High-water mark
687.3600
career-best overall
95.5% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 687.3600 at Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) — 95.5% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- Jul 25, 2025
Palm tree smokehouse
Palm tree smokehouse is a competition barbecue team with 42 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 3rd of 65 at the New Jersey State Barbecue Championship (2015). They are ranked #4710 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “Palmtree Smokehouse”.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1469
peak 1526 · rated over 42 contests
Contests
42
in the data
First seen
May 17, 2013
latest Jul 24, 2026 · 13.2 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
1
6 podiums
Overall top-10s
4
10% of 42 contests
Avg finish
top 59%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
668.00 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 637.86 (+30.13)
Walk rate
45%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±23.24
spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork
avg 161.82 · weakest Brisket (156.26)
Road miles
2,966
across 42 mapped stops · furthest 102 mi
Schedule strength
31%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1542)
Purse competed for
$175K
listed at 20 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 21 state-championship entries
Master avg
637.86 / 720
42 Master contests · 0 GCs
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #1309 (60 pts) | #1341 (60 pts) | #1404 (60 pts) | #914 (165 pts) | #1333 (60 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #1955 (60 pts) | #2049 (60 pts) | #2026 (60 pts) | #2029 (60 pts) | #2010 (60 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #1954 (60 pts) | #2012 (60 pts) | #1996 (60 pts) | #1431 (165 pts) | #1990 (60 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #2007 (95 pts) | #1469 (185 pts) | #1480 (185 pts) | #2260 (60 pts) | #2266 (60 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #1001 (325 pts) | #925 (395 pts) | #1055 (330 pts) | #642 (625 pts) | #936 (375 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #742 (475 pts) | #793 (460 pts) | #697 (545 pts) | #943 (380 pts) | #758 (485 pts) |
| 2014 ↗ | Master | #653 (567 pts) | #661 (577 pts) | #511 (772 pts) | #594 (657 pts) | #686 (542 pts) |
| 2013 ↗ | Master | #1471 (150 pts) | #1551 (150 pts) | #1571 (150 pts) | #1486 (165 pts) | #1506 (150 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Palm tree smokehouse, each with one reason worth a look.
160 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#4,718 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1469
6–3 in 9 shared contests (67% to Palm tree smokehouse)
These two have cooked 9 of the same contests — Palm tree smokehouse ahead 6–3 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.
⚔ Head-to-head#4,723 of the rated field
- Contests
- 5
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 20%
- Peak
- 1468
1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to Palm tree smokehouse)
Fewer contests behind them than Palm tree smokehouse has cooked, 5 to 42, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Head-to-head#4,729 of the rated field
- Contests
- 5
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1468
5–0 in 5 shared contests (100% to Palm tree smokehouse)
They turned up 9 years after Palm tree smokehouse did, first appearing in 2022.
⚔ Head-to-head#4,700 of the rated field
- Contests
- 35
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 9%
- Peak
- 1505
They've been 1505 at their best, 36 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Compare careers#4,705 of the rated field
- Contests
- 29
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 3%
- Peak
- 1469
29 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 3% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Compare careers#4,692 of the rated field
- Contests
- 28
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 21%
- Peak
- 1469
Their last contest in the data was back in 2023, 3 years before Palm tree smokehouse's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ | 31 | 4 | 27 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit | 29 | 3 | 26 | 10% | ⚔ compare |
| B'S QUE | 21 | 5 | 16 | 24% | ⚔ compare |
| Fire Ants BBQ | 20 | 16 | 4 | 80% | ⚔ compare |
| UP IN SMOKERS | 19 | 8 | 11 | 42% | ⚔ compare |
| WEEKEND SMOKERS | 19 | 7 | 12 | 37% | ⚔ compare |
| GLAZED AND INFUSED NEW JERSEY BBQ | 19 | 2 | 17 | 11% | ⚔ compare |
| THE BBQ GURU | 19 | 1 | 18 | 5% | ⚔ compare |
| Nice Racks | 18 | 8 | 10 | 44% | ⚔ compare |
| WILBUR'S REVENGE | 17 | 8 | 9 | 47% | ⚔ compare |
| PIGHEADED BBQ | 17 | 3 | 14 | 18% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKOPOLIS BBQ | 17 | 2 | 15 | 12% | ⚔ compare |
| SIR-PORK'S-ALOT BBQ | 16 | 6 | 10 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| SHADY CREW | 16 | 6 | 10 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG BOB'S SMOKIN QUE | 15 | 5 | 10 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 42 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 177.1428 | 146.7996 | 161.79 | top 55% |
| Pork Ribs | 42 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 175.4056 | 131.9998 | 157.99 | top 59% |
| Pork | 42 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 174.8572 | 138.8228 | 161.82 | top 50% |
| Brisket | 42 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 173.1772 | 137.6000 | 156.26 | top 61% |
“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) | 11 | 0 | top 75% |
| Large (40+) | 31 | 0 | top 53% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey State Barbecue Championship | 12 | 3 | 0 | top 43% | Jul 11, 2026 |
| New Holland Summer Fest | 7 | 21 | 0 | top 61% | Aug 23, 2024 |
| Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 1) | 4 | 23 | 0 | top 92% | May 15, 2026 |
| Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) | 3 | 12 | 0 | top 67% | Jul 24, 2026 |
| Smoke in the Valley BBQ competition | 2 | 26 | 0 | top 62% | May 6, 2016 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2024
6 contests
Contests a season
3.2
across 13 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
PA
23 of 42 contests · 4 states in all
Contests visited
19
5 of them more than once
Opponents faced
768
finished ahead 1,078 times, behind 1,454
Longest layoff
2 yrs
Jul 12, 2019 → Jul 9, 2021
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20261 milestone
- Most recent contest Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1)
20252 milestones
- Career-best single call (Chicken)177.1428 New Jersey State Barbecue Championship
- Career-best overall score687.3600 Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1)
20221 milestone
- 25th tracked contest New Holland Summer Fest
20171 milestone
- Peak power rating (1526) New Jersey State Barbecue Championship
20152 milestones
- 10th tracked contest Triple Threat BBQ Beer and Music Festival
- First overall podium New Jersey State Barbecue Championship
20144 milestones
- First call Que for the Troops
- First category win (Pork Ribs) Que for the Troops
- First overall top-10 Que for the Troops
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score648.5484 Que for the Troops
20131 milestone
- First tracked contest Middletown BBQ Cook Off
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +16.7 | New Jersey State Barbecue Championship | Jul 12, 2025 |
| +15.4 | New Jersey State Barbecue Championship | Jul 10, 2015 |
| +14.1 | Que for the Troops | Jun 6, 2014 |
| +9.6 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) | Jul 25, 2025 |
| +7.8 | New Jersey State Barbecue Championship | Jul 7, 2017 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -11.7 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 2) | May 18, 2024 |
| -10.9 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 1) | May 17, 2024 |
| -10.8 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 1) | May 15, 2026 |
| -10.2 | Smoke on the Rail (Day 1) | Jul 28, 2023 |
| -9.9 | New Jersey State Barbecue Championship | Jul 12, 2013 |
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 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 75% | top 62% | 93.5% | 92.1% |
| 2025 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33% | top 45% | 95.5% | 92.7% |
| 2024 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 84% | 89.7% | 88.6% |
| 2023 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 66% | 92.4% | 90.7% |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 56% | 90.6% | 90.3% |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 69% | 84.4% | 84.4% |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 66% | 86.9% | 86.9% |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 53% | 87.2% | 87.2% |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 27% | 89.2% | 89.2% |
| 2016 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 60% | top 54% | 90.6% | 87.8% |
| 2015 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 40% | top 48% | 92.1% | 88.9% |
| 2014 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 67% | top 40% | 90.1% | 87.3% |
| 2013 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 80% | 83.6% | 81.4% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 24, 2026 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 34 / 43 (663.3028) | 27 (169.6800) | 38 (159.3828) | 29 (166.2628) | 28 (167.9772) |
| Jul 11, 2026 | New Jersey State Barbecue Championship 🏅 North Wildwood, NJ | 25 / 62 (672.9940) | 27 (167.9772) | 7 (175.4056) | 43 (158.7884) | 17 (170.8228) |
| May 15, 2026 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 1) 🏅 Morgantown, PA | 23 / 25 (645.5200) | 2 (176) | 23 (153.0744) | 20 (160.4912) | 24 (155.9544) |
| Apr 17, 2026 | New Jersey KnoQ-out - CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES (DAY 1) 🏅 Blairstown, NJ | 10 / 26 (670.8112) | 7 (170.2628) | 18 (159.9656) | 5 (171.4400) | 8 (169.1428) |
| Jul 25, 2025 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 12 / 30 (687.3600) | 13 (173.7028) | 14 (169.6800) | 14 (171.9772) | 15 (172) |
| Jul 12, 2025 | New Jersey State Barbecue Championship 🏅 North Wildwood, NJ | 6 / 63 (682.2400) | 3 (177.1428) | 31 (164.5372) | 2 (174.8572) | 20 (165.7028) |
| May 16, 2025 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 1) 🏅 Morgantown, PA | 24 / 28 (633.5888) | 26 (154.8344) | 24 (158.2744) | 13 (167.9656) | 25 (152.5144) |
| Aug 23, 2024 | New Holland Summer Fest 🏅 New Holland, PA | 32 / 38 (637.5088) | 31 (161.6572) | 36 (154.2516) | 15 (169.6684) | 34 (151.9316) |
| Jul 26, 2024 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 29 / 35 (639.3260) | 29 (159.3600) | 29 (157.7488) | 12 (168.5600) | 28 (153.6572) |
| Jul 13, 2024 | New Jersey State Barbecue Championship 🏅 North Wildwood, NJ | 35 / 62 (646.1716) | 28 (166.2628) | 52 (153.1088) | 23 (165.7028) | 33 (161.0972) |
| Jun 28, 2024 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 Delta, PA | 26 / 29 (639.2456) | 19 (168.5484) | 27 (155.9656) | 28 (155.3600) | 22 (159.3716) |
| May 18, 2024 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 2) 🏅 Morgantown, PA | 26 / 26 (624.9484) | 26 (156.5028) | 26 (151.3600) | 20 (160.5484) | 23 (156.5372) |
| May 17, 2024 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 1) 🏅 Morgantown, PA | 33 / 37 (638.7200) | 19 (169.1200) | 36 (148.5256) | 31 (159.3828) | 25 (161.6916) |
| Oct 13, 2023 | Maryland State BBQ Bash 🏅 Bel Air, MD | 15 / 23 (665.5996) | 10 (170.8800) | 11 (169.1200) | 21 (162.7884) | 16 (162.8112) |
| Aug 25, 2023 | New Holland Summer Fest 🏅 New Holland, PA | 27 / 44 (651.2796) | 18 (169.1200) | 23 (162.2628) | 37 (155.3712) | 21 (164.5256) |
| Jul 28, 2023 | Smoke on the Rail (Day 1) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 43 / 51 (653.0288) | 44 (161.7028) | 6 (174.2744) | 41 (160.5144) | 43 (156.5372) |
| Jul 14, 2023 | New Jersey State Barbecue Championship 🏅 North Wildwood, NJ | 35 / 64 (643.2460) | 45 (159.9544) | 21 (167.4172) | 50 (155.9316) | 33 (159.9428) |
| Aug 26, 2022 | New Holland Summer Fest 🏅 New Holland, PA | 32 / 49 (652.4228) | 47 (151.3484) | 26 (167.3828) | 7 (174.2628) | 32 (159.4288) |
| Jul 9, 2022 | New Jersey State Barbecue Championship 🏅 North Wildwood, NJ | 29 / 61 (647.3028) | 54 (152.5372) | 38 (159.9772) | 25 (165.6684) | 10 (169.1200) |
| Jul 9, 2021 | New Jersey State BBQ Championship 🏅 North Wildwood, NJ | 41 / 59 (607.9204) | 29 (158.8344) | 38 (153.1888) | 42 (153.6572) | 50 (142.2400) |
| Jul 12, 2019 | New Jersey State Barbecue Championship 🏅 North Wildwood, NJ | 42 / 64 (625.5548) | 33 (160.5716) | 40 (155.9428) | 26 (165.1088) | 57 (143.9316) |
| Jul 14, 2018 | New Jersey State Barbecue Championship North Wildwood, NJ | 34 / 64 (627.9432) | 36 (154.8228) | 32 (156.5832) | 7 (168) | 42 (148.5372) |
| Jul 7, 2017 | New Jersey State Barbecue Championship North Wildwood, NJ | 18 / 67 (642.1832) | 5 (172.5944) | 5 (167.3944) | 25 (160.5372) | 53 (141.6572) |
| Aug 26, 2016 | New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA | 21 / 66 (652.4340) | 22 (166.2284) | 61 (146.2056) | 8 (172.0228) | 10 (167.9772) |
| Jul 8, 2016 | New Jersey State Barbecue Championship North Wildwood, NJ | 24 / 65 (628.4912) | 19 (161.6568) | 19 (160.5716) | 6 (164.5484) | 44 (141.7144) |
| Jun 3, 2016 | Que for the Troops Levittown, PA | 29 / 67 (638.6628) | 37 (161.6456) | 27 (162.8228) | 30 (159.3828) | 38 (154.8116) |
| May 6, 2016 | Smoke in the Valley BBQ competition Greenlane, PA | 36 / 47 (623.2912) | 15 (167.3828) | 29 (158.2744) | 43 (149.0856) | 40 (148.5484) |
| Apr 15, 2016 | Interstate BBQ Festival Hagerstown, MD | 34 / 41 (618.6284) | 37 (155.3484) | 36 (149.6344) | 6 (171.4284) | 39 (142.2172) |
| Aug 28, 2015 | New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA | 50 / 70 (618.6972) | 37 (159.9544) | 48 (151.4400) | 26 (162.7884) | 58 (144.5144) |
| Jul 10, 2015 | New Jersey State Barbecue Championship North Wildwood, NJ | 3 / 65 (662.8112) | 16 (165.1084) | 2 (171.4400) | 45 (153.0856) | 3 (173.1772) |
| Jun 5, 2015 | Que for the Troops Levittown, PA | 33 / 54 (651.8856) | 50 (151.9084) | 16 (166.2972) | 11 (171.9772) | 28 (161.7028) |
| May 8, 2015 | Smoke in the Valley BBQ Competition & Festival Green Lane, PA | 37 / 57 (627.3144) | 6 (170.2972) | 41 (151.4288) | 23 (162.2284) | 45 (143.3600) |
| Apr 10, 2015 | Triple Threat BBQ Beer and Music Festival Harrington, DE | 40 / 99 (640.5144) | 51 (160.5600) | 52 (157.6916) | 61 (156.5600) | 23 (165.7028) |
| Sep 26, 2014 | Lehigh Valley QueFest Allentown, PA | 17 / 32 (625.5884) | 20 (157.7028) | 28 (147.3828) | 26 (153.0972) | 8 (167.4056) |
| Aug 22, 2014 | New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA | 25 / 70 (639.4056) | 13 (167.4056) | 59 (148) | 8 (169.1200) | 32 (154.8800) |
| Jul 11, 2014 | New Jersey State Barbecue Championship North Wildwood, NJ | 23 / 65 (623.2340) | 48 (149.6228) | 7 (163.4400) | 11 (161.0972) | 36 (149.0740) |
| Jun 6, 2014 | Que for the Troops Levittown, PA | 9 / 65 (648.5484) | 32 (158.2740) | 1 (168) | 13 (164.5944) | 25 (157.6800) |
| May 9, 2014 | Smoke in the Valley BBQ Competition Green Lane, PA | 26 / 54 (620.4456) | 13 (163.4056) | 23 (156.5256) | 42 (145.0628) | 22 (155.4516) |
| Apr 11, 2014 | Delaware's Triple Threat BBQ Festival at the Fair Harrington, DE | 61 / 109 (614.7888) | 68 (154.2628) | 42 (156.5488) | 66 (152.5944) | 64 (151.3828) |
| Aug 23, 2013 | New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA | 53 / 71 (602.0792) | 66 (146.7996) | 51 (150.8112) | 33 (157.6800) | 57 (146.7884) |
| Jul 12, 2013 | New Jersey State Barbecue Championship North Wildwood, NJ | 54 / 65 (566.0684) | 44 (147.3484) | 49 (142.2972) | 61 (138.8228) | 57 (137.6000) |
| May 17, 2013 | Middletown BBQ Cook Off Middletown, DE | 46 / 56 (589.1426) | 48 (146.8572) | 55 (131.9998) | 22 (158.2858) | 31 (151.9998) |