BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. IL
Rating
1566
peak 1603 · rated over 40 contests
Best runs
4
straight top-10s
Contests
43
in the data
First seen
2019-04-05
latest 2024-10-30
Best ToY finish
#69
Master 2020
Grand champs
1
1 reserve
Category wins
5
13 podiums
Overall top-10s
16
of 43 contests
Avg finish
top 41%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
677.74 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 670.99 (+6.75)
Walk rate
67%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
4
best run (overall)
Consistency
±10.84
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 170.71 · weakest Pork Ribs (165.31)
Road miles
6867
mi across 41 mapped stops · furthest 398 mi
Schedule strength
47%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1542)
Purse competed for
$310K
listed at 36 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 38 state-championship entries
Master avg
670.99 / 720
40 Master contests · 0 GCs
Storylines
🎯 The one to beat
THE REAL SMOKIN ACES has finished one call ahead of BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. 4 times — their closest competition in the data.
👀 Looking over their shoulder
One2BBQ has landed one call behind them 4 times.
⚔️ A tough matchup
iBQ'n has come out ahead in 24 of their 29 shared contests.
⚔️ A strong matchup
They've finished ahead of WE WILL ROCK QUE in 15 of their 17 shared contests.
🏕️ Happy hunting ground
Covid-Que Relief (Day 2) is their spot: an average finish in the top 13% across 2 visits.
🗡️ Giant slayer
Took the Grand Championship over a 38-team field at Saluting With Smoke (COMPETITORS SERIES).
🐣 Announced themselves early
Finished 1 of 38 at their very first tracked contest, Saluting With Smoke (COMPETITORS SERIES) ().
🔁 The comeback
Off the trail for 2.6 years, then back at SJV Winter Rub (2024-01-26).
Teams like this (closest power rating, IL first)
Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE BBQ BUS | 34 | 17 | 17 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| iBQ'n | 29 | 5 | 24 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| SmokinGhost BBQ | 25 | 15 | 10 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| QUE U | 25 | 10 | 15 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | 24 | 7 | 17 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| Carrol Lou's Smokehouse | 22 | 11 | 11 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| One2BBQ | 21 | 4 | 17 | 19% | ⚔ compare |
| Rusty Pig BBQ | 19 | 11 | 8 | 58% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG "E" BBQ | 19 | 7 | 12 | 37% | ⚔ compare |
| Heavy Smoke BBQ | 18 | 4 | 14 | 22% | ⚔ compare |
| WE WILL ROCK QUE | 17 | 15 | 2 | 88% | ⚔ compare |
| Mac Attack BBQ | 16 | 10 | 6 | 63% | ⚔ compare |
| LOADED-N-ROLLIN BBQ | 15 | 13 | 2 | 87% | ⚔ compare |
| The Yellow Rose Texas BBQ Company | 15 | 10 | 5 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| PORKRASTINATORS | 15 | 9 | 6 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 42 | 16 | 2 | 4 | 179.4400 | 161.1312 | 170.71 | top 35% |
| Pork Ribs | 42 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 178.8800 | 151.9200 | 165.31 | top 53% |
| Pork | 40 | 15 | 1 | 5 | 178.2972 | 155.3600 | 168.69 | top 40% |
| Brisket | 40 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 176.5716 | 151.9084 | 166.52 | top 47% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| IL | 16 | 1 | top 38% |
| IN | 12 | 0 | top 39% |
| MI | 4 | 0 | top 53% |
| IA | 4 | 0 | top 64% |
| WI | 3 | 0 | top 29% |
| KS | 1 | 0 | top 13% |
| NE | 1 | 0 | top 27% |
| MO | 1 | 0 | top 71% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium (20–39) | 20 | 1 | top 46% |
| Large (40+) | 22 | 0 | top 38% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Route 66 Smoke Out | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 34% | 2021-05-01 |
| Rumble on the River Presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com | 2 | 15 | 0 | top 68% | 2020-09-25 |
| Big Blue Barbecue | 2 | 10 | 0 | top 32% | 2020-08-14 |
| Covid-Que Relief (Day 2) | 2 | 2 | 0 | top 13% | 2020-06-20 |
The story so far
- Busiest season: 2019 (15 contests)
- Cooks mostly in IL (16 of 43 contests)
- Most-entered category: Chicken (42 entries)
- First Grand Championship in the data: Saluting With Smoke (COMPETITORS SERIES) (null)
- Wins it all in 2% of contests
- Average Master overall score: 670.99 / 720
Milestones
- 🚩 — First tracked contest · Saluting With Smoke (COMPETITORS SERIES)
- 📣 — First call · Saluting With Smoke (COMPETITORS SERIES)
- 🏆 — First Grand Championship · Saluting With Smoke (COMPETITORS SERIES)
- 📈 2020-06-20 — Peak power rating (1603) · Covid-Que Relief (Day 2)
- 🎖️ 2020-07-18 — 25th tracked contest · CIBBQ Red Devil Edition Day 2
- ⭐ 2024-10-30 — Career-best overall score (692.5600) · American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +13.8 | Covid-Que Relief (Day 2) | 2020-06-20 |
| +13.7 | Route 66 Smoke Out | 2019-05-03 |
| +12.3 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | 2024-10-30 |
| +12.3 | Rockin BBQ | 2020-05-29 |
| +12.1 | GLBBQA Spring Fling | 2024-04-19 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -12.9 | Rumble on the River Presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com | 2020-09-25 |
| -11.6 | Harvest On the Fire At the Winery | 2021-07-09 |
| -10.7 | Silver Lake Sand Dunes Apple & BBQ Festival | 2019-09-13 |
| -9.2 | Iowa State BBQ Championship | 2024-03-29 |
| -9 | Hoosier BBQ Classic Day 1 | 2021-06-18 |
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)
Team of the Year rank by season
Season by season
| Season | Contests | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 100% | top 24% | — | — |
| 2024 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 71% | top 41% | 96.2% | 94.4% |
| 2021 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20% | top 74% | 92.8% | 91.5% |
| 2020 | 14 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 64% | top 43% | 95.3% | 93.2% |
| 2019 | 15 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 80% | top 32% | 95.6% | 93.3% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-10-30 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2024-10-30 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 57 / 444 (692.5600) | 7 (179.4400) | 323 (164.5372) | 42 (176.0344) | 83 (172.5484) |
| 2024-07-19 | BBCubed - Brighton Barbeque Bash 🏅 Oshkosh, WI | 12 / 37 (670.7544) | 11 (173.1084) | 16 (166.2400) | 17 (166.2744) | 15 (165.1316) |
| 2024-05-17 | Rockin' BBQ Warsaw 🏅 Warsaw, IN | 23 / 32 (669.5540) | 16 (172.5600) | 13 (169.6684) | 30 (155.3600) | 10 (171.9656) |
| 2024-04-19 | GLBBQA Spring Fling 🏅 Charlotte, MI | 9 / 62 (692.5144) | 12 (176.0000) | 9 (173.7144) | 29 (171.9772) | 27 (170.8228) |
| 2024-03-29 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 36 / 42 (663.3144) | 5 (175.4400) | 40 (152.5144) | 3 (174.8572) | 36 (160.5028) |
| 2024-01-26 | SJV Winter Rub 🏅 Omaha, NE | 7 / 26 (687.9660) | 1 (178.2972) | 15 (169.7144) | 18 (166.8344) | 10 (173.1200) |
| 2021-07-09 | Harvest On the Fire At the Winery 🏅 Marshall, IL | 34 / 38 (645.4856) | 34 (161.6572) | 13 (168.5372) | 31 (163.3828) | 36 (151.9084) |
| 2021-06-19 | Hoosier BBQ Classic Day 2 🏅 Franklin, IN | 27 / 37 (668.4684) | 14 (171.9656) | 7 (172.5600) | 33 (163.3828) | 31 (160.5600) |
| 2021-06-18 | Hoosier BBQ Classic Day 1 🏅 Franklin, IN | 39 / 51 (659.8284) | 22 (170.8112) | 43 (160.5372) | 26 (167.9772) | 42 (160.5028) |
| 2021-05-01 | Route 66 Smoke Out 🏅 Dwight, IL | 26 / 44 (660.4456) | 31 (163.3828) | 23 (162.8460) | 12 (169.6800) | 28 (164.5368) |
| 2021-04-23 | WashMo BBQ & Bluesfest 🏅 Washington, MO | 32 / 45 (658.0912) | 20 (169.6912) | 38 (162.8000) | 36 (161.6456) | 22 (163.9544) |
| 2020-10-16 | Best of the Midwest BBQ 🏅 Union Grove, WI | 22 / 50 (659.8516) | 13 (169.6800) | 21 (165.1088) | 40 (158.2172) | 19 (166.8456) |
| 2020-10-02 | Ottumwa Smoketoberfest 🏅 Ottumwa, IA | 38 / 66 (665.0628) | 47 (163.9884) | 23 (167.3828) | 34 (167.4172) | 31 (166.2744) |
| 2020-09-25 | Rumble on the River Presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com 🏅 Grand Haven, MI | 23 / 28 (654.7312) | 12 (170.8456) | 23 (163.3944) | 16 (164.5256) | 27 (155.9656) |
| 2020-09-12 | Rockin' BBQ 2 Just Another BBQ Day 2 🏅 Warsaw, IN | 12 / 26 (682.2856) | 12 (171.4400) | 20 (164.5828) | 3 (172.5600) | 6 (173.7028) |
| 2020-09-11 | Rockin' BBQ 2 Just Another BBQ Day 1 🏅 Warsaw, IN | 14 / 36 (669.6456) | 17 (168.5256) | 24 (164.5600) | 13 (170.8456) | 18 (165.7144) |
| 2020-08-14 | Big Blue Barbecue 🏅 Shelbyville, IN | 10 / 50 (683.3712) | 32 (166.2512) | 14 (169.7372) | 18 (170.8228) | 4 (176.5600) |
| 2020-07-18 | CIBBQ Red Devil Edition Day 2 🏅 Eureka, IL | 10 / 25 (674.8116) | 15 (169.6684) | 19 (163.9772) | 5 (171.4288) | 8 (169.7372) |
| 2020-07-17 | CIBBQ Red Devil Edition Day 1 🏅 Eureka, IL | 21 / 30 (662.1948) | 2 (174.2860) | 22 (164.5944) | 24 (166.2400) | 29 (157.0744) |
| 2020-07-10 | Harvest On the Fire At the Winery 🏅 Marshall, IL | 29 / 53 (669.6000) | 30 (167.3828) | 34 (163.4172) | 20 (170.8228) | 29 (167.9772) |
| 2020-06-27 | Back to Mayberry Day 2 🏅 Rodney, IA | 28 / 47 (665.0284) | 9 (173.1084) | 42 (159.9428) | 5 (174.8572) | 44 (157.1200) |
| 2020-06-26 | Back to Mayberry Day 1 🏅 Rodney, IA | 28 / 53 (663.2916) | 18 (170.8228) | 46 (159.9544) | 5 (174.2856) | 43 (158.2288) |
| 2020-06-20 | Covid-Que Relief (Day 2) Franklin, IN | 2 / 63 (686.2744) | 15 (172.5600) | 28 (166.8688) | 12 (172.5600) | 5 (174.2856) |
| 2020-06-19 | Covid-Que Relief (Day 1) Franklin, IN | 16 / 69 (676.5144) | 10 (173.1316) | 57 (158.8228) | 2 (178.2972) | 38 (166.2628) |
| 2020-05-29 | Rockin BBQ 🏅 Warsaw, IN | 6 / 66 (680.5596) | 46 (161.1312) | 1 (178.8800) | 10 (170.2628) | 10 (170.2856) |
| 2019-10-18 | Best of the Midwest 🏅 Union Grove, WI | 5 / 52 (674.2060) | 4 (174.2628) | 24 (161.1432) | 18 (166.2400) | 4 (172.5600) |
| 2019-10-11 | Central Illinois Bragging Rights(CIBR-BBQ) 🏅 Arthur, IL | 18 / 43 (670.7428) | 21 (170.2628) | 24 (163.3828) | 7 (174.8456) | 31 (162.2516) |
| 2019-09-20 | Rumble on the River Presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com 🏅 Grand Haven, MI | 15 / 28 (669.1084) | 8 (171.9884) | 23 (162.8800) | 17 (166.2284) | 18 (168.0116) |
| 2019-09-13 | Silver Lake Sand Dunes Apple & BBQ Festival 🏅 Mears, MI | 22 / 35 (655.9312) | 11 (169.7028) | 29 (157.6684) | 7 (168.5716) | 23 (159.9884) |
| 2019-08-09 | Big Blue Barbecue 🏅 Shelbyville, IN | 13 / 29 (677.0172) | 9 (172.5484) | 28 (153.6228) | 4 (174.2744) | 5 (176.5716) |
| 2019-07-12 | Harvest On Fire at The Winery 🏅 Marshall, IL | 10 / 31 (673.5884) | 6 (176.0000) | 15 (165.6800) | 20 (164.5256) | 10 (167.3828) |
| 2019-06-28 | BBQ SmokeDown at Chicagoland 🏅 Joliet, IL | 10 / 42 (679.8968) | 16 (171.9656) | 4 (174.2972) | 21 (165.0856) | 16 (168.5484) |
| 2019-06-21 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Day 1 🏅 Belvidere, IL | 13 / 50 (668.9712) | 14 (170.8228) | 14 (167.9656) | 28 (163.9544) | 23 (166.2284) |
| 2019-06-14 | Hog Capital Challenge 🏅 Kewanee, IL | 3 / 25 (681.0284) | 9 (167.3712) | 1 (176.5716) | 9 (169.1200) | 7 (167.9656) |
| 2019-05-31 | Up In Smoke on the Square 🏅 Lincoln, IL | 15 / 36 (665.0284) | 12 (169.7028) | 23 (161.6800) | 17 (166.8228) | 17 (166.8228) |
| 2019-05-25 | Red, White, and BBQ- Day 2 🏅 Westmont, IL | 21 / 48 (658.1480) | 12 (169.1084) | 13 (167.9884) | 35 (155.3600) | 17 (165.6912) |
| 2019-05-24 | Red, White, and BBQ Day 1 🏅 Westmont, IL | 6 / 40 (674.7428) | 2 (175.4056) | 34 (151.9200) | 1 (176.5828) | 7 (170.8344) |
| 2019-05-17 | Sunset Hill Kansas City Barbecue Competition 🏅 Valparaiso, IN | 7 / 20 (662.1600) | 5 (168.5256) | 14 (158.2744) | 3 (170.2744) | 9 (165.0856) |
| 2019-05-03 | Route 66 Smoke Out 🏅 Dwight, IL | 3 / 33 (687.9884) | 10 (170.2856) | 5 (171.4400) | 4 (174.2972) | 3 (171.9656) |
| 2019-04-05 | CCSFest 🏅 Indianapois, IN | 10 / 40 (678.7080) | 24 (167.3712) | 10 (171.4056) | 10 (170.8228) | 14 (169.1084) |
| Saluting with Smoke-Yorkville (COMPETITOR'S SERIES) Yorkville, IL | 10 / 22 (661.5884) | 10 (163.9428) | 3 (174.8572) | — | — | |
| Saluting With Smoke (COMPETITORS SERIES) Yorkville, IL | 1 / 38 (518.2744) | 1 (175.4400) | 6 (167.4172) | — | — |
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 ↗ | Master | #354 (613 pts) | #229 (983 pts) | #410 (588 pts) | #367 (598 pts) | #400 (548 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #917 (120 pts) | #899 (145 pts) | #985 (130 pts) | #766 (185 pts) | #904 (135 pts) |
| 2020 ↗ | Master | #69 (1244 pts) | #56 (1299 pts) | #111 (964 pts) | #31 (1604 pts) | #66 (1206 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #139 (1613 pts) | #123 (1621 pts) | #172 (1379 pts) | #95 (1712 pts) | #137 (1523 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #168 (1538 pts) | #99 (1778 pts) | #149 (1528 pts) | #235 (1236 pts) | #130 (1645 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #238 (1363 pts) | #180 (1481 pts) | #290 (1174 pts) | #221 (1355 pts) | #154 (1590 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #304 (1158 pts) | #257 (1260 pts) | #298 (1190 pts) | #254 (1278 pts) | #142 (1693 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #1947 (95 pts) | #1520 (175 pts) | #2209 (60 pts) | #2225 (60 pts) | #1534 (165 pts) |