The Q Crew

The Q Crew is a competition barbecue team with 37 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2025. Their best overall finish is 4th of 79 at the NKC MO State BBQ Championship (2013). They are ranked #5916 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#5,916

of 6,476 rated · rankings

Rating

1438

peak 1515 · rated over 37 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Mar 15, 2013

latest May 30, 2025 · 12.2 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#585

Master 2013 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

4 podiums

Overall top-10s

5% of 37 contests

Avg finish

top 65%

overall standings

Best overall

677.7488 / 720

Master · Up in Smoke BBQ Bash

Perfect 180s

Current form

649.81 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 647.64 (+2.17)

Walk rate

35%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

177.7028

Pork · Fire Lake BBQ Cook-off Day 1

Consistency

±16.85

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 163.97 · weakest Brisket (160.07)

Road miles

7,821

across 37 mapped stops · furthest 784 mi

Schedule strength

47%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1561)

Purse competed for

$50K

listed at 6 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 8 state-championship entries

Master avg

647.64 / 720

37 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (13 found in their record)

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

High-water mark

677.7488 career-best overall

94.1% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 677.7488 at Up in Smoke BBQ Bash — 94.1% of a perfect 720.

Master
Jul 22, 2016

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

BLACK DOG BBQ IA has finished one call ahead of The Q Crew 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2016 their best year

2016 was the year it came together: 5 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 49%.

5 contests
0 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 49%

A tough matchup

22–1 behind in the head-to-head

Hogline ahead in 96% of their meetings

Hogline has come out ahead in 22 of their 23 shared contests.

A strong matchup

9–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 90% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of 3 BRATS AND A COCKTAIL WEENIE in 9 of their 10 shared contests.

The comeback

2.8 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 2.8 years, then back at Smokin in Steele (Master & Backyard Contest) (Jun 3, 2022).

last seen Aug 23, 2019
back Jun 3, 2022

Pork nemesis

17 of 23 shared pork entries lost

Hogline ahead 74% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, Hogline has out-cooked them in 17 of 23 shared pork entries.

Show 6 more storylines

Announced themselves early

4th at their very first contest

Finished 4 of 79 at their very first tracked contest, NKC MO State BBQ Championship (Mar 15, 2013).

Mar 15, 2013
79-team field

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

FFE BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A July team

Top 49% average finish in July

Something about July: average finish in the top 49% across 5 contests, versus top 65% the rest of the year.

5 July contests
top 65% the rest of the year

The long haul

7,821 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 7,821 miles across 37 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 784 miles to Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass.

37 mapped stops
furthest 784 mi

The metronome

±2.34% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.34% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 89.9% of a perfect score
37 contests

A standing appointment

5 years running at one contest

They've cooked Up in Smoke BBQ Bash every year from 2013 to 2017 — the contest they never miss.

5 visits in all
best finish 14th

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
2018 ↗	Master	#1524 (120 pts)	#1293 (190 pts)	#1614 (120 pts)	#979 (320 pts)	#1586 (120 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#1323 (195 pts)	#1269 (245 pts)	#1084 (320 pts)	#975 (380 pts)	#1476 (180 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#816 (440 pts)	#973 (370 pts)	#742 (540 pts)	#1008 (365 pts)	#847 (440 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#1154 (245 pts)	#1254 (240 pts)	#1086 (305 pts)	#1148 (285 pts)	#1114 (275 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#922 (350 pts)	#1323 (225 pts)	#955 (375 pts)	#853 (430 pts)	#1126 (280 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#585 (527 pts)	#750 (437 pts)	#768 (432 pts)	#535 (622 pts)	#719 (457 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to The Q Crew, each with one reason worth a look.

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

Brass Monkey BBQ

#5,915 of the rated field

1438 power rating

Contests: 17
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 6%
Peak: 1438

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to The Q Crew)

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

rated over 15 contests
last seen Aug 15, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

DIGGERS PIGGERS

#5,912 of the rated field

1438 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1438

1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to The Q Crew)

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 9 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 9 contests
last seen Aug 23, 2019

⚔ Head-to-head

RUB THAT MEAT BBQ

#5,924 of the rated field

1438 power rating

Contests: 20
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1438

Fewer contests behind them than The Q Crew has cooked, 20 to 37, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 20 contests
last seen Jun 19, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Red and Black BBQ Shack

#5,913 of the rated field

1438 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 21%
Peak: 1503

14 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 21% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 14 contests
last seen Jul 11, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Grandpa Smokeys

#5,909 of the rated field

1439 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1439

Their last contest in the data was back in 2021, 4 years before The Q Crew's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 13 contests

⚔ Compare careers

ATLANTA BBQ CLUB

#5,923 of the rated field

1438 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1438

Level with The Q Crew on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 13 contests
last seen Apr 28, 2018

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Hogline	23	1	22	4%	⚔ compare
DRY 2 DA BONE	19	2	17	11%	⚔ compare
LUCKY'S Q	19	0	19	0%	⚔ compare
GRUMPY OLD MEN BBQ	16	7	9	44%	⚔ compare
SHIGGIN & GRINNIN	16	0	16	0%	⚔ compare
CITY SLICKERS BBQ	15	2	13	13%	⚔ compare
TRUE SMOKE BBQ	15	1	14	7%	⚔ compare
BEND OF THE RIVER BBQ	14	1	13	7%	⚔ compare
LUCKY 19 SAUCE COMPANY	14	0	14	0%	⚔ compare
SPITFIRE	14	0	14	0%	⚔ compare
GRILLS GONE WILD IOWA	14	0	14	0%	⚔ compare
CROIX VALLEY SAUCES	13	3	10	23%	⚔ compare
WOODWARD BARBEQUE	13	2	11	15%	⚔ compare
BLACK DOG BBQ IA	12	6	6	50%	⚔ compare
MYASSIS SMOKIN	12	4	8	33%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	37	1	1	1	176.5600	149.0744	162.36	top 64%
Pork Ribs	37	3	0	0	173.1428	126.1600	161.23	top 57%
Pork	37	9	0	3	177.7028	133.1428	163.97	top 52%
Brisket	37	2	0	0	172.0228	135.9200	160.07	top 60%

“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)	7	0	top 84%
Large (40+)	30	0	top 61%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
MN	19	top 67%
IA	6	top 56%
MO	4	top 49%
WI	2	top 61%
OK	2	top 82%
TN	2	top 85%
NE	1	top 94%
KS	1	top 49%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Smokin' in Steele	10	19	top 72%	May 30, 2025
Up in Smoke BBQ Bash	5	14	top 49%	Jul 21, 2017
Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship	2	36	top 81%	Mar 2, 2018
Bend of the River CookOut	2	32	top 71%	Jun 12, 2015

More numbers

Busiest season 2014 6 contests

Contests a season 3.4 across 11 seasons in the data

Most contests held in MN 19 of 37 contests · 8 states in all

Contests visited 22 4 of them more than once

Opponents faced 869 finished ahead 717 times, behind 1,202

Longest layoff 2.8 yrs Aug 23, 2019 → Jun 3, 2022

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

20251 milestone

May 30 Most recent contest Smokin' in Steele

20182 milestones

Mar 23 Career-best single call (Pork)177.7028 Fire Lake BBQ Cook-off Day 1
Jun 22 First category win (Chicken) Rotary Rockn Ribs

20171 milestone

Jul 21 25th tracked contest Up in Smoke BBQ Bash

20161 milestone

Jul 22 Career-best overall score677.7488 Up in Smoke BBQ Bash

20141 milestone

Jul 25 10th tracked contest Up in Smoke BBQ Bash

20135 milestones

Mar 15 First tracked contest NKC MO State BBQ Championship
Mar 15 First call NKC MO State BBQ Championship
Mar 15 First overall top-10 NKC MO State BBQ Championship
Mar 15 First overall past 90% of a perfect score673.1432 NKC MO State BBQ Championship
Mar 15 Peak power rating (1515) NKC MO State BBQ Championship

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+16	NKC MO State Championship BBQ	Mar 14, 2014
+14.8	NKC MO State BBQ Championship	Mar 15, 2013
+12.7	Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship	Mar 4, 2016
+11.7	Up in Smoke BBQ Bash	Jul 22, 2016
+8.7	10th Annual Big Island BBQ	Aug 25, 2017

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-14	Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass	May 17, 2013
-12.3	Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship	Mar 3, 2017
-11.6	Smokin in Steele (Master & Backyard Contest)	Jun 3, 2022
-10.2	Bates County Barbecue State Championship & Festival	Sep 5, 2014
-9.6	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	Sep 12, 2014

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)
2025	1	0	0	100%	top 86%	91.1%	91.1%
2024	1	0	0	100%	top 91%	90.6%	90.6%
2023	1	0	0	100%	top 66%	91.7%	91.7%
2022	1	0	0	0%	top 94%	88.9%	88.9%
2019	2	0	0	50%	top 72%	90%	89.4%
2018	5	0	1	40%	top 76%	91.6%	90.5%
2017	4	0	0	50%	top 59%	93.1%	89.8%
2016	5	0	0	20%	top 49%	94.1%	90.8%
2015	5	0	0	0%	top 62%	92.5%	90.1%
2014	6	1	0	17%	top 65%	92.5%	89.2%
2013	6	1	0	50%	top 61%	93.5%	89.2%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
May 30, 2025	Smokin' in Steele 🏅 Owatonna, MN	24 / 28 (655.8516)	27 (162.8116)	24 (165.6916)	9 (172.5484)	26 (154.8000)
May 31, 2024	Smokin in Steele 🏅 Owatonna, MN	29 / 32 (652.4340)	21 (168.5372)	31 (154.8228)	9 (170.8456)	27 (158.2284)
Jun 2, 2023	Smokin in Steele 🏅 Owatonna, MN	19 / 29 (660.5144)	23 (162.2628)	21 (162.2744)	15 (166.2400)	7 (169.7372)
Jun 3, 2022	Smokin in Steele (Master & Backyard Contest) 🏅 Owatonna, MN	31 / 33 (640.4116)	33 (149.0744)	17 (167.4172)	28 (162.8344)	23 (161.0856)
Aug 23, 2019	Big Island BBQ 🏅 Alberta Lea, MN	39 / 50 (639.8400)	35 (162.8228)	45 (153.0972)	36 (162.2400)	23 (161.6800)
May 31, 2019	Smokin In Steele 🏅 Owatonna, MN	28 / 43 (647.8628)	27 (164.5372)	31 (157.0856)	7 (172.5600)	31 (153.6800)
Jun 22, 2018	Rotary Rockn Ribs LaCrosse, WI	33 / 41 (647.3256)	1 (176.5600)	36 (153.6800)	34 (158.8116)	32 (158.2740)
Jun 1, 2018	Smokin In Steele Owatonna, MN	32 / 45 (642.8000)	28 (162.2628)	14 (167.4056)	26 (162.8572)	39 (150.2744)
Mar 24, 2018	Fire Lake BBQ Cook-off Day 2 Shawnee, OK	68 / 79 (659.3488)	71 (162.8228)	76 (158.2516)	38 (170.8344)	43 (167.4400)
Mar 23, 2018	Fire Lake BBQ Cook-off Day 1 Shawnee, OK	66 / 84 (653.0512)	81 (149.0856)	55 (165.1544)	2 (177.7028)	66 (161.1084)
Mar 2, 2018	Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship Onamia, MN	36 / 57 (655.3024)	11 (169.6912)	45 (159.3712)	48 (158.8344)	26 (167.4056)
Aug 25, 2017	10th Annual Big Island BBQ Albert Lea, MN	19 / 56 (670.2860)	33 (166.8916)	12 (169.1316)	8 (170.8572)	29 (163.4056)
Jul 21, 2017	Up in Smoke BBQ Bash Mason City, IA	22 / 49 (658.2744)	31 (161.1316)	11 (169.1200)	2 (176.5944)	44 (151.4284)
Jun 2, 2017	Smokin In Steele Owatonna, MN	28 / 46 (652.4568)	30 (163.9656)	11 (168)	31 (162.2628)	29 (158.2284)
Mar 3, 2017	Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship Onamia, MN	46 / 47 (605.0172)	12 (170.2972)	39 (155.4172)	46 (143.3828)	47 (135.9200)
Oct 21, 2016	Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off Union Grove, WI	21 / 51 (651.9204)	13 (167.4288)	19 (162.2516)	32 (158.2628)	24 (163.9772)
Jul 22, 2016	Up in Smoke BBQ Bash Mason City, IA	14 / 47 (677.7488)	33 (165.1544)	8 (173.1316)	23 (167.4400)	11 (172.0228)
Jun 3, 2016	Smokin in Steele Owatonna, MN	31 / 53 (646.6976)	50 (150.8004)	13 (169.1200)	28 (162.8000)	23 (163.9772)
Apr 22, 2016	Central Iowa Expo BBQ (Day 1) (Judges Full) Boone, IA	39 / 42 (623.8972)	37 (156.5488)	15 (166.2744)	42 (147.9312)	40 (153.1428)
Mar 4, 2016	Fire on Ice Barbecue World Championship Isle, MN	12 / 59 (667.4056)	23 (166.2972)	24 (163.9656)	14 (169.1656)	14 (167.9772)
Sep 5, 2015	Septemberfest BBQ & Rib-Eye Steak Cookoff Challenge Omaha, NE	29 / 31 (627.3260)	14 (167.9888)	31 (145.1200)	29 (157.0972)	23 (157.1200)
Jul 24, 2015	Up in Smoke BBQ Bash Mason City, IA	24 / 54 (666.2744)	30 (166.2744)	19 (166.8572)	23 (166.2972)	18 (166.8456)
Jun 12, 2015	Bend of the River CookOut Mankato, MN	32 / 42 (646.2856)	39 (154.8456)	29 (162.8572)	18 (164.5828)	26 (164)
May 29, 2015	Smokin' in Steel Owatonna, MN	29 / 60 (654.2748)	28 (165.1544)	18 (166.2972)	27 (165.0972)	38 (157.7260)
Apr 10, 2015	Smoke in the Spring Osage City, KS	48 / 97 (650.7428)	79 (155.9428)	27 (167.4172)	36 (165.7144)	42 (161.6684)
Sep 12, 2014	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour N. Kansas City, MO	28 / 30 (633.0172)	18 (167.4172)	29 (149.0972)	23 (158.8228)	26 (157.6800)
Sep 5, 2014	Bates County Barbecue State Championship & Festival 🏅 Butler, MO	39 / 43 (599.8056)	26 (161.1428)	43 (126.1600)	25 (160.5828)	31 (151.9200)
Jul 25, 2014	Up in Smoke BBQ Bash Mason City, IA	31 / 52 (658.7656)	42 (158.2628)	31 (164.5372)	14 (170.2856)	24 (165.6800)
Jun 27, 2014	Bend of the River CookOut Mankato, MN	33 / 50 (649.7600)	43 (160.5600)	28 (164.0344)	24 (165.7256)	33 (159.4400)
May 30, 2014	Smokin in Steele Owatonna, MN	48 / 67 (648.0348)	33 (167.4516)	60 (151.4400)	47 (162.2744)	23 (166.8688)
Mar 14, 2014	NKC MO State Championship BBQ 🏅 N. Kansas City, MO	5 / 61 (665.6800)	35 (157.6916)	4 (168.5484)	2 (176.5600)	16 (162.8800)
Aug 23, 2013	Music City Festival & BBQ Championship Nashville, TN	42 / 55 (623.3484)	49 (150.2056)	9 (173.1428)	55 (133.1428)	14 (166.8572)
Jul 26, 2013	Up in Smoke BBQ Bash Mason City, IA	43 / 66 (644.4916)	47 (160.5488)	39 (161.7144)	49 (159.9656)	34 (162.2628)
Jun 28, 2013	Bend of the River BBQ Smoke Off Mankato, MN	20 / 30 (645.1428)	23 (160)	16 (162.8572)	11 (169.1428)	27 (153.1428)
May 31, 2013	Smokin' in Steele Owatonna, MN	31 / 51 (642.2856)	14 (169.7142)	38 (153.1428)	10 (169.1430)	41 (150.2856)
May 17, 2013	Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass Sevierville, TN	44 / 47 (625.7136)	36 (161.1430)	37 (155.4282)	45 (154.8568)	39 (154.2856)
Mar 15, 2013	NKC MO State BBQ Championship N. Kansas City, MO	4 / 79 (673.1432)	21 (164)	18 (166.2860)	5 (172.5714)	7 (170.2858)

The Q Crew

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

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 (13 found in their record)

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

A strong matchup

The comeback

Pork nemesis

Announced themselves early

Looking over their shoulder

A July team

The long haul

The metronome

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)