Riding a hot streak
4
straight overall top-10s
Currently on a 4-contest overall top-10 run.
- career best 4
Modest Meats
Modest Meats is a competition barbecue team with 50 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2022 and 2026. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the Christmas on the River State Bar B Q Championship (2023). They are ranked #1754 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1550
peak 1577 · rated over 40 contests2 invitational or side-series contests not counted
Contests
50
in the data
First seen
Oct 7, 2022
latest Sep 18, 2026 · 3.9 years on the trail
Grand champs
1
0 reserve · wins it all 2% of the time
Category wins
4
5 podiums
Overall top-10s
12
24% of 50 contests
Best top-10 run
4
straight overall top-10s, still running
Avg finish
top 56%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
1 🔥
Current form
341.32 ▲
last 5 Backyard vs avg 337.09 (+4.23)
Walk rate
56%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±8.07
spread of their Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 168.93 · weakest Pork (165.02)
Road miles
3,506
across 50 mapped stops · furthest 156 mi
Schedule strength
61%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1577)
Purse competed for
$305K
listed at 45 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
1 🏅
won from 11 state-championship entries
Master avg
660.43 / 720
1 Master contest · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
337.09 / 360
39 Backyard contests · 1 GC
Backyard (3-meat) avg
495.90 / 540
2 Backyard (3-meat) contests · 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.
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 ↗ | Backyard | #77 (649 pts) | #69 (696 pts) | #74 (689 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #84 (659 pts) | #89 (637 pts) | #32 (1,067 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Master | — | #723 (228 pts) | #636 (300 pts) | #1002 (113 pts) | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Backyard | #52 (896 pts) | #54 (874 pts) | #59 (851 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #1182 (60 pts) | #1242 (60 pts) | #1317 (60 pts) | #1231 (60 pts) | #1204 (60 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Backyard | — | #58 (940 pts) | #109 (620 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | — | — | #699 (283 pts) | — | — |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Modest Meats, each with one reason worth a look.
57 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1,757 of the rated field
- Contests
- 44
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 14%
- Peak
- 1550
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 43 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#1,749 of the rated field
- Contests
- 37
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 14%
- Peak
- 1555
Their last contest in the data was back in 2021, 5 years before Modest Meats's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#1,748 of the rated field
- Contests
- 17
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 29%
- Peak
- 1554
Fewer contests behind them than Modest Meats has cooked, 17 to 50, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Compare careers#1,756 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 20%
- Peak
- 1554
15 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 20% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#1,745 of the rated field
- Contests
- 14
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 29%
- Peak
- 1558
They were already cooking in 2015, 7 years before Modest Meats's first contest.
⚔ Compare careers#1,747 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 27%
- Peak
- 1553
Level with Modest Meats 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NORALA BBQ TEAM | 33 | 2 | 31 | 6% | ⚔ compare |
| LEE LA Q | 31 | 6 | 25 | 19% | ⚔ compare |
| Deviant Smoke | 30 | 9 | 21 | 30% | ⚔ compare |
| Bentley Que | 28 | 2 | 26 | 7% | ⚔ compare |
| Rollin Smoke BBQ | 26 | 3 | 23 | 12% | ⚔ compare |
| Smokey Bees BBQ - MS | 26 | 3 | 23 | 12% | ⚔ compare |
| Pork Life | 25 | 12 | 13 | 48% | ⚔ compare |
| PUCKDADDY'S KILLER Q | 22 | 6 | 16 | 27% | ⚔ compare |
| Wee Daddy's BBQ | 22 | 5 | 17 | 23% | ⚔ compare |
| Hickory Hangover | 17 | 3 | 14 | 18% | ⚔ compare |
| Electro-Que-ted | 17 | 2 | 15 | 12% | ⚔ compare |
| LENOX & SON BBQ COMPANY | 16 | 9 | 7 | 56% | ⚔ compare |
| Say My Name BBQ | 16 | 8 | 8 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| Dixie Pigs & Chick's BBQ Team | 16 | 6 | 10 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| Ghost Hill BBQ | 16 | 5 | 11 | 31% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 44 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 177.7372 | 157.0628 | 168.93 | top 57% |
| Pork Ribs | 47 | 17 | 2 | 3 | 180 🔥 | 154.7656 | 167.37 | top 57% |
| Pork | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 171.9772 | 155.8968 | 165.02 | top 72% |
| Brisket | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 168.5372 | 168.5372 | 168.54 | 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 | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 12 | 1 | top 63% |
| Medium (20–39) | 22 | 0 | top 54% |
| Large (40+) | 8 | 0 | top 53% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scottsboro BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | 4 | 16 | 0 | top 67% | Oct 10, 2025 |
| Reelin N Smokin Backyard BBQ Competition (BACKYARD ONLY) | 3 | 9 | 0 | top 39% | Jun 12, 2026 |
| Smoke in the Park (BACKYARD & KIDS QUE) | 3 | 10 | 0 | top 60% | Jun 5, 2026 |
| Smoke on the Falls | 3 | 14 | 0 | top 69% | Apr 3, 2026 |
| Poosa Q | 3 | 14 | 0 | top 37% | Jun 20, 2025 |
| Christmas on the River State Bar B Q Championship | 2 | 1 | 1 | top 26% | Dec 6, 2024 |
| Central AL BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 4 | 0 | top 41% | Sep 26, 2025 |
| Smoke on the Water Guntersville (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 5 | 0 | top 43% | Sep 12, 2025 |
| O'So Good BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Day 2 | 2 | 13 | 0 | top 68% | May 3, 2025 |
| O'So Good BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Day 1 | 2 | 10 | 0 | top 38% | May 2, 2025 |
| Singing River Smoke-O-Rama (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 11 | 0 | top 29% | Mar 21, 2025 |
| Smoke on the Water BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 23 | 0 | top 62% | Apr 26, 2024 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2025
16 contests
Contests a season
10
across 5 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
AL
47 of 50 contests · 2 states in all
Contests visited
24
12 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
47 entries · 2 wins · 17 calls
First title
Dec 1, 2023
Christmas on the River State Bar B Q Championship
Opponents faced
614
finished ahead 794 times, behind 889
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20262 milestones
- 50th tracked contest Mike Gannon BBQ Cookoff
- Most recent contest Mike Gannon BBQ Cookoff
20251 milestone
- Peak power rating (1577) Poosa Q
20243 milestones
- Career-best overall score660.4344 6th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN
- 25th tracked contest Poosa Q
- First perfect 180 (Pork Ribs) Christmas on the River State Bar B Q Championship
20238 milestones
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score499.3484 Smoke on the Water BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First call Reelin N Smokin Backyard BBQ Competition (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First category win (Chicken) O'So Good BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) #1
- First overall top-10 O'So Good BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) #2
- 10th tracked contest Poosa Q
- First overall podium Christmas on the River State Bar B Q Championship
- First Grand Championship Christmas on the River State Bar B Q Championship
- First state championship Christmas on the River State Bar B Q Championship
20221 milestone
- First tracked contest Scottsboro BBQ Festival (BACKYARD & KIDS QUE ONLY)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +19.2 | Christmas on the River State Bar B Q Championship | Dec 1, 2023 |
| +14.1 | Smoke on the Water Guntersville (BACKYARD ONLY) | Sep 13, 2024 |
| +13.2 | Poosa Q | Oct 5, 2023 |
| +11.2 | Central AL BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | Sep 27, 2024 |
| +9.9 | High on the Hog Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | May 15, 2026 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -10.7 | Last Chance Points Dance (BACKYARD) | Oct 25, 2025 |
| -9.9 | Scottsboro BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | Oct 10, 2025 |
| -9.6 | O'So Good BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Day 1 | May 1, 2026 |
| -8.1 | Smoke on the Falls | Apr 7, 2023 |
| -8.1 | O'So Good BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) #2 | Sep 22, 2023 |
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 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 71% | top 57% | 96.5% | 94% |
| 2025 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50% | top 59% | 95.9% | 93.9% |
| 2024 | 13 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 54% | top 52% | 96.8% | 94% |
| 2023 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 62% | top 58% | 96.5% | 92.6% |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 71% | 89.2% | 89.2% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 18, 2026 | Mike Gannon BBQ Cookoff 🏅 Columbiana, AL | 10 / 16 (328.4800) | 14 (157.6572) | 4 (170.8228) | — | — |
| Jun 12, 2026 | Reelin N Smokin Backyard BBQ Competition (BACKYARD ONLY) Huntsville, AL | 9 / 31 (345.0972) | 13 (173.1200) | 10 (171.9772) | — | — |
| Jun 5, 2026 | Smoke in the Park (BACKYARD & KIDS QUE) Glencoe, AL | 10 / 26 (347.3944) | 8 (175.4288) | 15 (171.9656) | 10 (171.9772) | — |
| May 15, 2026 | High on the Hog Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Winchester, TN | 7 / 29 (347.3944) | 9 (174.2744) | 7 (173.1200) | — | — |
| May 2, 2026 | O'So Good BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Day 2 Cleveland, AL | 13 / 15 (338.2172) | 13 (170.8228) | 13 (167.3944) | — | — |
| May 1, 2026 | O'So Good BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Day 1 Cleveland, AL | 15 / 17 (334.7656) | 4 (175.4172) | 17 (159.3484) | — | — |
| Apr 3, 2026 | Smoke on the Falls 🏅 Gadsden, AL | 25 / 36 (326.7428) | 26 (158.2172) | 19 (168.5256) | — | — |
| Oct 25, 2025 | Last Chance Points Dance (BACKYARD) Cleveland, AL | 15 / 16 (337.0628) | 15 (168.5372) | 12 (168.5256) | — | — |
| Oct 24, 2025 | The Great Alabama BBQ Cook-Off (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Cleveland, AL | — | 16 (170.8228) | — | — | — |
| Oct 24, 2025 | The Great Alabama BBQ Cook-Off (ONE MEAT RIBS) Cleveland, AL | — | — | 26 (157.0628) | — | — |
| Oct 18, 2025 | Battle for the Bones BBQ Cook Off (ONE MEAT RIBS) Birmingham, AL | — | — | 7 (162.8456) | — | — |
| Oct 10, 2025 | Scottsboro BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Scottsboro, AL | 25 / 30 (319.8512) | 19 (165.0856) | 29 (154.7656) | — | — |
| Sep 26, 2025 | Central AL BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Clanton, AL | 9 / 15 (341.6456) | 11 (167.3828) | 4 (174.2628) | — | — |
| Sep 26, 2025 | The Great Alabama BBQ Cook-off Qualifier "Friday Night Chicken Fight" (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) Clanton, AL | — | 8 (170.8112) | — | — | — |
| Sep 12, 2025 | Smoke on the Water Guntersville (BACKYARD ONLY) Guntersville, AL | 20 / 28 (337.0628) | 19 (169.6684) | 19 (167.3944) | — | — |
| Sep 12, 2025 | The Great Alabama BBQ Cook-off Qualifier "Lakeside Pork Fest" (ONE MEAT PORK) Guntersville, AL | — | — | — | 10 (169.6684) | — |
| Sep 12, 2025 | The Great Alabama BBQ Cook-off Qualifier "Battle of the Bones" (ONE MEAT RIBS) Guntersville, AL | — | — | 13 (167.3944) | — | — |
| Jun 20, 2025 | Poosa Q 🏅 Montgomery, AL | 21 / 42 (339.3600) | 5 (177.7028) | 33 (161.6572) | — | — |
| Jun 13, 2025 | Reelin N Smokin Backyard BBQ Competition (BACKYARD ONLY) Huntsville, AL | 15 / 35 (340.5144) | 17 (171.9656) | 14 (168.5488) | — | — |
| May 3, 2025 | O'So Good BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Day 2 Oneonta, AL | 13 / 23 (345.0972) | 20 (166.2400) | 2 (178.8572) | 15 (167.9656) | — |
| May 2, 2025 | O'So Good BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Day 1 Oneonta, AL | 11 / 28 (341.6572) | 16 (168.5488) | 8 (173.1084) | 23 (161.6340) | — |
| Apr 11, 2025 | Smoke on the Falls BBQ Competition 🏅 Gadsden, AL | 22 / 31 (333.6228) | 18 (170.8344) | 23 (162.7884) | — | — |
| Mar 21, 2025 | Singing River Smoke-O-Rama (BACKYARD ONLY) Athens, AL | 11 / 43 (345.0972) | 23 (169.6800) | 4 (175.4172) | — | — |
| Dec 6, 2024 | Christmas on the River State Bar B Q Championship 🏅 Demopolis, AL | 5 / 11 (348.5372) | 12 (168.5372) | 1 (180) | — | — |
| Oct 11, 2024 | Scottsboro BBQ Festival (BACKYARD & KIDS QUE) Scottsboro, AL | 16 / 38 (336.5028) | 24 (164.5256) | 10 (171.9772) | — | — |
| Oct 4, 2024 | Poosa Q 🏅 Montgomery, AL | 25 / 59 (341.6572) | 5 (177.7144) | 46 (163.9428) | — | — |
| Sep 27, 2024 | Central AL BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Clanton, AL | 4 / 18 (341.6456) | 5 (174.2628) | 8 (167.3828) | — | — |
| Sep 20, 2024 | Smoke in the Park (BACKYARD & KIDS QUE) Glencoe, AL | 13 / 18 (334.7772) | 12 (170.8228) | 11 (163.9544) | 18 (155.8968) | — |
| Sep 13, 2024 | Smoke on the Water Guntersville (BACKYARD ONLY) Guntersville, AL | 5 / 33 (347.9772) | 5 (175.4172) | 10 (172.5600) | — | — |
| May 25, 2024 | 6th Annual KCBS World Invitational - BACKYARD SERIES INVITATIONAL unrated Lebanon, TN | 43 / 47 (334.7656) | 36 (168.5372) | 43 (166.2284) | — | — |
| May 24, 2024 | 6th Annual KCBS World Invitational - OPEN unrated Lebanon, TN | 106 / 118 (660.4344) | 92 (168.5600) | 108 (161.0972) | 110 (162.2400) | 70 (168.5372) |
| May 4, 2024 | O'So Good BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Day 2 Oneonta, AL | 16 / 20 (333.6228) | 13 (168.5256) | 17 (165.0972) | — | — |
| May 3, 2024 | O'So Good BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Day 1 Oneonta, AL | 10 / 27 (340.5144) | 17 (167.3944) | 5 (173.1200) | — | — |
| Apr 26, 2024 | Smoke on the Water BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Florence, AL | 23 / 40 (334.7656) | 22 (166.2400) | 21 (168.5256) | — | — |
| Apr 12, 2024 | Smoke on the Falls 🏅 Gadsden, AL | 14 / 31 (335.3716) | 15 (167.9888) | 12 (167.3828) | — | — |
| Mar 22, 2024 | Singing River Smoke-O-Rama (BACKYARD ONLY) Athens, AL | 12 / 38 (341.0856) | 9 (173.1200) | 18 (167.9656) | — | — |
| Dec 1, 2023 | Christmas on the River State Bar B Q Championship 🏅 Demopolis, AL | 1 / 17 (347.3712) | 4 (169.6684) | 1 (177.7028) | — | — |
| Oct 27, 2023 | Railyard BBQ Brawl 2023 🏅 Madison, AL | 13 / 14 (338.8344) | 7 (171.9772) | 16 (166.8572) | — | — |
| Oct 21, 2023 | Battle for the Bones (ONE MEAT RIBS) Birmingham, AL | — | — | 5 (169.1312) | — | — |
| Oct 13, 2023 | Scottsboro BBQ Festival (BACKYARD & KIDS QUE ONLY) Scottsboro, AL | 19 / 27 (325.6116) | 20 (161.6572) | 19 (163.9544) | — | — |
| Oct 5, 2023 | Poosa Q 🏅 Montgomery, AL | 14 / 73 (343.9656) | 1 (177.7372) | 34 (166.2284) | — | — |
| Sep 22, 2023 | O'So Good BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) #1 Oneonta, AL | 7 / 18 (338.2056) | 1 (176.5600) | 16 (161.6456) | — | — |
| Sep 22, 2023 | O'So Good BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) #2 Oneonta, AL | 10 / 11 (317.0056) | 9 (161.0856) | 11 (155.9200) | — | — |
| Sep 22, 2023 | O'So Good BBQ Festival (One Meat Ribs) Oneonta, AL | — | — | 9 (163.9428) | — | — |
| Aug 11, 2023 | Smoke in the Park (BACKYARD & KIDS QUE) Glencoe, AL | 24 / 35 (492.4460) | 29 (164.5372) | 18 (166.2516) | 26 (161.6572) | — |
| Aug 4, 2023 | Smoke in the Outfield (BACKYARD) (TEAM REGISTRATION FULL) Madison, AL | 26 / 58 (338.8228) | 34 (166.8456) | 23 (171.9772) | — | — |
| Jun 9, 2023 | Reelin N Smokin Backyard BBQ Competition (BACKYARD ONLY) Huntsville, AL | 12 / 26 (334.8116) | 15 (165.1316) | 10 (169.6800) | — | — |
| Apr 28, 2023 | Smoke on the Water BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Florence, AL | 24 / 36 (499.3484) | 20 (166.2628) | 25 (163.9428) | 17 (169.1428) | — |
| Apr 7, 2023 | Smoke on the Falls 🏅 Gadsden, AL | 36 / 39 (320.5144) | 36 (160.5372) | 31 (159.9772) | — | — |
| Oct 7, 2022 | Scottsboro BBQ Festival (BACKYARD & KIDS QUE ONLY) Scottsboro, AL | 27 / 38 (321.0972) | 35 (157.0628) | 20 (164.0344) | — | — |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.