J-3 BBQ

J-3 BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 9 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2015 and 2024. Their best overall finish is 3rd of 36 at the Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition (2022). They are ranked #3746 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “J3 BBQ”.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#3,746

of 6,476 rated · rankings

Rating

1488

peak 1519 · rated over 8 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted

Contests

in the data

First seen

Sep 4, 2015

latest May 17, 2024 · 8.7 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#630

Master 2022 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

0 podiums

Overall top-10s

11% of 9 contests

Avg finish

top 66%

overall standings

Best overall

691.9316 / 720

Master · Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition

Perfect 180s

Current form

658.16 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 657.27 (+0.89)

Walk rate

56%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

177.1544

Brisket · 36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open

Consistency

±14.68

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork Ribs

avg 166.01 · weakest Pork (162.56)

Road miles

1,719

across 9 mapped stops · furthest 1,111 mi

Schedule strength

65%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1582)

Purse competed for

$35K

listed at 4 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 6 state-championship entries

Master avg

657.27 / 720

9 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (8 found in their record)

Each card leads with the number behind the story, straight from their results.

High-water mark

691.9316 career-best overall

96.1% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 691.9316 at Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition — 96.1% of a perfect 720.

Master
Apr 8, 2022

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

Feelin' Swine BBQ has finished one call ahead of J-3 BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2015 their best year

2015 was the year it came together: 3 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 49%.

3 contests
0 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 49%

A tough matchup

6–0 behind in the head-to-head

SMOKIN SKULLIES ahead in 100% of their meetings

SMOKIN SKULLIES has come out ahead in 6 of their 6 shared contests.

A strong matchup

3–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Poke It & Smoke It BBQ in 3 of their 3 shared contests.

The comeback

6.2 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 6.2 years, then back at River Bar Smoke Out (Dec 11, 2021).

last seen Oct 3, 2015
back Dec 11, 2021

Pork Ribs nemesis

6 of 6 shared pork ribs entries lost

MUTTLEY CREW BBQ ahead 100% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, MUTTLEY CREW BBQ has out-cooked them in 6 of 6 shared pork ribs entries.

Show 1 more storyline

The metronome

±2.04% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.04% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 91.3% of a perfect score
9 contests

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	#1024 (98 pts)	#1124 (93 pts)	#1091 (118 pts)	#1077 (98 pts)	#1072 (93 pts)
2023 ↗	Master	#1209 (70 pts)	#945 (145 pts)	#1093 (128 pts)	#1228 (75 pts)	#1249 (70 pts)
2022 ↗	Master	#630 (292 pts)	#811 (207 pts)	#901 (182 pts)	#738 (242 pts)	#757 (232 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to J-3 BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

143 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.

Smoke a little smoke

#3,759 of the rated field

1488 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1488

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to J-3 BBQ)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team J-3 BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 9 contests
last seen Sep 15, 2018

⚔ Head-to-head

SQUIRRELS 2 BBQ

#3,748 of the rated field

1488 power rating

Contests: 25
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 8%
Peak: 1521

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to J-3 BBQ)

They've been 1521 at their best, 33 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 25 contests
last seen Nov 5, 2025

⚔ Head-to-head

Y-We-Q

#3,733 of the rated field

1489 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1513

Careers of much the same size, 8 contests to 9, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 8 contests
last seen Aug 14, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Red & Black BBQ Shack

#3,743 of the rated field

1488 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 22%
Peak: 1488

They turned up 9 years after J-3 BBQ did, first appearing in 2024.

rated over 9 contests
last seen Sep 25, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

RING OF FIRE BBQ

#3,744 of the rated field

1488 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 30%
Peak: 1488

3 straight overall top-10s says this rating is a moving target.

rated over 9 contests
last seen Jan 27, 2023

⚔ Compare careers

SUGAR BABY BBQ

#3,726 of the rated field

1489 power rating

Contests: 9
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1489

Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 5 years before J-3 BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 9 contests

⚔ Compare careers

Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
MUTTLEY CREW BBQ	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
POKE N SMOKE	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN SKULLIES	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
BIG DOG BBQ VA	5	2	3	40%	⚔ compare
Blue Ribbon BBQ NC	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare
REDNECK SCIENTIFIC	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare
SOUTHERN Q COMPETITION COOK TEAM	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare
Optimus Swine	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
Swine 'N' Roses BBQ	5	0	4	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	9	1	172.5716	159.3484	165.75	top 64%
Pork Ribs	9	3	172.5600	153.0972	166.01	top 56%
Pork	9	1	176.5600	155.3484	162.56	top 76%
Brisket	9	1	177.1544	150.2400	162.95	top 59%

“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	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	2	top 89%
Medium (20–39)	4	top 68%
Large (40+)	3	top 49%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
NC	6	top 75%
MO	2	top 56%
TX	1	top 34%

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Kings of Q BBQ Cook-Off and Festival	3	14	0	top 82%	May 17, 2024
Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition	2	3	0	top 52%	Apr 7, 2023

More numbers

Busiest season 2015 3 contests

Contests a season 1.8 across 5 seasons in the data

Most contests held in NC 6 of 9 contests · 3 states in all

Contests visited 6 2 of them more than once

Opponents faced 762 finished ahead 560 times, behind 498

Longest layoff 6.2 yrs Oct 3, 2015 → Dec 11, 2021

Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)

20241 milestone

May 17 Most recent contest Kings of Q BBQ Cook-Off and Festival

20224 milestones

Apr 8 First overall top-10 Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition
Apr 8 First overall podium Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition
Apr 8 Career-best overall score691.9316 Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition
Apr 8 Peak power rating (1519) Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition

20154 milestones

Sep 4 First tracked contest City of Bedford Blues & BBQ Festival
Sep 4 First call City of Bedford Blues & BBQ Festival
Sep 4 First overall past 90% of a perfect score658.1484 City of Bedford Blues & BBQ Festival
Oct 3 Career-best single call (Brisket)177.1544 36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open

Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+15.9	Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition	Apr 8, 2022
+7.6	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open	Oct 3, 2015
+6.5	City of Bedford Blues & BBQ Festival	Sep 4, 2015

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-12.5	Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition	Apr 7, 2023
-11.3	River Bar Smoke Out	Dec 11, 2021
-8.2	Kings of Q BBQ Cook-Off and Festival	May 20, 2022
-5.6	Kings of Q BBQ Cook-Off and Festival	May 19, 2023
-4	Kings of Q BBQ Cook-Off and Festival	May 17, 2024

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	Top-10s	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2024	1	0	100%	top 78%	91.4%	91.4%
2023	2	0	100%	top 90%	90.1%	90%
2022	2	1	50%	top 46%	96.1%	92.8%
2021	1	0	0%	top 100%	88.8%	88.8%
2015	3	0	33%	top 49%	92.3%	91.9%

Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
May 17, 2024	Kings of Q BBQ Cook-Off and Festival 🏅 Ayden, NC	14 / 18 (658.1488)	15 (165.1200)	10 (167.3944)	14 (164.5372)	15 (161.0972)
May 19, 2023	Kings of Q BBQ Cook-Off and Festival 🏅 Ayden, NC	21 / 25 (649.0176)	8 (172.5716)	25 (153.0972)	20 (162.8116)	21 (160.5372)
Apr 7, 2023	Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition 🏅 Stem, NC	27 / 28 (646.6972)	24 (159.3484)	10 (171.9888)	24 (165.1200)	28 (150.2400)
May 20, 2022	Kings of Q BBQ Cook-Off and Festival 🏅 Ayden, NC	27 / 32 (644.9948)	21 (166.8460)	20 (165.1200)	27 (161.0972)	30 (151.9316)
Apr 8, 2022	Jimbo's Annual BBQ Competition 🏅 Stem, NC	3 / 36 (691.9316)	11 (171.9772)	17 (169.1316)	5 (176.5600)	6 (174.2628)
Dec 11, 2021	River Bar Smoke Out 🏅 Goldsboro, NC	17 / 17 (639.2572)	16 (165.6800)	16 (163.3828)	17 (157.0856)	17 (153.1088)
Oct 3, 2015	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open Kansas City, MO	197 / 606 (664.5028)	324 (163.4056)	290 (164)	417 (159.9428)	13 (177.1544)
Oct 2, 2015	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Invitational unrated Kansas City, MO	149 / 187 (662.7200)	167 (161.6684)	106 (167.3944)	164 (160.5372)	46 (173.1200)
Sep 4, 2015	City of Bedford Blues & BBQ Festival Bedford, TX	24 / 70 (658.1484)	31 (165.1200)	4 (172.5600)	57 (155.3484)	19 (165.1200)

An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.

J-3 BBQ

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Purse competed for

State championships

Master avg

Storylines (8 found in their record)

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

A strong matchup

The comeback

Pork Ribs nemesis

The metronome

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)

By meat

By field size and state

By contest size

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

More numbers

Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)

Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)

📈 Biggest rating jumps

📉 Toughest weekends

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

Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)