The one to beat
2×
one call ahead of them
BOBO'S QUE has finished one call ahead of BBQ JUNKIES 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
BBQ JUNKIES
BBQ JUNKIES is a competition barbecue team with 12 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2016 and 2023. Their best overall finish is 4th of 27 at the Covington Cork & Pork Festival (2023). They are ranked #4894 of 6,485 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “BBQ JUNKIE'S”.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1465
peak 1502 · rated over 11 contests
Contests
12
in the data
First seen
Sep 16, 2016
latest Sep 27, 2023 · 7 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
0 podiums
Overall top-10s
2
17% of 12 contests
Avg finish
top 71%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
527.08 ▼
last 5 Master vs avg 585.62 (-58.53)
Walk rate
33%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±109.12
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 161.26 · weakest Brisket (156.08)
Road miles
2,654
across 11 mapped stops · furthest 825 mi
Schedule strength
69%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1587)
Purse competed for
$86K
listed at 3 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 4 state-championship entries
Master avg
585.62 / 720
10 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
310.38 / 360
1 Backyard contest · 0 GCs
Backyard (3-meat) avg
503.95 / 540
1 Backyard (3-meat) contest · 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.
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to BBQ JUNKIES, each with one reason worth a look.
138 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#4,892 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1503
0–2 in 2 shared contests (0% to BBQ JUNKIES)
2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team BBQ JUNKIES has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#4,902 of the rated field
- Contests
- 5
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1465
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to BBQ JUNKIES)
Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 4 years before BBQ JUNKIES's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-head#4,890 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 27%
- Peak
- 1520
They've been 1520 at their best, 55 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Compare careers#4,913 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1464
Careers of much the same size, 11 contests to 12, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Compare careers#4,911 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1464
12 contests and no Grand Championship yet.
⚔ Compare careers#4,879 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 8%
- Peak
- 1465
Level with BBQ JUNKIES 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| REDNECK SCIENTIFIC | 9 | 0 | 8 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| MUTTLEY CREW BBQ | 8 | 1 | 7 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN SKULLIES | 8 | 1 | 7 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ | 8 | 1 | 7 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| MCADOO HEIGHTS BBQ | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKE N BREW | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| WHO CARES BBQ | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| K & D SMOKERS | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKING BUTT HEADS | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| THE SMOKEHOUSE MAFIA | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKING STUDS BBQ | 6 | 4 | 2 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| ROCKWELL SMOKEHOUSE BBQ | 6 | 3 | 3 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| SPEAKS FOR ITSELF BBQ | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| EB'S BAR-B-QUE | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| BALONEY JOE'S BBQ | 6 | 1 | 5 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 175.4400 | 146.1828 | 161.26 | top 65% |
| Pork Ribs | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 173.1544 | 135.9772 | 159.17 | top 60% |
| Pork | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 166.8344 | 151.3372 | 157.85 | top 74% |
| Brisket | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 169.1312 | 131.3600 | 156.08 | top 63% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium (20–39) | 4 | 0 | top 61% |
| Large (40+) | 8 | 0 | top 75% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally and BBQ Classic | 3 | 25 | 0 | top 71% | Sep 14, 2018 |
| American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | 2 | 483 | 0 | top 99% | Sep 27, 2023 |
| Jiggy With the Piggy | 2 | 48 | 0 | top 76% | May 4, 2018 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2018
3 contests
Contests a season
1.7
across 7 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
NC
7 of 12 contests · 4 states in all
Contests visited
8
3 of them more than once
Opponents faced
890
finished ahead 173 times, behind 1,302
Longest layoff
3 yrs
Sep 20, 2019 → Sep 29, 2022
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20231 milestone
- Most recent contest American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest
20221 milestone
- 10th tracked contest American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST
20181 milestone
- Career-best overall score651.8400 Jiggy With the Piggy
20172 milestones
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score648.9600 Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally and BBQ Classic
- Career-best single call (Chicken)175.4400 Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally and BBQ Classic
20161 milestone
- Peak power rating (1502) Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally and BBQ Classic
—3 milestones
- First tracked contest Spring Valley Tailgate & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First call Spring Valley Tailgate & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First overall top-10 Spring Valley Tailgate & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +16.6 | Covington Cork & Pork Festival | Jun 2, 2023 |
| +1.8 | Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally and BBQ Classic | Sep 16, 2016 |
| +1.3 | Polar Pig BBQ Cook-Off (JUDGES FULL) | Nov 10, 2017 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -11.2 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest | Sep 27, 2023 |
| -11.1 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST | Sep 29, 2022 |
| -10.5 | Smokin in The Hills | Sep 20, 2019 |
| -7.8 | Jiggy With the Piggy | May 5, 2017 |
| -7 | Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally and BBQ Classic | Sep 14, 2018 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 50% | 86.2% | 86.2% |
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50% | top 57% | 93.3% | 76.5% |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 99% | 44.4% | 44.4% |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 92% | 84.3% | 84.3% |
| 2018 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33% | top 75% | 90.5% | 89.4% |
| 2017 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33% | top 72% | 90.1% | 89% |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 53% | 89.8% | 89.8% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 27, 2023 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 483 / 487 (429.0400) | 378 (161.7028) | 485 (135.9772) | — | 481 (131.3600) |
| Jun 2, 2023 | Covington Cork & Pork Festival 🏅 Covington, VA | 4 / 27 (503.9544) | 6 (163.9656) | 4 (173.1544) | 4 (166.8344) | — |
| Sep 29, 2022 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 502 / 505 (319.9656) | 454 (155.4056) | 327 (164.5600) | — | — |
| Sep 20, 2019 | Smokin in The Hills 🏅 | 35 / 38 (606.7428) | 31 (161.1544) | 38 (147.9656) | 32 (158.8228) | 36 (138.8000) |
| Sep 14, 2018 | Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally and BBQ Classic Salisbury, NC | 25 / 29 (633.4744) | 19 (163.9772) | 25 (157.6572) | 27 (151.3372) | 20 (160.5028) |
| Aug 3, 2018 | Pigs & Pedals Asheboro, NC | 33 / 48 (646.1948) | 37 (161.6916) | 24 (165.1316) | 40 (157.7028) | 31 (161.6688) |
| May 4, 2018 | Jiggy With the Piggy Kannapolis, NC | 48 / 70 (651.8400) | 66 (153.6572) | 10 (172.5600) | 51 (160.5372) | 41 (165.0856) |
| Nov 10, 2017 | Polar Pig BBQ Cook-Off (JUDGES FULL) Concord, NC | 27 / 47 (647.7712) | 25 (167.3828) | 11 (169.1200) | 35 (156.5028) | 33 (154.7656) |
| Sep 15, 2017 | Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally and BBQ Classic Salisbury, NC | 47 / 63 (648.9600) | 4 (175.4400) | 46 (160.5028) | 60 (153.6228) | 39 (159.3944) |
| May 5, 2017 | Jiggy With the Piggy Kannapolis, NC | 62 / 75 (625.4512) | 75 (146.1828) | 67 (152.4916) | 59 (157.6456) | 15 (169.1312) |
| Sep 16, 2016 | Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally and BBQ Classic Salisbury, NC | 36 / 68 (646.7312) | 60 (155.3712) | 15 (169.7028) | 48 (157.6800) | 22 (163.9772) |
| — | Spring Valley Tailgate & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Spring Valley, CA | 10 / 20 (310.3772) | 5 (169.1656) | 17 (141.2116) | — | — |