Hickory Hills BBQ

Hickory Hills BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 6 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2016. Their best overall finish is 9th of 21 at the Q'ing for a Cause (2015). They are ranked #2681 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

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At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#2,681

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1514

peak 1514 · rated over 6 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Sep 27, 2013

latest Jul 8, 2016 · 2.8 years on the trail

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

2 podiums

Overall top-10s

33% of 6 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 53%

overall standings

Best overall

676.0116 / 720

Master · Q'ing for a Cause

Perfect 180s

Current form

666.54 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 661.52 (+5.02)

Walk rate

83%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

175.4172

Pork · Anchor City Cook Off

Consistency

±12.09

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 169.13 · weakest Pork Ribs (160.83)

Road miles

137

across 6 mapped stops · furthest 37 mi

Schedule strength

49%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1563)

Master avg

661.52 / 720

6 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (6 found in their record)

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

High-water mark

676.0116 career-best overall

93.9% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 676.0116 at Q'ing for a Cause — 93.9% of a perfect 720.

Master
Sep 4, 2015

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

OKLAHOMA JOE'S SERIOUS QUE has finished one call ahead of Hickory Hills BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

4–0 behind in the head-to-head

SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ has come out ahead in 4 of their 4 shared contests.

The weak link

−8.3 points behind their best meat

Pork Ribs is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 8.30 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 33% of the time against 33%.

Pork Ribs avg 160.83
Chicken avg 169.13
2 calls in 6 entries

A strong matchup

5–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of CALLAWAY CREAMATORS in 5 of their 5 shared contests.

The comeback

1.6 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 1.6 years, then back at Columbia Elks Lodge #594 BBQ Contest (May 1, 2015).

last seen Sep 27, 2013
back May 1, 2015

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to Hickory Hills BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

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

SportsPage Smokers

#2,682 of the rated field

1514 power rating

Contests: 6
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1517

Careers of much the same size, 6 contests to 6, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 6 contests
last seen Oct 17, 2025

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Smoke 30 BBQ

#2,691 of the rated field

1514 power rating

Contests: 7
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 14%
Peak: 1514

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.

rated over 6 contests
last seen Sep 12, 2019

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Bull and Boar BBQ

#2,700 of the rated field

1513 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 25%
Peak: 1513

Level with Hickory Hills BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 7 contests
last seen Apr 25, 2026

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CAPTAIN JACK'S BBQ CREW

#2,694 of the rated field

1513 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1515

A longer road to the same neighbourhood — 9 contests to 6.

rated over 7 contests
last seen Mar 2, 2018

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TR's Up In Smoke

#2,695 of the rated field

1513 power rating

Contests: 7
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 14%
Peak: 1523

Careers of much the same size, 7 contests to 6, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 7 contests
last seen Sep 23, 2016

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Weasel's Bone Lickin' BBQ

#2,670 of the rated field

1514 power rating

Contests: 5
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 20%
Peak: 1514

Careers of much the same size, 5 contests to 6, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 5 contests
last seen May 8, 2026

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
CALLAWAY CREAMATORS	5	5	0	100%	⚔ compare
SPICEWINE IRONWORKS	5	3	2	60%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN O BBQ	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	6	2	1	173.7372	165.0972	169.13	top 41%
Pork Ribs	6	2	0	170.8344	144.5144	160.83	top 56%
Pork	6	2	0	175.4172	158.8116	166.74	top 52%
Brisket	6	3	1	174.2856	157.0856	164.82	top 42%

“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.

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Columbia Elks Lodge #594 BBQ Contest	2	15	0	top 49%	May 6, 2016

More numbers

Busiest season 2015 3 contests

Contests a season 2 across 3 seasons in the data

Most contests held in MO 6 of 6 contests

Contests visited 5 1 of them more than once

Opponents faced 96 finished ahead 81 times, behind 88

Longest layoff 1.6 yrs Sep 27, 2013 → May 1, 2015

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

20162 milestones

Jul 8 Peak power rating (1514) 9th Annual Wellsville BBQ Cookoff
Jul 8 Most recent contest 9th Annual Wellsville BBQ Cookoff

20155 milestones

May 1 First call Columbia Elks Lodge #594 BBQ Contest
May 1 First overall past 90% of a perfect score663.3372 Columbia Elks Lodge #594 BBQ Contest
Sep 4 First overall top-10 Q'ing for a Cause
Sep 4 Career-best overall score676.0116 Q'ing for a Cause
Oct 9 Career-best single call (Pork)175.4172 Anchor City Cook Off

20131 milestone

Sep 27 First tracked contest Hermann BBQ & Brats Festival

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+7	Q'ing for a Cause	Sep 4, 2015
+3.7	Anchor City Cook Off	Oct 9, 2015
+2.7	Columbia Elks Lodge #594 BBQ Contest	May 1, 2015
+2.6	Columbia Elks Lodge #594 BBQ Contest	May 6, 2016
+2.5	9th Annual Wellsville BBQ Cookoff	Jul 8, 2016

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-4.6	Hermann BBQ & Brats Festival	Sep 27, 2013

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	Top-10s	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2016	2	0	100%	top 52%	92.2%	92.1%
2015	3	2	100%	top 48%	93.9%	92.9%
2013	1	0	0%	top 67%	88.4%	88.4%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Jul 8, 2016	9th Annual Wellsville BBQ Cookoff Wellsville, MO	15 / 26 (662.7200)	13 (169.7260)	8 (167.3828)	14 (168.5256)	23 (157.0856)
May 6, 2016	Columbia Elks Lodge #594 BBQ Contest Columbia, MO	15 / 32 (663.8744)	20 (165.0972)	4 (170.8344)	26 (163.4056)	12 (164.5372)
Oct 9, 2015	Anchor City Cook Off Centralia, MO	10 / 20 (666.7428)	3 (173.7372)	17 (154.2056)	4 (175.4172)	10 (163.3828)
Sep 4, 2015	Q'ing for a Cause Columbia, MO	9 / 21 (676.0116)	5 (172)	17 (161.1544)	8 (168.5716)	2 (174.2856)
May 1, 2015	Columbia Elks Lodge #594 BBQ Contest Columbia, MO	19 / 37 (663.3372)	21 (166.2284)	12 (166.8800)	29 (158.8116)	6 (171.4172)
Sep 27, 2013	Hermann BBQ & Brats Festival Hermann, MO	26 / 39 (636.4456)	14 (168)	37 (144.5144)	16 (165.7028)	20 (158.2284)

Hickory Hills BBQ

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

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 (6 found in their record)

High-water mark

The one to beat

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

The comeback

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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

By meat

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 — 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)