Perfect scores on the board
1
perfect 180
1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in chicken.
- Chicken ×1
Hot Thang BBQ
Hot Thang BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 28 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2024 and 2026. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the York County BBQ Festival (Day 1) (2026). They are ranked #1220 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1585
peak 1585 · rated over 21 contests
Contests
28
in the data
First seen
Sep 27, 2024
latest Aug 21, 2026 · 1.9 years on the trail
Grand champs
1
0 reserve · wins it all 4% of the time
Category wins
1
9 podiums
Overall top-10s
11
39% of 28 contests
Best top-10 run
3
straight overall top-10s, still running
Avg finish
top 45%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
1 🔥
Current form
342.00 ▲
last 5 Backyard vs avg 331.85 (+10.15)
Walk rate
64%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±12.72
spread of their Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 168.16 · weakest Pork Ribs (164.59)
Road miles
1,632
across 28 mapped stops · furthest 240 mi
Schedule strength
75%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1596)
Purse competed for
$90K
listed at 22 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
1 🏅
won from 19 state-championship entries
Backyard avg
331.85 / 360
21 Backyard contests · 1 GC
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)
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Hot Thang 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.
#1,221 of the rated field
- Contests
- 22
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 41%
- Peak
- 1598
Their last contest in the data was back in 2016, 10 years before Hot Thang BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#1,222 of the rated field
- Contests
- 34
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 41%
- Peak
- 1602
Careers of much the same size, 34 contests to 28, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#1,218 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 67%
- Peak
- 1585
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 14 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#1,219 of the rated field
- Contests
- 40
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 18%
- Peak
- 1616
40 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 18% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#1,217 of the rated field
- Contests
- 42
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 38%
- Peak
- 1605
They were already cooking in 2019, 5 years before Hot Thang BBQ's first contest.
⚔ Compare careers#1,223 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 67%
- Peak
- 1591
Level with Hot Thang BBQ 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIRE & SHINE BBQ | 21 | 3 | 18 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| Leaning Jowler BBQ | 19 | 5 | 14 | 26% | ⚔ compare |
| Capt. Blue BBQ | 18 | 5 | 13 | 28% | ⚔ compare |
| Rough Cut Q | 16 | 3 | 13 | 19% | ⚔ compare |
| Piggy & Swine BBQ | 15 | 6 | 8 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
| Castleton Q | 14 | 6 | 8 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| Oink N' Doink BBQ | 14 | 2 | 12 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | 13 | 4 | 9 | 31% | ⚔ compare |
| Clean Smoke BBQ Team | 12 | 7 | 5 | 58% | ⚔ compare |
| All About the Wood | 12 | 6 | 6 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| MRC_Barbecue | 12 | 6 | 6 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| SUSQUEHANNA SMOKERS | 12 | 6 | 6 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| B'S QUE | 12 | 6 | 6 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE | 12 | 2 | 10 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| Buckeye Blue Smoke BBQ | 11 | 6 | 5 | 55% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 25 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 180 🔥 | 154.2628 | 168.16 | top 44% |
| Pork Ribs | 23 | 13 | 0 | 6 | 175.4172 | 139.8856 | 164.59 | top 44% |
“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) | 4 | 0 | top 61% |
| Medium (20–39) | 14 | 1 | top 41% |
| Large (40+) | 3 | 0 | top 43% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| York County BBQ Festival (Day 2) | 4 | 1 | 1 | top 56% | Jun 13, 2026 |
| New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) | 4 | 7 | 0 | top 26% | Apr 18, 2026 |
| BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) | 4 | 15 | 0 | top 45% | Mar 28, 2026 |
| First State BBQ Bash (SUNDAY BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 5 | 0 | top 32% | Sep 28, 2025 |
| Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2) | 2 | 15 | 0 | top 69% | Jul 26, 2025 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2025
15 contests
Contests a season
9.3
across 3 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
VA
9 of 28 contests · 4 states in all
Contests visited
10
5 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Chicken
25 entries · 1 win · 14 calls
First title
Jun 12, 2026
York County BBQ Festival (Day 1)
Opponents faced
244
finished ahead 494 times, behind 429
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20269 milestones
- 25th tracked contest Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 1)
- First category win (Chicken) York County BBQ Festival (Day 1)
- First overall podium York County BBQ Festival (Day 1)
- First Grand Championship York County BBQ Festival (Day 1)
- First state championship York County BBQ Festival (Day 1)
- First perfect 180 (Chicken) York County BBQ Festival (Day 1)
- Career-best overall score354.2744 York County BBQ Festival (Day 1)
- Peak power rating (1585) Stoney Creek BBQ Cookoff
- Most recent contest Stoney Creek BBQ Cookoff
20254 milestones
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score340.5256 BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard)
- First call New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (ONE MEAT CHICKEN)
- First overall top-10 New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1)
- 10th tracked contest K.S. Que (BACKYARD ONLY)
20241 milestone
- First tracked contest "The First State" BBQ Bash
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +16.5 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 1) | Jun 12, 2026 |
| +11.4 | Stoney Creek BBQ Cookoff | Aug 21, 2026 |
| +10.6 | First State BBQ Bash (SUNDAY BACKYARD ONLY) | Sep 28, 2025 |
| +9.8 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1) | May 2, 2025 |
| +8.8 | First State BBQ Bash | Sep 26, 2025 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -10 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2) | Jul 26, 2025 |
| -7.8 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 1) | May 15, 2026 |
| -3.4 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 2) | Jun 28, 2025 |
| -1.9 | "The First State" BBQ Bash | Sep 27, 2024 |
| -1.3 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) | Mar 21, 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 | 12 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 75% | top 37% | 98.4% | 93.8% |
| 2025 | 15 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 60% | top 51% | 94.6% | 91.8% |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 58% | 81.7% | 81.7% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 21, 2026 | Stoney Creek BBQ Cookoff 🏅 Edinburg, VA | 6 / 26 (346.2400) | 15 (170.8228) | 2 (175.4172) | — | — |
| Jun 13, 2026 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 Delta, PA | 6 / 13 (345.0972) | 3 (175.4056) | 11 (169.6916) | — | — |
| Jun 12, 2026 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 Delta, PA | 1 / 25 (354.2744) | 1 (180) | 3 (174.2744) | — | — |
| May 15, 2026 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 1) 🏅 Morgantown, PA | 18 / 25 (324.4340) | 8 (171.9656) | 21 (152.4684) | — | — |
| Apr 24, 2026 | Revolutionary BBQ Brawl 🏅 Williamsburg, VA | 8 / 20 (339.9772) | 6 (171.4172) | 9 (168.5600) | — | — |
| Apr 18, 2026 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) 🏅 Blairstown, NJ | 8 / 26 (338.7884) | 8 (170.2628) | 6 (168.5256) | — | — |
| Apr 17, 2026 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1) 🏅 Blairstown, NJ | 7 / 26 (333.6684) | 5 (169.7028) | 10 (163.9656) | — | — |
| Apr 17, 2026 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Blairstown, NJ | — | 5 (171.4172) | — | — | — |
| Mar 28, 2026 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 18 / 36 (323.9316) | 16 (162.8228) | 18 (161.1088) | — | — |
| Mar 27, 2026 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 15 / 40 (331.9544) | 16 (166.8344) | 13 (165.1200) | — | — |
| Mar 27, 2026 | BBQ Gives Back (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Urbanna, VA | — | 22 (165.1428) | — | — | — |
| Mar 27, 2026 | BBQ Gives Back (ONE MEAT RIBS) Urbanna, VA | — | — | 9 (170.2972) | — | — |
| Sep 28, 2025 | First State BBQ Bash (SUNDAY BACKYARD ONLY) Milford, DE | 5 / 14 (339.9772) | 10 (166.8228) | 2 (173.1544) | — | — |
| Sep 26, 2025 | First State BBQ Bash 🏅 Milford, DE | 7 / 25 (337.6916) | 10 (163.9772) | 2 (173.7144) | — | — |
| Sep 26, 2025 | First State BBQ Bash (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Milford, DE | — | 11 (166.8456) | — | — | — |
| Sep 26, 2025 | First State BBQ Bash (ONE MEAT RIBS) Milford, DE | — | — | 3 (172) | — | — |
| Jul 26, 2025 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 24 / 27 (317.5656) | 21 (163.9428) | 25 (153.6228) | — | — |
| Jul 25, 2025 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 15 / 30 (339.4060) | 18 (168.5372) | 10 (170.8688) | — | — |
| Jul 12, 2025 | K.S. Que (BACKYARD ONLY) Kennett Square, PA | 5 / 12 (334.8000) | 8 (163.9656) | 2 (170.8344) | — | — |
| Jun 28, 2025 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 Delta, PA | 12 / 10 (333.6340) | 5 (172.5484) | 16 (161.0856) | — | — |
| Jun 27, 2025 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 Delta, PA | 14 / 26 (330.7772) | 11 (170.8228) | 15 (159.9544) | — | — |
| May 3, 2025 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 2) 🏅 Blairstown, NJ | 8 / 34 (321.6456) | 6 (166.8228) | 7 (154.8228) | — | — |
| May 2, 2025 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1) 🏅 Blairstown, NJ | 7 / 33 (323.8856) | 7 (166.2400) | 8 (157.6456) | — | — |
| May 2, 2025 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Blairstown, NJ | — | 3 (174.8688) | — | — | — |
| Mar 22, 2025 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 16 / 43 (340.5256) | 17 (169.1084) | 11 (171.4172) | — | — |
| Mar 21, 2025 | BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA | 25 / 45 (316.4456) | 25 (159.3600) | 25 (157.0856) | — | — |
| Mar 21, 2025 | BBQ Gives Back (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Urbanna, VA | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sep 27, 2024 | "The First State" BBQ Bash 🏅 Milford, DE | 15 / 26 (294.1484) | 14 (154.2628) | 16 (139.8856) | — | — |