Perfect scores on the board
3 perfect 180s in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, across 2 different meats.
- Chicken ×2
- Pork ×1
Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.
3 perfect 180s in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, across 2 different meats.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 79 times in 100
Their Grand Championship at East Central State BBQ Cook Off Paola Roots Festival (2015-08-28) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 21-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, GETTIN' BASTED.
Took the Grand Championship over a 68-team field at East Central State BBQ Cook-Off Paola Roots Festival.
East Central State BBQ Cook-Off-Paola Roots Festival is their spot: 2 Grand Championships in 8 visits.
A call in 32 of 48 contests
A top-10 category call in 67% of their 48 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
95.7% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 689.0972 at Sertoma 48 BBQ — 95.7% of a perfect 720.
PELLET ENVY has finished one call ahead of Big Wigs BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
2013 was the year it came together: 7 contests, 1 Grand Championship and 1 category win, at an average finish in the top 10%.
SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ ahead in 95% of their meetings
SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ has come out ahead in 19 of their 20 shared contests.
Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 6.61 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 19% of the time against 38%.
Their last Grand Championship came at East Central State BBQ Cook Off Paola Roots Festival on 2015-08-28 — 28 contests and 11 years ago.
Ahead in 100% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of DUNN UP BBQ in 17 of their 17 shared contests.
Off the trail for 3 years, then back at East Central State BBQ Cook-Off-Paola Roots Festival (2022-08-26).
SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ ahead 65% of the time
Even in their strongest meat, SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ has out-cooked them in 13 of 20 shared chicken entries.
ST. LOUIS BLACK IRON BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.
Something about June: average finish in the top 14% across 7 contests, versus top 32% the rest of the year.
Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 4,141 miles across 48 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 214 miles to Main Street BBQ & Bluesfest.
Their overall lands within ±1.63% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.
They've cooked East Central State BBQ Cook-Off-Paola Roots Festival every year from 2013 to 2019 — the contest they never miss.
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.
31 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Big Wigs BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-headThis is the highest they've ever been rated, 60 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-headTheir last contest in the data was back in 2017, 7 years before Big Wigs BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-headA longer road to the same neighbourhood — 71 contests to 48.
⚔ Head-to-head58 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 29% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Head-to-headThey turned up 7 years after Big Wigs BBQ did, first appearing in 2020.
⚔ Head-to-head| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four Men and A Pig | 24 | 9 | 15 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| B & C SMOKERS | 24 | 8 | 16 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| HIGH i QUE | 20 | 2 | 18 | 10% | ⚔ compare |
| SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ | 20 | 1 | 19 | 5% | ⚔ compare |
| Theslabs.com | 19 | 12 | 7 | 63% | ⚔ compare |
| THE SMOKING HILLS | 19 | 3 | 16 | 16% | ⚔ compare |
| DUNN UP BBQ | 17 | 17 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| Double Stack BBQ | 17 | 16 | 1 | 94% | ⚔ compare |
| Dead Last BBQ | 17 | 15 | 2 | 88% | ⚔ compare |
| BLACK EYE BBQ | 17 | 13 | 4 | 76% | ⚔ compare |
| BREW 'N' BAR-B-QUE | 17 | 4 | 13 | 24% | ⚔ compare |
| GETTIN' SAUCED | 17 | 4 | 13 | 24% | ⚔ compare |
| Royal Smoke | 16 | 15 | 1 | 94% | ⚔ compare |
| BEAUX HAWG BBQ | 16 | 12 | 4 | 75% | ⚔ compare |
| Sublime BBQ | 16 | 4 | 12 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 47 | 18 | 3 | 3 | 180.0000 🔥 | 156.5028 | 170.22 | top 28% |
| Pork Ribs | 47 | 15 | 0 | 6 | 178.8572 | 149.6456 | 166.36 | top 39% |
| Pork | 47 | 12 | 3 | 5 | 180.0000 🔥 | 152.5028 | 167.20 | top 38% |
| Brisket | 47 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 176.0000 | 145.0972 | 163.61 | 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.
| Where | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| KS | 31 | 3 | top 30% |
| MO | 14 | 0 | top 34% |
| OK | 2 | 0 | top 60% |
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 2 | 0 | top 58% |
| Medium (20–39) | 1 | 0 | top 74% |
| Large (40+) | 44 | 3 | top 30% |
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Central State BBQ Cook-Off-Paola Roots Festival | 8 | 1 | 2 | top 21% | 2022-08-26 |
| *Sertoma 48 BBQ | 5 | 1 | 1 | top 19% | 2018-05-04 |
| *Main Street BBQ & Blues Fest | 2 | 9 | 0 | top 39% | 2018-04-20 |
| 37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue(OPEN) | 2 | 127 | 0 | top 52% | 2016-10-29 |
| Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship | 2 | 10 | 0 | top 8% | 2016-06-24 |
| Main Street BBQ & Bluesfest | 2 | 4 | 0 | top 22% | 2016-04-15 |
| Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest | 2 | 5 | 0 | top 13% | 2014-06-06 |
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +13.8 | East Central State BBQ Cook-Off Paola Roots Festival | 2013-08-23 |
| +13.7 | Main Street BBQ & Bluesfest | 2013-04-19 |
| +13.4 | Sertoma 48 BBQ | 2014-05-09 |
| +12.9 | Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest | 2013-06-07 |
| +11.8 | Sertoma 48 BBQ | 2015-05-08 |
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -16.5 | 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST | 2019-09-12 |
| -11 | BBQ, Bikes and Blues | 2019-04-26 |
| -10.3 | Smokin' At The Run | 2014-03-15 |
| -9.2 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST | 2022-09-29 |
| -6.7 | 39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) | 2018-09-15 |
| Season | Contests | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 60% | 93% | 93% |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 69% | 91.9% | 91.9% |
| 2022 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 57% | 94.4% | 92.3% |
| 2019 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 60% | top 58% | 92.8% | 90.3% |
| 2018 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 60% | top 38% | 93.2% | 91.8% |
| 2017 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 80% | top 25% | 94% | 93.2% |
| 2016 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 67% | top 31% | 94.6% | 93.2% |
| 2015 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 83% | top 18% | 95.3% | 93.7% |
| 2014 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 56% | top 35% | 95.7% | 92.9% |
| 2013 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 86% | top 10% | 94.6% | 93.4% |
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-08-23 | East Central Kansas State BBQ Championship 🏅 Paola, KS | 25 / 42 (669.5776) | 9 (175.4172) | 35 (160.5144) | 21 (169.6916) | 23 (163.9544) |
| 2023-08-26 | East Central Kansas State BBQ Championship - Paola Roots Festival 🏅 Paola, KS | 11 / 16 (661.5888) | 8 (169.1200) | 9 (169.1316) | 13 (160.5372) | 12 (162.8000) |
| 2022-10-01 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - SIDES Kansas City, KS | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2022-09-29 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 362 / 505 (650.1712) | 286 (166.2628) | 485 (149.6456) | 232 (168.0000) | 229 (166.2628) |
| 2022-08-26 | East Central State BBQ Cook-Off-Paola Roots Festival 🏅 Paola, KS | 19 / 45 (679.3372) | 15 (172.5600) | 22 (167.3828) | 14 (171.9772) | 14 (167.4172) |
| 2019-09-12 | 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 407 / 468 (620.9372) | 389 (156.5028) | 333 (160.5488) | 408 (152.5028) | 397 (151.3828) |
| 2019-08-23 | East Central State BBQ Cook-Off, Paola Roots Festival 🏅 Paola, KS | 33 / 66 (663.2684) | 25 (168.5600) | 8 (174.2628) | 30 (168.5372) | 56 (151.9084) |
| 2019-06-21 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 78 / 183 (647.9196) | 65 (164.5256) | 108 (157.1428) | 41 (168.5828) | 106 (157.6684) |
| 2019-05-31 | Smoke on the Bricks 🏅 Baldwin City, KS | 18 / 49 (667.8976) | 6 (174.2744) | 37 (153.6344) | 18 (167.4288) | 8 (172.5600) |
| 2019-04-26 | BBQ, Bikes and Blues 🏅 Washington, MO | 29 / 39 (649.0516) | 9 (172.5600) | 27 (160.5488) | 11 (170.8456) | 35 (145.0972) |
| 2018-09-15 | 39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS | 270 / 467 (654.7656) | 18 (177.1428) | 204 (167.4056) | 253 (163.9428) | 425 (146.2744) |
| 2018-08-24 | *East Central State BBQ Cook-Off, Paola Roots Festival Paola, KS | 13 / 67 (670.7200) | 5 (175.4056) | 18 (170.2744) | 35 (162.8000) | 31 (162.2400) |
| 2018-06-22 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle Lenexa, KS | 21 / 185 (665.0052) | 11 (171.9656) | 35 (168.5484) | 48 (166.8228) | 90 (157.6684) |
| 2018-05-04 | *Sertoma 48 BBQ Lawrence, KS | 19 / 41 (655.2916) | 10 (170.2744) | 26 (159.3600) | 19 (164.5372) | 23 (161.1200) |
| 2018-04-20 | *Main Street BBQ & Blues Fest Washington, MO | 22 / 40 (658.7084) | 25 (162.8000) | 23 (161.7028) | 28 (161.0856) | 7 (173.1200) |
| 2017-09-29 | *Smoke On the Trails Gardner, KS | 19 / 64 (673.0056) | 11 (172.5600) | 37 (162.7884) | 1 (177.7028) | 42 (159.9544) |
| 2017-08-25 | *East Central State BBQ Cook-Off, Paola Roots Festival Paola, KS | 21 / 57 (662.7656) | 1 (180.0000) | 27 (163.4056) | 31 (164.5372) | 47 (154.8228) |
| 2017-06-23 | Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 8 / 184 (668.4916) | 4 (174.8572) | 2 (176.5600) | 22 (169.6800) | 142 (147.3944) |
| 2017-05-19 | 22nd Annual Platte City BBQ Cook Off at Basswood Resort Platte City, MO | 19 / 59 (676.5256) | 18 (170.8228) | 26 (168.0000) | 11 (171.4056) | 26 (166.2972) |
| 2017-04-21 | Main Street BBQ & Blues Fest Washington, MO | 9 / 40 (674.8228) | 5 (176.0572) | 2 (175.4172) | 16 (167.9656) | 30 (155.3828) |
| 2016-10-29 | 37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue(OPEN) Kansas City, KS | 188 / 557 (665.0056) | 11 (176.5828) | 350 (161.6456) | 410 (159.3716) | 165 (167.4056) |
| 2016-10-28 | 37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue(INVITATIONAL) unrated Kansas City, KS | 127 / 180 (667.9428) | 130 (167.4172) | 14 (177.2000) | 174 (158.7884) | 139 (164.5372) |
| 2016-08-26 | East Central State BBQ Cook-Off, Paola Roots Festival Paola, KS | 5 / 61 (681.0400) | 22 (166.8344) | 19 (167.3828) | 8 (173.1084) | 3 (173.7144) |
| 2016-06-24 | Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 18 / 183 (671.3944) | 8 (173.1544) | 94 (159.4172) | 64 (163.4172) | 6 (175.4056) |
| 2016-05-06 | Sertoma 48 BBQ Lawrence, KS | 12 / 42 (674.8572) | 11 (171.4400) | 18 (168.5600) | 31 (163.9772) | 8 (170.8800) |
| 2016-04-15 | Main Street BBQ & Bluesfest Washington, MO | 19 / 53 (664.4800) | 10 (171.4172) | 35 (158.2400) | 3 (174.2628) | 27 (160.5600) |
| 2015-10-03 | 36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open Kansas City, MO | 128 / 606 (671.8628) | 1 (180.0000) | 349 (162.2516) | 290 (164.5256) | 240 (165.0856) |
| 2015-09-25 | Burg Fest BBQ Contest Warrensburg, MO | 9 / 19 (664.9828) | 9 (167.4172) | 8 (166.2400) | 15 (160.5028) | 6 (170.8228) |
| 2015-08-28 | East Central State BBQ Cook Off Paola Roots Festival Paola, KS | 1 / 65 (682.2860) | 12 (169.6800) | 3 (173.1544) | 30 (163.4516) | 1 (176.0000) |
| 2015-06-26 | Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 10 / 183 (675.3712) | 11 (171.4172) | 27 (168.5484) | 60 (163.9772) | 16 (171.4284) |
| 2015-05-08 | Sertoma 48 BBQ Lawrence, KS | 2 / 45 (686.2288) | 19 (166.8344) | 8 (171.9772) | 2 (174.8572) | 4 (172.5600) |
| 2015-04-17 | 7th Annual Main Street BBQ & Bluesfest Washington, MO | 14 / 49 (666.2400) | 15 (167.9772) | 6 (173.1428) | 17 (166.2972) | 26 (158.8228) |
| 2014-10-02 | 35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open Kansas City, MO | 179 / 552 (664.5144) | 396 (159.4172) | 207 (166.8228) | 137 (169.7144) | 134 (168.5600) |
| 2014-10-02 | 35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Invitational unrated Kansas City, MO | 101 / 165 (666.1944) | 84 (168.0000) | 121 (162.2400) | 122 (163.3944) | 43 (172.5600) |
| 2014-08-22 | East Central State BBQ Cook Off Paola Roots Festival Paola, KS | 3 / 69 (681.6800) | 12 (171.4172) | 2 (178.8572) | 1 (176.5828) | 37 (154.8228) |
| 2014-08-01 | Wheels 'N' Squeels BBQ Challenge Olathe, KS | 31 / 70 (654.7428) | 17 (168.5484) | 58 (153.6572) | 34 (164.5600) | 14 (167.9772) |
| 2014-06-06 | Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest Mayetta, KS | 10 / 54 (670.7888) | 16 (168.5372) | 42 (157.6688) | 5 (174.8456) | 11 (169.7372) |
| 2014-05-09 | Sertoma 48 BBQ Lawrence, KS | 1 / 54 (689.0972) | 4 (173.1428) | 10 (169.1316) | 1 (180.0000) | 16 (166.8228) |
| 2014-04-11 | 6th Annual Main Street BBQ & Bluesfest Washington, MO | 15 / 46 (666.8112) | 22 (163.4056) | 11 (169.1200) | 7 (169.1656) | 22 (165.1200) |
| 2014-03-15 | Smokin' At The Run Miami, OK | 58 / 72 (659.9888) | 28 (172.5600) | 23 (170.2972) | 69 (155.9772) | 59 (161.1544) |
| 2014-03-14 | Smokin' At The Run Shootout Miami, OK | 16 / 41 (663.3256) | 20 (167.9656) | 8 (173.1428) | 29 (162.8228) | 27 (159.3944) |
| 2013-10-03 | 34th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open Kansas City, MO | 53 / 535 (668.5028) | 7 (177.7028) | 236 (160.5372) | 148 (166.2628) | 148 (164.0000) |
| 2013-08-23 | East Central State BBQ Cook-Off Paola Roots Festival Paola, KS | 1 / 68 (681.1200) | 1 (178.8800) | 10 (171.4400) | 9 (169.1428) | 31 (161.6572) |
| 2013-08-01 | Wheels 'N' Squeels BBQ Challenge Olathe, KS | 10 / 74 (675.3484) | 28 (166.8344) | 30 (165.1084) | 17 (171.4056) | 8 (172.0000) |
| 2013-06-07 | Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest Mayetta, KS | 5 / 69 (679.4282) | 7 (172.0000) | 4 (174.2858) | 9 (170.8570) | 34 (162.2854) |
| 2013-05-10 | Sertoma 48 BBQ Lawrence, KS | 6 / 49 (677.1426) | 8 (171.4284) | 2 (172.5714) | 8 (169.1428) | 18 (164.0000) |
| 2013-04-19 | Main Street BBQ & Bluesfest Washington, MO | 4 / 50 (670.2858) | 21 (161.7142) | 2 (172.0000) | 6 (171.4286) | 12 (165.1430) |
| 2013-03-15 | NKC MO State BBQ Championship N. Kansas City, MO | 13 / 79 (657.1424) | 52 (157.1426) | 13 (168.0000) | 12 (168.0000) | 18 (163.9998) |
| Year | Series | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #1062 (111 pts) | #968 (136 pts) | #1097 (126 pts) | #1138 (101 pts) | #1126 (106 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #909 (150 pts) | #902 (170 pts) | #1060 (135 pts) | #890 (175 pts) | #863 (175 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #1055 (240 pts) | #909 (325 pts) | #914 (335 pts) | #946 (310 pts) | #1111 (240 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #770 (425 pts) | #614 (605 pts) | #949 (345 pts) | #957 (330 pts) | #813 (415 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #685 (560 pts) | #419 (905 pts) | #573 (700 pts) | #616 (655 pts) | #1103 (300 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #628 (615 pts) | #591 (685 pts) | #821 (480 pts) | #637 (630 pts) | #543 (745 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #449 (855 pts) | #527 (740 pts) | #563 (685 pts) | #702 (540 pts) | #524 (720 pts) |
| 2014 ↗ | Master | #349 (1046 pts) | #460 (836 pts) | #458 (866 pts) | #279 (1201 pts) | #525 (706 pts) |
| 2013 ↗ | Master | #1970 (75 pts) | #1412 (180 pts) | #2043 (75 pts) | #2080 (75 pts) | #2034 (75 pts) |