D.F.G.'S BBQ

At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)

Power ranking

#615

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1656

peak 1662 · rated over 39 contests ⓘ

Best runs

straight top-10s

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-08-23

latest 2020-10-16

Best ToY finish

#268

Master 2018

Grand champs

1 reserve

Category wins

20 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 40 contests

Avg finish

top 40%

overall standings

Best overall

689.0740 / 720

Master · BBQ SmokeDown at Chicagoland

Perfect 180s

1 🔥

Current form

674.41 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 657.43 (+16.98)

Walk rate

73%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

180.0000 🔥

Pork · Best of the Midwest

Consistency

±18.96

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 166.22 · weakest Brisket (162.60)

Road miles

2,783

mi across 40 mapped stops · furthest 455 mi

Schedule strength

57%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1572)

Purse competed for

$166K

listed at 8 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 10 state-championship entries

Master avg

657.43 / 720

40 Master contests · 1 GC

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (13 found in this team's record)

Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.

Among the elite

#615 of 6,413 rated teams

In the top 10% of every rated team in the data

A power rating of 1656 puts them #615 of 6,413 rated teams — the top 10% of the field.

rating 1656
peak 1662
39 rated contests

Perfect scores on the board

1 perfect 180s

1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in pork.

Pork ×1

Against the odds

12-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 88 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at Grill Games (2018-08-24) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 12-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, One2BBQ.

Giant slayer

42 teams beaten in one weekend

Took the Grand Championship over a 42-team field at Grill Games.

2018-08-24

They almost always walk

73% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 29 of 40 contests

A top-10 category call in 73% of their 40 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

689.0740 career-best overall

95.7% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 689.0740 at BBQ SmokeDown at Chicagoland — 95.7% of a perfect 720.

Master
2019-06-28

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

MOOSE'S BARBECUE has finished one call ahead of D.F.G.'S BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

21–9 behind in the head-to-head

BIG "E" BBQ ahead in 70% of their meetings

BIG "E" BBQ has come out ahead in 21 of their 30 shared contests.

The drought

12 contests since the last title

Their last Grand Championship came at Grill Games on 2018-08-24 — 12 contests and 8 years ago.

last GC 2018-08-24
8 years ago

A strong matchup

12–3 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 80% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of ROLL THE BONES BBQ in 12 of their 15 shared contests.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

AXE-MEN BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.

An August team

Top 30% average finish in August

Something about August: average finish in the top 30% across 8 contests, versus top 40% the rest of the year.

8 August contests
top 40% the rest of the year

A standing appointment

6 years running at one contest

They've cooked Grill Games every year from 2013 to 2018 — the contest they never miss.

6 visits in all
best finish 1st

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The nearest teams in the power rankings, with a different reason on each card — six teams on one rating are rarely on it for the same reason. Rating decides who makes the list; where teams tie on it, the ones this team has actually cooked against come first, then teams at a similar point in their own career. KCBS doesn’t publish where a team is from, so nothing here is inferred from geography.

BIG BUTTS NEED RUBBIN TOO

#618 of the rated field

1655 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 139
GCs: 4
Top-10s: 40%
Peak: 1753

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to D.F.G.'S BBQ)

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

rated over 135 contests
last seen 2023-03-31

⚔ Head-to-head

BnB BBQ

#617 of the rated field

1655 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 43
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 23%
Peak: 1666

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 43 contests to 40, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 40 contests
last seen 2026-06-05

⚔ Head-to-head

SMOKIN TIMBERS NORTHWEST

#614 of the rated field

1656 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 33
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 67%
Peak: 1660

No shared contest yet.

Their rating is built on 2 Grand Championships in 33 contests, alongside a 67% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 32 contests
last seen 2026-08-22

⚔ Head-to-head

TEXAS OIL DUST

#616 of the rated field

1655 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 35
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 40%
Peak: 1675

No shared contest yet.

They turned up 6 years after D.F.G.'S BBQ did, first appearing in 2019.

rated over 31 contests
last seen 2026-08-21

⚔ Head-to-head

HAWG NATION BBQ

#613 of the rated field

1656 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 54
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 35%
Peak: 1670

No shared contest yet.

Level with D.F.G.'S BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 54 contests
last seen 2022-05-13

⚔ Head-to-head

STICKS & STONES BBQ

#619 of the rated field

1655 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 74
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 53%
Peak: 1686

No shared contest yet.

They've been 1686 at their best, 31 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 73 contests
last seen 2026-08-15

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
BIG "E" BBQ	30	9	21	30%	⚔ compare
BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO.	26	13	13	50%	⚔ compare
Risky Brisket	23	5	18	22%	⚔ compare
CAPTAIN RON'S BREW-N-QUE	22	10	12	45%	⚔ compare
SMOKE FREAKS	20	8	12	40%	⚔ compare
THE BBQ BUS	19	11	8	58%	⚔ compare
RACK MASTERS BBQ	17	12	5	71%	⚔ compare
QUE U	17	12	5	71%	⚔ compare
IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ	17	0	17	0%	⚔ compare
Second Hand Smoke SLV	16	11	5	69%	⚔ compare
Carrol Lou's Smokehouse	16	11	5	69%	⚔ compare
WICKED SMOKE BBQ	16	7	9	44%	⚔ compare
One2BBQ	16	4	12	25%	⚔ compare
ROLL THE BONES BBQ	15	12	3	80%	⚔ compare
MOOSE'S BARBECUE	15	12	3	80%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	40	11	0	3	176.0000	134.6744	166.22	top 40%
Pork Ribs	40	14	1	6	177.7028	138.7544	163.97	top 42%
Pork	40	12	2	6	180.0000 🔥	147.9428	164.64	top 44%
Brisket	40	8	1	5	175.4172	146.7772	162.60	top 47%

“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 state / province

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
WI	21	1	top 44%
IL	17	0	top 36%
KS	2	0	top 32%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	8	0	top 36%
Large (40+)	32	1	top 41%

Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Grill Games	6	1	1	top 33%	2018-08-24
*Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off	4	2	0	top 38%	2018-10-19
Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Day 2	2	21	0	top 52%	2019-06-22
Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Day 1	2	17	0	top 36%	2019-06-21
*McHenry Rotary Blues Brews & BBQ	2	7	0	top 21%	2018-08-18
*RED, WHITE and BAR-B-Q ( DAY 2)	2	26	0	top 61%	2018-05-26
*Heritage Days BBQ Showdown	2	15	0	top 50%	2017-06-23

The story so far (20 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 7.1 yrs 2013-08-23 → 2020-10-16

Busiest season 2019 9 contests

Contests a season 5 across 8 seasons in the data

Cooks most in WI 21 of 40 contests · 3 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 27 7 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 40 entries · 0 wins · 11 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 166.22 · weakest Brisket (162.60)

Walk rate 73% a top-10 call in 29 of 40 contests

Overall top-10 rate 28% 11 of 40 contests

Wins it all 3% 1 Grand Championship · 1 reserve

First title 2018-08-24 Grill Games

Best top-10 run 5 straight contests

Master average 657.43 out of 720 · 40 contests · 1 GC

Perfect 180s 1 every judge at the table handing back a nine

Opponents faced 973 1,445–948 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 2,783 40 mapped stops · furthest 455 mi

Schedule strength 1572 average field rating faced — tougher than 57% of rated contests

Purse competed for $165,590 listed at 8 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 10 state-championship entries

Power rating 1656 peak 1662 · #615 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
Aug 23 First tracked contest Grill Games
2014
Aug 22 First call Grill Games
Aug 22 First overall past 90% of a perfect score651.3484 Grill Games
2016
Apr 30 10th tracked contest Masters in May- The Classic
2017
May 19 First overall top-10 ASTOPâ€™s BBQ 4 ASTOP
2018
May 26 First category win (Pork Ribs) *RED, WHITE and BAR-B-Q ( DAY 2)
Jun 22 25th tracked contest *Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Day 1
Aug 24 First overall podium Grill Games
Aug 24 First Grand Championship Grill Games
Aug 24 Biggest field won (42 teams) Grill Games
Oct 19 First Reserve Championship *Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off
2019
Jun 28 Career-best overall score689.0740 BBQ SmokeDown at Chicagoland
Oct 18 First perfect 180 (Pork) Best of the Midwest
Oct 18 Peak power rating (1662) Best of the Midwest
2020
Oct 16 Most recent contest Best of the Midwest BBQ

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+15.4	Grill Games	2018-08-24
+13.3	*Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off	2018-10-19
+11.9	BBQ SmokeDown at Chicagoland	2019-06-28
+11.4	Gold Ribbin' BBQ Fest of Greater Green Bay-2nd Heat	2016-07-09
+10.8	*McHenry Rotary Blues Brews & BBQ	2018-08-18

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-9.3	Pig in the Park	2014-06-20
-8.3	Grill Games	2013-08-23
-8	Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off	2017-10-20
-7.2	*Gold Ribbin' BBQ Fest of Greater Green Bay-Heat1	2017-07-14
-6.5	*RED, WHITE and BAR-B-Q ( DAY 1)	2018-05-25

Category scores over time

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Team of the Year rank by season

Season by season

Season	Contests	GCs	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2020	1	0	0	0	100%	top 50%	91.3%	91.3%
2019	9	0	4	1	89%	top 25%	95.7%	93.8%
2018	8	1	4	3	88%	top 32%	95.3%	92.5%
2017	7	0	3	0	71%	top 45%	92.3%	90.2%
2016	7	0	0	0	57%	top 49%	93.2%	90.3%
2015	4	0	0	0	50%	top 36%	91.6%	90.8%
2014	3	0	0	0	67%	top 59%	90.5%	88.8%
2013	1	0	0	0	0%	top 77%	83.9%	83.9%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2020-10-16	Best of the Midwest BBQ 🏅 Union Grove, WI	25 / 50 (657.0056)	4 (174.8456)	39 (156.5028)	45 (155.9428)	11 (169.7144)
2019-10-18	Best of the Midwest 🏅 Union Grove, WI	8 / 52 (670.7200)	12 (167.3944)	10 (167.3944)	1 (180.0000)	39 (155.9312)
2019-09-12	40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- INVITATIONAL CONTEST 🏅 unrated Kansas City, KS	60 / 135 (685.0396)	96 (168.5256)	77 (169.6684)	5 (179.4400)	106 (167.4056)
2019-09-12	40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS	92 / 468 (678.8344)	58 (173.1428)	278 (163.4288)	182 (167.9656)	45 (174.2972)
2019-07-19	Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Peoria, IL	6 / 40 (680.4456)	17 (168.5256)	14 (166.2400)	14 (170.2628)	3 (175.4172)
2019-06-28	BBQ SmokeDown at Chicagoland 🏅 Joliet, IL	5 / 42 (689.0740)	15 (172.5484)	3 (174.2972)	6 (173.7028)	20 (168.5256)
2019-06-22	Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Day 2 🏅 Belvidere, IL	21 / 45 (667.3256)	29 (163.4056)	21 (167.4172)	28 (165.0856)	10 (171.4172)
2019-06-21	Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Day 1 🏅 Belvidere, IL	19 / 50 (664.4684)	5 (174.2628)	7 (170.2744)	38 (159.4056)	32 (160.5256)
2019-05-25	Red, White, and BBQ- Day 2 🏅 Westmont, IL	12 / 48 (670.1716)	15 (166.8344)	18 (165.0972)	6 (169.1200)	11 (169.1200)
2019-05-24	Red, White, and BBQ Day 1 🏅 Westmont, IL	5 / 40 (674.7428)	6 (173.7028)	25 (159.9544)	16 (166.8228)	4 (174.2628)
2018-10-19	*Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off Union Grove, WI	2 / 42 (686.2516)	14 (166.8228)	5 (170.8572)	2 (174.8572)	1 (173.7144)
2018-10-05	*Harbor-Que Winthrop Harbor, IL	4 / 28 (670.2284)	9 (167.9884)	2 (172.5716)	18 (158.8456)	3 (170.8228)
2018-08-24	Grill Games Kenosha, WI	1 / 42 (686.3084)	3 (174.8800)	5 (170.8456)	1 (177.7372)	17 (162.8456)
2018-08-18	*McHenry Rotary Blues Brews & BBQ McHenry, IL	7 / 30 (661.5656)	5 (166.8228)	14 (158.8228)	16 (162.8000)	2 (173.1200)
2018-06-23	*Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Day 2 Belvidere, IL	25 / 44 (656.4000)	21 (170.8228)	23 (162.2284)	20 (165.0972)	32 (158.2516)
2018-06-22	*Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Day 1 Belvidere, IL	17 / 51 (667.9312)	15 (171.4056)	36 (160.5372)	8 (170.3200)	25 (165.6684)
2018-05-26	*RED, WHITE and BAR-B-Q ( DAY 2) Westmont, IL	26 / 60 (663.3368)	22 (168.5484)	1 (177.1544)	38 (163.4056)	47 (154.2284)
2018-05-25	*RED, WHITE and BAR-B-Q ( DAY 1) Westmont, IL	39 / 49 (634.1260)	42 (155.9428)	33 (159.9660)	6 (171.4400)	45 (146.7772)
2017-10-20	Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off Union Grove, WI	39 / 52 (623.1204)	52 (134.6744)	10 (169.6800)	16 (166.8228)	41 (151.9432)
2017-08-25	Grill Games Kenosha, WI	9 / 39 (658.7660)	25 (158.8000)	3 (171.9888)	2 (172.5600)	25 (155.4172)
2017-08-19	*McHenry Rotary Blues Brews & BBQ McHenry, IL	7 / 36 (658.7656)	3 (172.5484)	22 (155.4172)	2 (173.1428)	12 (157.6572)
2017-07-15	*Gold Ribbin' BBQ Fest of Greater Green Bay-Heat 2 Green Bay, WI	30 / 49 (654.1256)	13 (170.8228)	32 (163.3944)	43 (155.9656)	27 (163.9428)
2017-07-14	*Gold Ribbin' BBQ Fest of Greater Green Bay-Heat1 Green Bay, WI	46 / 58 (626.0916)	47 (155.9316)	27 (162.2744)	54 (147.9428)	35 (159.9428)
2017-06-23	*Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Belvidere, IL	15 / 42 (664.4684)	14 (167.3828)	8 (168.5600)	16 (164.5828)	18 (163.9428)
2017-05-19	ASTOPâ€™s BBQ 4 ASTOP Fond du Lac, WI	7 / 30 (659.2340)	4 (170.8456)	6 (167.3828)	2 (169.6800)	20 (151.3256)
2016-10-21	Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off Union Grove, WI	20 / 51 (653.0400)	2 (176.0000)	27 (158.2516)	39 (155.3828)	28 (163.4056)
2016-08-26	Grill Games Kenosha, WI	12 / 37 (649.0744)	30 (151.9656)	22 (159.3944)	8 (166.8916)	3 (170.8228)
2016-07-09	Gold Ribbin' BBQ Fest of Greater Green Bay-2nd Heat Green Bay, WI	15 / 55 (670.7656)	23 (169.1084)	41 (159.9428)	14 (169.1200)	6 (172.5944)
2016-07-08	Gold Ribbin' BBQ Fest of Greater Green Bay-1st Heat Green Bay, WI	52 / 66 (634.7204)	40 (164.0000)	57 (153.0744)	58 (153.6688)	31 (163.9772)
2016-06-24	Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Belvidere, IL	21 / 33 (641.5772)	4 (174.2628)	32 (144.5144)	12 (166.8228)	23 (155.9772)
2016-04-30	Masters in May- The Classic Appleton, WI	25 / 58 (657.0172)	13 (170.8344)	22 (167.3828)	36 (160.5256)	42 (158.2744)
2016-04-29	Masters in May Appleton, WI	36 / 59 (644.4688)	22 (166.8228)	30 (160.5600)	56 (149.0972)	18 (167.9888)
2015-10-23	Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook off Union Grove, WI	15 / 44 (656.5260)	15 (167.3828)	16 (163.4632)	17 (165.1200)	20 (160.5600)
2015-09-11	Windy City BBQ Classic Chicago, IL	22 / 61 (654.7084)	38 (161.0740)	2 (177.7028)	23 (167.4172)	49 (148.5144)
2015-08-28	Grill Games Kenosha, WI	11 / 49 (659.3944)	11 (168.5484)	6 (169.7372)	24 (159.9772)	18 (161.1316)
2015-07-10	Gold Ribbin' BBQ Fest of Greater Green Bay Green Bay, WI	41 / 80 (645.5540)	45 (161.6800)	20 (166.8228)	57 (157.6456)	44 (159.4056)
2014-10-17	9th Annual Lambs Farm Barn Burner Bar-B-Q Libertyville, IL	22 / 42 (651.3484)	21 (165.0856)	3 (173.7028)	21 (162.8572)	34 (149.7028)
2014-08-22	Grill Games Kenosha, WI	19 / 47 (651.3484)	4 (171.4400)	23 (159.9428)	25 (159.4056)	24 (160.5600)
2014-06-20	Pig in the Park Whitewater, WI	22 / 26 (615.2460)	23 (153.6456)	20 (153.6688)	21 (157.1200)	22 (150.8116)
2013-08-23	Grill Games Kenosha, WI	33 / 43 (603.8628)	37 (149.6684)	41 (138.7544)	37 (151.4400)	12 (164.0000)

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)

Team of the Year standings (rank per category by season — year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Year	Series	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2019 ↗	Master	#334 (930 pts)	#406 (810 pts)	#339 (945 pts)	#254 (1115 pts)	#405 (825 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#268 (1188 pts)	#344 (993 pts)	#244 (1208 pts)	#248 (1208 pts)	#286 (1108 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#495 (760 pts)	#455 (855 pts)	#440 (890 pts)	#325 (1105 pts)	#730 (540 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#667 (578 pts)	#472 (853 pts)	#866 (448 pts)	#633 (633 pts)	#537 (753 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#879 (375 pts)	#947 (360 pts)	#625 (625 pts)	#1118 (295 pts)	#1056 (300 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#1170 (250 pts)	#957 (370 pts)	#908 (400 pts)	#1327 (230 pts)	#1379 (210 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#2446 (68 pts)	#2489 (68 pts)	#2484 (68 pts)	#2489 (68 pts)	#1680 (133 pts)