BLUE ISLAND BBQ

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

Power ranking

#1946

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1540

peak 1540 · rated over 10 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2015-07-25

latest 2023-09-27

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

2 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 12 contests

Avg finish

top 48%

overall standings

Best overall

696.5712 / 720

Master · American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest

Perfect 180s

Current form

677.89 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 662.97 (+14.92)

Walk rate

50%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

176.0000

Brisket · Rockin' BBQ - Day 2

Consistency

±19.21

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork Ribs

avg 167.79 · weakest Brisket (160.94)

Road miles

1,946

mi across 12 mapped stops · furthest 386 mi

Schedule strength

64%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1580)

Purse competed for

$90K

listed at 3 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 4 state-championship entries

Master avg

662.97 / 720

10 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (6 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

696.5712 career-best overall

96.7% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 696.5712 at American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest — 96.7% of a perfect 720.

Master
2023-09-27

A tough matchup

6–0 behind in the head-to-head

BIG "E" BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

BIG "E" BBQ has come out ahead in 6 of their 6 shared contests.

The weak link

−6.9 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 6.85 points below their pork ribs, and turns into a call 20% of the time against 27%.

Brisket avg 160.94
Pork Ribs avg 167.79
2 calls in 10 entries

A strong matchup

3–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of 3 BRATS AND A COCKTAIL WEENIE in 3 of their 3 shared contests.

The comeback

3.7 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 3.7 years, then back at Rockin' BBQ - Day 1 (2021-05-14).

last seen 2017-09-01
back 2021-05-14

Pork Ribs nemesis

5 of 6 shared pork ribs entries lost

Mac Attack BBQ ahead 83% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, Mac Attack BBQ has out-cooked them in 5 of 6 shared pork ribs entries.

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.

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

FARM TO FIRE

#1953 of the rated field

1540 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 17%
Peak: 1540

2–0 in 2 shared contests (100% to BLUE ISLAND BBQ)

2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team BLUE ISLAND BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 12 contests
last seen 2020-09-26

⚔ Head-to-head

LOCK, STOCK AND TWO SMOKIN' BARRELS BBQ TEAM

#1943 of the rated field

1540 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1540

0–2 in 2 shared contests (0% to BLUE ISLAND BBQ)

Their last contest in the data was back in 2017, 6 years before BLUE ISLAND BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 5 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

ABS of SQUEAL

#1944 of the rated field

1540 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 21
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1555

2–1 in 3 shared contests (67% to BLUE ISLAND BBQ)

A longer road to the same neighbourhood — 21 contests to 12.

rated over 21 contests
last seen 2025-11-05

⚔ Head-to-head

PIG CITY BBQ

#1947 of the rated field

1540 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 30%
Peak: 1540

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 10 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2015-09-18

⚔ Head-to-head

WHO ARE THOSE GUYS?

#1950 of the rated field

1540 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 8%
Peak: 1540

No shared contest yet.

12 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 8% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 12 contests
last seen 2018-08-24

⚔ Head-to-head

ROWDY PIG BBQ

#1945 of the rated field

1540 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 38%
Peak: 1545

No shared contest yet.

Level with BLUE ISLAND BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 8 contests
last seen 2016-08-12

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
THE REAL SMOKIN ACES	7	2	5	29%	⚔ compare
Mac Attack BBQ	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
BIG "E" BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
FIREHOUSE SMOKE	5	3	2	60%	⚔ compare
iBQ'n	5	2	3	40%	⚔ compare
QUAU	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	10	3	0	174.8456	159.9540	167.24	top 46%
Pork Ribs	11	3	1	173.7372	163.4516	167.79	top 34%
Pork	10	4	0	173.7028	151.3716	166.91	top 42%
Brisket	10	2	1	176.0000	138.7772	160.94	top 56%

“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	Avg finish
KS	3	top 26%
IN	3	top 52%
IL	3	top 61%
MI	1	top 64%

By contest size

Field	Contests	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	1	top 67%
Medium (20–39)	4	top 59%
Large (40+)	5	top 35%

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

On the trail 8.2 yrs 2015-07-25 → 2023-09-27

Busiest season 2015 4 contests

Contests a season 2.4 across 5 seasons in the data

Cooks most in KS 4 of 12 contests · 4 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 10 0 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Pork Ribs 11 entries · 0 wins · 3 calls

Strongest meat Pork Ribs averages 167.79 · weakest Brisket (160.94)

Walk rate 50% a top-10 call in 6 of 12 contests

Overall top-10 rate 17% 2 of 12 contests

Master average 662.97 out of 720 · 10 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 1,173 1,192–493 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 1,946 12 mapped stops · furthest 386 mi

Schedule strength 1580 average field rating faced — tougher than 64% of rated contests

Purse competed for $89,925 listed at 3 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 4 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 3.7 yrs 2017-09-01 → 2021-05-14

Power rating 1540 peak 1540 · #1946 of 6,413 rated

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

2015
Jul 25 First tracked contest Illinois BBQ Fest at Hillcrest Event Center
Jul 25 First call Illinois BBQ Fest at Hillcrest Event Center
Jul 25 First overall top-10 Illinois BBQ Fest at Hillcrest Event Center
Sep 11 First overall past 90% of a perfect score648.5144 Windy City BBQ Classic
2021
May 15 Career-best single call (Brisket)176.0000 Rockin' BBQ - Day 2
Sep 24 10th tracked contest Rumble on the River Presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com
2023
Sep 27 Career-best overall score696.5712 American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest
Sep 27 Peak power rating (1540) American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest
Sep 27 Most recent contest American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+17.4	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest	2023-09-27
+13.8	Rockin' BBQ - Day 2	2021-05-15
+8.4	37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue(OPEN)	2016-10-29
+6.6	38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN)	2017-09-01
+3.3	Windy City BBQ Classic	2015-09-11

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-4.9	Marshall County Blazin' BBQ & Bluegrass	2015-09-18
-4.9	10th Annual Lambs Farm Barn Burner Bar-B-Q	2015-10-16
-1.9	Illinois BBQ Fest at Hillcrest Event Center	2015-07-25
-0.6	Rumble on the River Presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com	2021-09-24

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)

Season by season

Season	Contests	Top-10s	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2023	2	0	0%	top 4%	96.7%	96.7%
2021	3	1	100%	top 46%	95.7%	93.8%
2017	1	0	0%	top 39%	92.7%	92.7%
2016	2	0	50%	top 34%	92.3%	92.3%
2015	4	1	50%	top 66%	90.9%	89.4%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2023-09-27	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS	—	—	—	—	—
2023-09-27	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS	21 / 487 (696.5712)	85 (174.8456)	90 (173.7372)	95 (173.7028)	55 (174.2856)
2021-09-24	Rumble on the River Presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com 🏅 Grand Haven, MI	18 / 28 (663.2796)	8 (171.9884)	12 (169.1200)	10 (168.5256)	26 (153.6456)
2021-05-15	Rockin' BBQ - Day 2 🏅 Warsaw, IN	8 / 39 (689.0972)	8 (174.8456)	24 (165.1200)	10 (173.1316)	3 (176.0000)
2021-05-14	Rockin' BBQ - Day 1 🏅 Warsaw, IN	22 / 41 (673.0624)	20 (168.5256)	9 (170.8456)	34 (162.2628)	13 (171.4284)
2017-09-01	38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS	160 / 407 (667.4400)	225 (165.1656)	137 (168.5716)	97 (170.8800)	232 (162.8228)
2016-10-29	37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue(OPEN) Kansas City, KS	190 / 557 (664.5712)	331 (162.2628)	135 (169.7256)	216 (166.8800)	209 (165.7028)
2016-09-24	Barbeque on the Hill (COMPETITORS SERIES) Blue Island, IL	—	—	2 (166.8344)	—	—
2015-10-16	10th Annual Lambs Farm Barn Burner Bar-B-Q Libertyville, IL	25 / 35 (630.7660)	20 (162.2516)	18 (163.4516)	14 (166.2856)	33 (138.7772)
2015-09-18	Marshall County Blazin' BBQ & Bluegrass Plymouth, IN	22 / 27 (654.2288)	16 (166.2628)	12 (166.2628)	20 (162.8800)	23 (158.8232)
2015-09-11	Windy City BBQ Classic Chicago, IL	27 / 61 (648.5144)	45 (159.9540)	22 (164.5832)	6 (173.2000)	46 (150.7772)
2015-07-25	Illinois BBQ Fest at Hillcrest Event Center Orion, IL	10 / 15 (642.1604)	6 (166.2628)	4 (167.4288)	10 (151.3716)	10 (157.0972)

BLUE ISLAND BBQ

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

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

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 (6 found in this team's record)

High-water mark

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

The comeback

Pork Ribs nemesis

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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

By meat

By state / province

By contest size

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

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

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

📉 Toughest weekends

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)

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)