CIRCLE L BBQ

CIRCLE L BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 32 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2017 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 7th of 10 at the Marietta River City BBQ (2025). They are ranked #6203 of 6,485 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#6,203

of 6,485 rated · rankings

Rating

1421

peak 1421 · rated over 31 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Jun 16, 2017

latest Aug 28, 2026 · 9.2 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#394

Master 2026 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

5 podiums

Overall top-10s

16% of 32 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 75%

overall standings

Best overall

683.3488 / 720

Master · Grizzly BBQ Brawl

Perfect 180s

Current form

659.17 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 645.74 (+13.43)

Walk rate

50%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

177.1772

Chicken · Saxonburg BBQ Smokeout

Consistency

±24.23

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 163.72 · weakest Brisket (159.18)

Road miles

3,420

across 32 mapped stops · furthest 136 mi

Schedule strength

61%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1578)

Purse competed for

$131K

listed at 23 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 26 state-championship entries

Master avg

645.74 / 720

31 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (11 found in their record)

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

High-water mark

683.3488 career-best overall

94.9% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 683.3488 at Grizzly BBQ Brawl — 94.9% of a perfect 720.

Master
Sep 5, 2025

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

SMOKE RIDER has finished one call ahead of CIRCLE L BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2024 their best year

2024 was the year it came together: 3 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 59%.

3 contests
0 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 59%

A tough matchup

17–1 behind in the head-to-head

CONVICTED PIGS BBQ ahead in 94% of their meetings

CONVICTED PIGS BBQ has come out ahead in 17 of their 18 shared contests.

The weak link

−4.5 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.54 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 16% of the time against 28%.

Brisket avg 159.18
Chicken avg 163.72
5 calls in 31 entries

The comeback

1.6 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 1.6 years, then back at Marietta River City BBQ (Apr 23, 2021).

last seen Aug 30, 2019
back Apr 23, 2021

Chicken nemesis

14 of 18 shared chicken entries lost

BEER TIME BBQ ahead 78% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, BEER TIME BBQ has out-cooked them in 14 of 18 shared chicken entries.

Show 4 more storylines

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

Bigfoot Mountain BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A September team

Top 65% average finish in September

Something about September: average finish in the top 65% across 3 contests, versus top 75% the rest of the year.

3 September contests
top 75% the rest of the year

The long haul

3,420 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 3,420 miles across 32 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 136 miles to Saxonburg BBQ Smokeout.

32 mapped stops
furthest 136 mi

A standing appointment

4 years running at one contest

They've cooked Almost Heaven BBQ Bash (OPEN FORMAT) every year from 2023 to 2026 — the contest they never miss.

4 visits in all
best finish 17th

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	#394 (469 pts)	#249 (850 pts)	#448 (489 pts)	#420 (459 pts)	#368 (548 pts)
2025 ↗	Master	#443 (437 pts)	#403 (567 pts)	#494 (457 pts)	#497 (397 pts)	#465 (442 pts)
2024 ↗	Master	#600 (283 pts)	#667 (268 pts)	#652 (313 pts)	#544 (363 pts)	#632 (283 pts)
2023 ↗	Master	#541 (330 pts)	#528 (375 pts)	#624 (340 pts)	#502 (405 pts)	#448 (450 pts)
2022 ↗	Master	#781 (195 pts)	#787 (225 pts)	#765 (250 pts)	#716 (250 pts)	#882 (170 pts)
2021 ↗	Master	#1183 (74 pts)	#1272 (64 pts)	#1171 (99 pts)	#1101 (104 pts)	#1231 (64 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#885 (316 pts)	#859 (361 pts)	#925 (331 pts)	#775 (416 pts)	#933 (321 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#929 (316 pts)	#978 (321 pts)	#724 (496 pts)	#906 (356 pts)	#967 (316 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#1722 (120 pts)	#1802 (120 pts)	#1822 (120 pts)	#1799 (120 pts)	#1794 (120 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to CIRCLE L BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

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

All Sauced Up

#6,208 of the rated field

1421 power rating

Contests: 67
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 31%
Peak: 1653

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to CIRCLE L BBQ)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team CIRCLE L BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 66 contests
last seen Sep 12, 2025

⚔ Head-to-head

Steel Smoke BBQ

#6,201 of the rated field

1421 power rating

Contests: 30
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1501

They've been 1501 at their best, 81 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 29 contests
last seen Aug 28, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

BITE MY BUTT BBQ

#6,200 of the rated field

1421 power rating

Contests: 26
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 8%
Peak: 1421

Careers of much the same size, 26 contests to 32, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 25 contests
last seen Jun 26, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

East Coast BBQ

#6,199 of the rated field

1421 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1421

Their last contest in the data was back in 2021, 5 years before CIRCLE L BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 19 contests

⚔ Compare careers

Lb Town KC BBQ

#6,202 of the rated field

1421 power rating

Contests: 18
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1421

18 contests and no Grand Championship yet.

rated over 17 contests
last seen Jun 26, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Brothers BBQ

#6,204 of the rated field

1421 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1421

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

rated over 14 contests
last seen Mar 21, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
CONVICTED PIGS BBQ	18	1	17	6%	⚔ compare
BEER TIME BBQ	17	2	15	12%	⚔ compare
HIGH ON THE HOG OHIO	17	0	17	0%	⚔ compare
Sailor Nicks BBQ	12	0	12	0%	⚔ compare
TIRE SMOKE BBQ	12	0	12	0%	⚔ compare
SUCKA BONE BBQ TEAM	10	6	4	60%	⚔ compare
PEACE LOVE & SMOKINESS	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare
ALE YEAH BBQ	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare
SPITTIN' FEATHERS BBQ	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare
SLIPPERY PETE'S BBQ	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare
GO BIG OR GO BBQ	9	2	7	22%	⚔ compare
BO B Q BBQ	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare
BooyaQ	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
T & S BBQ	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
ELEGANTLY VIOLENT BBQ	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	32	9	1	2	177.1772	144.5372	163.72	top 67%
Pork Ribs	31	7	1	1	175.4400	135.3716	161.00	top 70%
Pork	31	7	0	0	172.5600	150.2628	161.97	top 69%
Brisket	31	5	0	2	177.1428	145.0856	159.18	top 74%

“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	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	8	top 74%
Medium (20–39)	18	top 76%
Large (40+)	5	top 76%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
OH	19	top 77%
WV	8	top 79%
PA	4	top 62%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Marietta River City BBQ (OPEN FORMAT)	6	7	top 74%	Apr 24, 2026
Almost Heaven BBQ Bash (OPEN FORMAT)	4	17	top 74%	Jun 19, 2026
Grizzly BBQ Brawl	2	16	top 50%	Jun 26, 2026
PigMania Hilliard State Championship BBQ & Music Festival	2	26	top 93%	Aug 30, 2019
Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival	2	27	top 91%	Oct 19, 2018
Almost Heaven BBQ Bash	2	50	top 90%	Jun 15, 2018

More numbers

Busiest season 2026 6 contests

Contests a season 3.6 across 9 seasons in the data

Most contests held in OH 20 of 32 contests · 3 states in all

Contests visited 19 6 of them more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 32 entries · 1 win · 9 calls

Opponents faced 397 finished ahead 208 times, behind 712

Longest layoff 1.6 yrs Aug 30, 2019 → Apr 23, 2021

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

20262 milestones

Aug 28 Career-best single call (Chicken)177.1772 Saxonburg BBQ Smokeout
Aug 28 Most recent contest Saxonburg BBQ Smokeout

20252 milestones

Jun 13 25th tracked contest Almost Heaven BBQ Bash
Sep 5 Career-best overall score683.3488 Grizzly BBQ Brawl

20221 milestone

Apr 29 First overall past 90% of a perfect score656.4800 Marietta River City BBQ

20192 milestones

Jun 14 10th tracked contest Smokin On The Buffalo
Jul 5 First overall top-10 Ceramic City Jazz, Blues & BBQ Festival

20182 milestones

Jun 1 First call PigMania Shelby Mansfield KOA RV Resort
Jun 1 First category win (Pork Ribs) PigMania Shelby Mansfield KOA RV Resort

20172 milestones

Jun 16 First tracked contest Almost Heaven BBQ Bash
Jun 16 Peak power rating (1493) Almost Heaven BBQ Bash

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+10.6	Grizzly BBQ Brawl	Sep 5, 2025
+5.5	Saxonburg BBQ Smokeout	Aug 28, 2026
+3.2	The Buckeye BBQ Classic	Jul 21, 2023
+3	Grizzly BBQ Brawl	Jun 26, 2026
+2.8	BLACK BOX BBQ @ Wadsworth Municipal Airport	Oct 13, 2023

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-10.1	Marietta River City BBQ	Apr 26, 2019
-10	Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival	Oct 19, 2018
-9	PigMania Hilliard State Championship BBQ & Music Festival	Jun 29, 2018
-8.6	Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival	Oct 20, 2017
-8	PigMania Lima State Championship BBQ & Music Festival	May 18, 2018

Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — 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	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2026	6	2	1	67%	top 70%	92.7%	91.6%
2025	4	2	0	75%	top 64%	94.9%	92.5%
2024	3	0	0	67%	top 59%	93.3%	92.8%
2023	4	0	0	25%	top 68%	93.8%	91.9%
2022	2	0	0	100%	top 67%	91.2%	91.1%
2021	1	0	0	0%	top 72%	89.7%	89.7%
2019	4	1	0	75%	top 90%	87.9%	85.7%
2018	5	0	1	20%	top 92%	89.8%	86.5%
2017	3	0	0	0%	top 86%	88.6%	86.5%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Aug 28, 2026	Saxonburg BBQ Smokeout 🏅 Saxonburg, PA	9 / 16 (667.3488)	1 (177.1772)	13 (161.6572)	12 (161.6572)	12 (166.8572)
Jun 26, 2026	Grizzly BBQ Brawl 🏅 Wellington, OH	24 / 39 (664.9824)	11 (174.2628)	24 (167.3712)	30 (163.3712)	33 (159.9772)
Jun 19, 2026	Almost Heaven BBQ Bash (OPEN FORMAT) 🏅 Buckhannon, WV	27 / 29 (632.9484)	33 (149.0856)	16 (169.6800)	28 (158.8344)	31 (155.3484)
May 22, 2026	Big Knob BBQ & Cash Fest 🏅 Rochester, PA	11 / 14 (663.8168)	8 (169.6684)	9 (169.6800)	8 (169.1084)	12 (155.3600)
Apr 24, 2026	Marietta River City BBQ (OPEN FORMAT) 🏅 Marietta, OH	9 / 15 (666.7432)	10 (168.5372)	15 (163.9772)	14 (163.3944)	3 (170.8344)
Apr 24, 2026	Marietta River City BBQ (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Marietta, OH	—	7 (168.0228)	—	—	—
Sep 5, 2025	Grizzly BBQ Brawl 🏅 Wellington, OH	16 / 42 (683.3488)	20 (174.2628)	12 (170.8572)	25 (168.5488)	14 (169.6800)
Jun 13, 2025	Almost Heaven BBQ Bash 🏅 Buckhannon, WV	24 / 30 (654.7660)	9 (174.8456)	24 (163.4288)	28 (158.2172)	23 (158.2744)
May 23, 2025	Big Knob BBQ Fest 🏅 Rochester, PA	8 / 12 (659.2456)	11 (161.6572)	8 (163.9428)	5 (171.9656)	10 (161.6800)
Apr 25, 2025	Marietta River City BBQ 🏅 Marietta, OH	7 / 10 (666.2748)	2 (172.5600)	7 (168.5716)	9 (156.5372)	6 (168.6060)
Sep 6, 2024	Grizzly BBQ Brawl 🏅 Wadsworth, OH	22 / 30 (664.4800)	24 (165.1200)	22 (162.8228)	7 (172.5600)	22 (163.9772)
Jun 14, 2024	Almost Heaven BBQ Bash 🏅 Buckhannon, WV	17 / 30 (671.9088)	15 (167.9656)	16 (166.8344)	17 (168.5600)	14 (168.5488)
May 24, 2024	Big Knob BBQ & Brew Fest 🏅 Rochester, PA	11 / 23 (667.2912)	14 (167.3828)	8 (171.4172)	13 (163.4056)	14 (165.0856)
Oct 13, 2023	BLACK BOX BBQ @ Wadsworth Municipal Airport 🏅 Wadsworth, OH	13 / 20 (675.3600)	15 (165.1088)	16 (164.5484)	8 (168.5600)	3 (177.1428)
Jul 21, 2023	The Buckeye BBQ Classic 🏅 Hillsboro, OH	20 / 32 (666.6972)	15 (169.6800)	16 (165.0856)	12 (170.2628)	21 (161.6688)
Jun 16, 2023	Almost Heaven BBQ Bash 🏅 Buckhannon, WV	19 / 28 (666.2172)	13 (170.3316)	18 (165.1084)	19 (163.3828)	17 (167.3944)
Apr 28, 2023	Marietta River City BBQ 🏅 Marietta, OH	33 / 42 (638.7200)	31 (162.2744)	25 (161.6456)	35 (155.3940)	27 (159.4060)
Jun 17, 2022	Almost Heaven BBQ Bash 🏅 Roanoke, WV	14 / 20 (655.3144)	16 (163.3944)	5 (174.2744)	7 (171.9656)	19 (145.6800)
Apr 29, 2022	Marietta River City BBQ 🏅 Marietta, OH	16 / 25 (656.4800)	9 (170.8456)	19 (161.0972)	15 (162.2744)	16 (162.2628)
Apr 23, 2021	Marietta River City BBQ 🏅 Marietta, OH	21 / 29 (645.5996)	23 (157.6684)	16 (165.7372)	15 (166.2512)	23 (155.9428)
Aug 30, 2019	PigMania Hilliard State Championship BBQ & Music Festival 🏅 Hilliard, OH	26 / 28 (632.8800)	26 (154.7772)	22 (165.0972)	27 (157.0744)	26 (155.9312)
Jul 5, 2019	Ceramic City Jazz, Blues & BBQ Festival 🏅 East Liverpool, OH	10 / 11 (608.3428)	10 (152.4800)	10 (149.6800)	11 (153.6456)	10 (152.5372)
Jun 14, 2019	Smokin On The Buffalo 🏅 Mannington, WV	13 / 16 (617.5424)	7 (169.7028)	13 (152.4912)	13 (150.2628)	13 (145.0856)
Apr 26, 2019	Marietta River City BBQ 🏅 Marietta, OH	25 / 26 (609.0860)	26 (144.5372)	26 (145.6916)	7 (168.0344)	24 (150.8228)
Oct 19, 2018	Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival Nelsonville, OH	27 / 28 (612.3200)	22 (161.6800)	27 (149.0972)	28 (151.3600)	26 (150.1828)
Jun 29, 2018	PigMania Hilliard State Championship BBQ & Music Festival 🏅 Hilliard, OH	31 / 33 (615.8176)	30 (155.3828)	30 (150.8232)	32 (153.0972)	30 (156.5144)
Jun 15, 2018	Almost Heaven BBQ Bash Weston, WV	54 / 59 (596.9716)	47 (158.2628)	55 (135.9544)	45 (156.5716)	56 (146.1828)
Jun 1, 2018	PigMania Shelby Mansfield KOA RV Resort Shelby, OH	16 / 18 (643.3144)	18 (153.6916)	1 (175.4400)	16 (158.8000)	16 (155.3828)
May 18, 2018	PigMania Lima State Championship BBQ & Music Festival 🏅 Lima, OH	28 / 32 (646.6740)	25 (163.4172)	28 (157.0856)	17 (166.2284)	25 (159.9428)
Oct 20, 2017	Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival Nelsonville, OH	33 / 39 (637.5772)	30 (161.1428)	30 (161.1200)	31 (157.6572)	32 (157.6572)
Sep 1, 2017	PigMania Lebanon State Championship BBQ & Music Festival ( TEAMS AND JUDGES FULL) 🏅 Lebanon, OH	34 / 40 (634.6400)	29 (163.9428)	36 (155.3828)	29 (161.6800)	35 (153.6344)
Jun 16, 2017	Almost Heaven BBQ Bash Weston, WV	50 / 57 (595.2460)	50 (150.2172)	55 (135.3716)	48 (152.5600)	41 (157.0972)

CIRCLE L BBQ

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 (11 found in their record)

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

The weak link

The comeback

Chicken nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

A September team

The long haul

A standing appointment

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, averaged over 5 contests — 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)