The heartbreaker
2.2972
points from the title
Came within 2.2972 points of the Grand Championship at Smoke on the Water - Saracen Casino PB (Oct 27, 2023).
Sweetie's Bar-B-Q
Sweetie's Bar-B-Q is a competition barbecue team with 20 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2022 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 2nd of 49 at the Smoke on the Water - Saracen Casino PB (2023), and they have finished Reserve Grand Champion once. They are ranked #1539 of 6,485 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1562
peak 1562 · rated over 10 contests7 invitational or side-series contests not counted
Contests
20
in the data
First seen
Sep 9, 2022
latest Jul 24, 2026 · 3.9 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
1 reserve
Category wins
3
7 podiums
Overall top-10s
4
20% of 20 contests
Best top-10 run
2
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 49%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
1 🔥
Current form
683.82 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 681.86 (+1.96)
Walk rate
40%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±12.80
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork
avg 172.58 · weakest Chicken (168.54)
Road miles
17,269
across 20 mapped stops · furthest 3,887 mi
Schedule strength
75%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1597)
Purse competed for
$472K
listed at 15 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 10 state-championship entries
Master avg
681.86 / 720
15 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 | #722 (152 pts) | #618 (262 pts) | #777 (187 pts) | #697 (187 pts) | #833 (122 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #524 (342 pts) | #615 (302 pts) | #577 (367 pts) | #459 (442 pts) | #522 (367 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #693 (220 pts) | #789 (190 pts) | #829 (190 pts) | #766 (200 pts) | #650 (265 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #618 (260 pts) | #1319 (60 pts) | #1100 (125 pts) | #619 (285 pts) | #805 (185 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Sweetie's Bar-B-Q, each with one reason worth a look.
50 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1,543 of the rated field
- Contests
- 26
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 31%
- Peak
- 1591
0–2 in 2 shared contests (0% to Sweetie's Bar-B-Q)
2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Sweetie's Bar-B-Q has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#1,534 of the rated field
- Contests
- 62
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 19%
- Peak
- 1562
0–2 in 2 shared contests (0% to Sweetie's Bar-B-Q)
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 60 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-head#1,530 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 50%
- Peak
- 1564
Fewer contests behind them than Sweetie's Bar-B-Q has cooked, 10 to 20, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Compare careers#1,538 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 10%
- Peak
- 1567
Their last contest in the data was back in 2021, 5 years before Sweetie's Bar-B-Q's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#1,544 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 17%
- Peak
- 1561
12 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 17% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#1,551 of the rated field
- Contests
- 9
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 22%
- Peak
- 1561
They were already cooking in 2013, 9 years before Sweetie's Bar-B-Q's first contest.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHICKEN FRIED BBQ | 13 | 2 | 11 | 15% | ⚔ compare |
| RAZORRACKS | 13 | 1 | 12 | 8% | ⚔ compare |
| PIGLITICALLY INCORRECT BBQ | 12 | 2 | 10 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| Kith n' Kin | 11 | 5 | 6 | 45% | ⚔ compare |
| Crossed Rifles BBQ | 10 | 4 | 6 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ | 10 | 3 | 7 | 30% | ⚔ compare |
| Damn Fine Beef & Swine | 10 | 2 | 8 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | 10 | 2 | 8 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | 10 | 2 | 8 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| Smoked & Furious | 10 | 1 | 9 | 10% | ⚔ compare |
| GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ | 9 | 3 | 6 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| The Pitfather BBQ | 9 | 2 | 7 | 22% | ⚔ compare |
| MUTTLEY CREW BBQ | 9 | 2 | 7 | 22% | ⚔ compare |
| Kermit's Ex | 9 | 2 | 7 | 22% | ⚔ compare |
| THE BBQ BUS | 9 | 2 | 7 | 22% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 17 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 178.8800 | 156.5600 | 168.54 | top 62% |
| Pork Ribs | 17 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 177.7144 | 161.6572 | 171.11 | top 47% |
| Pork | 17 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 180 🔥 | 163.3712 | 172.58 | top 39% |
| Brisket | 17 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 177.7028 | 161.1544 | 170.33 | top 44% |
“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) | 3 | 0 | top 47% |
| Medium (20–39) | 3 | 0 | top 53% |
| Large (40+) | 11 | 0 | top 48% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Oak Invitational (COMPETITOR SERIES) (PRIVATE EVENT BY INVITATION) | 2 | 15 | 0 | top 60% | Oct 16, 2025 |
| American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | 2 | 250 | 0 | top 53% | Sep 27, 2023 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2025
7 contests
Contests a season
4
across 5 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
KS
8 of 20 contests · 7 states in all
Contests visited
15
2 of them more than once
Opponents faced
1,050
finished ahead 1,156 times, behind 1,212
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20262 milestones
- Peak power rating (1562) 2nd Annual Curley Que Classic
- Most recent contest 2nd Annual Curley Que Classic
20241 milestone
- 10th tracked contest 6th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN
20236 milestones
- First category win (Pork) Smoke on the Water - Saracen Casino PB
- First overall top-10 Smoke on the Water - Saracen Casino PB
- First overall podium Smoke on the Water - Saracen Casino PB
- First Reserve Championship Smoke on the Water - Saracen Casino PB
- First perfect 180 (Pork) Smoke on the Water - Saracen Casino PB
- Career-best overall score701.0856 Smoke on the Water - Saracen Casino PB
20223 milestones
- First tracked contest International Goat Days Championship BBQ Contest
- First call International Goat Days Championship BBQ Contest
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score687.8856 International Goat Days Championship BBQ Contest
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +20.1 | Smoke on the Water - Saracen Casino PB | Oct 27, 2023 |
| +7.7 | International Goat Days Championship BBQ Contest | Sep 9, 2022 |
| +6.4 | Curley Que Classic | Jul 25, 2025 |
| +6.2 | Smoke on the Water | Sep 20, 2024 |
| +6 | Last Frontier BBQ Throwdown | Jun 21, 2025 |
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 | 1 | 1 | 100% | top 50% | 96% | 96% |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 43% | top 51% | 97.1% | 95.2% |
| 2024 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33% | top 58% | 95.6% | 94% |
| 2023 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 33% | top 43% | 97.4% | 94.8% |
| 2022 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33% | top 44% | 95.5% | 94.2% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 24, 2026 | 2nd Annual Curley Que Classic 🏅 Honolulu, HI | 6 / 12 (691.4060) | 1 (178.8800) | 4 (176.0116) | 4 (173.7144) | 9 (162.8000) |
| 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 | 144 / 401 (684.4340) | 286 (166.2400) | 111 (173.1084) | 67 (175.4172) | 164 (169.6684) |
| Nov 5, 2025 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest unrated Kansas City, KS | 87 / 158 (685.5884) | 84 (171.9772) | 120 (168.5372) | 37 (175.4056) | 94 (169.6684) |
| Oct 16, 2025 | Royal Oak Invitational (COMPETITOR SERIES) (PRIVATE EVENT BY INVITATION) unrated Roswell, GA | 28 / 36 (684.4684) | 35 (164.5256) | 25 (171.4172) | 24 (170.8228) | 5 (177.7028) |
| Sep 12, 2025 | Navy SEAL Danny Dietz Memorial Classic Cookoff 🏅 Waller, TX | 41 / 92 (663.9772) | 55 (164.5372) | 60 (165.1428) | 20 (173.1428) | 53 (161.1544) |
| Jul 25, 2025 | Curley Que Classic 🏅 Honolulu, HI | 5 / 12 (693.6916) | 9 (167.3828) | 4 (174.2744) | 2 (177.7028) | 4 (174.3316) |
| Jun 21, 2025 | Last Frontier BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Eagle River, AK | 4 / 8 (698.8000) | 3 (175.4172) | 1 (177.7144) | 5 (169.6684) | 2 (176) |
| Sep 20, 2024 | Smoke on the Water 🏅 Pine Bluff, AR | 17 / 42 (682.8344) | 23 (169.7144) | 23 (167.9772) | 22 (170.8228) | 9 (174.3200) |
| May 25, 2024 | 6th Annual KCBS World Invitational - MASTER SERIES INVITATIONAL unrated Lebanon, TN | 81 / 81 (659.7940) | 79 (166.2400) | 80 (161.6572) | 79 (163.3712) | 68 (168.5256) |
| May 24, 2024 | 6th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN unrated Lebanon, TN | 40 / 118 (688.5144) | 101 (167.4288) | 37 (173.1200) | 24 (175.4056) | 46 (172.5600) |
| Oct 27, 2023 | Smoke on the Water - Saracen Casino PB 🏅 Pine Bluff, AR | 2 / 49 (701.0856) | 30 (168.5256) | 12 (174.8572) | 1 (180) | 5 (177.7028) |
| Oct 20, 2023 | Royal Oak Invitational (COMPETITOR SERIES) (PRIVATE EVENT BY INVITATION) unrated Roswell, GA | 15 / 35 (691.3488) | 16 (173.1200) | 34 (162.8116) | 3 (178.8572) | 8 (176.5600) |
| Oct 13, 2023 | Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (Competitor's Series) (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) unrated Lynchburg, TN | 19 / 81 (687.3828) | 35 (169.1084) | 27 (173.1544) | 39 (170.2628) | 14 (174.8572) |
| Sep 27, 2023 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sep 27, 2023 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest unrated Kansas City, KS | 188 / 211 (665.0284) | 208 (156.5600) | 56 (174.2628) | 117 (170.2628) | 173 (163.9428) |
| Sep 27, 2023 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 273 / 487 (669.0512) | 354 (163.9428) | 85 (174.2628) | 227 (168.5828) | 335 (162.2628) |
| Oct 1, 2022 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - SIDES Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sep 29, 2022 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 250 / 505 (668.3768) | 259 (167.3828) | 342 (163.9428) | 188 (169.6800) | 215 (167.3712) |
| Sep 9, 2022 | International Goat Days Championship BBQ Contest 🏅 Millington, TN | 15 / 38 (687.8856) | 15 (174.2744) | 9 (176.5600) | 20 (170.8228) | 20 (166.2284) |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.