They almost always walk
64%
of contests with a top-10 call
A call in 9 of 14 contests
A top-10 category call in 64% of their 14 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
Ishy Links BBQ
Ishy Links BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 14 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2022 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 6th of 20 at the Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) (2022). They are ranked #2150 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1533
peak 1541 · rated over 13 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted
Contests
14
in the data
First seen
May 28, 2022
latest Aug 22, 2026 · 4.2 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
1
1 podium
Overall top-10s
5
36% of 14 contests
Best top-10 run
2
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 48%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
336.30 ▲
last 5 Backyard vs avg 329.22 (+7.08)
Walk rate
64%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±8.98
spread of their Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
avg 165 · weakest Chicken (164.22)
Road miles
1,540
across 14 mapped stops · furthest 509 mi
Schedule strength
40%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1553)
Purse competed for
$51K
listed at 13 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 3 state-championship entries
Backyard avg
329.22 / 360
14 Backyard contests · 0 GCs
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 | #131 (339 pts) | #135 (339 pts) | #141 (339 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #167 (307 pts) | #157 (337 pts) | #166 (337 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Backyard | #239 (181 pts) | #282 (146 pts) | #217 (226 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Backyard | — | #231 (167 pts) | #187 (242 pts) | — | — |
| 2022 ↗ | Backyard | — | #124 (344 pts) | #87 (559 pts) | — | — |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Ishy Links BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
82 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#2,137 of the rated field
- Contests
- 65
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 22%
- Peak
- 1584
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to Ishy Links BBQ)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Ishy Links BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#2,159 of the rated field
- Contests
- 13
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 15%
- Peak
- 1544
Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 7 years before Ishy Links BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#2,141 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 50%
- Peak
- 1543
Careers of much the same size, 10 contests to 14, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#2,140 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1534
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 10 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#2,153 of the rated field
- Contests
- 17
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 24%
- Peak
- 1540
17 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 24% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#2,144 of the rated field
- Contests
- 19
- GCs
- 3
- Top-10s
- 58%
- Peak
- 1533
Level with Ishy Links 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shmack Q | 12 | 4 | 8 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| 309 BBQ | 11 | 4 | 7 | 36% | ⚔ compare |
| Rudes BBQ | 10 | 3 | 7 | 30% | ⚔ compare |
| Stone Cold Grillers | 10 | 1 | 9 | 10% | ⚔ compare |
| WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Sermerstout BBQ | 9 | 5 | 4 | 56% | ⚔ compare |
| Too Sauced Guys Bar-B-Que | 9 | 3 | 6 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| T.J.D. Smokehouse | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| All Smoked Up BBQ | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| Skinny Pig BBQ | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| Diabolical Pig | 6 | 6 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| Big Foot BBQ | 6 | 5 | 1 | 83% | ⚔ compare |
| BBQ MIKE | 6 | 2 | 4 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| RUBY CREEK BBQ | 6 | 2 | 4 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| HESSHOGS | 5 | 2 | 3 | 40% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 175.4056 | 155.3712 | 164.22 | top 53% |
| Pork Ribs | 14 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 172.5600 | 155.4284 | 165 | top 45% |
“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) | 1 | 0 | top 81% |
| Medium (20–39) | 10 | 0 | top 42% |
| Large (40+) | 3 | 0 | top 57% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) | 5 | 6 | 0 | top 47% | Aug 22, 2026 |
| Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 9 | 0 | top 37% | Jun 19, 2026 |
| Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown | 2 | 6 | 0 | top 39% | Jun 27, 2025 |
| Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 10 | 0 | top 59% | Jun 14, 2024 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2022
6 contests
Contests a season
2.8
across 5 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
IL
13 of 14 contests · 2 states in all
Contests visited
7
4 of them more than once
Opponents faced
248
finished ahead 232 times, behind 220
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20263 milestones
- Career-best overall score345.7028 Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)
- Peak power rating (1541) Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)
- Most recent contest Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY)
20252 milestones
- 10th tracked contest Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)
- Career-best single call (Chicken)175.4056 Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)
20225 milestones
- First tracked contest Westmont Red White & BBQ Backyard BBQ Cook-Off 2022 (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First call Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (Backyard)
- First overall top-10 Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (Backyard)
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score329.6800 Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (Backyard)
- First category win (Pork Ribs) Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +10.8 | Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | Jun 19, 2026 |
| +9.6 | Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown | Jul 15, 2022 |
| +7.8 | Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) | Aug 20, 2022 |
| +7.7 | Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) | Aug 19, 2023 |
| +4.9 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown (Day One) | Jun 24, 2022 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -8.3 | Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) | Aug 22, 2026 |
| -8.1 | Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | Jun 14, 2024 |
| -1.7 | Westmont Red White & BBQ Backyard BBQ Cook-Off 2022 (BACKYARD ONLY) | May 28, 2022 |
Scores over time (% of a perfect score — 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 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 52% | 96% | 95.2% |
| 2025 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 67% | top 54% | 93.2% | 92.2% |
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 59% | 93.8% | 91.6% |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 28% | 92.2% | 92.2% |
| 2022 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 50% | top 44% | 91.6% | 89.6% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 22, 2026 | Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) Fairbury, IL | 13 / 16 (340) | 12 (168.5828) | 8 (171.4172) | — | — |
| Jun 19, 2026 | Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 9 / 41 (345.7028) | 9 (174.2856) | 16 (171.4172) | — | — |
| Aug 16, 2025 | Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) Fairbury, IL | 11 / 20 (330.1824) | 16 (159.3712) | 6 (170.8112) | — | — |
| Jun 27, 2025 | Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Eureka, IL | 14 / 26 (330.2288) | 16 (162.2516) | 11 (167.9772) | — | — |
| Jun 20, 2025 | Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 19 / 36 (335.3828) | 8 (175.4056) | 27 (159.9772) | — | — |
| Aug 17, 2024 | Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) Fairbury, IL | 11 / 26 (337.6456) | 20 (165.0856) | 6 (172.5600) | — | — |
| Jun 14, 2024 | Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 30 / 40 (322.2172) | 23 (163.4172) | 30 (158.8000) | — | — |
| Aug 19, 2023 | Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) Fairbury, IL | 9 / 32 (331.9544) | 15 (164.5256) | 5 (167.4288) | — | — |
| Nov 12, 2022 | 4th Annual KCBS World Invitational - BACKYARD SERIES INVITATIONAL unrated Gadsden, AL | 37 / 49 (327.9084) | 31 (168.5256) | 43 (159.3828) | — | — |
| Aug 20, 2022 | Smoke on the Midway (BACKYARD ONLY) Fairbury, IL | 6 / 20 (323.3712) | 13 (155.3712) | 4 (168) | — | — |
| Jul 15, 2022 | Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Eureka, IL | 6 / 25 (329.1428) | 8 (159.4400) | 1 (169.7028) | — | — |
| Jun 24, 2022 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown (Day One) 🏅 Belvidere, IL | 13 / 36 (313.0856) | 12 (156.5484) | 13 (156.5372) | — | — |
| Jun 17, 2022 | Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (Backyard) Morris, IL | 10 / 23 (329.6800) | 9 (169.1200) | 15 (160.5600) | — | — |
| May 28, 2022 | Westmont Red White & BBQ Backyard BBQ Cook-Off 2022 (BACKYARD ONLY) Westmont, IL | 16 / 28 (312.6056) | 17 (157.1772) | 20 (155.4284) | — | — |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.