The heartbreaker
1.1660
points from the title
Came within 1.1660 points of the Grand Championship at Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest and Car Show (Day 2) (Jul 19, 2025).
E SQUARED BBQ
E SQUARED BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 41 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2023 and 2026. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest and Car Show (Day 1) (2025), and finished Reserve Grand Champion 3 times. They are ranked #866 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1620
peak 1620 · rated over 27 contests10 invitational or side-series contests not counted
Contests
41
in the data
First seen
Aug 4, 2023
latest Aug 28, 2026 · 3.1 years on the trail
Grand champs
1
3 reserve · wins it all 2% of the time
Category wins
6
13 podiums
Overall top-10s
12
29% of 41 contests
Best top-10 run
4
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 47%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
341.31
last 5 Backyard vs avg 341.38 (-0.07)
Walk rate
51%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±6.92
spread of their Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 171.27 · weakest Brisket (166.43)
Road miles
7,563
across 41 mapped stops · furthest 673 mi
Schedule strength
71%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1589)
Purse competed for
$153K
listed at 30 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
1 🏅
won from 16 state-championship entries
Master avg
670.11 / 720
10 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
341.38 / 360
22 Backyard contests · 1 GC
These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard out of 360), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.
This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.
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 ↗ | Backyard | #95 (503 pts) | #106 (503 pts) | #82 (653 pts) | — | — |
| 2026 ↗ | Master | #1065 (60 pts) | #909 (120 pts) | #763 (215 pts) | #1111 (60 pts) | #1102 (60 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #23 (1,174 pts) | #21 (1,183 pts) | #27 (1,147 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #1148 (60 pts) | #960 (120 pts) | #461 (505 pts) | #1190 (60 pts) | #1190 (60 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Backyard | #373 (60 pts) | #377 (60 pts) | #281 (145 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #427 (473 pts) | #334 (708 pts) | #489 (488 pts) | #483 (423 pts) | #407 (538 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to E SQUARED BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
26 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#869 of the rated field
- Contests
- 33
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 58%
- Peak
- 1639
2–2 in 4 shared contests (50% to E SQUARED BBQ)
These two have cooked 4 of the same contests — honours even — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.
⚔ Head-to-head#867 of the rated field
- Contests
- 60
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 20%
- Peak
- 1620
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to E SQUARED BBQ)
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 59 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-head#870 of the rated field
- Contests
- 27
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 37%
- Peak
- 1626
Their last contest in the data was back in 2021, 5 years before E SQUARED BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#865 of the rated field
- Contests
- 38
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 53%
- Peak
- 1620
Careers of much the same size, 38 contests to 41, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#868 of the rated field
- Contests
- 57
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 25%
- Peak
- 1621
Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 57 contests, alongside a 25% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Compare careers#863 of the rated field
- Contests
- 60
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 22%
- Peak
- 1641
They were already cooking in 2013, 10 years before E SQUARED BBQ's first contest.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rudes BBQ | 18 | 5 | 13 | 28% | ⚔ compare |
| WHEN PIGS DIE | 14 | 9 | 5 | 64% | ⚔ compare |
| MAN MEAT BBQ | 13 | 5 | 8 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| BBQ Pit Bros | 13 | 3 | 10 | 23% | ⚔ compare |
| SmoQued On Main St | 12 | 7 | 5 | 58% | ⚔ compare |
| Can Country Outlaw BBQ | 12 | 4 | 7 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| TEAM CRAWFORD | 12 | 4 | 8 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| JANKY LEG BBQ | 12 | 3 | 8 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| Kermit's Ex | 11 | 5 | 6 | 45% | ⚔ compare |
| Bramble BBQ | 11 | 1 | 10 | 9% | ⚔ compare |
| MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ | 10 | 6 | 4 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| BBQ MIKE | 10 | 6 | 4 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| Wapatui Smokers | 10 | 6 | 4 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| Too Sauced Guys Bar-B-Que | 10 | 5 | 5 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| Son of a Boar BBQ | 10 | 2 | 8 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 34 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 178.8572 | 162.2400 | 171.27 | top 46% |
| Pork Ribs | 37 | 17 | 1 | 6 | 177.7144 | 155.4172 | 168.70 | top 46% |
| Pork | 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 177.7372 | 160 | 167.82 | top 62% |
| Brisket | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 173.1200 | 158.7884 | 166.43 | top 59% |
“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) | 6 | 0 | top 65% |
| Medium (20–39) | 16 | 1 | top 34% |
| Large (40+) | 10 | 0 | top 55% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) | 3 | 2 | 0 | top 14% | Aug 28, 2026 |
| Kickin' It Route 66 Barbecue Challenge | 3 | 2 | 0 | top 22% | Mar 27, 2026 |
| Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest and Car Show (Day 2) | 2 | 1 | 1 | top 5% | Jul 19, 2025 |
| Iowa State BBQ Championship | 2 | 6 | 0 | top 28% | Apr 3, 2026 |
| Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 2) | 2 | 13 | 0 | top 80% | Jul 12, 2025 |
| Art of the Que (Masters and Backyard 1) | 2 | 11 | 0 | top 72% | Jun 27, 2025 |
| 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational (Sunday, May 25, 2025) | 2 | 20 | 0 | top 53% | May 25, 2025 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2025
23 contests · 1 GC
Contests a season
10.3
across 4 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
TN
10 of 41 contests · 7 states in all
Contests visited
24
7 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
37 entries · 1 win · 17 calls
First title
Jul 18, 2025
Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest and Car Show (Day 1)
Opponents faced
755
finished ahead 896 times, behind 851
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20262 milestones
- Peak power rating (1620) Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY)
- Most recent contest Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY)
20258 milestones
- First overall podium Kickin' It Route 66 Barbecue Challenge (Day 1)
- First Reserve Championship Kickin' It Route 66 Barbecue Challenge (Day 2)
- 25th tracked contest Art of the Que (Backyard 2)
- First Grand Championship Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest and Car Show (Day 1)
- First state championship Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest and Car Show (Day 1)
- First multi-meat day Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest and Car Show (Day 1)
- Biggest field won (32 teams) Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest and Car Show (Day 1)
- Career-best single call (Chicken)178.8572 Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest and Car Show (Day 2)
20242 milestones
- Career-best overall score688.4800 23rd Annual Rose Festival KCBS BBQ Competition
- 10th tracked contest The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship
20235 milestones
- First tracked contest Que' For a Cause
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score666.7316 Que' For a Cause
- First call Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First category win (Chicken) Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First overall top-10 Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +18 | Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest and Car Show (Day 1) | Jul 18, 2025 |
| +16.5 | Kickin' It Route 66 Barbecue Challenge (Day 2) | Mar 29, 2025 |
| +15.9 | Kickin' It Route 66 Barbecue Challenge (Day 1) | Mar 28, 2025 |
| +15.7 | Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest and Car Show (Day 2) | Jul 19, 2025 |
| +13.7 | Iowa State BBQ Championship | Apr 4, 2025 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -9.4 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 2) | Jul 12, 2025 |
| -9.2 | Que' For a Cause | Aug 4, 2023 |
| -9.1 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 1) | Jul 11, 2025 |
| -8.5 | King of the Corn | May 17, 2024 |
| -6.6 | Art of the Que (Masters and Backyard 1) | Jun 27, 2025 |
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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 29% | top 48% | 96.7% | 94.4% |
| 2025 | 23 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 57% | top 37% | 97.8% | 94.8% |
| 2024 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 57% | top 63% | 95.6% | 93.2% |
| 2023 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 50% | top 60% | 95.4% | 94% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 28, 2026 | Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) Lincoln, IL | 2 / 16 (347.9656) | 4 (172.5600) | 3 (175.4056) | — | — |
| May 24, 2026 | 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: Master Series Invitational and the Backyard Series Invitational (Sunday, May 24, 2026) unrated Lebanon, TN | 35 / 82 (338.2288) | 31 (170.8344) | 34 (167.3944) | — | — |
| May 23, 2026 | 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: Wells Cup, Cocktail Ancillary, Dessert Ancillary (Saturday, May 23, 2026) unrated Lebanon, TN | 112 / 117 (662.6856) | 81 (170.2744) | 112 (162.8000) | 64 (170.8228) | 113 (158.7884) |
| May 22, 2026 | 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: World Chicken Finals (Friday, May 22, 2026) unrated Lebanon, TN | — | 66 (167.4172) | — | — | — |
| May 22, 2026 | 8th Annual KCBS World Invitational: World Rib Finals (Friday, May 22, 2026) unrated Lebanon, TN | — | — | 8 (177.7028) | — | — |
| Apr 3, 2026 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 18 / 42 (339.3600) | 20 (169.6800) | 14 (169.6800) | — | — |
| Mar 27, 2026 | Kickin' It Route 66 Barbecue Challenge 🏅 St. Robert, MO | 12 / 26 (341.6456) | 12 (170.8228) | 12 (170.8228) | — | — |
| Sep 5, 2025 | Vine St BBQ Competition & Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) Park Ridge, IL | 6 / 38 (339.3716) | 7 (169.6800) | 9 (169.6916) | — | — |
| Aug 31, 2025 | Smokin Ghost BBQ Rib Double Dip 1 (ONE MEAT RIBS) Chillicothe, IL | — | — | 11 (166.2400) | — | — |
| Aug 31, 2025 | Smokin Ghost BBQ Rib Double Dip 2 (ONE MEAT RIBS) Chillicothe, IL | — | — | 4 (170.3088) | — | — |
| Aug 22, 2025 | Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) Lincoln, IL | 3 / 31 (349.6800) | 12 (174.2628) | 3 (175.4172) | — | — |
| Jul 19, 2025 | Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest and Car Show (Day 2) 🏅 Osceola, MO | 2 / 28 (351.4172) | 1 (178.8572) | 3 (172.5600) | — | — |
| Jul 18, 2025 | Smokin on the Osage BBQ Contest and Car Show (Day 1) 🏅 Osceola, MO | 1 / 32 (351.9888) | 1 (174.2744) | 1 (177.7144) | — | — |
| Jul 12, 2025 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 2) Miles, IA | 13 / 16 (335.3716) | 13 (169.6800) | 11 (165.6916) | — | — |
| Jul 11, 2025 | Great River Threshers BBQ Contest (BACKYARD ONLY) (Day 1) Miles, IA | 14 / 18 (327.3716) | 14 (167.3944) | 17 (159.9772) | 1 (177.7372) | — |
| Jun 27, 2025 | Art of the Que (Masters and Backyard 1) 🏅 Spencer, IA | 12 / 15 (327.9200) | 13 (162.2400) | 9 (165.6800) | — | — |
| Jun 27, 2025 | Art of the Que (Backyard 2) Spencer, IA | 11 / 17 (330.2172) | 11 (166.8228) | 11 (163.3944) | — | — |
| Jun 20, 2025 | Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 15 / 36 (341.0972) | 15 (169.6800) | 14 (171.4172) | — | — |
| Jun 14, 2025 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 10 / 36 (337.6684) | 13 (169.6684) | 11 (168) | — | — |
| Jun 13, 2025 | Bring'n Home the Bacon (ONE MEAT RIBS) West Salem, WI | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jun 13, 2025 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 16 / 36 (338.8116) | 10 (173.1200) | 26 (165.6916) | — | — |
| May 25, 2025 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational (Sunday, May 25, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN | 20 / 70 (343.9544) | 27 (170.8344) | 19 (173.1200) | — | — |
| May 24, 2025 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational (Saturday, May 24, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN | 82 / 106 (675.2912) | 94 (167.3828) | 71 (169.6800) | 94 (165.1200) | 43 (173.1084) |
| May 23, 2025 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational Chicken (Friday, May 23, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN | — | 32 (169.6800) | — | — | — |
| May 23, 2025 | 7th Annual KCBS World Invitational Ribs (Friday, May 23, 2025) unrated Lebanon, TN | — | — | 9 (174.2860) | — | — |
| Apr 4, 2025 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 6 / 49 (347.3944) | 15 (170.8228) | 3 (176.5716) | — | — |
| Mar 29, 2025 | Kickin' It Route 66 Barbecue Challenge (Day 2) 🏅 St. Robert, MO | 2 / 25 (350.8344) | 2 (178.8572) | 3 (171.9772) | — | — |
| Mar 28, 2025 | Kickin' It Route 66 Barbecue Challenge (Day 1) 🏅 St. Robert, MO | 3 / 27 (345.1088) | 1 (177.7144) | 7 (167.3944) | — | — |
| Mar 21, 2025 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest Kansas City, MO | 13 / 33 (341.6456) | 21 (167.3828) | 8 (174.2628) | — | — |
| Mar 21, 2025 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue Steak Cook-Off Kansas City, MO | 6 (173.1316) | — | — | — | — |
| Jul 26, 2024 | 8th Annual E'burg BBQ Contest 🏅 Emmetsburg, IA | 20 / 28 (669.5656) | 23 (165.0972) | 13 (167.9772) | 20 (166.2284) | 10 (170.2628) |
| Jun 21, 2024 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 51 / 172 (666.7772) | 13 (176.5600) | 130 (155.4172) | 54 (167.9772) | 51 (166.8228) |
| Jun 14, 2024 | 23rd Annual Rose Festival KCBS BBQ Competition 🏅 State Center, IA | 7 / 25 (688.4800) | 8 (172.5600) | 9 (171.9772) | 14 (170.8228) | 6 (173.1200) |
| May 25, 2024 | 6th Annual KCBS World Invitational - BACKYARD SERIES INVITATIONAL unrated Lebanon, TN | 32 / 47 (339.9428) | 42 (166.2284) | 9 (173.7144) | — | — |
| May 24, 2024 | 6th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN unrated Lebanon, TN | 101 / 118 (666.6972) | 69 (171.9772) | 117 (155.9200) | 58 (171.4172) | 81 (167.3828) |
| May 17, 2024 | King of the Corn 🏅 Ottumwa, IA | 32 / 36 (658.1828) | 20 (170.8228) | 33 (162.8000) | 31 (160) | 24 (164.5600) |
| Apr 26, 2024 | Smokin' in the Creek BBQ Contest 🏅 Sugar Creek, MO | 31 / 44 (669.0060) | 3 (178.8572) | 32 (166.2516) | 39 (161.6572) | 34 (162.2400) |
| Sep 16, 2023 | Saluting with Smoke - Honor Q Reboot 🏅 Yorkville, IL | 13 / 18 (677.6800) | 9 (174.8572) | 10 (168.5256) | 12 (169.1200) | 12 (165.1772) |
| Sep 15, 2023 | Saluting with Smoke Single Meat - Rib Burn (ONE MEAT RIBS) Yorkville, IL | — | — | 23 (160.5260) | — | — |
| Aug 25, 2023 | Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) Lincoln, IL | 5 / 26 (343.3828) | 1 (176.5600) | 8 (166.8228) | — | — |
| Aug 4, 2023 | Que' For a Cause Tahlequah, OK | 32 / 36 (666.7316) | 22 (169.6800) | 24 (169.1316) | 29 (165.1200) | 32 (162.8000) |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.