They almost always walk
79%
of contests with a top-10 call
A call in 15 of 19 contests
A top-10 category call in 79% of their 19 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
Little E's Que
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1539
peak 1539 · rated over 17 contests ⓘ
Best runs
4
straight top-10s
Contests
19
in the data
First seen
2021-05-14
latest 2025-07-25
Best ToY finish
#148
Backyard 2024
Grand champs
1
0 reserve
Category wins
1
3 podiums
Overall top-10s
11
of 19 contests
Avg finish
top 53%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
325.99 ▼
last 5 Backyard vs avg 334.58 (-8.58)
Walk rate
79%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
4
best run (overall)
Consistency
±36.53
std dev of Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
avg 164.38 · weakest Pork (159.68)
Road miles
2,484
mi across 19 mapped stops · furthest 482 mi
Schedule strength
86%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1616)
Purse competed for
$97K
listed at 14 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
1 🏅
GCs in 15 state-championship entries
Backyard avg
334.58 / 360
18 Backyard contests · 1 GC
This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.
Storylines (12 found in this team's record)
Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.
High-water mark
479.3828
career-best overall
133.2% of a perfect 360
Their best day on record: 479.3828 at Smokin' on the Buffalo BBQ Brawl - Day 1 — 133.2% of a perfect 360.
- Backyard
- 2021-05-14
State champions
1
state championships won
They've taken 1 state championship from 15 entries at contests carrying the title.
- 15 state-championship entries
The one to beat
3×
one call ahead of them
Off The Rack BBQ has finished one call ahead of Little E's Que 3 times — their closest competition in the data.
A tough matchup
14–2
behind in the head-to-head
Bowmans Butt & BBQ ahead in 88% of their meetings
Bowmans Butt & BBQ has come out ahead in 14 of their 16 shared contests.
The drought
13
contests since the last title
Their last Grand Championship came at Almost Heaven BBQ Bash on 2022-06-17 — 13 contests and 4.2 years ago.
- last GC 2022-06-17
- 4.2 years ago
A strong matchup
4–0
ahead in the head-to-head
Ahead in 100% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of Sweet Swine O'Mine in 4 of their 4 shared contests.
Pork Ribs nemesis
10 of 16
shared pork ribs entries lost
Bowmans Butt & BBQ ahead 63% of the time
Even in their strongest meat, Bowmans Butt & BBQ has out-cooked them in 10 of 16 shared pork ribs entries.
They cook the hard rooms
1616
average field rating faced
A tougher draw than 86% of rated fields
The fields they enter average a 1616 power rating — a tougher draw than 86% of every rated contest in the data.
- 17 rated contests
Looking over their shoulder
3×
one call behind them
Mad Hatter BBQ has landed one call behind them 3 times.
Boom or bust
±10.15%
swing around their own average
Their overall swings ±10.15% of a perfect score around its own average — when it lands they're dangerous, and when it doesn't the weekend is gone by lunch.
- averages 92.9% of a perfect score
- best 133.2%
A June team
Top 25%
average finish in June
Something about June: average finish in the top 25% across 3 contests, versus top 53% the rest of the year.
- 3 June contests
- top 53% the rest of the year
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The nearest teams in the power rankings, with a different reason on each card — six teams on one rating are rarely on it for the same reason. Rating decides who makes the list; where teams tie on it, the ones this team has actually cooked against come first, then teams at a similar point in their own career. KCBS doesn’t publish where a team is from, so nothing here is inferred from geography.
76 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1969 of the rated field
- Contests
- 18
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 28%
- Peak
- 1539
No shared contest yet.
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 18 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-head#1966 of the rated field
- Contests
- 16
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1554
No shared contest yet.
Careers of much the same size, 16 contests to 19, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Head-to-head#1971 of the rated field
- Contests
- 16
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 44%
- Peak
- 1539
No shared contest yet.
Their last contest in the data was back in 2021, 4 years before Little E's Que's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-head#1960 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 27%
- Peak
- 1543
No shared contest yet.
15 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 27% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Head-to-head#1968 of the rated field
- Contests
- 21
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 19%
- Peak
- 1540
No shared contest yet.
They were already cooking in 2016, 5 years before Little E's Que's first contest.
⚔ Head-to-head#1958 of the rated field
- Contests
- 13
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 31%
- Peak
- 1550
No shared contest yet.
Level with Little E's Que on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POOR BOYS BBQ | 16 | 4 | 12 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| Bowmans Butt & BBQ | 16 | 2 | 14 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| Dogpatch Q | 14 | 3 | 11 | 21% | ⚔ compare |
| Gold-N-Blue Barbecue | 14 | 2 | 12 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| Optimus Swine | 13 | 4 | 8 | 31% | ⚔ compare |
| Off The Rack BBQ | 13 | 4 | 9 | 31% | ⚔ compare |
| Full Throttle BBQ | 12 | 4 | 7 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| CHUNKY BBQ | 12 | 2 | 10 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| D’Qued Barbeque | 10 | 2 | 8 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| T & S BBQ | 10 | 1 | 9 | 10% | ⚔ compare |
| Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit | 10 | 1 | 9 | 10% | ⚔ compare |
| Dog Bite Barbecue | 9 | 1 | 8 | 11% | ⚔ compare |
| Country Boys BBQ | 9 | 1 | 8 | 11% | ⚔ compare |
| Mad Hatter BBQ | 8 | 4 | 4 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | 8 | 2 | 6 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 18 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 176.0000 | 150.2628 | 161.63 | top 55% |
| Pork Ribs | 18 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 173.1200 | 149.0632 | 164.38 | top 43% |
| Pork | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 165.0972 | 154.2628 | 159.68 | top 65% |
| Brisket | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — |
“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 state / province
| Where | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| WV | 8 | 1 | top 56% |
| VA | 7 | 0 | top 42% |
| MD | 2 | 0 | top 69% |
| AL | 1 | 0 | top 84% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 7 | 0 | top 71% |
| Medium (20–39) | 10 | 1 | top 38% |
| Large (40+) | 1 | 0 | top 84% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke on the Mountain | 3 | 8 | 0 | top 28% | 2025-07-25 |
| Almost Heaven BBQ Bash | 2 | 10 | 0 | top 35% | 2024-06-14 |
| Forks of the Buffalo BBQ Throwdown (Day 2) | 2 | 10 | 0 | top 87% | 2023-09-09 |
The story so far (19 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
4.2 yrs
2021-05-14 → 2025-07-25
Busiest season
2023
6 contests
Contests a season
3.8
across 5 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
WV
8 of 19 contests · 4 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
14
3 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Chicken
18 entries · 1 win · 8 calls
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
averages 164.38 · weakest Pork (159.68)
Walk rate
79%
a top-10 call in 15 of 19 contests
Overall top-10 rate
58%
11 of 19 contests
Wins it all
5%
1 Grand Championship · 0 reserve
First title
2022-06-17
Almost Heaven BBQ Bash
Best top-10 run
4
straight contests
Backyard average
334.58
out of 360 · 18 contests · 1 GC
Opponents faced
272
295–356 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
2,484
19 mapped stops · furthest 482 mi
Schedule strength
1616
average field rating faced — tougher than 86% of rated contests
Purse competed for
$96,600
listed at 14 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
1
from 15 state-championship entries
Power rating
1539
peak 1539 · #1959 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- 2021
- First tracked contest Smokin' on the Buffalo BBQ Brawl - Day 1
- First call Smokin' on the Buffalo BBQ Brawl - Day 1
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score479.3828 Smokin' on the Buffalo BBQ Brawl - Day 1
- Career-best overall score479.3828 Smokin' on the Buffalo BBQ Brawl - Day 1
- 2022
- First overall top-10 Forks of the Buffalo BBQ Throwdown - Day 1
- First category win (Chicken) Almost Heaven BBQ Bash
- First overall podium Almost Heaven BBQ Bash
- First Grand Championship Almost Heaven BBQ Bash
- First state championship Almost Heaven BBQ Bash
- Career-best single call (Chicken)176.0000 Almost Heaven BBQ Bash
- 2023
- 10th tracked contest Almost Heaven BBQ Bash
- 2025
- Peak power rating (1539) Smoke on the Mountain
- Most recent contest Smoke on the Mountain
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +18.6 | Almost Heaven BBQ Bash | 2022-06-17 |
| +10.5 | Revolutionary BBQ Brawl (Day 1) | 2024-04-19 |
| +9.6 | Smoke on the Mountain | 2023-07-21 |
| +8.1 | Smoke on the Mountain | 2024-07-26 |
| +5.4 | Almost Heaven BBQ Bash | 2023-06-16 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -9.2 | Dirty Boots BBQ and Meat Contest - Day 1 | 2021-08-27 |
| -7.8 | Smokin' on the Buffalo BBQ Brawl - Day 1 | 2021-05-14 |
| -5.9 | Forks of the Buffalo BBQ Throwdown (Day 2) | 2023-09-09 |
| -5.2 | Forks of the Buffalo BBQ Throwdown (Day 1) | 2023-09-08 |
| -4.5 | Forks of the Buffalo BBQ Throwdown - Day 1 | 2022-05-20 |
Category scores over time
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 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 35% | 86.5% | 86.5% |
| 2024 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 100% | top 30% | 94.5% | 92.2% |
| 2023 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 100% | top 60% | 90.9% | 89.9% |
| 2022 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 67% | top 52% | 95.4% | 92.6% |
| 2021 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 67% | top 70% | 133.2% | 102.5% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-07-25 | Smoke on the Mountain 🏅 Galax, VA | 13 / 37 (311.3256) | 13 (150.8000) | 11 (160.5256) | — | — |
| 2024-07-26 | Smoke on the Mountain 🏅 Galax, VA | 8 / 32 (334.2056) | 11 (163.3828) | 3 (170.8228) | — | — |
| 2024-06-14 | Almost Heaven BBQ Bash 🏅 Buckhannon, WV | 10 / 30 (321.0744) | 10 (161.1200) | 11 (159.9544) | — | — |
| 2024-04-19 | Revolutionary BBQ Brawl (Day 1) 🏅 Williamsburg, VA | 8 / 25 (340.0232) | 13 (169.1888) | 5 (170.8344) | 13 (165.0972) | — |
| 2023-10-28 | Zom-B-Q (Day 2) 🏅 Galax, VA | 10 / 17 (323.3372) | 6 (163.9428) | 13 (159.3944) | — | — |
| 2023-10-27 | Nightmare before Zom-B-Q (Day 1) 🏅 Galax, VA | 13 / 19 (313.6572) | 14 (150.2628) | 6 (163.3944) | — | — |
| 2023-09-09 | Forks of the Buffalo BBQ Throwdown (Day 2) 🏅 Mannington, WV | 10 / 11 (325.6916) | 12 (155.4172) | 5 (170.2744) | — | — |
| 2023-09-08 | Forks of the Buffalo BBQ Throwdown (Day 1) 🏅 Mannington, WV | 10 / 12 (325.0744) | 6 (168.0000) | 10 (157.0744) | — | — |
| 2023-07-21 | Smoke on the Mountain 🏅 Galax, VA | 9 / 38 (327.3256) | 13 (157.6456) | 4 (169.6800) | — | — |
| 2023-06-16 | Almost Heaven BBQ Bash 🏅 Buckhannon, WV | 10 / 28 (326.8116) | 10 (164.0000) | 9 (162.8116) | — | — |
| 2022-11-12 | 4th Annual KCBS World Invitational - BACKYARD SERIES INVITATIONAL unrated Gadsden, AL | 41 / 49 (323.9088) | 38 (164.5372) | 45 (159.3716) | — | — |
| 2022-11-11 | 4th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN unrated Gadsden, AL | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2022-07-21 | Smoke on the Mountain BBQ Championship 2022 🏅 Galax, VA | 12 / 25 (326.7772) | 18 (157.0972) | 7 (169.6800) | — | — |
| 2022-06-17 | Almost Heaven BBQ Bash 🏅 Roanoke, WV | 1 / 20 (343.3828) | 1 (176.0000) | 5 (167.3828) | — | — |
| 2022-05-21 | Forks of the Buffalo BBQ Throwdown - Day 2 🏅 Mannington, WV | 7 / 13 (341.6800) | 9 (168.5600) | 2 (173.1200) | — | — |
| 2022-05-20 | Forks of the Buffalo BBQ Throwdown - Day 1 🏅 Mannington, WV | 10 / 14 (330.8116) | 10 (159.3828) | 7 (171.4288) | — | — |
| 2021-08-28 | Dirty Boots BBQ and Meat Contest - Day 2 Boonsboro, MD | 11 / 20 (325.7604) | 14 (160.5944) | 7 (165.1660) | — | — |
| 2021-08-27 | Dirty Boots BBQ and Meat Contest - Day 1 Boonsboro, MD | 20 / 24 (302.1488) | 20 (153.0856) | 19 (149.0632) | — | — |
| 2021-05-14 | Smokin' on the Buffalo BBQ Brawl - Day 1 🏅 Mannington, WV | 13 / 18 (479.3828) | 9 (166.2856) | 13 (158.8344) | 14 (154.2628) | — |
Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)
Team of the Year standings (rank per category by season — year links to the full board on kcbs.us)
| Year | Series | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 ↗ | Backyard | #148 (393 pts) | #168 (333 pts) | #121 (498 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Backyard | — | #103 (621 pts) | #86 (742 pts) | — | — |
| 2022 ↗ | Backyard | — | #85 (573 pts) | #75 (688 pts) | — | — |
| 2021 ↗ | Backyard | — | #141 (195 pts) | #139 (175 pts) | — | — |