The heartbreaker
Came within 4.5828 points of the Grand Championship at Anchor City Cook Off (Oct 10, 2014).
Natural Born Grillers is a competition barbecue team with 51 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2026. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the Anchor City Cook Off (2013), and finished Reserve Grand Champion once. They are ranked #1448 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.
These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard out of 360), 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.
| Year | Series | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 ↗ | Backyard | #90 (531 pts) | #92 (581 pts) | #105 (526 pts) | — | — |
| 2025 ↗ | Backyard | #125 (453 pts) | #80 (698 pts) | #154 (383 pts) | — | — |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #1050 (285 pts) | #916 (380 pts) | #1214 (255 pts) | #1118 (295 pts) | #1219 (240 pts) |
| 2014 ↗ | Master | #426 (902 pts) | #426 (877 pts) | #517 (762 pts) | #584 (672 pts) | #447 (857 pts) |
| 2013 ↗ | Master | #360 (849 pts) | #360 (849 pts) | #372 (829 pts) | #506 (644 pts) | #319 (959 pts) |
The teams rated closest to Natural Born Grillers, each with one reason worth a look.
45 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Natural Born Grillers has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-headThis is the highest they've ever been rated, 19 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-headFewer contests behind them than Natural Born Grillers has cooked, 14 to 51, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Head-to-headTheir last contest in the data was back in 2018, 8 years before Natural Born Grillers's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-head46 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 22% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careersBoth teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.
⚔ Compare careers| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BURNT FINGER BBQ | 14 | 4 | 10 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| HUNKA HUNKA BURNIN' RUB | 14 | 2 | 12 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| B&D BBQ | 13 | 4 | 9 | 31% | ⚔ compare |
| Hawg Wild | 13 | 3 | 10 | 23% | ⚔ compare |
| Four Men and A Pig | 13 | 2 | 11 | 15% | ⚔ compare |
| B & C SMOKERS | 13 | 0 | 13 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| BREW 'N' BAR-B-QUE | 13 | 0 | 13 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| HAROLD'S HOT MEAT SMOKERS | 13 | 0 | 13 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| No Clue BBQ | 12 | 12 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| Too Hot to Handle | 12 | 10 | 2 | 83% | ⚔ compare |
| The Drizzlers | 12 | 9 | 3 | 75% | ⚔ compare |
| Nice Rack | 12 | 8 | 4 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| Slow Cookin' Cats | 12 | 8 | 4 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| Smokin Engineers | 12 | 8 | 4 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| Meat Rubbers | 12 | 7 | 5 | 58% | ⚔ compare |
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 50 | 18 | 1 | 6 | 175.4172 | 139.9772 | 164.89 | top 47% |
| Pork Ribs | 51 | 18 | 2 | 3 | 174.8572 | 137.0856 | 163.95 | top 46% |
| Pork | 38 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 179.4400 | 20 | 160.61 | top 48% |
| Brisket | 38 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 178.8572 | 130.8116 | 163.65 | top 41% |
“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.
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 5 | 0 | top 43% |
| Medium (20–39) | 21 | 1 | top 36% |
| Large (40+) | 24 | 0 | top 50% |
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship | 5 | 84 | 0 | top 67% | Jun 26, 2026 |
| Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship | 4 | 43 | 0 | top 39% | Jun 24, 2016 |
| Anchor City Cook Off | 3 | 1 | 1 | top 14% | Oct 9, 2015 |
| Minnesota in May | 3 | 26 | 0 | top 45% | May 8, 2026 |
| Smoke & Fire (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 7 | 0 | top 50% | Apr 24, 2026 |
| Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 5 | 0 | top 43% | Aug 16, 2025 |
| Smokin' in Steele | 2 | 7 | 0 | top 29% | May 30, 2025 |
| Columbia Elks Lodge #594 BBQ Contest | 2 | 10 | 0 | top 31% | May 1, 2015 |
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +16.1 | Anchor City Cook Off | Oct 11, 2013 |
| +13.8 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour | Sep 12, 2014 |
| +13.6 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) | Sep 19, 2014 |
| +13.2 | Smokelawn | May 2, 2014 |
| +12.6 | Anchor City Cook Off | Oct 10, 2014 |
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -17.2 | Smoke on the Mountain - VA State BBQ Championship | Jul 18, 2014 |
| -13.8 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship | Jun 21, 2019 |
| -12.9 | Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship | Jun 23, 2017 |
| -11.3 | Mr. BBQ Barbeque Challenge | Jun 22, 2013 |
| -10.9 | Mr. BBQ Barbeque Challenge | Jun 21, 2014 |
| Season | Contests | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33% | top 53% | 94.9% | 92.1% |
| 2025 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 75% | top 43% | 94.8% | 93.3% |
| 2024 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 40% | top 40% | 94.4% | 91.7% |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 56% | 89.8% | 89.8% |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 70% | 88.6% | 88.6% |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 58% | 88.8% | 88.8% |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 100% | top 30% | 95.1% | 95.1% |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 84% | 85.2% | 85.2% |
| 2018 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 50% | top 51% | 93.7% | 89.7% |
| 2017 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 52% | 89.4% | 87.2% |
| 2016 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 50% | top 50% | 89.2% | 85.4% |
| 2015 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 50% | top 42% | 95.9% | 92.2% |
| 2014 | 13 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 85% | top 37% | 95.8% | 91.4% |
| 2013 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 83% | top 32% | 95.6% | 91.2% |
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 7, 2026 | Chippewa Valley Ribfest (BACKYARD ONLY) Montevideo, MN | 5 / 14 (339.4172) | 6 (171.9772) | 7 (167.4400) | — | — |
| Jun 26, 2026 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 121 / 157 (634.7312) | 125 (157.6456) | 120 (157.7144) | 128 (156.5484) | 77 (162.8228) |
| May 29, 2026 | Spring into Summer Backyard BBQ Competition (BACKYARD ONLY) Owatonna, MN | 15 / 25 (337.6572) | 10 (171.4172) | 14 (166.2400) | — | — |
| May 8, 2026 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 26 / 77 (322.7772) | 14 (166.8228) | 29 (155.9544) | — | — |
| Apr 24, 2026 | Smoke & Fire (BACKYARD ONLY) Stanley, WI | 17 / 24 (331.3712) | 15 (166.8340) | 17 (164.5372) | — | — |
| Mar 20, 2026 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue Backyard Contest Kansas City, MO | 13 / 33 (341.6568) | 19 (170.2512) | 11 (171.4056) | — | — |
| Aug 16, 2025 | Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Canton, MN | 10 / 17 (333.0628) | 10 (167.9656) | 11 (165.0972) | — | — |
| May 30, 2025 | Smokin' in Steele 🏅 Owatonna, MN | 10 / 28 (338.2972) | 1 (173.7372) | 16 (164.5600) | — | — |
| May 9, 2025 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 29 / 58 (330.7540) | 20 (170.8112) | 31 (159.9428) | — | — |
| Apr 25, 2025 | Smoke & Fire (BACKYARD ONLY) Stanley, WI | 7 / 24 (341.1428) | 3 (174.2856) | 11 (166.8572) | — | — |
| Aug 17, 2024 | Boomer Backyard BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Canton, MN | 5 / 18 (340) | 5 (172) | 5 (168) | — | — |
| Jun 21, 2024 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 101 / 172 (643.3944) | 132 (155.9884) | 100 (161.1432) | 146 (154.2628) | 13 (172) |
| May 31, 2024 | Smokin in Steele 🏅 Owatonna, MN | 7 / 32 (331.3828) | 10 (159.3828) | 5 (172) | — | — |
| May 10, 2024 | Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN | 29 / 58 (326.8112) | 25 (166.8684) | 34 (159.9428) | — | — |
| May 10, 2024 | Minnesota in May (ONE MEAT RIBS) St. Peter, MN | — | — | 39 (162.2284) | — | — |
| Jun 23, 2023 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 93 / 167 (646.2396) | 111 (160) | 137 (154.2856) | 121 (159.9884) | 24 (171.9656) |
| Jun 24, 2022 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 114 / 164 (637.6572) | 131 (156) | 140 (152.5716) | 42 (170.2628) | 108 (158.8228) |
| Jun 25, 2021 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 84 / 145 (639.3024) | 93 (159.9884) | 87 (160.4912) | 88 (160) | 80 (158.8228) |
| Jan 24, 2020 | Northeast Beerbq Festival Bundalong, Vic | 3 / 10 (684.5832) | 2 (172.5716) | 2 (171.4284) | 1 (178.8572) | 8 (161.7260) |
| Jun 21, 2019 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 153 / 183 (613.5428) | 167 (149.0856) | 160 (147.3488) | 122 (158.3084) | 102 (158.8000) |
| Nov 5, 2018 | Heat Beads BBQ Turf Wars Cranbourne Victoria | 6 / 21 (674.7540) | 9 (167.4172) | 1 (174.2856) | 3 (171.4056) | 14 (161.6456) |
| Jun 22, 2018 | The Great Lenexa BBQ Battle Lenexa, KS | 135 / 185 (616.9716) | 116 (156.5372) | 155 (150.7888) | 56 (165.1428) | 161 (144.5028) |
| Jun 23, 2017 | Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 143 / 184 (611.8512) | 103 (157.0512) | 176 (137.0856) | 109 (157.7372) | 76 (159.9772) |
| Feb 4, 2017 | Yak Ales Melbourne Barbecue Festival Melbourne | 11 / 43 (643.3716) | 33 (153.6916) | 6 (165.6800) | 8 (168.5600) | 25 (155.4400) |
| Jun 24, 2016 | Great Lenexa BBQ Battle-Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 65 / 183 (642.2972) | 62 (162.8456) | 49 (165.7144) | 69 (162.8456) | 134 (150.8916) |
| Jan 29, 2016 | The Yaks Sydney Barbecue Festival Sydney, Australia | 11 / 17 (586.8116) | 15 (139.9772) | 1 (170.3200) | 9 (145.7028) | 11 (130.8116) |
| Oct 9, 2015 | Anchor City Cook Off Centralia, MO | 6 / 20 (682.1484) | 5 (173.1200) | 4 (170.8228) | 10 (170.8228) | 8 (167.3828) |
| Aug 28, 2015 | Raider Red Meats BBQ and Ribeye Championship Lubbock, TX | 22 / 57 (656.5484) | 15 (171.4056) | 30 (163.4288) | 39 (158.8684) | 22 (162.8456) |
| Aug 14, 2015 | Stand By Your Grill Fulton, MS | 10 / 57 (690.7540) | 27 (170.2628) | 17 (170.8228) | 14 (171.9656) | 5 (177.7028) |
| Jun 26, 2015 | Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 128 / 183 (621.6116) | 63 (163.4400) | 154 (149.0744) | 151 (151.9772) | 93 (157.1200) |
| May 1, 2015 | Columbia Elks Lodge #594 BBQ Contest Columbia, MO | 12 / 37 (672.4340) | 4 (174.8456) | 25 (158.2284) | 6 (173.1200) | 17 (166.2400) |
| Apr 3, 2015 | Fifth Annual Bull Moose Somerville, TN | 26 / 41 (658.1256) | 28 (163.9544) | 28 (162.8456) | 20 (165.0856) | 17 (166.2400) |
| Oct 10, 2014 | Anchor City Cook Off Centralia, MO | 2 / 27 (689.6572) | 7 (171.4172) | 12 (167.9772) | 6 (171.4056) | 1 (178.8572) |
| Oct 2, 2014 | 35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open Kansas City, MO | 95 / 552 (674.2856) | 210 (167.4056) | 184 (167.4400) | 249 (165.1200) | 33 (174.3200) |
| Sep 26, 2014 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Championship Bentonville, AR | 35 / 50 (680.4684) | 26 (173.7028) | 9 (174.8572) | 39 (167.3828) | 43 (164.5256) |
| Sep 19, 2014 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Midwest City, OK | 6 / 29 (683.4060) | 5 (174.8916) | 8 (170.2744) | 20 (167.9772) | 9 (170.2628) |
| Sep 12, 2014 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour N. Kansas City, MO | 4 / 30 (680.4912) | 16 (168.5484) | 5 (174.2972) | 7 (170.8228) | 11 (166.8228) |
| Jul 18, 2014 | Smoke on the Mountain - VA State BBQ Championship Galax, VA | 29 / 30 (519.3712) | 13 (165.6684) | 5 (168.5372) | 29 (20) | 10 (165.1656) |
| Jul 11, 2014 | 7th Annual Wellsville BBQ Cookoff Wellsville, MO | 24 / 41 (657.5200) | 4 (175.4172) | 33 (158.7884) | 10 (169.6800) | 31 (153.6344) |
| Jul 4, 2014 | Que'n In The Park Bryant, AR | 6 / 33 (673.6116) | 3 (174.8572) | 11 (167.4288) | 20 (160.5028) | 8 (170.8228) |
| Jun 27, 2014 | Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 52 / 184 (643.9428) | 124 (156.5600) | 103 (157.1200) | 17 (169.7028) | 58 (160.5600) |
| Jun 21, 2014 | Mr. BBQ Barbeque Challenge Davenport, IA | 21 / 25 (608.0572) | 25 (142.3084) | 22 (149.7716) | 22 (151.9656) | 10 (164.0116) |
| May 2, 2014 | Columbia Elks Lodge #594 BBQ Contest Columbia, MO | 10 / 35 (671.8972) | 6 (173.1200) | 5 (172.5600) | 31 (158.8000) | 12 (167.4172) |
| May 2, 2014 | Smokelawn Hot Springs, AR | 3 / 39 (689.6916) | 15 (168.5716) | 9 (170.2628) | 2 (179.4400) | 6 (171.4172) |
| Mar 27, 2014 | BBQ Throw Down 2014 @ Windcreek Atmore, AL | 7 / 21 (682.1368) | 15 (166.2284) | 8 (170.8344) | 3 (173.1084) | 6 (171.9656) |
| Oct 11, 2013 | Anchor City Cook Off Centralia, MO | 1 / 29 (688.5372) | 2 (173.7144) | 8 (169.1200) | 5 (170.8456) | 1 (174.8572) |
| Jul 19, 2013 | Smokin' on the River Glasgow, MO | 5 / 36 (673.0744) | 13 (166.2628) | 4 (170.8572) | 17 (163.9772) | 7 (171.9772) |
| Jul 12, 2013 | 6th Annual Wellsville BBQ Cookoff Wellsville, MO | 14 / 42 (670.1828) | 2 (174.8572) | 18 (167.4056) | 38 (151.3600) | 2 (176.5600) |
| Jun 22, 2013 | Mr. BBQ Barbeque Challenge Davenport, IA | 28 / 32 (619.4284) | 28 (154.2856) | 23 (158.2858) | 22 (159.9998) | 29 (146.8572) |
| Jun 21, 2013 | Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS | 43 / 183 (644.5712) | 152 (148) | 9 (172) | 72 (162.2856) | 55 (162.2856) |
| Apr 19, 2013 | Main Street BBQ & Bluesfest Washington, MO | 14 / 50 (643.4284) | 43 (150.2858) | 12 (165.1428) | 10 (167.4284) | 17 (160.5714) |