ELWOOD BBQ

ELWOOD BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 29 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2023. Their best overall finish is 7th of 43 at the 21st Annual State Barbeque Championship of Nebraska (2013). They are ranked #4628 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

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At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#4,628

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1470

peak 1531 · rated over 29 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

May 31, 2013

latest Sep 2, 2023 · 10.3 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#773

Master 2021 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

2 podiums

Overall top-10s

10% of 29 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 62%

overall standings

Best overall

678.8456 / 720

Master · 21st Annual State Barbeque Championship of Nebraska

Perfect 180s

Current form

641.01 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 645.37 (-4.36)

Walk rate

38%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

174.3200

Pork Ribs · 21st Annual State Barbeque Championship of Nebraska

Consistency

±14.84

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 163.98 · weakest Pork Ribs (159.39)

Road miles

493

across 29 mapped stops · furthest 65 mi

Schedule strength

69%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1587)

Purse competed for

$69K

listed at 9 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 9 state-championship entries

Master avg

645.37 / 720

29 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (9 found in their record)

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

High-water mark

678.8456 career-best overall

94.3% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 678.8456 at 21st Annual State Barbeque Championship of Nebraska — 94.3% of a perfect 720.

Master
Aug 16, 2013

Their season

2013 their best year

2013 was the year it came together: 3 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 1 category win, at an average finish in the top 29%.

3 contests
2 overall top-10s
1 category win
average top 29%

A tough matchup

20–4 behind in the head-to-head

WHEN PIGS DIE ahead in 83% of their meetings

WHEN PIGS DIE has come out ahead in 20 of their 24 shared contests.

The weak link

−4.6 points behind their best meat

Pork Ribs is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.59 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 17% of the time against 14%.

Pork Ribs avg 159.39
Chicken avg 163.98
5 calls in 29 entries

A strong matchup

10–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of OL SMOKEY in 10 of their 10 shared contests.

The comeback

1.7 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 1.7 years, then back at 9th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition (May 28, 2021).

last seen Aug 31, 2019
back May 28, 2021

Chicken nemesis

16 of 24 shared chicken entries lost

WHEN PIGS DIE ahead 67% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, WHEN PIGS DIE has out-cooked them in 16 of 24 shared chicken entries.

Show 2 more storylines

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

PORK GONE WYLDE has landed one call behind them 2 times.

Boom or bust

±8.34% swing around their own average

Their overall swings ±8.34% of a perfect score around its own average — when it lands they're dangerous, and when it doesn't the weekend is gone by lunch.

averages 88.2% of a perfect score
best 94.3%

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
2023 ↗	Master	#874 (141 pts)	#780 (206 pts)	#875 (196 pts)	#948 (131 pts)	#885 (161 pts)
2022 ↗	Master	#1309 (60 pts)	#1246 (85 pts)	#1404 (60 pts)	#1348 (60 pts)	#1333 (60 pts)
2021 ↗	Master	#773 (176 pts)	#785 (191 pts)	#676 (251 pts)	#705 (221 pts)	#849 (161 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#1165 (202 pts)	#1091 (242 pts)	#1123 (242 pts)	#1064 (257 pts)	#1083 (252 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to ELWOOD BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

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

Onkel Felix BBQ

#4,612 of the rated field

1471 power rating

Contests: 27
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 41%
Peak: 1471

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 27 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 27 contests
last seen Sep 26, 2026
on a 3-contest top-10 run

⚔ Compare careers

Serial Grillers

#4,642 of the rated field

1470 power rating

Contests: 25
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 4%
Peak: 1470

Careers of much the same size, 25 contests to 29, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 25 contests
last seen Jun 6, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

SMOKY LINCS

#4,617 of the rated field

1471 power rating

Contests: 34
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 6%
Peak: 1471

Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 4 years before ELWOOD BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 34 contests

⚔ Compare careers

Beantown Smokers

#4,633 of the rated field

1470 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 5%
Peak: 1500

19 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 5% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 19 contests
last seen Aug 9, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

Pig in a Poke

#4,631 of the rated field

1470 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 5%
Peak: 1522

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.

rated over 19 contests
last seen Mar 19, 2021

⚔ Compare careers

MO BBQ

#4,637 of the rated field

1470 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 7%
Peak: 1501

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

rated over 14 contests
last seen Jun 30, 2017

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
HELPING U BBQ	24	8	16	33%	⚔ compare
WHEN PIGS DIE	24	4	20	17%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ	22	5	17	23%	⚔ compare
SPITFIRE	19	3	16	16%	⚔ compare
PORKY BUTTS BBQ	19	2	17	11%	⚔ compare
KEV'S CHEW CHEW BBQ	17	8	9	47%	⚔ compare
PARROTHEAD SMOKERS	17	1	16	6%	⚔ compare
OMAHA'S BLOWIN' SMOKE	15	8	7	53%	⚔ compare
HOT GRILL ON GRILL ACTION	15	4	11	27%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN DINGER - THE PROFESSOR OF HOGOLOGY	15	3	12	20%	⚔ compare
SPICE YOUR LIFE RUB YOUR MEAT	14	10	4	71%	⚔ compare
TATTOO BOB'S BAR-B-Q	14	0	14	0%	⚔ compare
BLAIR'S BIGFOOT BBQ	13	10	3	77%	⚔ compare
WOODWARD BARBEQUE	12	0	12	0%	⚔ compare
DIRT ROAD BBQ	12	0	12	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	29	4	1	1	173.1084	148.5028	163.98	top 56%
Pork Ribs	29	5	0	0	174.3200	150.7772	159.39	top 68%
Pork	29	3	0	0	173.1772	151.4284	162.34	top 62%
Brisket	29	6	0	1	173.1428	130.1944	159.66	top 57%

“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)	16	0	top 65%
Large (40+)	13	0	top 59%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
NE	27	0	top 61%
IA	2	0	top 80%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Septemberfest BBQ & Rib-eye Steak Cookoff Challenge	3	18	top 75%	Sep 1, 2018
Septemberfest BBQ & Rib-eye Steak cook-off challenge	2	22	top 87%	Sep 4, 2021
GOBS Que (DAY 1)	2	21	top 80%	Aug 13, 2021
Ak-Sar-Ben's River City Rodeo & Stock Show	2	23	top 48%	Sep 26, 2014

More numbers

Busiest season 2018 4 contests

Contests a season 2.9 across 10 seasons in the data

Most contests held in NE 27 of 29 contests · 2 states in all

Contests visited 24 4 of them more than once

Opponents faced 394 finished ahead 406 times, behind 686

Longest layoff 1.7 yrs Aug 31, 2019 → May 28, 2021

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

20231 milestone

Sep 2 Most recent contest Septemberfest BBQ & RibEye Steak Cook-off Challenge

20211 milestone

Aug 13 25th tracked contest GOBS Que (DAY 1)

20162 milestones

May 20 10th tracked contest 5th Annual Valley Veteran's BBQ Competition
May 20 Peak power rating (1531) 5th Annual Valley Veteran's BBQ Competition

20137 milestones

May 31 First tracked contest 2nd Annual Valley Veterans Barbecue Competition
May 31 First call 2nd Annual Valley Veterans Barbecue Competition
May 31 First category win (Chicken) 2nd Annual Valley Veterans Barbecue Competition
May 31 First overall top-10 2nd Annual Valley Veterans Barbecue Competition
May 31 First overall past 90% of a perfect score648.5712 2nd Annual Valley Veterans Barbecue Competition
Aug 16 Career-best overall score678.8456 21st Annual State Barbeque Championship of Nebraska
Aug 16 Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)174.3200 21st Annual State Barbeque Championship of Nebraska

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+11.6	21st Annual State Barbeque Championship of Nebraska	Aug 16, 2013
+9.4	2nd Annual Valley Veterans Barbecue Competition	May 31, 2013
+8.1	Septemberfest BBQ & Rib-Eye Steak Cookoff Challenge	Sep 5, 2015
+7.1	Septemberfest BBQ & RibEye Steak Cook-off Challenge	Sep 2, 2023
+5.6	23rd Annual State BBQ Championship of Nebraska	Aug 14, 2015

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-10.4	3rd Annual Valley Veterans Barbecue Competition	May 30, 2014
-8.7	Septemberfest BBQ & Rib-eye Steak cook-off challenge	Sep 4, 2021
-7.7	Septemberfest BBQ & Rib-eye Steak Cookoff Challenge	Sep 3, 2016
-7.7	GOBS Que (DAY 1)	Aug 13, 2021
-7.3	24th Annual State BBQ Championship of Nebraska	Aug 5, 2016

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	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2023	2	1	0	0%	top 56%	92.4%	90.5%
2022	1	0	0	0%	top 31%	44%	44%
2021	3	0	0	0%	top 91%	88.4%	87.3%
2019	3	0	0	33%	top 73%	90.7%	89%
2018	4	0	0	25%	top 70%	91.3%	89.8%
2017	4	0	0	50%	top 68%	91.1%	90.3%
2016	3	0	0	67%	top 73%	90%	88%
2015	3	0	0	67%	top 39%	93%	91.6%
2014	3	0	0	0%	top 64%	90.1%	88.1%
2013	3	2	1	100%	top 29%	94.3%	91.8%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Sep 2, 2023	Septemberfest BBQ & RibEye Steak Cook-off Challenge 🏅 Omaha, NE	10 / 34 (332.5260)	12 (170.8572)	15 (168.5600)	31 (160.5600)	22 (166.8228)
Jun 30, 2023	Ditmars Red White & Blue BBQ 🏅 Council Bluffs, IA	18 / 22 (637.6000)	18 (161.1544)	17 (160.5028)	20 (158.2284)	17 (157.7144)
Sep 3, 2022	Septemberfest BBQ & RibEye Steak Cookoff Challenge 🏅 Omaha, NE	14 / 45 (158.2284)	20 (169.7028)	44 (157.6456)	40 (162.2168)	31 (162.8800)
Sep 4, 2021	Septemberfest BBQ & Rib-eye Steak cook-off challenge 🏅 Omaha, NE	24 / 25 (616.9376)	21 (162.2400)	16 (166.2516)	21 (158.2516)	25 (130.1944)
Aug 13, 2021	GOBS Que (DAY 1) 🏅 Arlington, NE	23 / 26 (631.2572)	23 (160.5256)	16 (162.8000)	17 (165.1428)	26 (142.7888)
May 28, 2021	9th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition 🏅 Valley, NE	41 / 46 (636.4684)	28 (166.2628)	37 (160.5256)	35 (162.2972)	42 (147.3828)
Aug 31, 2019	Septemberfest BBQ & Rib-eye Steak cook-off challenge 🏅 Omaha, NE	22 / 28 (635.1768)	19 (163.9772)	27 (153.6228)	19 (162.7884)	23 (154.7884)
Aug 9, 2019	GOBS Que 🏅 Arlington, NE	21 / 29 (634.0684)	26 (148.5028)	10 (167.4172)	25 (153.6228)	12 (164.5256)
May 31, 2019	8th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition 🏅 Valley, NE	27 / 39 (653.0172)	16 (168.5716)	36 (152.5028)	13 (169.1200)	23 (162.8228)
Sep 21, 2018	Tri City BBQ Fest Denison, IA	21 / 27 (649.5772)	23 (157.1088)	24 (154.2056)	17 (165.7028)	2 (172.5600)
Sep 1, 2018	Septemberfest BBQ & Rib-eye Steak Cookoff Challenge Omaha, NE	26 / 34 (639.3716)	18 (165.7600)	31 (150.7772)	31 (153.6916)	11 (169.1428)
Aug 10, 2018	26th Annual State BBQ Championship of Nebraska Arlington, NE	18 / 30 (657.0628)	18 (162.8228)	24 (160.5256)	14 (167.4172)	13 (166.2972)
May 18, 2018	7th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition Valley, NE	28 / 42 (640.5144)	22 (165.7256)	27 (158.8344)	21 (165.6800)	36 (150.2744)
Sep 2, 2017	Septemberfest BBQ & Rib-eye Steak Cookoff Challenge Omaha, NE	18 / 29 (653.6572)	16 (163.3712)	26 (150.8344)	6 (173.1772)	10 (166.2744)
Aug 5, 2017	Omaha Steaks Nebraska BBQ Championship Day -2 Omaha, NE	42 / 50 (655.8744)	16 (173.1084)	46 (158.2400)	21 (168.5488)	44 (155.9772)
Aug 4, 2017	Omaha Steaks Nebraska BBQ Championship Day -1 Omaha, NE	41 / 54 (641.5884)	31 (165.1084)	45 (155.9200)	47 (154.2400)	20 (166.3200)
May 19, 2017	6th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition Valley, NE	24 / 47 (650.1716)	25 (162.8460)	33 (158.2400)	35 (155.9656)	4 (173.1200)
Sep 3, 2016	Septemberfest BBQ & Rib-eye Steak Cookoff Challenge Omaha, NE	39 / 45 (637.0172)	41 (157.1200)	40 (155.3600)	6 (172)	42 (152.5372)
Aug 5, 2016	24th Annual State BBQ Championship of Nebraska Omaha, NE	58 / 70 (616.4800)	66 (148.5484)	62 (151.9660)	27 (165.1544)	56 (150.8112)
May 20, 2016	5th Annual Valley Veteran's BBQ Competition Valley, NE	21 / 42 (647.9312)	20 (165.6800)	9 (168.0228)	28 (161.7028)	32 (152.5256)
Sep 5, 2015	Septemberfest BBQ & Rib-Eye Steak Cookoff Challenge Omaha, NE	11 / 31 (669.5884)	24 (162.7884)	6 (168.5600)	8 (169.1200)	8 (169.1200)
Aug 14, 2015	23rd Annual State BBQ Championship of Nebraska Omaha, NE	18 / 42 (662.2172)	15 (168.5600)	18 (165.6916)	25 (164.5828)	23 (163.3828)
May 29, 2015	4th Annual Valley Veterans BBQ Competition Valley, NE	11 / 28 (645.6912)	4 (170.8456)	10 (162.8800)	18 (157.7256)	18 (154.2400)
Sep 26, 2014	Ak-Sar-Ben's River City Rodeo & Stock Show Omaha, NE	23 / 47 (648.4456)	18 (165.7028)	37 (154.8116)	13 (167.4056)	25 (160.5256)
Aug 15, 2014	22nd Annual State Barbeque Championship of Nebraska LaPlatte, NE	23 / 38 (640.4800)	27 (158.8000)	23 (161.6800)	33 (156)	16 (164)
May 30, 2014	3rd Annual Valley Veterans Barbecue Competition Valley, NE	25 / 30 (614.1140)	25 (153.0856)	24 (153.0972)	15 (158.8456)	23 (149.0856)
Sep 27, 2013	Ak-Sar-Ben's River City Rodeo & Stock Show Omaha, NE	26 / 56 (654.7196)	7 (172)	48 (150.7884)	40 (158.7884)	5 (173.1428)
Aug 16, 2013	21st Annual State Barbeque Championship of Nebraska LaPlatte, NE	7 / 43 (678.8456)	8 (171.9656)	5 (174.3200)	18 (168.5600)	17 (164)
May 31, 2013	2nd Annual Valley Veterans Barbecue Competition Valley, NE	8 / 34 (648.5712)	1 (172.5714)	15 (157.7142)	31 (151.4284)	8 (166.8572)

ELWOOD BBQ

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Best top-10 run

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 (9 found in their record)

High-water mark

Their season

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

The comeback

Chicken nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

Boom or bust

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, 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

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)