Carrol Lou's Smokehouse IL
Rating
1634
peak 1655 · rated over 46 contests
Best runs
5
straight top-10s
Contests
46
in the data
First seen
2019-02-08
latest 2023-04-28
Best ToY finish
#65
Master 2019
Grand champs
2
1 reserve
Category wins
6
20 podiums
Overall top-10s
22
of 46 contests
Avg finish
top 33%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
3 🔥
Current form
673.63 ▼
last 5 Master vs avg 675.46 (-1.83)
Walk rate
76%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
5
best run (overall)
Consistency
±11.46
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 172.03 · weakest Brisket (165.85)
Road miles
6887
mi across 46 mapped stops · furthest 436 mi
Schedule strength
38%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1533)
Purse competed for
$504K
listed at 40 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
2 🏅
GCs in 44 state-championship entries
Master avg
675.46 / 720
46 Master contests · 2 GCs
Storylines
🎯 The one to beat
THUNDER HOG BBQ has finished one call ahead of Carrol Lou's Smokehouse 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
👀 Looking over their shoulder
SmokinGhost BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.
⚔️ A tough matchup
Heavy Smoke BBQ has come out ahead in 19 of their 25 shared contests.
⚔️ A strong matchup
They've finished ahead of LOADED-N-ROLLIN BBQ in 18 of their 19 shared contests.
💔 The heartbreaker
Came within 0.5716 points of the Grand Championship at Blues,Brews & Barbecue (2019-06-07).
🗡️ Giant slayer
Took the Grand Championship over a 33-team field at Route 66 Smoke Out.
📅 A October team
Something about October: average finish in the top 16% across 3 contests, versus top 33% the rest of the year.
Teams like this (closest power rating, IL first)
Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE BBQ BUS | 32 | 15 | 17 | 47% | ⚔ compare |
| SmokinGhost BBQ | 29 | 17 | 12 | 59% | ⚔ compare |
| One2BBQ | 26 | 8 | 18 | 31% | ⚔ compare |
| Heavy Smoke BBQ | 25 | 6 | 19 | 24% | ⚔ compare |
| Rusty Pig BBQ | 22 | 15 | 7 | 68% | ⚔ compare |
| BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. | 22 | 11 | 11 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| QUE U | 22 | 9 | 13 | 41% | ⚔ compare |
| LOADED-N-ROLLIN BBQ | 19 | 18 | 1 | 95% | ⚔ compare |
| THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | 19 | 9 | 10 | 47% | ⚔ compare |
| JANKY LEG BBQ | 19 | 7 | 12 | 37% | ⚔ compare |
| TRIPLE H BBQ | 18 | 9 | 9 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| The Yellow Rose Texas BBQ Company | 17 | 11 | 6 | 65% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKE-N-PEPPERS | 17 | 6 | 11 | 35% | ⚔ compare |
| iBQ'n | 17 | 4 | 13 | 24% | ⚔ compare |
| JaBs BBQ | 17 | 4 | 13 | 24% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 46 | 28 | 4 | 9 | 180.0000 🔥 | 157.6572 | 172.03 | top 29% |
| Pork Ribs | 46 | 24 | 2 | 4 | 177.1544 | 153.6344 | 168.57 | top 35% |
| Pork | 46 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 180.0000 🔥 | 161.1200 | 169.02 | top 41% |
| Brisket | 46 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 178.8572 | 145.6456 | 165.85 | top 49% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| IL | 22 | 1 | top 35% |
| IN | 13 | 1 | top 35% |
| MO | 4 | 0 | top 31% |
| KS | 4 | 0 | top 11% |
| WI | 1 | 0 | top 17% |
| TN | 1 | 0 | top 34% |
| AR | 1 | 0 | top 79% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 2 | 0 | top 24% |
| Medium (20–39) | 21 | 2 | top 33% |
| Large (40+) | 23 | 0 | top 34% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Route 66 Smoke Out | 3 | 1 | 1 | top 35% | 2022-05-06 |
| WashMo BBQ & Bluesfest (JUDGING FULL) | 2 | 17 | 0 | top 42% | 2023-04-28 |
| Smokin' For Garrett | 2 | 6 | 0 | top 25% | 2021-10-22 |
| Effingham -Jam | 2 | 3 | 0 | top 35% | 2021-07-23 |
| Covid-Que Relief (Day 2) | 2 | 34 | 0 | top 59% | 2020-06-20 |
| Rockin BBQ | 2 | 27 | 0 | top 59% | 2020-05-29 |
The story so far
- Busiest season: 2019 (30 contests)
- Cooks mostly in IL (22 of 46 contests)
- Most-entered category: Chicken (46 entries)
- First Grand Championship in the data: Route 66 Smoke Out (2019-05-03)
- Wins it all in 4% of contests
- Average Master overall score: 675.46 / 720
- 3 perfect 180s on the books 🔥
Milestones
- 🚩 2019-02-08 — First tracked contest · KCBS World Invitational Barbeque Championship
- 📣 2019-03-08 — First call · Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship
- 🔥 2019-03-22 — First perfect 180 (Pork) · PigMania Franklin State Championship BBQ Competition
- 🏆 2019-05-03 — First Grand Championship · Route 66 Smoke Out
- 🎖️ 2019-09-12 — 25th tracked contest · 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- INVITATIONAL CONTEST
- 📈 2019-10-18 — Peak power rating (1655) · Best of the Midwest
- ⭐ 2021-09-16 — Career-best overall score (700.5600) · American Royal World Series of Barbecue-INVITATIONAL CONTEST
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +14.9 | Route 66 Smoke Out | 2019-05-03 |
| +14.9 | Sunset Hill Kansas City Barbecue Competition | 2019-05-17 |
| +14.1 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue-INVITATIONAL CONTEST | 2021-09-16 |
| +11.8 | PigMania Franklin State Championship BBQ Competition | 2019-03-22 |
| +11.7 | Blues,Brews & Barbecue | 2019-06-07 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -15.4 | CIBBQ Red Devil Edition Day 2 | 2020-07-18 |
| -10 | Rockin BBQ | 2019-05-10 |
| -9.2 | KCBS World Invitational Barbeque Championship | 2019-02-08 |
| -8.9 | Covid-Que Relief (Day 1) | 2020-06-19 |
| -8.7 | Harvest On the Fire At the Winery | 2020-07-10 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 46% | 93.6% | 93.6% |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 58% | 92.8% | 92.8% |
| 2021 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 75% | top 32% | 97.3% | 94.1% |
| 2020 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 58% | 93.6% | 92.2% |
| 2019 | 30 | 2 | 19 | 6 | 80% | top 27% | 96.7% | 94.1% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-04-28 | WashMo BBQ & Bluesfest (JUDGING FULL) 🏅 Washington, MO | 17 / 37 (674.1940) | 5 (174.8456) | 23 (164.5600) | 26 (166.8228) | 19 (167.9656) |
| 2022-05-06 | Route 66 Smoke Out 🏅 Dwight, IL | 19 / 33 (667.8628) | 12 (171.9656) | 28 (153.6344) | 6 (174.8800) | 15 (167.3828) |
| 2021-10-22 | Smokin' For Garrett 🏅 Boonville, IN | 6 / 27 (678.2172) | 3 (174.2628) | 19 (163.3944) | 9 (172.0228) | 13 (168.5372) |
| 2021-09-24 | Praise the Lard Murphysboro BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Murphysboro, IL | 19 / 39 (675.9200) | 2 (178.2972) | 15 (168.5716) | 24 (166.2628) | 27 (162.7884) |
| 2021-09-16 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue-OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 84 / 467 (488.4912) | 104 (171.4400) | 320 (161.7372) | 95 (171.4056) | 178 (167.3828) |
| 2021-09-16 | American Royal World Series of Barbecue-INVITATIONAL CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 6 / 185 (700.5600) | 5 (178.8800) | 103 (170.2628) | 57 (172.5600) | 8 (178.8572) |
| 2021-07-23 | Effingham -Jam 🏅 Effingham, IL | 17 / 29 (668.5028) | 8 (170.8456) | 5 (173.1544) | 17 (167.4056) | 24 (157.0972) |
| 2021-07-09 | Harvest On the Fire At the Winery 🏅 Marshall, IL | 8 / 38 (682.2400) | 5 (174.2628) | 8 (170.2972) | 20 (166.2744) | 9 (171.4056) |
| 2021-05-01 | Route 66 Smoke Out 🏅 Dwight, IL | 19 / 44 (668.4684) | 21 (168.5600) | 20 (164.5372) | 11 (169.7028) | 24 (165.6684) |
| 2021-04-23 | WashMo BBQ & Bluesfest 🏅 Washington, MO | 17 / 45 (667.3600) | 21 (169.6800) | 6 (174.2972) | 38 (161.1200) | 26 (162.2628) |
| 2020-07-18 | CIBBQ Red Devil Edition Day 2 🏅 Eureka, IL | 22 / 25 (658.7884) | 10 (171.4056) | 18 (164.5488) | 11 (167.4284) | 23 (155.4056) |
| 2020-07-17 | CIBBQ Red Devil Edition Day 1 🏅 Eureka, IL | 11 / 30 (674.2284) | 8 (171.4172) | 6 (171.9772) | 15 (168.5828) | 24 (162.2512) |
| 2020-07-10 | Harvest On the Fire At the Winery 🏅 Marshall, IL | 35 / 53 (661.6228) | 28 (167.9656) | 7 (170.8572) | 35 (164.5372) | 47 (158.2628) |
| 2020-06-20 | Covid-Que Relief (Day 2) Franklin, IN | 34 / 63 (669.6796) | 28 (170.2512) | 19 (168.0000) | 15 (171.4628) | 54 (159.9656) |
| 2020-06-19 | Covid-Que Relief (Day 1) Franklin, IN | 44 / 69 (661.0972) | 41 (165.6912) | 46 (163.3944) | 21 (170.8800) | 49 (161.1316) |
| 2020-05-29 | Rockin BBQ 🏅 Warsaw, IN | 27 / 66 (658.7768) | 33 (164.5140) | 32 (164.5716) | 39 (161.6684) | 22 (168.0228) |
| 2019-10-18 | Best of the Midwest 🏅 Union Grove, WI | 9 / 52 (669.6340) | 14 (167.3828) | 6 (174.2744) | 22 (164.5484) | 25 (163.4284) |
| 2019-10-11 | Central Illinois Bragging Rights(CIBR-BBQ) 🏅 Arthur, IL | 3 / 43 (692.5028) | 4 (175.4056) | 16 (166.8344) | 4 (176.5600) | 8 (173.7028) |
| 2019-09-27 | New Albany Blues Brews and BBQ Festival 🏅 New Albany, IN | 6 / 23 (681.0516) | 4 (173.7144) | 4 (173.1316) | 12 (166.8228) | 13 (167.3828) |
| 2019-09-20 | Murphysboro BBQ Cook Off 🏅 Murphysboro, IL | 3 / 54 (694.8000) | 7 (174.2744) | 10 (173.1200) | 2 (180.0000) | 23 (167.4056) |
| 2019-09-12 | 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 40 / 468 (504.5140) | 212 (166.8228) | 166 (167.4628) | 21 (176.0000) | 88 (172.0000) |
| 2019-09-12 | 40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- INVITATIONAL CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS | 17 / 135 (695.9428) | 3 (179.4400) | 57 (170.8344) | 27 (174.2628) | 66 (171.4056) |
| 2019-08-16 | Evansville BBQ 🏅 Evansville, IN | 4 / 19 (682.8000) | 1 (177.7028) | 10 (161.6800) | 3 (174.8572) | 6 (168.5600) |
| 2019-08-09 | Big Blue Barbecue 🏅 Shelbyville, IN | 15 / 29 (673.0288) | 26 (163.3944) | 6 (171.4172) | 15 (169.6800) | 12 (168.5372) |
| 2019-07-27 | Hannibal Bar-B-Q-Festival 🏅 Hannibal, MO | 5 / 18 (678.7656) | 6 (173.1084) | 6 (167.3944) | 9 (169.1428) | 6 (169.1200) |
| 2019-07-26 | Effingham -Jam 🏅 Effingham, IL | 3 / 26 (685.6112) | 3 (176.5600) | 3 (174.2628) | 17 (164.5372) | 9 (170.2512) |
| 2019-07-19 | Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Peoria, IL | 15 / 40 (669.0632) | 4 (173.1428) | 9 (167.9888) | 25 (163.9888) | 24 (163.9428) |
| 2019-07-12 | Harvest On Fire at The Winery 🏅 Marshall, IL | 16 / 31 (668.4456) | 21 (166.8228) | 11 (166.8228) | 11 (169.1200) | 13 (165.6800) |
| 2019-07-05 | Johnson County BBQ Challenge 🏅 Warrensburg, MO | 4 / 37 (681.5996) | 5 (175.4056) | 4 (173.1428) | 21 (166.2284) | 14 (166.8228) |
| 2019-06-28 | BBQ SmokeDown at Chicagoland 🏅 Joliet, IL | 8 / 42 (682.2516) | 10 (173.1544) | 22 (165.6800) | 3 (174.8800) | 18 (168.5372) |
| 2019-06-22 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Day 2 🏅 Belvidere, IL | 26 / 45 (662.1716) | 15 (169.1428) | 22 (167.3944) | 23 (166.8344) | 31 (158.8000) |
| 2019-06-21 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Day 1 🏅 Belvidere, IL | 5 / 50 (678.1944) | 8 (173.1200) | 5 (171.4172) | 27 (163.9772) | 12 (169.6800) |
| 2019-06-14 | Hog Capital Challenge 🏅 Kewanee, IL | 9 / 25 (665.0628) | 2 (178.8572) | 9 (169.1316) | 5 (171.4284) | 23 (145.6456) |
| 2019-06-07 | Blues,Brews & Barbecue 🏅 Beardstown, IL | 2 / 25 (684.5028) | 1 (180.0000) | 9 (165.0972) | 7 (169.6684) | 2 (169.7372) |
| 2019-05-31 | Up In Smoke on the Square 🏅 Lincoln, IL | 9 / 36 (672.4684) | 5 (173.7028) | 24 (161.6572) | 19 (165.1200) | 5 (171.9884) |
| 2019-05-25 | Red, White, and BBQ- Day 2 🏅 Westmont, IL | 22 / 48 (658.1140) | 17 (166.8228) | 32 (158.8000) | 15 (165.6684) | 16 (166.8228) |
| 2019-05-24 | Red, White, and BBQ Day 1 🏅 Westmont, IL | 11 / 40 (667.8628) | 1 (175.4056) | 2 (170.8460) | 22 (163.9428) | 26 (157.6684) |
| 2019-05-17 | Sunset Hill Kansas City Barbecue Competition 🏅 Valparaiso, IN | 1 / 20 (687.3944) | 1 (178.8572) | 4 (169.7144) | 12 (166.2400) | 3 (172.5828) |
| 2019-05-10 | Rockin BBQ 🏅 Warsaw, IN | 32 / 42 (645.0404) | 37 (157.6572) | 16 (168.5716) | 27 (161.7260) | 32 (157.0856) |
| 2019-05-04 | Smoke on the Water 🏅 Liberty, IN | 9 / 26 (681.0512) | 16 (167.3828) | 1 (174.2744) | 5 (174.2628) | 16 (165.1312) |
| 2019-05-03 | Route 66 Smoke Out 🏅 Dwight, IL | 1 / 33 (693.6916) | 6 (173.1200) | 1 (177.1544) | 15 (167.9772) | 2 (175.4400) |
| 2019-04-26 | Smokin For Garrett 🏅 Boonville, IN | 7 / 26 (682.2400) | 7 (172.5600) | 12 (170.2744) | 7 (171.9772) | 8 (167.4284) |
| 2019-04-05 | CCSFest 🏅 Indianapois, IN | 6 / 40 (680.5028) | 6 (173.1428) | 5 (174.8572) | 18 (167.3828) | 28 (165.1200) |
| 2019-03-22 | PigMania Franklin State Championship BBQ Competition 🏅 Franklin, IN | 5 / 29 (690.2056) | 8 (171.9772) | 6 (172.0000) | 2 (180.0000) | 19 (166.2284) |
| 2019-03-08 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Nashville, TN | 23 / 67 (680.4916) | 17 (171.9772) | 9 (174.2856) | 35 (166.8344) | 41 (167.3944) |
| 2019-02-08 | KCBS World Invitational Barbeque Championship 🏅 Little Rock, AR | 73 / 92 (665.0972) | 59 (169.1428) | 47 (166.8344) | 47 (168.0344) | 84 (161.0856) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 ↗ | Master | #1202 (88 pts) | #1042 (123 pts) | #1666 (58 pts) | #898 (173 pts) | #1151 (108 pts) |
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #227 (841 pts) | #155 (1146 pts) | #260 (821 pts) | #360 (561 pts) | #310 (651 pts) |
| 2020 ↗ | Master | #355 (310 pts) | #316 (395 pts) | #239 (510 pts) | #313 (395 pts) | #480 (240 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #65 (2067 pts) | #10 (2428 pts) | #57 (1972 pts) | #86 (1771 pts) | #113 (1653 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #113 (1825 pts) | #113 (1717 pts) | #160 (1495 pts) | #12 (2422 pts) | #136 (1613 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #468 (805 pts) | #544 (730 pts) | #335 (1085 pts) | #333 (1090 pts) | #309 (1165 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #1055 (303 pts) | #858 (438 pts) | #1093 (313 pts) | #1206 (278 pts) | #973 (358 pts) |