Bulldog BBQ IL
Rating
1457
peak 1457 · rated over 18 contests
Contests
19
in the data
First seen
2019-05-11
latest 2026-06-19
Best ToY finish
#115
Backyard 2025
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
1
2 podiums
Overall top-10s
4
of 19 contests
Avg finish
top 69%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
322.20 ▲
last 5 Backyard vs avg 316.57 (+5.63)
Walk rate
32%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±17.77
std dev of Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork
avg 161.67 · weakest Pork Ribs (153.89)
Road miles
7488
mi across 19 mapped stops · furthest 922 mi
Schedule strength
57%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1551)
Purse competed for
$122K
listed at 18 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 13 state-championship entries
Master avg
610.16 / 720
1 Master contest · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
316.57 / 360
16 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.
Storylines
🎯 The one to beat
Buckeye Blue Smoke BBQ has finished one call ahead of Bulldog BBQ 3 times — their closest competition in the data.
👀 Looking over their shoulder
Capt. Blue BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.
⚔️ A tough matchup
Leaning Jowler BBQ has come out ahead in 8 of their 8 shared contests.
⚔️ A strong matchup
They've finished ahead of Palm tree smokehouse in 4 of their 4 shared contests.
📅 A October team
Something about October: average finish in the top 59% across 3 contests, versus top 69% the rest of the year.
🔁 The comeback
Off the trail for 3 years, then back at Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (Backyard) (2022-06-17).
Teams like this (closest power rating, IL first)
Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Menke Boys BBQ | 9 | 6 | 3 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| 3 EYZ BBQ | 9 | 3 | 6 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| Capt. Blue BBQ | 9 | 3 | 6 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| HotMess BBQ | 9 | 2 | 7 | 22% | ⚔ compare |
| Leaning Jowler BBQ | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Pinky Out BBQ | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| LAKEVIEW BBQ | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| Estancia | 7 | 3 | 4 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| BLUE & GRAY BBQ | 7 | 3 | 3 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| B'S QUE | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKECRAFT - MD | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| Oink N' Doink BBQ | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| Ain't That Rich | 6 | 3 | 3 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 18 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 176.5600 | 140.0000 | 160.19 | top 61% |
| Pork Ribs | 19 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 178.8572 | 131.9432 | 153.89 | top 66% |
| Pork | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 167.3828 | 158.2400 | 161.67 | top 62% |
| Brisket | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 161.0972 | 161.0972 | 161.10 | top 63% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| IL | 5 | 0 | top 83% |
| VA | 4 | 0 | top 61% |
| PA | 4 | 0 | top 52% |
| MD | 3 | 0 | top 59% |
| MA | 1 | 0 | top 89% |
| TN | 1 | 0 | top 100% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium (20–39) | 15 | 0 | top 65% |
| Large (40+) | 3 | 0 | top 87% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 2) | 4 | 6 | 0 | top 52% | 2025-05-17 |
| Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | 3 | 21 | 0 | top 73% | 2024-06-14 |
| Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 35 | 0 | top 99% | 2026-06-19 |
| Triple Crown BBQ (Day 2) | 2 | 8 | 0 | top 52% | 2025-08-09 |
| Americamps BBQ Throwdown (Day 2) | 2 | 19 | 0 | top 71% | 2024-08-10 |
| Maryland State BBQ Bash | 2 | 6 | 0 | top 80% | 2023-10-13 |
The story so far
- Busiest season: 2025 (6 contests)
- Cooks mostly in IL (6 of 19 contests)
- Most-entered category: Pork Ribs (19 entries)
- Average Master overall score: 610.16 / 720
- Average Backyard overall score: 316.57 / 360
Milestones
- 🚩 2019-05-11 — First tracked contest · Dr.George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES)
- 📣 2019-05-11 — First call · Dr.George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES)
- 📈 2019-05-11 — Peak power rating (1484) · Dr.George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES)
- ⭐ 2019-05-17 — Career-best overall score (610.1600) · Nor'Easter BBQ Showdown (DAY 1) CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +15.1 | MD State BBQ Bash | 2025-10-10 |
| +13.2 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 1) | 2025-05-16 |
| +12.8 | Maryland State BBQ Bash | 2023-10-13 |
| +11.8 | Triple Crown BBQ (Day 1) | 2025-08-08 |
| +0.2 | Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2024-06-14 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -16 | Dr.George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES) | 2019-05-11 |
| -12.8 | Maryland State BBQ Bash | 2022-10-14 |
| -12.7 | Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (Backyard) | 2022-06-17 |
| -12.3 | Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2026-06-19 |
| -11.2 | Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2025-06-20 |
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 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 100% | 83.6% | 83.6% |
| 2025 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 67% | top 51% | 95.5% | 91% |
| 2024 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 65% | 91.1% | 87.5% |
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50% | top 45% | 91.6% | 90.5% |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 114% | 82.5% | 79.6% |
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33% | top 94% | 84.7% | 84.7% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-19 | Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 41 / 41 (300.9372) | 24 (166.2744) | 41 (134.6628) | — | — |
| 2025-10-10 | MD State BBQ Bash 🏅 Bel Air, MD | 5 / 29 (341.6572) | 3 (176.5600) | 15 (165.0972) | — | — |
| 2025-08-09 | Triple Crown BBQ (Day 2) 🏅 Doswell, VA | 18 / 25 (314.7660) | 18 (157.0744) | 18 (157.6916) | — | — |
| 2025-08-08 | Triple Crown BBQ (Day 1) 🏅 Doswell, VA | 8 / 25 (343.9772) | 17 (165.1200) | 1 (178.8572) | — | — |
| 2025-06-20 | Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 35 / 36 (309.6572) | 19 (167.9772) | 36 (141.6800) | — | — |
| 2025-05-17 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 2) 🏅 Morgantown, PA | 14 / 21 (316.5028) | 10 (162.8344) | 14 (153.6684) | — | — |
| 2025-05-16 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 1) 🏅 Morgantown, PA | 6 / 28 (338.8000) | 6 (171.4172) | 9 (167.3828) | — | — |
| 2024-08-10 | Americamps BBQ Throwdown (Day 2) 🏅 Ashland, VA | 20 / 28 (314.7660) | 18 (159.9428) | 20 (154.8232) | 18 (159.3828) | — |
| 2024-08-09 | Americamps BBQ Throwdown (Day 1) 🏅 Ashland, VA | 19 / 27 (310.1948) | 18 (159.9660) | 21 (150.2288) | 11 (167.3828) | — |
| 2024-06-14 | Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 24 / 40 (325.1084) | 30 (159.9884) | 20 (165.1200) | — | — |
| 2024-05-18 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 2) 🏅 Morgantown, PA | 16 / 26 (327.9084) | 17 (160.5372) | 13 (167.3712) | — | — |
| 2024-05-17 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 1) 🏅 Morgantown, PA | 22 / 37 (296.4912) | 22 (146.2056) | 22 (150.2856) | — | — |
| 2023-10-13 | Maryland State BBQ Bash 🏅 Bel Air, MD | 6 / 23 (329.6916) | 17 (161.0972) | 4 (168.5944) | — | — |
| 2023-06-17 | Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 21 / 33 (321.7256) | 13 (165.7144) | 25 (156.0112) | — | — |
| 2022-10-14 | Maryland State BBQ Bash 🏅 Belair, MD | 40 / 30 (275.9316) | 36 (143.9884) | 38 (131.9432) | — | — |
| 2022-06-17 | Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (Backyard) Morris, IL | 22 / 23 (297.0396) | 21 (150.2168) | 21 (146.8228) | — | — |
| 2019-06-21 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Day 1 🏅 Belvidere, IL | — | — | 17 (134.2516) | — | — |
| 2019-05-17 | Nor'Easter BBQ Showdown (DAY 1) CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES 🏅 Plymouth, MA | 24 / 27 (610.1600) | 26 (140.0000) | 24 (150.8228) | 22 (158.2400) | 17 (161.0972) |
| 2019-05-11 | Dr.George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITORS SERIES) Murfreesboro, TN | 41 / 41 (317.1316) | 8 (168.5600) | 38 (148.5716) | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #115 (474 pts) | #134 (439 pts) | #110 (574 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Backyard | #177 (300 pts) | #175 (310 pts) | #176 (305 pts) | — | — |