High-water mark
671.2800
career-best overall
93.2% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 671.2800 at Kora Kares for Kids — 93.2% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- Aug 15, 2026
Hillside BBQ
Hillside BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 18 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2023 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 15th of 19 at the Operation Up in Smoke (2024). They are ranked #5794 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1442
peak 1442 · rated over 12 contests
Contests
18
in the data
First seen
May 6, 2023
latest Aug 15, 2026 · 3.3 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
1 podium
Overall top-10s
0
0% of 18 contests
Avg finish
top 76%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
655.66 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 654.13 (+1.54)
Walk rate
39%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±14.28
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork
avg 166.29 · weakest Brisket (160.45)
Road miles
744
across 18 mapped stops · furthest 163 mi
Schedule strength
36%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1548)
Purse competed for
$67K
listed at 13 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 12 state-championship entries
Master avg
654.13 / 720
12 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 | #1020 (60 pts) | #1093 (60 pts) | #940 (125 pts) | #822 (125 pts) | #1051 (60 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #580 (281 pts) | #581 (331 pts) | #747 (236 pts) | #520 (361 pts) | #541 (341 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #510 (365 pts) | #428 (514 pts) | #338 (744 pts) | #306 (730 pts) | #464 (470 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #938 (120 pts) | #925 (150 pts) | #931 (177 pts) | #989 (120 pts) | #989 (120 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Hillside BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
77 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#5,806 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 8%
- Peak
- 1442
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 11 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#5,791 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1443
Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 8 years before Hillside BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#5,792 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1443
Fewer contests behind them than Hillside BBQ has cooked, 10 to 18, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Compare careers#5,805 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1442
They were already cooking in 2013, 10 years before Hillside BBQ's first contest.
⚔ Compare careers#5,790 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1506
Level with Hillside BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careers#5,801 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 7%
- Peak
- 1442
15 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 7% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELJEFE SMOKE | 12 | 0 | 12 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Q Shanty | 11 | 2 | 9 | 18% | ⚔ compare |
| Mullen It Over BBQ | 11 | 1 | 10 | 9% | ⚔ compare |
| FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | 11 | 0 | 11 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Let It Smoke Barbecue | 11 | 0 | 11 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| PADDY MCQ'S | 11 | 0 | 11 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | 11 | 0 | 11 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| New Pigs on the Block | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Q42 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 22% | ⚔ compare |
| STICKS & STONES BBQ | 9 | 2 | 7 | 22% | ⚔ compare |
| Grumpy Old Patriot Barbeque | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| LG bbq | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Titans of BBQ | 8 | 4 | 4 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| American Barbecue Company | 8 | 3 | 5 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| Morning Wood BBQ | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 170.8228 | 151.9772 | 164.73 | top 67% |
| Pork Ribs | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 174.8572 | 152.5828 | 163.68 | top 68% |
| Pork | 12 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 176.5828 | 153.1544 | 166.29 | top 53% |
| Brisket | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 170.2744 | 147.4060 | 160.45 | top 68% |
“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) | 1 | 0 | top 79% |
| Medium (20–39) | 7 | 0 | top 74% |
| Large (40+) | 4 | 0 | top 78% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts in May (Day 2) | 4 | 22 | 0 | top 81% | May 17, 2025 |
| Kora Kares for Kids | 3 | 24 | 0 | top 73% | Aug 15, 2026 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2024
8 contests
Contests a season
4.5
across 4 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
ME
8 of 18 contests · 5 states in all
Contests visited
7
2 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
17 entries · 0 wins · 3 calls
Opponents faced
142
finished ahead 102 times, behind 303
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20262 milestones
- Career-best overall score671.2800 Kora Kares for Kids
- Most recent contest Kora Kares for Kids
20243 milestones
- First call Massachusetts in May (Day 1)
- Career-best single call (Pork)176.5828 Operation Up in Smoke
- 10th tracked contest Weekend of Giving (ONE MEAT CHICKEN)
20233 milestones
- First tracked contest HOGS 4 HEROES
- Peak power rating (1491) HOGS 4 HEROES
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score654.2172 Kora Shriners BBQ Competition
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +1.7 | Connecticut Barbecue Challenge | Jul 12, 2025 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -9.4 | HOGS 4 HEROES | May 6, 2023 |
| -8.7 | Massachusetts in May (Day 2) | May 18, 2024 |
| -8.5 | Kora Kares for Kids | Aug 16, 2025 |
| -7.1 | Massachusetts in May (Day 1) | May 16, 2025 |
| -5.6 | Weekend of Giving | Oct 26, 2024 |
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 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 69% | 93.2% | 93.2% |
| 2025 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20% | top 78% | 93% | 90.5% |
| 2024 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75% | top 75% | 92.5% | 91.6% |
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 77% | 90.9% | 88.6% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 15, 2026 | Kora Kares for Kids 🏅 Hiram, ME | 35 / 51 (671.2800) | 32 (170.2628) | 46 (160.5144) | 12 (174.2628) | 34 (166.2400) |
| Aug 15, 2026 | Kora Kares for Kids (ONE MEAT RIBS) Hiram, ME | — | — | 24 (168.5716) | — | — |
| Aug 16, 2025 | Kora Kares for Kids 🏅 Hiram, ME | 36 / 40 (642.2056) | 40 (151.9772) | 27 (164.5600) | 34 (158.2628) | 19 (167.4056) |
| Aug 16, 2025 | Kora Kares for Kids (ONE MEAT RIBS) Hiram, ME | — | — | 26 (164.5256) | — | — |
| Jul 12, 2025 | Connecticut Barbecue Challenge 🏅 Somers, CT | 17 / 30 (669.5884) | 14 (169.6800) | 27 (157.6456) | 9 (172.5944) | 12 (169.6684) |
| May 17, 2025 | Massachusetts in May (Day 2) 🏅 Wrentham, MA | 23 / 29 (661.5772) | 15 (170.8228) | 22 (166.2972) | 16 (168.5372) | 24 (155.9200) |
| May 16, 2025 | Massachusetts in May (Day 1) 🏅 Wrentham, MA | 23 / 27 (633.6684) | 24 (156.5600) | 25 (157.6456) | 23 (159.4284) | 21 (160.0344) |
| Oct 26, 2024 | Weekend of Giving 🏅 Wrentham, MA | 19 / 25 (653.6112) | 15 (167.9772) | 8 (168.5256) | 21 (157.6800) | 17 (159.4284) |
| Oct 25, 2024 | Weekend of Giving (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Wrentham, MA | — | 15 (162.8572) | — | — | — |
| Oct 25, 2024 | Weekend of Giving (ONE MEAT RIBS) Wrentham, MA | — | — | 4 (174.8572) | — | — |
| Aug 17, 2024 | Kora Kares for Kids 🏅 Hiram, ME | 24 / 39 (660.5260) | 15 (169.7028) | 27 (163.9888) | 5 (176) | 36 (150.8344) |
| Aug 17, 2024 | Kora Kares for Kids (ONE MEAT RIBS) Hiram, ME | — | — | 9 (172.0116) | — | — |
| Jul 27, 2024 | Operation Up in Smoke 🏅 Epping, NH | 15 / 19 (665.6796) | 14 (167.9656) | 16 (164.0228) | 2 (176.5828) | 18 (157.1084) |
| May 18, 2024 | Massachusetts in May (Day 2) 🏅 Wrentham, MA | 27 / 31 (658.8916) | 27 (160) | 25 (164.0344) | 20 (164.5828) | 11 (170.2744) |
| May 17, 2024 | Massachusetts in May (Day 1) 🏅 Wrentham, MA | 22 / 30 (657.1660) | 27 (159.9544) | 28 (160.5944) | 8 (170.9028) | 13 (165.7144) |
| Aug 19, 2023 | Kora Shriners BBQ Competition 🏅 Hiram, ME | 32 / 46 (654.2172) | 21 (169.1316) | 27 (166.2628) | 33 (163.4400) | 41 (155.3828) |
| Aug 19, 2023 | Kora Shriners BBQ Competition (ONE MEAT RIBS) Hiram, ME | — | — | 28 (152.5828) | — | — |
| May 6, 2023 | HOGS 4 HEROES 🏅 Jamestown, RI | 42 / 50 (621.1092) | 23 (164.5488) | 39 (156) | 43 (153.1544) | 42 (147.4060) |