They almost always walk
62%
of contests with a top-10 call
A call in 8 of 13 contests
A top-10 category call in 62% of their 13 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
Don't Tread on Meat
Don't Tread on Meat is a competition barbecue team with 13 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2024 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 13th of 26 at the Cruisin' and BBQin' (2026). They are ranked #4786 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1467
peak 1467 · rated over 13 contests
Contests
13
in the data
First seen
May 10, 2024
latest Jul 31, 2026 · 2.2 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
1
2 podiums
Overall top-10s
0
0% of 13 contests
Avg finish
top 70%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
676.69 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 668.99 (+7.71)
Walk rate
62%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±9.31
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork
avg 167.88 · weakest Chicken (166.48)
Road miles
1,983
across 13 mapped stops · furthest 425 mi
Schedule strength
75%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1595)
Purse competed for
$128K
listed at 13 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 13 state-championship entries
Master avg
668.99 / 720
13 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 | #394 (469 pts) | #340 (624 pts) | #376 (624 pts) | #302 (674 pts) | #348 (589 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #706 (191 pts) | #735 (221 pts) | #791 (211 pts) | #592 (301 pts) | #761 (186 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #529 (346 pts) | #633 (291 pts) | #519 (456 pts) | #539 (366 pts) | #315 (746 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Don't Tread on Meat, each with one reason worth a look.
138 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#4,769 of the rated field
- Contests
- 14
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 21%
- Peak
- 1468
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 14 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#4,784 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 17%
- Peak
- 1467
Careers of much the same size, 12 contests to 13, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#4,773 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1467
15 contests and no Grand Championship yet.
⚔ Compare careers#4,799 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 7%
- Peak
- 1507
They were already cooking in 2019, 5 years before Don't Tread on Meat's first contest.
⚔ Compare careers#4,810 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1518
Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 8 years before Don't Tread on Meat's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#4,800 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1467
Level with Don't Tread on Meat on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LUCKY 19 SAUCE COMPANY | 12 | 1 | 11 | 8% | ⚔ compare |
| HOT DADDY'S BBQ | 12 | 0 | 12 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Sugar Shack | 11 | 4 | 7 | 36% | ⚔ compare |
| NECTAR OF THE HOGS | 11 | 2 | 9 | 18% | ⚔ compare |
| Big Racks BBQ | 11 | 0 | 11 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Phoenix BBQ | 10 | 3 | 7 | 30% | ⚔ compare |
| WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ | 10 | 2 | 8 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| Son of a Boar BBQ | 10 | 1 | 9 | 10% | ⚔ compare |
| Steel Smoke BBQ | 8 | 4 | 4 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| SIX BUTT BBQ | 8 | 3 | 5 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| Sensuous BBQ | 8 | 2 | 6 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| IT'S BBQ TIME | 8 | 1 | 7 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| WHEN PIGS DIE | 8 | 1 | 7 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| Ash Kickin' BBQ | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| FENDER BENDER BBQ | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 176.5600 | 155.3944 | 166.48 | top 69% |
| Pork Ribs | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 174.8572 | 157.0628 | 167.14 | top 58% |
| Pork | 13 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 177.7144 | 157.0628 | 167.88 | top 58% |
| Brisket | 13 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 177.7028 | 155.3832 | 167.49 | top 51% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium (20–39) | 6 | 0 | top 65% |
| Large (40+) | 7 | 0 | top 75% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota in May | 3 | 45 | 0 | top 80% | May 8, 2026 |
| Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 2 | 13 | 0 | top 57% | Jun 13, 2026 |
| Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 2 | 30 | 0 | top 77% | Jun 12, 2026 |
| MN Masters BBQ | 2 | 14 | 0 | top 66% | Aug 22, 2025 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2026
5 contests
Contests a season
4.3
across 3 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
MN
7 of 13 contests · 4 states in all
Contests visited
8
4 of them more than once
Opponents faced
319
finished ahead 192 times, behind 629
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20265 milestones
- 10th tracked contest Minnesota in May
- First category win (Pork) Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD)
- Career-best single call (Pork)177.7144 Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD)
- Career-best overall score685.6460 Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD)
- Most recent contest Cruisin' and BBQin'
20244 milestones
- First tracked contest Minnesota in May
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score662.1828 Minnesota in May
- Peak power rating (1489) Minnesota in May
- First call Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +10.7 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | Jun 13, 2026 |
| +5.2 | MN Masters BBQ | Aug 23, 2024 |
| +3.8 | 8th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship | Mar 20, 2026 |
| +1.8 | Cruisin' and BBQin' | Jul 31, 2026 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -11 | Minnesota in May | May 10, 2024 |
| -8 | Minnesota in May | May 9, 2025 |
| -7.9 | KTD Smokin Gobbler Cook-off | Jul 12, 2024 |
| -7.3 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | Jun 7, 2024 |
| -6.5 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | Jun 8, 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 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 100% | top 57% | 95.2% | 94% |
| 2025 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 78% | 92.7% | 92% |
| 2024 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 60% | top 78% | 93.9% | 92.4% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 31, 2026 | Cruisin' and BBQin' 🏅 Hampton, IA | 13 / 26 (685.0516) | 6 (176.5600) | 12 (173.1316) | 20 (166.8228) | 13 (168.5372) |
| Jun 13, 2026 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 13 / 37 (685.6460) | 9 (174.8572) | 10 (173.1200) | 30 (166.2516) | 12 (171.4172) |
| Jun 12, 2026 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 30 / 40 (663.3260) | 39 (155.3944) | 37 (159.3944) | 1 (177.7144) | 6 (170.8228) |
| May 8, 2026 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 55 / 77 (674.1256) | 27 (173.1200) | 77 (157.0628) | 10 (175.4172) | 46 (168.5256) |
| Mar 20, 2026 | 8th Annual Qlathe BBQ Championship 🏅 Olathe, KS | 37 / 68 (675.3256) | 39 (168.5372) | 8 (174.8572) | 46 (167.3828) | 47 (164.5484) |
| Aug 22, 2025 | MN Masters BBQ 🏅 Pierz, MN | 21 / 26 (658.1492) | 15 (166.8344) | 17 (165.0972) | 12 (170.8344) | 22 (155.3832) |
| May 9, 2025 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 45 / 58 (667.2916) | 48 (165.0972) | 44 (166.2516) | 34 (170.2628) | 39 (165.6800) |
| Feb 21, 2025 | Fire on Ice BBQ Championship 🏅 Onamia, MN | 32 / 42 (661.0516) | 39 (162.8572) | 30 (163.3944) | 12 (171.4056) | 32 (163.3944) |
| Aug 23, 2024 | MN Masters BBQ 🏅 Pierz, MN | 14 / 27 (675.9660) | 25 (159.4172) | 11 (170.2860) | 10 (171.9772) | 4 (174.2856) |
| Jul 12, 2024 | KTD Smokin Gobbler Cook-off 🏅 Worthington, MN | 31 / 34 (656.4576) | 25 (169.1200) | 21 (166.2744) | 28 (164.5488) | 32 (156.5144) |
| Jun 8, 2024 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 29 / 37 (670.6972) | 28 (166.2516) | 20 (169.6800) | 34 (157.0628) | 2 (177.7028) |
| Jun 7, 2024 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 32 / 41 (661.5776) | 39 (161.6688) | 15 (168.5488) | 37 (157.0628) | 7 (174.2972) |
| May 10, 2024 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 52 / 58 (662.1828) | 52 (164.5600) | 44 (165.6916) | 49 (165.6800) | 44 (166.2512) |