Pits and Grills

Pits and Grills is a competition barbecue team with 22 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2019 and 2025. They have won 2 Grand Championships, most recently at the Last Frontier BBQ Throwdown (2024), and finished Reserve Grand Champion twice. They are ranked #968 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#968

of 6,476 rated · rankings

Rating

1608

peak 1608 · rated over 20 contests2 invitational or side-series contests not counted

Contests

in the data

First seen

Apr 26, 2019

latest Oct 3, 2025 · 6.4 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#189

Master 2020 · every season

Grand champs

2 reserve · wins it all 9% of the time

Category wins

14 podiums

Overall top-10s

50% of 22 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 38%

overall standings

Best overall

706.8228 / 720

Master · Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest and Car Show (Day 1)

Perfect 180s

2 🔥

Current form

693.30 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 686.43 (+6.87)

Walk rate

91%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

180 🔥

Chicken · Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest and Car Show (Day 2)

Consistency

±14.08

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 174.06 · weakest Brisket (169.14)

Road miles

8,136

across 22 mapped stops · furthest 2,870 mi

Schedule strength

80%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1604)

Purse competed for

$243K

listed at 21 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

2 🏅

won from 21 state-championship entries

Master avg

686.43 / 720

21 Master contests · 2 GCs

Storylines (19 found in their record)

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

Perfect scores on the board

2 perfect 180s

2 perfect 180s in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in chicken.

Chicken ×2

Against the odds

8-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 92 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at Smokin on the Osage (Day 2) (Jul 18, 2020) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 8-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, BOOMERANG BBQ.

Giant slayer

31 teams beaten in one weekend

Took the Grand Championship over a 31-team field at Smokin on the Osage (Day 2).

Jul 18, 2020

Happy hunting ground

1× Grand Championship here

Smokin on the Osage (Day 2) is their spot: 1 Grand Championship in 2 visits.

2 visits
best finish 1st
average top 10%

They almost always walk

91% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 20 of 22 contests

A top-10 category call in 91% of their 22 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

706.8228 career-best overall

98.2% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 706.8228 at Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest and Car Show (Day 1) — 98.2% of a perfect 720.

Master
Jul 18, 2025

State champions

2 state championships won

They've taken 2 state championships from 21 entries at contests carrying the title.

21 state-championship entries

Show 12 more storylines

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

LOVE 2 Q has finished one call ahead of Pits and Grills 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2020 1 Grand Championship

2020 was the year it came together: 3 contests, 1 Grand Championship and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 15%.

3 contests
3 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 15%

A tough matchup

7–0 behind in the head-to-head

TRIPLE H BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

TRIPLE H BBQ has come out ahead in 7 of their 7 shared contests.

The weak link

−4.9 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.92 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 52% of the time against 55%.

Brisket avg 169.14
Chicken avg 174.06
11 calls in 21 entries

The drought

8 contests since the last title

Their last Grand Championship came at Last Frontier BBQ Throwdown on Jul 26, 2024 — 8 contests and 2.2 years ago.

last GC Jul 26, 2024
2.2 years ago

A strong matchup

9–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 90% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of TAILGATE GUYS BBQ in 9 of their 10 shared contests.

The comeback

2.6 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 2.6 years, then back at Lake Views & BBQ (Apr 5, 2024).

last seen Sep 16, 2021
back Apr 5, 2024

They cook the hard rooms

1604 average field rating faced

A tougher draw than 80% of rated fields

The fields they enter average a 1604 power rating — a tougher draw than 80% of every rated contest in the data.

20 rated contests

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

GETTIN' BASTED has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A September team

Top 25% average finish in September

Something about September: average finish in the top 25% across 5 contests, versus top 38% the rest of the year.

5 September contests
top 38% the rest of the year

The long haul

8,136 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 8,136 miles across 22 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 2,870 miles to Last Frontier BBQ Throwdown.

22 mapped stops
furthest 2,870 mi

The metronome

±2.06% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.06% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 95.2% of a perfect score
22 contests

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
2025 ↗	Master	#266 (824 pts)	#250 (899 pts)	#354 (734 pts)	#362 (624 pts)	#285 (819 pts)
2024 ↗	Master	#245 (885 pts)	#277 (845 pts)	#304 (825 pts)	#187 (1,060 pts)	#265 (840 pts)
2021 ↗	Master	#483 (365 pts)	#422 (475 pts)	#465 (440 pts)	#485 (385 pts)	#559 (330 pts)
2020 ↗	Master	#189 (626 pts)	#206 (606 pts)	#254 (486 pts)	#262 (476 pts)	#260 (456 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#740 (408 pts)	#1036 (263 pts)	#782 (413 pts)	#906 (338 pts)	#1002 (288 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to Pits and Grills, each with one reason worth a look.

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

MUSIC CITY BBQ

#965 of the rated field

1608 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 47%
Peak: 1608

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 19 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 19 contests
last seen Jun 16, 2017

⚔ Compare careers

FASTLANE BBQ CREW

#964 of the rated field

1609 power rating

Contests: 27
GCs: 5
Top-10s: 30%
Peak: 1623

Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 6 years before Pits and Grills's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 23 contests

⚔ Compare careers

COOL BLUE Q

#972 of the rated field

1608 power rating

Contests: 18
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 33%
Peak: 1618

Careers of much the same size, 18 contests to 22, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 16 contests
last seen Jul 26, 2019

⚔ Compare careers

Ribs n Pigs BBQ

#970 of the rated field

1608 power rating

Contests: 26
GCs: 5
Top-10s: 85%
Peak: 1617

Their rating is built on 5 Grand Championships in 26 contests, alongside a 85% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 25 contests
last seen Aug 1, 2026
on a 10-contest top-10 run

⚔ Compare careers

RUB'N WOOD

#966 of the rated field

1608 power rating

Contests: 31
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 16%
Peak: 1608

They were already cooking in 2013, 6 years before Pits and Grills's first contest.

rated over 31 contests
last seen Sep 23, 2022

⚔ Compare careers

Wapatui Smokers

#971 of the rated field

1608 power rating

Contests: 35
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 40%
Peak: 1608

Level with Pits and Grills on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 35 contests
last seen Aug 28, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
TAILGATE GUYS BBQ	10	9	1	90%	⚔ compare
DOUBLE BARREL BBQ - OK	9	4	5	44%	⚔ compare
GETTIN' BASTED	9	3	6	33%	⚔ compare
CROSSFIRE BBQ	8	8	0	100%	⚔ compare
LA PASADITA	8	4	4	50%	⚔ compare
MAN MEAT BBQ	8	3	5	38%	⚔ compare
RAZORRACKS	7	6	1	86%	⚔ compare
Petie's Smokin Pits BBQ	7	5	2	71%	⚔ compare
SMOKE THIS BBQ MO	7	5	2	71%	⚔ compare
4 LEGS UP BBQ	7	5	2	71%	⚔ compare
JANKY LEG BBQ	7	4	3	57%	⚔ compare
PARTS 'R' SMOKIN	7	4	3	57%	⚔ compare
WOOD HOOK BBQ	7	3	4	43%	⚔ compare
SLAPS BBQ	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
TRIPLE H BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	22	12	2	6	180 🔥	165.1428	174.06	top 34%
Pork Ribs	21	10	0	4	178.2972	149.5772	171.16	top 40%
Pork	22	9	1	2	178.8572	153.0628	171.28	top 40%
Brisket	21	11	0	2	176.5600	151.3828	169.14	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	GCs	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	3	1	top 39%
Medium (20–39)	15	1	top 41%
Large (40+)	4	0	top 28%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
MO	12	1	top 28%
KS	4	0	top 52%
IL	2	0	top 40%
AR	1	0	top 67%
AK	1	1	top 13%
OR	1	0	top 54%
OK	1	0	top 86%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Smokin on the Osage (Day 2)	2	1	1	top 10%	Jul 18, 2020
Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest and Car Show (Day 2)	2	2	0	top 28%	Jul 19, 2025

More numbers

Busiest season 2025 7 contests

Contests a season 4.4 across 5 seasons in the data

Most contests held in MO 12 of 22 contests · 7 states in all

Contests visited 20 2 of them more than once

First title Jul 18, 2020 Smokin on the Osage (Day 2)

Opponents faced 784 finished ahead 627 times, behind 639

Longest layoff 2.6 yrs Sep 16, 2021 → Apr 5, 2024

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

20253 milestones

Jul 18 Career-best overall score706.8228 Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest and Car Show (Day 1)
Sep 19 Peak power rating (1608) Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard
Oct 3 Most recent contest Carnivore Carnival (COMPETITOR SERIES)

20242 milestones

Apr 5 10th tracked contest Lake Views & BBQ
Jul 26 First category win (Pork) Last Frontier BBQ Throwdown

20204 milestones

Jul 18 First Grand Championship Smokin on the Osage (Day 2)
Jul 18 First state championship Smokin on the Osage (Day 2)
Jul 18 First perfect 180 (Chicken) Smokin on the Osage (Day 2)
Jul 18 Biggest field won (31 teams) Smokin on the Osage (Day 2)

20196 milestones

Apr 26 First tracked contest Rock N Ribs BBQ Festival
Apr 26 First call Rock N Ribs BBQ Festival
Apr 26 First overall top-10 Rock N Ribs BBQ Festival
Apr 26 First overall past 90% of a perfect score677.1084 Rock N Ribs BBQ Festival
Sep 21 First overall podium Bikes Boats & Bones BBQ & Steak Showdown
Sep 21 First Reserve Championship Bikes Boats & Bones BBQ & Steak Showdown

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+19.1	Bikes Boats & Bones BBQ & Steak Showdown	Sep 21, 2019
+18.6	Smokin on the Osage (Day 2)	Jul 18, 2020
+15.8	Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard	Sep 19, 2025
+15.7	Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest and Car Show (Day 1)	Jul 18, 2025
+15.6	Last Frontier BBQ Throwdown	Jul 26, 2024

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-13.9	Lake Views & BBQ	Apr 5, 2024
-10	Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main	Jul 26, 2025
-9.6	American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST	Sep 16, 2021
-4.5	10th Annual K of C BBQ Smoke Off 4-Life	Jun 14, 2024
-3.2	Old Town Smokeout	Jun 27, 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)
2025	7	0	2	2	100%	top 48%	98.2%	95.3%
2024	6	1	3	1	83%	top 43%	97.5%	95.2%
2021	4	0	1	0	75%	top 43%	96.1%	93.7%
2020	3	1	3	0	100%	top 15%	98.1%	96.5%
2019	2	0	2	0	100%	top 14%	97%	95.5%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Oct 3, 2025	Carnivore Carnival (COMPETITOR SERIES) unrated Platte City, MO	11 / 14 (659.8284)	1 (176)	—	13 (153.0628)	—
Sep 19, 2025	Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard 🏅 Murphysboro, IL	4 / 56 (702.8228)	10 (177.7028)	18 (174.2744)	15 (176)	14 (174.8456)
Jul 26, 2025	Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main 🏅 Collinsville, IL	23 / 32 (681.5884)	7 (175.4172)	23 (170.8228)	13 (174.2628)	29 (161.0856)
Jul 19, 2025	Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest and Car Show (Day 2) 🏅 Osceola, MO	14 / 28 (691.9200)	1 (180)	15 (172.5600)	22 (168.5256)	18 (170.8344)
Jul 18, 2025	Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest and Car Show (Day 1) 🏅 Osceola, MO	2 / 32 (706.8228)	11 (176.5600)	4 (178.2972)	11 (175.4056)	3 (176.5600)
Jun 27, 2025	Old Town Smokeout 🏅 Van Buren, AR	18 / 27 (683.3256)	14 (173.1200)	4 (176)	18 (170.2628)	21 (163.9428)
Jun 13, 2025	11th Annual K of C BBQ Smoke Off 4-Life 🏅 Kansas City, KS	17 / 30 (677.0056)	18 (169.1084)	24 (160.5144)	13 (170.8228)	2 (176.5600)
Sep 13, 2024	Buds Blues and BBQ 🏅 Columbia, MO	4 / 16 (689.1200)	2 (176.5600)	2 (174.2744)	2 (174.8800)	10 (163.4056)
Jul 26, 2024	Last Frontier BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Eagle River, AK	1 / 8 (701.0856)	3 (177.7028)	3 (174.2628)	1 (178.2972)	4 (170.8228)
Jul 6, 2024	2024 Icebox Cookoff 🏅 Sweet Home, OR	20 / 37 (682.7656)	29 (167.3712)	27 (167.3944)	5 (174.2972)	9 (173.7028)
Jun 14, 2024	10th Annual K of C BBQ Smoke Off 4-Life 🏅 Kansas City, KS	23 / 34 (664.3656)	9 (176)	33 (149.5772)	23 (166.2284)	10 (172.5600)
May 10, 2024	Kennett Jaycees Show-Me State BBQ Cook Off 🏅 Kennett, MO	4 / 26 (701.6800)	14 (173.1200)	6 (176)	4 (178.8572)	6 (173.7028)
Apr 5, 2024	Lake Views & BBQ 🏅 Wagoner, OK	18 / 21 (673.5772)	17 (167.3828)	16 (167.3944)	13 (170.8228)	15 (167.9772)
Sep 16, 2021	American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS	310 / 467 (648.5028)	183 (167.9888)	173 (168.5484)	316 (160.5828)	390 (151.3828)
Sep 16, 2021	American Royal World Series of Barbecue-INVITATIONAL CONTEST 🏅 unrated Kansas City, KS	33 / 185 (691.9200)	8 (178.8572)	62 (173.1200)	11 (177.7028)	157 (162.2400)
Jul 24, 2021	Smokin on the Osage - Day 2 🏅 Osceola, MO	13 / 25 (680.4572)	7 (176.5716)	11 (170.8228)	19 (166.8344)	14 (166.2284)
Jul 23, 2021	Smokin on the Osage - Day 1 🏅 Osceola, MO	9 / 25 (678.1944)	14 (170.8344)	4 (173.1428)	12 (166.8344)	14 (167.3828)
Jul 18, 2020	Smokin on the Osage (Day 2) 🏅 Osceola, MO	1 / 31 (706.3088)	2 (180)	2 (178.2972)	8 (173.7372)	7 (174.2744)
Jul 17, 2020	Smokin on the Osage (Day 1) 🏅 Osceola, MO	5 / 29 (689.0512)	3 (178.2972)	17 (168.5256)	5 (173.1084)	10 (169.1200)
Jun 19, 2020	Ozarks BBQ Fest 🏅 Springfield, MO	6 / 26 (689.0744)	11 (171.9772)	9 (171.4172)	8 (171.9772)	6 (173.7028)
Sep 21, 2019	Bikes Boats & Bones BBQ & Steak Showdown 🏅 Kimberling City, MO	2 / 28 (698.2632)	7 (173.7144)	3 (175.4288)	10 (173.1200)	5 (176)
Apr 26, 2019	Rock N Ribs BBQ Festival 🏅 Springfield, MO	8 / 40 (677.1084)	16 (165.1428)	5 (173.7028)	4 (172.5600)	15 (165.7028)

An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.

Pits and Grills

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

Purse competed for

State championships

Master avg

Storylines (19 found in their record)

Perfect scores on the board

Against the odds

Giant slayer

Happy hunting ground

They almost always walk

High-water mark

State champions

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

The weak link

The drought

A strong matchup

The comeback

They cook the hard rooms

Looking over their shoulder

A September team

The long haul

The metronome

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Overall rank by season

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 — 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)