BAVARIAN SMOKE BBQ

BAVARIAN SMOKE BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 26 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2018. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the Taste of Grand Rapids (2013), and finished Reserve Grand Champion once. They are ranked #1222 of 6,477 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

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At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#1,222

of 6,477 rated · rankings

Rating

1585

peak 1594 · rated over 25 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted

Contests

in the data

First seen

Jun 28, 2013

latest Oct 12, 2018 · 5.3 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#422

Master 2013 · every season

Grand champs

1 reserve · wins it all 4% of the time

Category wins

15 podiums

Overall top-10s

42% of 26 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 42%

overall standings

Best overall

683.9772 / 720

Master · Taste of Grand Rapids

Perfect 180s

Current form

653.69 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 657.61 (-3.91)

Walk rate

73%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

177.1772

Brisket · Taste of Grand Rapids

Consistency

±14.26

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 164.92 · weakest Chicken (164.11)

Road miles

3,742

across 26 mapped stops · furthest 555 mi

Schedule strength

46%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1560)

Master avg

657.61 / 720

26 Master contests · 1 GC

Storylines (14 found in their record)

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

Giant slayer

39 teams beaten in one weekend

Took the Grand Championship over a 39-team field at Taste of Grand Rapids.

Jul 19, 2013

A multi-meat day

1 contest with 2+ category wins

They've won two or more meats on the same day 1 time — the best of them 2 category wins at 10th Annual Auburn Hills Barbecue Cook-Off (Jun 22, 2018).

Chicken 1st
Pork Ribs 1st

They almost always walk

73% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 19 of 26 contests

A top-10 category call in 73% of their 26 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

683.9772 career-best overall

95.0% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 683.9772 at Taste of Grand Rapids — 95.0% of a perfect 720.

Master
Jul 19, 2013

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

PB&J'S BBQ TEAM has finished one call ahead of BAVARIAN SMOKE BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2013 1 Grand Championship

2013 was the year it came together: 5 contests, 1 Grand Championship and 1 category win, at an average finish in the top 32%.

5 contests
3 overall top-10s
1 category win
average top 32%

A tough matchup

18–4 behind in the head-to-head

iBQ'n ahead in 82% of their meetings

iBQ'n has come out ahead in 18 of their 22 shared contests.

Show 7 more storylines

The drought

24 contests since the last title

Their last Grand Championship came at Taste of Grand Rapids on Jul 19, 2013 — 24 contests and 13.2 years ago.

last GC Jul 19, 2013
13.2 years ago

A strong matchup

14–4 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 78% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of SWEET RACKS & SMOKIN' BUTTS BBQ in 14 of their 18 shared contests.

Pork nemesis

14 of 21 shared pork entries lost

THE REAL SMOKIN ACES ahead 67% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, THE REAL SMOKIN ACES has out-cooked them in 14 of 21 shared pork entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

iBQ'n has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A June team

Top 27% average finish in June

Something about June: average finish in the top 27% across 6 contests, versus top 42% the rest of the year.

6 June contests
top 42% the rest of the year

The long haul

3,742 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 3,742 miles across 26 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 555 miles to Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY).

26 mapped stops
furthest 555 mi

The metronome

±1.98% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.98% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 91.3% of a perfect score
26 contests

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
2018 ↗	Master	#486 (737 pts)	#427 (847 pts)	#401 (897 pts)	#592 (627 pts)	#547 (672 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#668 (575 pts)	#742 (540 pts)	#852 (460 pts)	#592 (680 pts)	#636 (625 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#557 (710 pts)	#713 (565 pts)	#571 (720 pts)	#522 (780 pts)	#508 (805 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#1048 (286 pts)	#1436 (191 pts)	#1084 (306 pts)	#1448 (201 pts)	#1196 (246 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#1930 (104 pts)	#1940 (119 pts)	#2096 (89 pts)	#1299 (239 pts)	#2651 (64 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#422 (727 pts)	#652 (502 pts)	#529 (627 pts)	#657 (507 pts)	#394 (797 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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

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

RJs Smokehouse

#1,220 of the rated field

1585 power rating

Contests: 33
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 42%
Peak: 1602

Careers of much the same size, 33 contests to 26, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 27 contests
last seen Sep 25, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

BIG PAPA'S COUNTRY KITCHEN

#1,223 of the rated field

1584 power rating

Contests: 22
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 50%
Peak: 1597

Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 22 contests, alongside a 50% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 22 contests
last seen Apr 12, 2019

⚔ Compare careers

SMOKIN NC

#1,224 of the rated field

1584 power rating

Contests: 39
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 18%
Peak: 1610

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

rated over 39 contests
last seen Oct 4, 2019

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Loose Cannon BBQ

#1,225 of the rated field

1584 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 68%
Peak: 1584

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 16 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 16 contests
last seen Sep 15, 2023
on a 10-contest top-10 run

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When Pigs Fly Family BBQ

#1,221 of the rated field

1585 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 67%
Peak: 1591

They turned up 12 years after BAVARIAN SMOKE BBQ did, first appearing in 2025.

rated over 10 contests
last seen May 24, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

WOOLEY BULLY BBQ MAFIA

#1,209 of the rated field

1586 ▲ 1 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 27%
Peak: 1586

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to BAVARIAN SMOKE BBQ)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team BAVARIAN SMOKE BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 14 contests
last seen Aug 4, 2017

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
iBQ'n	22	4	18	18%	⚔ compare
THE REAL SMOKIN ACES	21	4	17	19%	⚔ compare
BAD WOLF BBQ	20	13	7	65%	⚔ compare
Mac Attack BBQ	19	10	9	53%	⚔ compare
SWEET RACKS & SMOKIN' BUTTS BBQ	18	14	4	78%	⚔ compare
AWW HELL	18	9	9	50%	⚔ compare
FIREHOUSE SMOKE	18	4	14	22%	⚔ compare
RUBBED, SMOKED, AND SAUCED BBQ	17	7	10	41%	⚔ compare
PB&J'S BBQ TEAM	16	7	9	44%	⚔ compare
SLIPPERY PETE'S BBQ	15	3	12	20%	⚔ compare
BAD HABIT BBQ	14	6	8	43%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN' IN THE D	14	5	9	36%	⚔ compare
DETROIT PIGSKIN BARBEQUE	13	9	4	69%	⚔ compare
BIG BROTHERS BBQ	13	1	12	8%	⚔ compare
HOLY SMOKERS MI	12	10	2	83%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	26	7	1	3	175.4056	141.1428	164.11	top 49%
Pork Ribs	26	11	1	4	173.7372	146.7888	164.16	top 43%
Pork	26	10	1	3	176.5944	154.2172	164.92	top 44%
Brisket	26	12	1	5	177.1772	149.0284	164.42	top 42%

“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)	23	1	top 40%
Large (40+)	3	0	top 56%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
MI	24	1	top 39%
KY	1	0	top 75%
TN	1	0	top 63%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Blues.Brews & Barbecue	3	5	top 44%	Jul 29, 2016
The Rumble on the River presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com	2	19	top 82%	Sep 21, 2018
Silver Lake Apple BBQ Festival	2	15	top 42%	Sep 14, 2018

More numbers

Busiest season 2018 6 contests

Contests a season 4.3 across 6 seasons in the data

Most contests held in MI 24 of 26 contests · 3 states in all

Contests visited 22 3 of them more than once

First title Jul 19, 2013 Taste of Grand Rapids

Opponents faced 346 finished ahead 513 times, behind 367

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

20184 milestones

Jun 22 First Reserve Championship 10th Annual Auburn Hills Barbecue Cook-Off
Jun 22 First multi-meat day 10th Annual Auburn Hills Barbecue Cook-Off
Sep 21 25th tracked contest The Rumble on the River presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com
Oct 12 Most recent contest Smoke & Ale Fall Festival

20171 milestone

Aug 4 Peak power rating (1594) All American BBQ Throwdown

20161 milestone

May 20 10th tracked contest 2nd Annual Pork in the Park

201310 milestones

Jun 28 First tracked contest Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Jun 28 First call Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Jul 19 First category win (Brisket) Taste of Grand Rapids
Jul 19 First overall top-10 Taste of Grand Rapids
Jul 19 First overall podium Taste of Grand Rapids
Jul 19 First Grand Championship Taste of Grand Rapids
Jul 19 First overall past 90% of a perfect score683.9772 Taste of Grand Rapids
Jul 19 Biggest field won (39 teams) Taste of Grand Rapids
Jul 19 Career-best overall score683.9772 Taste of Grand Rapids
Jul 19 Career-best single call (Brisket)177.1772 Taste of Grand Rapids

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+16.3	Taste of Grand Rapids	Jul 19, 2013
+15	10th Annual Auburn Hills Barbecue Cook-Off	Jun 22, 2018
+12.3	9th Annual Auburn Hills Barbecue Cook-off	Jun 23, 2017
+12	Blues, Brews & Barbecue	Aug 21, 2015
+11.4	8th Annual Auburn Hills Barbecue Cookoff	Jun 24, 2016

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-11.1	Westland Area Jaycee's All American BBQ Throwdown	Aug 3, 2018
-9	The Rumble on the River presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com	Sep 21, 2018
-8	BBQ & BREWS	Jul 21, 2017
-7.5	The Rumble on the River presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com	Sep 22, 2017
-7.3	Jim Beam BBQ Classic	Oct 6, 2017

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)
2018	6	0	2	2	67%	top 47%	94.2%	91.4%
2017	6	0	2	0	50%	top 52%	93.3%	91.3%
2016	5	0	3	1	80%	top 34%	92.8%	90.8%
2015	3	0	1	0	100%	top 39%	92.1%	91.5%
2014	1	0	0	0	100%	top 44%	92.6%	92.6%
2013	5	1	3	1	80%	top 32%	95%	91.5%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Oct 12, 2018	Smoke & Ale Fall Festival Chelsea, MI	9 / 38 (665.0396)	4 (172.5828)	31 (151.3828)	7 (169.6684)	4 (171.4056)
Sep 21, 2018	The Rumble on the River presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com Grand Haven, MI	24 / 28 (643.8512)	25 (161.0856)	26 (155.9544)	12 (166.8228)	17 (159.9884)
Sep 14, 2018	Silver Lake Apple BBQ Festival Mears, MI	15 / 48 (665.5652)	11 (169.6912)	13 (167.9656)	24 (159.9428)	14 (167.9656)
Aug 17, 2018	Bordertown BBQ Brawl Sault Ste Marie, MI	13 / 24 (664.5488)	12 (166.8572)	2 (173.7372)	15 (166.8228)	22 (157.1316)
Aug 3, 2018	Westland Area Jaycee's All American BBQ Throwdown Westland, MI	31 / 39 (629.4624)	35 (156.4912)	10 (168.5944)	26 (155.3484)	35 (149.0284)
Jun 22, 2018	10th Annual Auburn Hills Barbecue Cook-Off Auburn Hills, MI	2 / 30 (678.1708)	1 (175.4056)	1 (173.7028)	12 (162.8112)	10 (166.2512)
Oct 6, 2017	Jim Beam BBQ Classic Springfield, KY	33 / 44 (658.7660)	14 (173.7028)	36 (159.9888)	32 (166.2744)	36 (158.8000)
Sep 22, 2017	The Rumble on the River presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com Grand Haven, MI	19 / 24 (666.8000)	11 (170.8228)	19 (165.7144)	24 (161.0856)	12 (169.1772)
Sep 8, 2017	Silver Lake Apple BBQ Festival Silver Lake, MI	15 / 28 (654.2056)	7 (169.7256)	23 (154.8000)	23 (156.5372)	4 (173.1428)
Aug 4, 2017	All American BBQ Throwdown Westland, MI	6 / 29 (671.4056)	7 (167.9884)	7 (167.4400)	2 (173.1544)	13 (162.8228)
Jul 21, 2017	BBQ & BREWS Birch Run, MI	26 / 37 (626.1028)	34 (157.1084)	34 (146.7888)	16 (164.5256)	21 (157.6800)
Jun 23, 2017	9th Annual Auburn Hills Barbecue Cook-off Auburn Hills, MI	4 / 32 (666.7656)	19 (163.3828)	16 (159.9772)	4 (170.8572)	2 (172.5484)
Aug 26, 2016	Ribstock Marne, MI	12 / 32 (650.7772)	23 (157.0856)	10 (162.8344)	1 (176.5944)	21 (154.2628)
Jul 29, 2016	Blues.Brews & Barbecue Birch Run, MI	28 / 39 (627.2684)	32 (152.5372)	29 (158.2400)	26 (156.5256)	16 (159.9656)
Jun 24, 2016	8th Annual Auburn Hills Barbecue Cookoff Auburn Hills, MI	5 / 30 (663.9428)	16 (161.1200)	6 (166.8344)	8 (166.2628)	3 (169.7256)
Jun 10, 2016	ELF Khurafeh Shrine BBQ Competition and Music Festival Clio, MI	5 / 20 (660.4912)	2 (172)	13 (157.6456)	10 (161.7028)	2 (169.1428)
May 20, 2016	2nd Annual Pork in the Park Wyandotte, MI	5 / 28 (667.8744)	17 (156.5372)	2 (171.9772)	6 (171.9772)	8 (167.3828)
Aug 21, 2015	Blues, Brews & Barbecue Birch Run, MI	5 / 33 (662.8912)	15 (161.1772)	11 (166.8572)	16 (162.8340)	5 (172.0228)
Jul 17, 2015	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Auburn Hills, MI	15 / 28 (655.3716)	19 (164.0116)	5 (170.2972)	16 (162.8000)	23 (158.2628)
Jun 19, 2015	7th Annual Auburn Hills Barbecue Cook-off Auburn Hills, MI	15 / 32 (657.6568)	13 (165.7028)	5 (170.8228)	11 (166.2628)	24 (154.8684)
Aug 22, 2014	Blues, Brews & Barbecue Birch Run, MI	17 / 39 (666.7424)	14 (168.5600)	20 (163.3828)	3 (176)	27 (158.7996)
Oct 25, 2013	Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) unrated Lynchburg, TN	61 / 97 (651.9200)	59 (164.0116)	40 (167.4284)	81 (154.2172)	43 (166.2628)
Aug 23, 2013	Blues, Brews & Barbecues Birch Run, MI	7 / 31 (659.9312)	10 (163.9656)	12 (163.4056)	18 (160.5372)	3 (172.0228)
Aug 9, 2013	Dam Good BBQ Championship Newaygo, MI	6 / 31 (659.9540)	20 (159.3828)	7 (166.2856)	6 (169.1428)	10 (165.1428)
Jul 19, 2013	Taste of Grand Rapids Comstock Park, MI	1 / 39 (683.9772)	3 (174.8572)	14 (167.4056)	18 (164.5372)	1 (177.1772)
Jun 28, 2013	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Traverse City, MI	14 / 26 (638.2856)	25 (141.1428)	3 (168.5716)	8 (164.5712)	8 (164)

An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.

BAVARIAN SMOKE 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

Master avg

Storylines (14 found in their record)

Giant slayer

A multi-meat day

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

The drought

A strong matchup

Pork nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

A June team

The long haul

The metronome

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)