Grillin' Thyme

At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)

Power ranking

#4543

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1472

peak 1472 · rated over 37 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2014-06-20

latest 2024-05-17

Best ToY finish

#606

Master 2017

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

3 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 37 contests

Avg finish

top 67%

overall standings

Best overall

673.0968 / 720

Master · Kings of Q BBQ cook off and Festival

Perfect 180s

Current form

646.57

last 5 Master vs avg 646.58 (-0.01)

Walk rate

41%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

176.5600

Chicken · *Currituck Heritage Festival

Consistency

±14.07

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 162.44 · weakest Brisket (160.83)

Road miles

5,363

mi across 37 mapped stops · furthest 230 mi

Schedule strength

59%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1575)

Purse competed for

$30K

listed at 3 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 3 state-championship entries

Master avg

646.58 / 720

37 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (11 found in this team's record)

Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.

High-water mark

673.0968 career-best overall

93.5% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 673.0968 at Kings of Q BBQ cook off and Festival — 93.5% of a perfect 720.

Master
2018-05-18

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

ARMED AND HAMMERED BBQ has finished one call ahead of Grillin' Thyme 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

28–1 behind in the head-to-head

MUTTLEY CREW BBQ ahead in 97% of their meetings

MUTTLEY CREW BBQ has come out ahead in 28 of their 29 shared contests.

A strong matchup

8–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 89% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of COASTAL SMOKE in 8 of their 9 shared contests.

The comeback

3 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 3 years, then back at Kings of Q BBQ Cook-Off and Festival (2022-05-20).

last seen 2019-05-17
back 2022-05-20

Pork nemesis

24 of 26 shared pork entries lost

REDNECK SCIENTIFIC ahead 92% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, REDNECK SCIENTIFIC has out-cooked them in 24 of 26 shared pork entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

Pappy's Legacy BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A May team

Top 58% average finish in May

Something about May: average finish in the top 58% across 8 contests, versus top 67% the rest of the year.

8 May contests
top 67% the rest of the year

The long haul

5,363 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 5,363 miles across 37 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 230 miles to WNC BBQ Festival.

37 mapped stops
furthest 230 mi

The metronome

±1.95% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.95% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 89.8% of a perfect score
37 contests

A standing appointment

4 years running at one contest

They've cooked Kings of Q BBQ Cook-Off and Festival every year from 2016 to 2019 — the contest they never miss.

6 visits in all
best finish 9th

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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.

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

TAR RIVER BBQ

#4531 of the rated field

1472 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1472

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to Grillin' Thyme)

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

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2016-04-29

⚔ Head-to-head

MESS-IN-A ROUND BBQ

#4528 of the rated field

1472 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 23
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 4%
Peak: 1472

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 22 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 22 contests
last seen 2026-03-20

⚔ Head-to-head

Lucky Q BBQ

#4559 of the rated field

1471 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 17
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 18%
Peak: 1513

No shared contest yet.

Fewer contests behind them than Grillin' Thyme has cooked, 17 to 37, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 17 contests
last seen 2026-07-24

⚔ Head-to-head

OLD SCHOOL BBQ ARIZONA

#4547 of the rated field

1472 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 17
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 6%
Peak: 1472

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 17 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

The Meat Rubbers BBQ

#4538 of the rated field

1472 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 16
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 13%
Peak: 1472

No shared contest yet.

16 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 13% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 16 contests
last seen 2023-07-20

⚔ Head-to-head

Can't Beat Our Meat

#4532 of the rated field

1472 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 7%
Peak: 1518

No shared contest yet.

Level with Grillin' Thyme on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 15 contests
last seen 2026-06-26

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
MUTTLEY CREW BBQ	29	1	28	3%	⚔ compare
REDNECK SCIENTIFIC	26	0	26	0%	⚔ compare
HOLY SMOKE BBQ-NC	22	9	13	41%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN SKULLIES	21	2	19	10%	⚔ compare
THE SMOKEHOUSE MAFIA	21	1	20	5%	⚔ compare
SAUCED! BBQ TEAM	20	1	19	5%	⚔ compare
WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ	19	0	19	0%	⚔ compare
OLD COLONY SMOKEHOUSE	17	3	14	18%	⚔ compare
K & D SMOKERS	17	1	16	6%	⚔ compare
CAROLINA SMOKE	16	10	6	63%	⚔ compare
FIRED UP SMOKERS	16	3	13	19%	⚔ compare
FatHeads bbq	15	4	11	27%	⚔ compare
HICKORY BARBEQUE COMPANY	14	2	12	14%	⚔ compare
WHO CARES BBQ	14	1	13	7%	⚔ compare
OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE	14	0	14	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	37	3	1	1	176.5600	147.9084	161.13	top 69%
Pork Ribs	37	8	0	0	174.8916	147.4056	162.19	top 56%
Pork	37	6	0	1	175.4056	149.1084	162.44	top 58%
Brisket	37	4	0	1	173.1200	142.2400	160.83	top 60%

“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 state / province

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
NC	30	0	top 65%
VA	7	0	top 72%

By contest size

Field	Contests	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	2	top 69%
Medium (20–39)	17	top 65%
Large (40+)	18	top 68%

Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Kings of Q BBQ Cook-Off and Festival	6	9	top 56%	2024-05-17
Pigs & Pedals	4	23	top 68%	2018-08-03
*Currituck Heritage Festival	3	8	top 61%	2018-11-02
WNC BBQ Festival(Smokin in the Valley)	3	26	top 63%	2017-07-21
Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down	2	21	top 53%	2018-10-12
*Beak Week BBQ Challenge	2	20	top 58%	2017-09-08
Uptown Lexington BBQ Capital Cook Off	2	23	top 65%	2017-04-28

The story so far (17 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 9.9 yrs 2014-06-20 → 2024-05-17

Busiest season 2017 8 contests

Contests a season 4.6 across 8 seasons in the data

Cooks most in NC 30 of 37 contests · 2 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 22 7 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 37 entries · 1 win · 3 calls

Strongest meat Pork averages 162.44 · weakest Brisket (160.83)

Walk rate 41% a top-10 call in 15 of 37 contests

Overall top-10 rate 8% 3 of 37 contests

Master average 646.58 out of 720 · 37 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 540 513–984 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 5,363 37 mapped stops · furthest 230 mi

Schedule strength 1575 average field rating faced — tougher than 59% of rated contests

Purse competed for $30,000 listed at 3 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 3 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 3 yrs 2019-05-17 → 2022-05-20

Power rating 1472 peak 1472 · #4543 of 6,413 rated

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

2014
Jun 20 First tracked contest Peak City Pig Fest
Oct 10 First call Eastern Carolina BBQ ThrowDown
2015
Jul 24 First overall past 90% of a perfect score653.5996 WNC BBQ Festival
Sep 11 10th tracked contest Beak Week BBQ Challenge
2016
Sep 16 First overall top-10 *Currituck Heritage Festival
2017
Sep 8 25th tracked contest *Beak Week BBQ Challenge
2018
May 18 Career-best overall score673.0968 Kings of Q BBQ cook off and Festival
Nov 2 First category win (Chicken) *Currituck Heritage Festival
Nov 2 Career-best single call (Chicken)176.5600 *Currituck Heritage Festival
2019
May 17 Peak power rating (1487) Kings of Q BBQ Cook-off and Festival
2024
May 17 Most recent contest Kings of Q BBQ Cook-Off and Festival

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+12.6	Kings of Q BBQ cook off and Festival	2017-05-19
+12.1	Kings of Q BBQ cook off and Festival	2018-05-18
+6.9	Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down	2017-10-13
+6.7	*Currituck Heritage Festival	2016-09-16
+6.4	BBQ Jamboree	2016-05-13

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-14.5	Peak City Pig Fest	2014-06-20
-9.5	Bib's Camel City Cookoff (formerly Jammin' Pig)	2015-04-10
-8.2	Smoke on the Mountain - VA State BBQ Championship	2015-07-17
-8	Kings of Q BBQ Cook-Off and Festival	2022-05-20
-7.8	Eastern Carolina BBQ ThrowDown	2014-10-10

Category scores over time

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Team of the Year rank by season

Season by season

Season	Contests	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2024	1	0	0	0%	top 89%	89.7%	89.7%
2022	1	0	0	0%	top 88%	89.4%	89.4%
2019	1	0	0	0%	top 61%	90.5%	90.5%
2018	7	1	1	43%	top 64%	93.5%	90%
2017	8	1	0	75%	top 58%	92.2%	90.9%
2016	7	1	0	57%	top 60%	93.2%	90.7%
2015	8	0	0	13%	top 71%	91%	89.6%
2014	4	0	0	25%	top 82%	87.8%	86.2%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2024-05-17	Kings of Q BBQ Cook-Off and Festival 🏅 Ayden, NC	16 / 18 (645.5204)	13 (166.2516)	17 (159.9428)	17 (155.9316)	13 (163.3944)
2022-05-20	Kings of Q BBQ Cook-Off and Festival 🏅 Ayden, NC	28 / 32 (643.7940)	28 (160.5484)	28 (155.3484)	26 (162.8000)	16 (165.0972)
2019-05-17	Kings of Q BBQ Cook-off and Festival 🏅 Ayden, NC	22 / 36 (651.2796)	19 (167.4284)	24 (160.5372)	30 (159.9428)	20 (163.3712)
2018-11-02	*Currituck Heritage Festival Currituck, NC	15 / 25 (655.8284)	1 (176.5600)	17 (157.6572)	22 (157.0628)	13 (164.5484)
2018-10-12	Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down Rocky Mount, NC	25 / 39 (636.4112)	22 (159.9656)	23 (156.5372)	34 (151.9084)	10 (168.0000)
2018-09-28	Smithfield BBQ Classic Richmond, VA	26 / 41 (650.1372)	18 (166.2744)	21 (164.5600)	39 (153.0628)	12 (166.2400)
2018-08-03	Pigs & Pedals Asheboro, NC	35 / 48 (646.1368)	25 (165.1544)	35 (157.6456)	32 (161.1084)	30 (162.2284)
2018-05-18	Kings of Q BBQ cook off and Festival Ayden, NC	10 / 38 (673.0968)	24 (165.7028)	5 (173.7372)	11 (169.1084)	19 (164.5484)
2018-05-04	Jiggy With the Piggy Kannapolis, NC	57 / 70 (641.5772)	42 (167.4400)	54 (156.5488)	63 (155.3600)	51 (162.2284)
2018-03-23	BBQ Gives Back Urbanna, VA	59 / 75 (632.8912)	66 (155.3712)	54 (157.0744)	47 (159.9544)	46 (160.4912)
2017-10-13	Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down Rocky Mount, NC	21 / 50 (662.7312)	16 (170.8456)	8 (170.8456)	29 (161.0972)	34 (159.9428)
2017-09-15	*Currituck Heritage Festival Powells Point, NC	18 / 25 (648.4572)	20 (159.4056)	6 (169.1316)	16 (162.8228)	19 (157.0972)
2017-09-08	*Beak Week BBQ Challenge Goldsboro, NC	20 / 39 (663.9088)	24 (165.6800)	4 (172.5600)	21 (162.2516)	25 (163.4172)
2017-08-04	*Pigs & Pedals Asheboro, NC	25 / 46 (641.0508)	42 (148.5484)	26 (158.2512)	19 (164.5484)	11 (169.7028)
2017-07-21	WNC BBQ Festival(Smokin in the Valley) Maggie Valley, NC	34 / 47 (661.4852)	27 (168.5256)	19 (171.9656)	26 (167.3712)	41 (153.6228)
2017-06-23	*Covington Cork & Pork Festival Covington, VA	28 / 32 (636.4224)	26 (159.3940)	27 (155.9656)	5 (168.5600)	27 (152.5028)
2017-05-19	Kings of Q BBQ cook off and Festival Ayden, NC	9 / 36 (661.5996)	10 (167.9656)	5 (170.8228)	18 (161.1428)	17 (161.6684)
2017-04-28	Uptown Lexington BBQ Capital Cook Off Lexington, NC	23 / 38 (657.5884)	33 (156.5256)	13 (168.5716)	27 (159.3712)	3 (173.1200)
2016-09-16	*Currituck Heritage Festival Powells Point, NC	8 / 16 (652.6060)	7 (164.0228)	6 (164.5600)	8 (160.0116)	5 (164.0116)
2016-08-05	Pigs & Pedals Asheboro, NC	34 / 47 (642.1488)	21 (168.0000)	32 (158.8228)	29 (161.1088)	37 (154.2172)
2016-07-22	WNC BBQ Festival- Maggie Valley, NC	26 / 49 (671.3600)	43 (161.0856)	6 (174.8916)	28 (166.2400)	25 (169.1428)
2016-06-03	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Asheville, NC	23 / 27 (653.5660)	26 (157.6800)	25 (161.6572)	13 (166.8344)	16 (167.3944)
2016-05-20	Kings of Q BBQ cook off and Festival Ayden, NC	15 / 30 (653.6688)	24 (159.9888)	23 (159.4056)	10 (166.2628)	7 (168.0116)
2016-05-13	BBQ Jamboree Fredericksburg, VA	31 / 72 (646.1712)	53 (156.5484)	21 (165.6800)	36 (161.7028)	28 (162.2400)
2016-04-22	Uptown Lexington BBQ Capital Cook Off Lexington, NC	37 / 54 (654.1600)	36 (164.5372)	49 (154.2744)	7 (175.4056)	40 (159.9428)
2015-10-09	Eastern Carolina BBQ ThrowDown Rocky Mount, NC	32 / 49 (642.7312)	38 (157.0856)	23 (164.5600)	32 (159.4056)	21 (161.6800)
2015-09-18	Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally and BBQ Classic Salisbury, NC	38 / 59 (655.3944)	49 (159.4172)	33 (162.8572)	19 (170.2628)	39 (162.8572)
2015-09-11	Beak Week BBQ Challenge Goldsboro, NC	21 / 32 (651.4168)	28 (151.9884)	8 (165.7372)	4 (174.2856)	21 (159.4056)
2015-08-07	Black Dog Music and Que Festival Floyd, VA	18 / 27 (652.4572)	20 (162.8228)	16 (163.9656)	11 (169.1428)	21 (156.5260)
2015-07-24	WNC BBQ Festival Maggie Valley, NC	31 / 49 (653.5996)	43 (158.2284)	13 (169.1428)	11 (171.4284)	40 (154.8000)
2015-07-17	Smoke on the Mountain - VA State BBQ Championship Galax, VA	26 / 29 (634.1144)	29 (147.9084)	12 (166.8344)	25 (158.8344)	19 (160.5372)
2015-06-19	Peak City Pigfest Apex, NC	27 / 45 (646.7656)	31 (161.0740)	14 (166.8572)	29 (162.8916)	35 (155.9428)
2015-04-10	Bib's Camel City Cookoff (formerly Jammin' Pig) Winston-Salem, NC	46 / 51 (622.1368)	46 (156.5372)	49 (149.1428)	41 (158.1940)	33 (158.2628)
2014-10-10	Eastern Carolina BBQ ThrowDown Rocky Mount, NC	44 / 53 (618.2512)	48 (149.1084)	43 (153.7372)	3 (173.1656)	49 (142.2400)
2014-08-01	Pigs & Pedals Asheboro, NC	23 / 32 (624.4456)	15 (166.8456)	26 (153.0972)	29 (149.1084)	22 (155.3944)
2014-07-18	Smoke on the Mountain - VA State BBQ Championship Galax, VA	23 / 30 (632.4228)	29 (150.2400)	21 (160.5256)	18 (162.2744)	22 (159.3828)
2014-06-20	Peak City Pig Fest Apex, NC	47 / 48 (606.1136)	32 (161.0972)	45 (147.4056)	45 (150.2512)	44 (147.3596)

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

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

Year	Series	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2019 ↗	Master	#1849 (75 pts)	#1856 (90 pts)	#1996 (65 pts)	#2029 (60 pts)	#1836 (85 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#636 (535 pts)	#539 (690 pts)	#603 (605 pts)	#728 (495 pts)	#568 (640 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#606 (642 pts)	#651 (617 pts)	#358 (1042 pts)	#545 (722 pts)	#504 (782 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#701 (543 pts)	#763 (518 pts)	#630 (648 pts)	#563 (723 pts)	#604 (663 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#695 (518 pts)	#757 (488 pts)	#488 (793 pts)	#495 (783 pts)	#674 (553 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#1082 (280 pts)	#1076 (310 pts)	#1142 (280 pts)	#792 (470 pts)	#1101 (290 pts)