Riding a hot streak
12
straight overall top-10s
Currently on a 12-contest overall top-10 run.
- career best 12
Justice BBQ
Justice BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 49 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2018 and 2026. They have won 7 Grand Championships, most recently at the BBQ Fest Market Plaza (2026), and finished Reserve Grand Champion 7 times. They are ranked #337 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1715
peak 1715 · rated over 37 contests7 invitational or side-series contests not counted
Contests
49
in the data
First seen
Apr 7, 2018
latest Sep 18, 2026 · 8.4 years on the trail
Grand champs
7
7 reserve · wins it all 14% of the time
Category wins
16
38 podiums
Overall top-10s
27
55% of 49 contests
Best top-10 run
12
straight overall top-10s, still running · 2 straight GCs
Avg finish
top 33%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
4 🔥
Current form
689.33 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 674.91 (+14.41)
Walk rate
71%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±16.80
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
avg 170.43 · weakest Brisket (167.20)
Road miles
74,255
across 49 mapped stops · furthest 5,046 mi
Schedule strength
34%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1545)
Purse competed for
$443K
listed at 15 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 13 state-championship entries
Master (1-meat) avg
177.71 / 180
1 Master (1-meat) contest · 1 GC
Master avg
674.91 / 720
43 Master contests · 6 GCs
These overall scores sit on different scales (Master (1-meat) out of 180, Master out of 720), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.
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 ↗ | Master | #7 (2,431 pts) | #24 (1,952 pts) | #14 (2,081 pts) | #15 (2,100 pts) | #18 (1,950 pts) |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | #133 (1,401 pts) | #133 (1,428 pts) | #106 (1,649 pts) | #120 (1,421 pts) | #135 (1,331 pts) |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #328 (659 pts) | #352 (659 pts) | #557 (399 pts) | #359 (609 pts) | #357 (634 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | #343 (614 pts) | #455 (484 pts) | #428 (569 pts) | #423 (499 pts) | #411 (494 pts) |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #320 (719 pts) | #623 (318 pts) | #354 (724 pts) | #479 (468 pts) | #474 (483 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #592 (272 pts) | #615 (272 pts) | #911 (152 pts) | #952 (122 pts) | #625 (272 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #1955 (60 pts) | #2013 (65 pts) | #2026 (60 pts) | #2029 (60 pts) | #2010 (60 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Justice BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.
#336 of the rated field
- Contests
- 64
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 44%
- Peak
- 1739
1–5 in 6 shared contests (17% to Justice BBQ)
These two have cooked 6 of the same contests — REDMULE'S BBQ ahead 5–1 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.
⚔ Head-to-head#338 of the rated field
- Contests
- 42
- GCs
- 3
- Top-10s
- 62%
- Peak
- 1731
Their last contest in the data was back in 2017, 9 years before Justice BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#340 of the rated field
- Contests
- 57
- GCs
- 3
- Top-10s
- 42%
- Peak
- 1730
1–7 in 8 shared contests (13% to Justice BBQ)
Careers of much the same size, 57 contests to 49, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Head-to-head#339 of the rated field
- Contests
- 108
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 40%
- Peak
- 1761
3–6 in 9 shared contests (33% to Justice BBQ)
They've been 1761 at their best, 47 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Head-to-head#334 of the rated field
- Contests
- 157
- GCs
- 6
- Top-10s
- 43%
- Peak
- 1803
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to Justice BBQ)
Their rating is built on 6 Grand Championships in 157 contests, alongside a 43% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Head-to-head#330 of the rated field
- Contests
- 51
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 57%
- Peak
- 1716
Level with Justice 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 88 BBQ | 15 | 13 | 2 | 87% | ⚔ compare |
| GETTIN' BASTED | 15 | 2 | 13 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | 14 | 4 | 10 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| MAN MEAT BBQ | 13 | 4 | 9 | 31% | ⚔ compare |
| SLAPS BBQ | 13 | 1 | 12 | 8% | ⚔ compare |
| JANKY LEG BBQ | 13 | 0 | 13 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| TRIPLE H BBQ | 13 | 0 | 13 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ | 12 | 4 | 8 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| LOCAL YOKELS BBQ | 12 | 3 | 9 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | 12 | 2 | 10 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| Heavy Smoke BBQ | 12 | 1 | 11 | 8% | ⚔ compare |
| Fergolicious BBQ | 12 | 1 | 11 | 8% | ⚔ compare |
| LC BBQ | 12 | 0 | 12 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Club Carbon CR | 11 | 7 | 4 | 64% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ | 11 | 4 | 7 | 36% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 46 | 24 | 4 | 9 | 180 🔥 | 152.5140 | 168.47 | top 44% |
| Pork Ribs | 46 | 28 | 6 | 11 | 177.7144 | 160.5372 | 170.43 | top 36% |
| Pork | 43 | 21 | 4 | 9 | 180 🔥 | 157.6456 | 169.06 | top 43% |
| Brisket | 43 | 23 | 2 | 9 | 178.8572 | 151.3828 | 167.20 | top 38% |
“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) | 16 | 4 | top 20% |
| Medium (20–39) | 13 | 3 | top 26% |
| Large (40+) | 15 | 0 | top 54% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | 3 | 214 | 0 | top 59% | Sep 27, 2023 |
| BBQ Fest Panama | 2 | 1 | 1 | top 7% | Mar 21, 2026 |
| Panama BBQ Fest | 2 | 1 | 1 | top 10% | Mar 2, 2024 |
| Pz al Carbon, Festival BBQ 2026 | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 24% | Jun 26, 2026 |
| American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | 2 | 110 | 0 | top 43% | Nov 5, 2025 |
| American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest | 2 | 71 | 0 | top 47% | Nov 5, 2025 |
| Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (Competitor's Series) (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) | 2 | 12 | 0 | top 35% | Oct 11, 2024 |
| BBQ Fest Costa Rica 2023 | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 15% | Apr 15, 2023 |
| American Royal World Series of Barbecue - INVITATIONAL CONTEST | 2 | 178 | 0 | top 91% | Sep 29, 2022 |
| Big Bear Grill & Chill BBQ Championships (Day 2) | 2 | 16 | 0 | top 70% | May 28, 2022 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2026
15 contests · 3 GCs
Contests a season
6.1
across 8 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
KS
10 of 49 contests · 14 states in all
Contests visited
33
10 of them more than once
First title
Apr 23, 2021
Fuego y Humo 2021
Opponents faced
1,484
finished ahead 1,966 times, behind 2,114
Longest layoff
1.7 yrs
Aug 23, 2019 → Apr 23, 2021
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20265 milestones
- 10th category win BBQ Fest Costa Rica
- 5th Grand Championship Jaco Beach BBQ Challenge
- Career-best overall score706.8344 Camino del Fuego 2026
- Peak power rating (1715) Camino del Fuego 2026
- Most recent contest Camino del Fuego 2026
20252 milestones
- 25th tracked contest Best in the Southwest
- First Reserve Championship Masters BBQ Challenge CR
20241 milestone
- First perfect 180 (Chicken) The War of Barbeque
20221 milestone
- 10th tracked contest American Royal World Series of Barbecue - INVITATIONAL CONTEST
20214 milestones
- First category win (Chicken) Fuego y Humo 2021
- First overall podium Fuego y Humo 2021
- First Grand Championship Fuego y Humo 2021
- First multi-meat day Fuego y Humo 2021
20191 milestone
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score662.2288 East Central State BBQ Cook-Off, Paola Roots Festival
20183 milestones
- First tracked contest Circuito Parrillero by BBQ Fest Etapo 1 2018
- First call Circuito Parrillero by BBQ Fest Etapo 1 2018
- First overall top-10 Circuito Parrillero by BBQ Fest Etapo 1 2018
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +15.6 | Fuego y Humo 2021 | Apr 23, 2021 |
| +15.4 | 2nd Annual Oscar Bothwell Memorial Scholarship Rib Rally (One Meat Ribs) | Oct 7, 2022 |
| +14.3 | The War of Barbeque | Jun 15, 2024 |
| +13.1 | BBQ Fest Costa Rica 2022 | Mar 25, 2022 |
| +13 | Panama BBQ Fest | Mar 2, 2024 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -9.1 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST | Sep 16, 2021 |
| -6 | Big Bear Grill & Chill BBQ Championships (Day 2) | May 28, 2022 |
| -5.5 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | Nov 5, 2025 |
| -3.6 | Muehlviertler BBQ Festival | May 17, 2025 |
| -2.1 | Big Bear Grill & Chill BBQ Championships (Day 1) | May 27, 2022 |
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 | 15 | 3 | 12 | 7 | 100% | top 12% | 98.2% | 95.3% |
| 2025 | 12 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 83% | top 38% | 96.6% | 93.6% |
| 2024 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 40% | top 18% | 97.8% | 95.4% |
| 2023 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 75% | top 26% | 94.4% | 93.3% |
| 2022 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 43% | top 52% | 98.7% | 93.6% |
| 2021 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 25% | top 69% | 95.1% | 91.1% |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 52% | 92% | 92% |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 38% | 88.6% | 88.6% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 18, 2026 | Camino del Fuego 2026 San Rafael, Alajuela, Costa Rica | 2 / 16 (706.8344) | 5 (178.2972) | 3 (177.7144) | 13 (171.9656) | 2 (178.8572) |
| Sep 18, 2026 | Camino del Fuego 2026 (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) San Rafael, Alajuela, Costa Rica | — | 8 (166.8456) | — | — | — |
| Jul 24, 2026 | ECP BBQ Challenge San Jose | 2 / 17 (699.9428) | 6 (173.7028) | 6 (175.4172) | 5 (175.4056) | 2 (175.4172) |
| Jul 12, 2026 | BBQ Fest Market Plaza La Chorrera, PO | 1 / 13 (676.5712) | 2 (165.1428) | 1 (177.1428) | 4 (168.5828) | 3 (165.7028) |
| Jun 26, 2026 | Pz al Carbon, Festival BBQ 2026 Perez Zeldon, SJ | 3 / 19 (684) | 4 (173.7144) | 3 (177.1544) | 16 (167.4400) | 12 (165.6912) |
| May 23, 2026 | BBQ Knife Clash Romano Di Lombardia, GG | 2 / 10 (679.2912) | 5 (171.9656) | 4 (168.5372) | 6 (169.6684) | 2 (169.1200) |
| May 23, 2026 | BBQ Knife Clash (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Romano Di Lombardia, GG | — | 5 (165.7256) | — | — | — |
| May 23, 2026 | BBQ Knife Clash (ONE MEAT RIBS) Romano Di Lombardia, GG | — | — | 5 (169.1200) | — | — |
| May 15, 2026 | Twin Smoke Vilnius, Lithuania | 5 / 23 (680.4684) | 3 (177.1428) | 7 (170.8456) | 9 (166.2400) | 5 (166.2400) |
| May 1, 2026 | BBQ Fest Parque Tempisque Guanacaste | 2 / 14 (693.1200) | 1 (176.0228) | 8 (166.8344) | 1 (180) | 5 (170.2628) |
| Apr 3, 2026 | Iowa State BBQ Championship 🏅 Altoona, IA | 4 / 42 (694.8000) | 18 (172) | 8 (174.2628) | 4 (176.5600) | 8 (171.9772) |
| Mar 21, 2026 | BBQ Fest Panama Panama, Pa | 1 / 23 (667.9084) | 3 (170.2628) | 1 (174.2628) | 1 (172) | 11 (151.3828) |
| Mar 6, 2026 | Jaco Beach BBQ Challenge Play Jaco | 1 / 16 (700.0456) | 5 (171.4628) | 5 (174.8800) | 1 (180) | 5 (173.7028) |
| Feb 21, 2026 | BBQ Fest Costa Rica Alajuela | 2 / 18 (680.4912) | 11 (164.5256) | 1 (177.7028) | 4 (169.7028) | 2 (168.5600) |
| Jan 24, 2026 | Chiriqui Grill Fest Internacional Chiriqui | 4 / 31 (668.4912) | 9 (167.4056) | 6 (171.4172) | 2 (175.4056) | 16 (154.2628) |
| Nov 5, 2025 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 244 / 401 (671.8740) | 293 (165.1544) | 224 (168.5256) | 201 (169.6800) | 195 (168.5140) |
| Nov 5, 2025 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest unrated Kansas City, KS | 83 / 158 (686.1940) | 92 (171.4056) | 32 (175.4172) | 123 (167.3828) | 50 (171.9884) |
| Sep 19, 2025 | Murphysboro BBQ Cook-off/Praise the Lard 🏅 Murphysboro, IL | 20 / 56 (695.3484) | 2 (180) | 44 (167.3828) | 12 (176.5600) | 32 (171.4056) |
| Jun 27, 2025 | Pz al Carbon, Festival BBQ 2025 Perez Zeldon, SJ | 5 / 16 (677.0168) | 5 (166.2628) | 1 (176.5600) | 7 (169.6684) | 7 (164.5256) |
| May 24, 2025 | Het Belgisch Barbecue Weekend 6the Edition Boom | 5 / 20 (681.6456) | 11 (169.7028) | 6 (171.4056) | 7 (169.6800) | 5 (170.8572) |
| May 23, 2025 | Het Belgisch Barbecue Weekend 5the Edition Boom | 7 / 16 (647.8628) | 12 (160.5600) | 9 (160.5372) | 13 (157.6456) | 4 (169.1200) |
| May 17, 2025 | Muehlviertler BBQ Festival Freistadt | 8 / 15 (667.9084) | 11 (162.2856) | 3 (173.1200) | 11 (160.5028) | 4 (172) |
| Apr 26, 2025 | BBQ Fest Panama Panama, Pa | 2 / 23 (654.2280) | 9 (158.8340) | 4 (164.5600) | 3 (168.5712) | 4 (162.2628) |
| Mar 14, 2025 | Masters BBQ Challenge CR San Jose | 2 / 17 (677.1428) | 6 (168) | 2 (174.3088) | 1 (174.2856) | 7 (160.5484) |
| Feb 21, 2025 | Best in the Southwest 🏅 Yuma, AZ | 18 / 29 (677.6000) | 14 (170.8572) | 25 (163.9428) | 5 (173.1200) | 14 (169.6800) |
| Jan 24, 2025 | Jaco Beach BBQ Challenge (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Play Jaco | — | 3 (172.5600) | — | — | — |
| Jan 24, 2025 | Jaco Beach BBQ Challenge (ONE MEAT RIBS) Play Jaco | — | — | 1 (175.4400) | — | — |
| Oct 30, 2024 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 110 / 444 (686.2628) | 194 (170.3200) | 44 (176) | 217 (169.1084) | 128 (170.8344) |
| Oct 30, 2024 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest unrated Kansas City, KS | 71 / 169 (686.7312) | 117 (169.6684) | 66 (173.1200) | 54 (173.1200) | 84 (170.8228) |
| Oct 11, 2024 | Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (Competitor's Series) (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) unrated Lynchburg, TN | 12 / 87 (693.0396) | 31 (171.9656) | 44 (171.4056) | 13 (175.4056) | 15 (174.2628) |
| Jun 15, 2024 | The War of Barbeque Peschiera del Garda | 1 / 17 (703.9888) | 1 (180) | 10 (168.5716) | 2 (177.7028) | 1 (177.7144) |
| Mar 2, 2024 | Panama BBQ Fest Panama City | 1 / 22 (665.0740) | 1 (174.2628) | 6 (161.1428) | 2 (166.2628) | 2 (163.4056) |
| Sep 27, 2023 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 214 / 487 (675.9428) | 52 (176.5600) | 238 (169.1200) | 291 (166.2628) | 308 (164) |
| Jun 16, 2023 | York County BBQ Festival 🏅 Delta, PA | 7 / 29 (679.9088) | 7 (174.2744) | 14 (166.2400) | 11 (170.8344) | 9 (168.5600) |
| Apr 15, 2023 | BBQ Fest Costa Rica 2023 San Jose | 5 / 26 (671.4288) | 10 (168.0116) | 7 (170.8344) | 11 (169.1428) | 10 (163.4400) |
| Jan 28, 2023 | Panama BBQ Fest Panama City | 3 / 19 (658.7428) | 8 (162.2516) | 2 (169.6800) | 4 (166.8228) | 5 (159.9884) |
| Oct 14, 2022 | Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (Competitor's Series) (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) unrated Lynchburg, TN | 46 / 83 (673.6456) | 64 (164.5716) | 34 (171.9772) | 68 (163.9540) | 17 (173.1428) |
| Oct 7, 2022 | 2nd Annual Oscar Bothwell Memorial Scholarship Rib Rally (One Meat Ribs) Oneonta, AL | 1 / 6 (177.7144) | — | 1 (177.7144) | — | — |
| Sep 29, 2022 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 288 / 505 (662.7772) | 172 (170.2744) | 375 (162.2744) | 324 (163.9656) | 230 (166.2628) |
| Sep 29, 2022 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - INVITATIONAL CONTEST unrated Kansas City, KS | 216 / 249 (665.5656) | 176 (168.5372) | 114 (171.4056) | 215 (164.5372) | 227 (161.0856) |
| May 28, 2022 | Big Bear Grill & Chill BBQ Championships (Day 2) 🏅 Big Bear Lake, CA | 19 / 25 (655.2916) | 21 (161.6800) | 18 (163.3944) | 18 (163.9428) | 16 (166.2744) |
| May 27, 2022 | Big Bear Grill & Chill BBQ Championships (Day 1) 🏅 Big Bear Lake, CA | 16 / 25 (663.3372) | 22 (153.7144) | 11 (170.8344) | 21 (163.3828) | 3 (175.4056) |
| Mar 25, 2022 | BBQ Fest Costa Rica 2022 San Jose | 3 / 28 (687.9656) | 11 (165.6800) | 4 (175.4056) | 2 (178.2972) | 15 (168.5828) |
| Nov 13, 2021 | 3rd Annual KCBS World Invitational - Master Invitational unrated Shawnee, OK | 91 / 92 (649.5312) | 91 (162.2400) | 77 (167.3828) | 87 (160.5256) | 89 (159.3828) |
| Sep 16, 2021 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 362 / 467 (636.3996) | 416 (152.5140) | 176 (168.5372) | 352 (158.2172) | 339 (157.1312) |
| Sep 16, 2021 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue-INVITATIONAL CONTEST 🏅 unrated Kansas City, KS | 178 / 185 (652.4108) | 168 (162.2512) | 148 (165.1084) | 109 (169.1428) | 179 (155.9084) |
| Apr 23, 2021 | Fuego y Humo 2021 San Jose | 1 / 22 (684.5944) | 1 (174.8916) | 7 (165.6800) | 10 (166.2856) | 1 (177.7372) |
| Aug 23, 2019 | East Central State BBQ Cook-Off, Paola Roots Festival 🏅 Paola, KS | 34 / 66 (662.2288) | 24 (169.1200) | 36 (164.0228) | 42 (162.2516) | 26 (166.8344) |
| Apr 7, 2018 | Circuito Parrillero by BBQ Fest Etapo 1 2018 San Jose | 6 / 16 (637.6116) | 9 (157.1316) | 4 (163.3828) | 5 (160.5600) | 8 (156.5372) |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.