The heartbreaker
0.5484
points from the title
Came within 0.5484 points of the Grand Championship at Smokin on the Route (Jul 29, 2022).
O' Town Que
O' Town Que is a competition barbecue team with 19 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2021 and 2024. Their best overall finish is 2nd of 6 at the Smoke on the River (BACKYARD ONLY) (2022), and they have finished Reserve Grand Champion twice. They are ranked #1520 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1563
peak 1571 · rated over 19 contests
Contests
19
in the data
First seen
Oct 1, 2021
latest Jul 26, 2024 · 2.8 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
2 reserve
Category wins
3
9 podiums
Overall top-10s
9
47% of 19 contests
Best top-10 run
6
straight overall top-10s
Avg finish
top 42%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
1 🔥
Current form
686.10 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 685.33 (+0.77)
Walk rate
84%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±8.31
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
avg 171.50 · weakest Brisket (168.97)
Road miles
2,096
across 19 mapped stops · furthest 206 mi
Schedule strength
58%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1574)
Purse competed for
$179K
listed at 18 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 13 state-championship entries
Master avg
685.33 / 720
12 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
340.39 / 360
4 Backyard contests · 0 GCs
Backyard (3-meat) avg
500.08 / 540
3 Backyard (3-meat) contests · 0 GCs
These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard out of 360, Backyard (3-meat) out of 540), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #446 (448 pts) | #445 (493 pts) | #546 (418 pts) | #424 (503 pts) | #571 (333 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #333 (634 pts) | #351 (644 pts) | #305 (824 pts) | #378 (564 pts) | #307 (734 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Backyard | — | #41 (885 pts) | #34 (970 pts) | — | — |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #516 (395 pts) | #531 (410 pts) | #488 (505 pts) | #507 (430 pts) | #659 (290 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Backyard | — | #179 (130 pts) | #182 (130 pts) | — | — |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to O' Town Que, each with one reason worth a look.
57 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1,523 of the rated field
- Contests
- 20
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 25%
- Peak
- 1572
Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 6 years before O' Town Que's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#1,511 of the rated field
- Contests
- 18
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 67%
- Peak
- 1563
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 18 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#1,515 of the rated field
- Contests
- 23
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 26%
- Peak
- 1570
Careers of much the same size, 23 contests to 19, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#1,522 of the rated field
- Contests
- 25
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 36%
- Peak
- 1577
25 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 36% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#1,517 of the rated field
- Contests
- 27
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 15%
- Peak
- 1568
They were already cooking in 2014, 7 years before O' Town Que's first contest.
⚔ Compare careers#1,513 of the rated field
- Contests
- 13
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 23%
- Peak
- 1563
Level with O' Town Que 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BULL IN THE RING | 13 | 4 | 9 | 31% | ⚔ compare |
| CEO BBQ | 12 | 11 | 1 | 92% | ⚔ compare |
| HOLLOW Q | 11 | 5 | 5 | 45% | ⚔ compare |
| WOOD HOOK BBQ | 11 | 3 | 8 | 27% | ⚔ compare |
| The Smokin Goat | 11 | 3 | 8 | 27% | ⚔ compare |
| SUPER SWINE | 10 | 6 | 4 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| DOUBLE BARREL BBQ - OK | 10 | 5 | 5 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| Fine As* Swine BBQ | 10 | 3 | 7 | 30% | ⚔ compare |
| MUNNY'S STOVE | 9 | 6 | 3 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| Petie's Smokin Pits BBQ | 9 | 3 | 6 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| BURNIN' SANDS BBQ | 8 | 7 | 1 | 88% | ⚔ compare |
| Damn Yankee Texas Barbeque | 8 | 6 | 2 | 75% | ⚔ compare |
| Three Hog Night Smokers | 8 | 5 | 3 | 63% | ⚔ compare |
| Smoked & Furious | 8 | 4 | 4 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| Compete BBQ Team | 8 | 1 | 7 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 19 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 180 🔥 | 162.2628 | 171.01 | top 43% |
| Pork Ribs | 19 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 178.8572 | 158.8000 | 171.50 | top 37% |
| Pork | 15 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 177.7028 | 151.9544 | 170.03 | top 49% |
| Brisket | 12 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 174.2628 | 162.8344 | 168.97 | top 51% |
“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 31% |
| Medium (20–39) | 14 | 0 | top 46% |
| Large (40+) | 1 | 0 | top 33% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smokin on the Route | 3 | 2 | 0 | top 46% | Jul 26, 2024 |
| Lake Views & BBQ | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 26% | Apr 5, 2024 |
| Smoke on the River | 2 | 2 | 0 | top 54% | Sep 1, 2023 |
| Que' For a Cause | 2 | 13 | 0 | top 69% | Aug 4, 2023 |
| City of Springs BBQ Championship | 2 | 4 | 0 | top 31% | May 12, 2023 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2022
9 contests
Contests a season
4.8
across 4 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
OK
13 of 19 contests · 3 states in all
Contests visited
13
5 of them more than once
Opponents faced
266
finished ahead 324 times, behind 260
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20243 milestones
- First perfect 180 (Chicken) Lake Views & BBQ
- Career-best overall score702.8456 Lake Views & BBQ
- Most recent contest Smokin on the Route
20231 milestone
- Peak power rating (1571) City of Springs BBQ Championship
20226 milestones
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score685.0168 Beats, Brews, & BBQ
- First overall top-10 Bixby BBQ'N Blues Festival
- First category win (Pork Ribs) Smoke on the Plains Derby BBQ & Music Fest
- First overall podium Smoke on the Plains Derby BBQ & Music Fest
- First Reserve Championship Smokin on the Route
- 10th tracked contest Que' For a Cause (BACKYARD) Day 2
20212 milestones
- First tracked contest Que' For a Cause (BACKYARD)
- First call Que' For a Cause (BACKYARD)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +15.5 | Smokin on the Route | Jul 29, 2022 |
| +13 | Lake Views & BBQ | Apr 5, 2024 |
| +12.7 | Smoke on the Plains Derby BBQ & Music Fest | Jun 10, 2022 |
| +10.7 | Bixby BBQ'N Blues Festival | May 6, 2022 |
| +9.8 | City of Springs BBQ Championship | May 20, 2022 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -8.4 | Que' For a Cause | Aug 4, 2023 |
| -7.9 | Smokin on the Route | Jul 28, 2023 |
| -5.8 | Que' For a Cause (BACKYARD) Day 1 | Oct 7, 2022 |
| -4.4 | Smoke on the River | Sep 1, 2023 |
| -3.9 | Que' For a Cause (BACKYARD) | Oct 1, 2021 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 100% | top 32% | 97.6% | 96.5% |
| 2023 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 67% | top 57% | 95.7% | 94.5% |
| 2022 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 89% | top 33% | 95.9% | 94.7% |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 65% | 89.8% | 89.8% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 26, 2024 | Smokin on the Route 🏅 Miami, OK | 13 / 27 (690.7772) | 11 (174.8456) | 13 (173.1316) | 8 (177.7028) | 20 (165.0972) |
| Jun 7, 2024 | Smoke on the Plains BBQ & Music Fest 🏅 Derby, KS | 14 / 43 (690.7768) | 17 (173.1084) | 28 (166.2628) | 10 (177.1428) | 7 (174.2628) |
| Apr 5, 2024 | Lake Views & BBQ 🏅 Wagoner, OK | 3 / 21 (702.8456) | 1 (180) | 2 (178.8572) | 3 (176.5944) | 16 (167.3940) |
| Sep 1, 2023 | Smoke on the River 🏅 Burlington, KS | 15 / 20 (670.2056) | 18 (164.5256) | 6 (174.8572) | 18 (160) | 9 (170.8228) |
| Aug 4, 2023 | Que' For a Cause Tahlequah, OK | 26 / 36 (675.8972) | 21 (170.2744) | 19 (169.6800) | 30 (164.5256) | 21 (171.4172) |
| Jul 28, 2023 | Smokin on the Route 🏅 Miami, OK | 23 / 29 (676.4112) | 7 (173.1200) | 12 (171.9772) | 25 (166.2400) | 24 (165.0740) |
| Jun 9, 2023 | Ozarks BBQ Fest 🏅 Springfield, MO | 16 / 30 (679.8624) | 15 (170.2628) | 13 (171.9656) | 14 (170.8228) | 20 (166.8112) |
| May 12, 2023 | City of Springs BBQ Championship 🏅 Sulphur, OK | 4 / 16 (689.0284) | 5 (173.1200) | 3 (176.5600) | 15 (166.2284) | 3 (173.1200) |
| Mar 31, 2023 | Lake Views & BBQ (formerly Beats, Brew & BBQ) 🏅 Wagoner, OK | 11 / 29 (689.0400) | 25 (166.2400) | 11 (174.2744) | 6 (174.2628) | 6 (174.2628) |
| Oct 8, 2022 | Que' For a Cause (BACKYARD) Day 2 Tahlequah, OK | 9 / 32 (515.3484) | 6 (176.5600) | 16 (169.1200) | 13 (169.6684) | — |
| Oct 7, 2022 | Que' For a Cause (BACKYARD) Day 1 Tahlequah, OK | 20 / 32 (499.8740) | 16 (166.8112) | 30 (158.8000) | 11 (174.2628) | — |
| Sep 16, 2022 | Smoke on the River (BACKYARD ONLY) Burlington, KS | 2 / 6 (342.2400) | 3 (171.4172) | 2 (170.8228) | — | — |
| Sep 9, 2022 | Car-B-Que (BACKYARD ONLY) Belton, MO | 7 / 13 (336.5256) | 12 (162.2628) | 4 (174.2628) | — | — |
| Jul 29, 2022 | Smokin on the Route 🏅 Miami, OK | 2 / 19 (337.6688) | 1 (171.4172) | 4 (166.2516) | — | — |
| Jun 10, 2022 | Smoke on the Plains Derby BBQ & Music Fest 🏅 Derby, KS | 3 / 29 (345.1084) | 7 (169.1084) | 1 (176) | — | — |
| May 20, 2022 | City of Springs BBQ Championship 🏅 Sulphur, OK | 9 / 25 (686.1828) | 9 (171.9772) | 8 (170.8228) | 11 (173.1200) | 10 (170.2628) |
| May 6, 2022 | Bixby BBQ'N Blues Festival 🏅 Bixby, OK | 10 / 38 (687.9200) | 16 (170.8228) | 4 (177.7028) | 5 (176.5600) | 22 (162.8344) |
| Apr 1, 2022 | Beats, Brews, & BBQ 🏅 Wagoner, OK | 11 / 30 (685.0168) | 6 (175.4172) | 8 (171.9656) | 11 (171.4056) | 18 (166.2284) |
| Oct 1, 2021 | Que' For a Cause (BACKYARD) Tahlequah, OK | 13 / 20 (485.0284) | 9 (167.9656) | 9 (165.1084) | 17 (151.9544) | — |