2018-04-06 | NYC BBQ Cookoff Staten Island, NY | 24 / 36 (623.8056) | 21 (161.6800) | 16 (158.8228) | 33 (147.9200) | 19 (155.3828) |
| 2018-03-23 | BBQ Gives Back Urbanna, VA | 42 / 75 (648.3888) | 26 (167.9772) | 41 (163.3944) | 66 (153.0744) | 34 (163.9428) |
| 2017-10-13 | Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down Rocky Mount, NC | 31 / 50 (649.4972) | 8 (174.2628) | 44 (150.7888) | 37 (159.3600) | 23 (165.0856) |
| 2017-09-30 | *Red, White and Que Cresskill, NJ | 9 / 31 (658.7776) | 15 (165.1544) | 17 (161.6688) | 20 (159.9544) | 4 (172.0000) |
| 2017-06-02 | Que for the Troops Levittown, PA | 24 / 63 (650.7436) | 41 (160.5144) | 29 (161.1204) | 29 (159.9544) | 9 (169.1544) |
| 2017-04-07 | NYC BBQ Cookoff Staten Island, NY | 3 / 43 (667.8968) | 16 (162.2284) | 9 (165.1428) | 1 (175.4172) | 10 (165.1084) |
| 2017-03-24 | BBQ Gives Back Urbanna, VA | 23 / 64 (657.6572) | 21 (170.2628) | 39 (160.5600) | 13 (168.5600) | 36 (158.2744) |
| 2017-03-03 | The Great Brunswick BBQ Throwdown Brunswick, MD | 8 / 50 (669.0400) | 9 (170.8456) | 14 (165.6800) | 17 (169.1316) | 20 (163.3828) |
| 2016-09-24 | Red White and Que Cresskill, NJ | 13 / 41 (651.3028) | 32 (153.6684) | 12 (162.2628) | 6 (167.9772) | 11 (167.3944) |
| 2016-07-22 | Rotary Club of Wakefield Rhode Island Kingston, RI | 18 / 34 (649.0744) | 19 (163.4172) | 13 (164.5600) | 8 (164.5600) | 25 (156.5372) |
| 2016-06-11 | Sun BBQ Fest Uncasville, CT | 12 / 69 (666.7884) | 4 (176.0000) | 61 (151.9772) | 1 (177.1428) | 34 (161.6684) |
| 2016-06-03 | Que for the Troops Levittown, PA | 24 / 67 (640.4112) | 12 (167.4172) | 58 (151.3828) | 16 (163.3828) | 31 (158.2284) |
| 2016-05-06 | Smoke in the Valley BBQ competition Greenlane, PA | 19 / 47 (650.7200) | 12 (169.1316) | 34 (155.9772) | 29 (159.3484) | 15 (166.2628) |
| 2016-04-08 | Triple Threat BBQ, Beer and Music Festval Harrington, DE | 22 / 75 (654.2516) | 27 (165.1200) | 16 (167.4400) | 56 (151.9544) | 11 (169.7372) |
| 2015-09-26 | Red, White and Que Cresskill, NJ | 11 / 35 (643.3600) | 12 (164.5372) | 1 (170.8572) | 20 (155.4172) | 20 (152.5484) |
| 2015-09-19 | Que by the Sea Seaside Heights, NJ | 11 / 41 (649.5428) | 13 (163.3944) | 11 (162.8228) | 25 (155.9312) | 4 (167.3944) |
| 2015-07-17 | Wakefield Rotary Campus Cook Off Kingston, RI | 23 / 37 (650.2512) | 13 (166.8456) | 27 (160.5600) | 25 (157.1200) | 18 (165.7256) |
| 2015-06-05 | Que for the Troops Levittown, PA | 15 / 54 (663.9312) | 15 (167.9772) | 36 (158.8112) | 24 (166.8456) | 8 (170.2972) |
| 2014-10-10 | Eastern Carolina BBQ ThrowDown Rocky Mount, NC | 35 / 53 (634.0456) | 16 (167.9772) | 51 (142.7772) | 17 (166.2284) | 36 (157.0628) |
| 2014-09-06 | Red, White and Que Cresskill, NJ | 16 / 31 (624.6404) | 8 (164.5716) | 25 (145.7144) | 12 (158.3200) | 11 (156.0344) |
| 2014-06-06 | Que for the Troops Levittown, PA | 14 / 65 (643.8972) | 12 (166.2972) | 30 (155.9772) | 15 (163.9772) | 26 (157.6456) |
| 2014-05-09 | Smoke in the Valley BBQ Competition Green Lane, PA | 31 / 54 (614.6172) | 25 (158.2628) | 48 (137.0172) | 8 (166.2400) | 27 (153.0972) |
| 2013-09-07 | Red, White and Que Cresskill, NJ | 7 / 26 (649.6692) | 8 (161.1088) | 9 (166.2632) | 18 (157.1200) | 6 (165.1772) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Backyard | #334 (59 pts) | #338 (59 pts) | #336 (59 pts) | — | — |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #536 (726 pts) | #613 (651 pts) | #749 (536 pts) | #562 (706 pts) | #561 (701 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #809 (449 pts) | #667 (609 pts) | #932 (404 pts) | #605 (664 pts) | #871 (419 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #786 (440 pts) | #779 (475 pts) | #709 (535 pts) | #1195 (270 pts) | #688 (545 pts) |
| 2014 ↗ | Master | #1343 (205 pts) | #1395 (215 pts) | #1653 (150 pts) | #1111 (295 pts) | #1664 (150 pts) |
| 2013 ↗ | Master | #1440 (156 pts) | #1612 (146 pts) | #1701 (136 pts) | #2028 (86 pts) | #1455 (166 pts) |