Not So Famous Dave's BBQ

Not So Famous Dave's BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 25 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2019 and 2022. They have won 1 Grand Championship, at the Smoke in the Grove (2021), and finished Reserve Grand Champion once. They are ranked #742 of 6,477 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#742

of 6,477 rated · rankings

Rating

1635

peak 1635 · rated over 22 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted

Contests

in the data

First seen

Mar 8, 2019

latest Oct 14, 2022 · 3.6 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#147

Master 2021 · every season

Grand champs

1 reserve · wins it all 4% of the time

Category wins

15 podiums

Overall top-10s

40% of 25 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 29%

overall standings

Best overall

696.5944 / 720

Master · American Royal World Series of Barbecue - INVITATIONAL CONTEST

Perfect 180s

3 🔥

Current form

683.92 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 675.84 (+8.07)

Walk rate

80%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

180 🔥

Pork Ribs · Maryland State BBQ Bash

Consistency

±15.51

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork Ribs

avg 171.82 · weakest Pork (167.95)

Road miles

5,699

across 25 mapped stops · furthest 969 mi

Schedule strength

59%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1575)

Purse competed for

$164K

listed at 19 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

1 🏅

won from 19 state-championship entries

Master avg

675.84 / 720

23 Master contests · 1 GC

Storylines (16 found in their record)

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

The heartbreaker

0.0572 points from the title

Came within 0.0572 points of the Grand Championship at Maryland State BBQ Bash (Oct 14, 2022).

Perfect scores on the board

3 perfect 180s

3 perfect 180s in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, across 2 different meats.

Pork Ribs ×2
Brisket ×1

Against the odds

11-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings

The ratings favoured the top seed the other 89 times in 100

Their Grand Championship at Smoke in the Grove (Jul 30, 2021) came as the ratings underdog — roughly a 11-in-100 shot against the field's top-rated team, WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ.

On the rise

+56 rating points in a year

Their power rating has climbed 56 points across 10 contests since Oct 22, 2021 — from 1579 up to 1635.

10 contests since Oct 22, 2021
now 1635

Giant slayer

54 teams beaten in one weekend

Took the Grand Championship over a 54-team field at Smoke in the Grove.

Jul 30, 2021

Happy hunting ground

Top 18% average finish here

Maryland State BBQ Bash is their spot: an average finish in the top 18% across 2 visits.

2 visits
best finish 2nd
average top 18%

They almost always walk

80% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 20 of 25 contests

A top-10 category call in 80% of their 25 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

Show 9 more storylines

High-water mark

696.5944 career-best overall

96.7% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 696.5944 at American Royal World Series of Barbecue - INVITATIONAL CONTEST — 96.7% of a perfect 720.

Master
Sep 29, 2022

State champions

1 state championship won

They've taken 1 state championship from 19 entries at contests carrying the title.

19 state-championship entries

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

BAD AZZ MULE BBQ has finished one call ahead of Not So Famous Dave's BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

10–3 behind in the head-to-head

WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ ahead in 77% of their meetings

WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ has come out ahead in 10 of their 13 shared contests.

The drought

12 contests since the last title

Their last Grand Championship came at Smoke in the Grove on Jul 30, 2021 — 12 contests and 5.2 years ago.

last GC Jul 30, 2021
5.2 years ago

A strong matchup

10–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of SOUTH BOWIE SMOKE in 10 of their 10 shared contests.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

Capt. Blue BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.

The long haul

5,699 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 5,699 miles across 25 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 969 miles to American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST.

25 mapped stops
furthest 969 mi

The metronome

±2.15% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±2.15% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 93.9% of a perfect score
25 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
2022 ↗	Master	#156 (1,222 pts)	#327 (737 pts)	#107 (1,457 pts)	#259 (902 pts)	#65 (1,717 pts)
2021 ↗	Master	#147 (1,186 pts)	#211 (906 pts)	#87 (1,551 pts)	#203 (951 pts)	#173 (1,036 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#807 (360 pts)	#841 (380 pts)	#589 (590 pts)	#877 (350 pts)	#970 (300 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to Not So Famous Dave's BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

DEGUELLO BBQ

#744 of the rated field

1635 power rating

Contests: 23
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 65%
Peak: 1643

Their last contest in the data was back in 2014, 8 years before Not So Famous Dave's BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 23 contests

⚔ Compare careers

My Smokin' Grillfriend

#745 of the rated field

1634 power rating

Contests: 29
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 34%
Peak: 1646

Careers of much the same size, 29 contests to 25, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 29 contests
last seen May 28, 2021

⚔ Compare careers

FLAMING PIG

#741 of the rated field

1635 power rating

Contests: 29
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 34%
Peak: 1645

29 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 34% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 29 contests
last seen Aug 3, 2018

⚔ Compare careers

SECOND CITY SMOKE

#743 of the rated field

1635 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 86%
Peak: 1635

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 14 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 14 contests
last seen Sep 11, 2015

⚔ Compare careers

SQUEALERS AWARD WINNING BARBEQUE

#746 of the rated field

1634 power rating

Contests: 56
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 25%
Peak: 1651

They were already cooking in 2013, 6 years before Not So Famous Dave's BBQ's first contest.

rated over 55 contests
last seen Aug 20, 2021

⚔ Compare careers

BILLY RAY BBQ

#737 of the rated field

1636 ▲ 1 power rating

Contests: 58
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 28%
Peak: 1681

2–0 in 2 shared contests (100% to Not So Famous Dave's BBQ)

2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Not So Famous Dave's BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 51 contests
last seen Mar 20, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ	18	9	9	50%	⚔ compare
Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit	17	6	11	35%	⚔ compare
Top Gun Barbecue	16	5	11	31%	⚔ compare
BOGGS HOG BBQ	15	10	5	67%	⚔ compare
CHUNKY BBQ	13	7	6	54%	⚔ compare
OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE	13	4	9	31%	⚔ compare
WOLF'S REVENGE BBQ	13	3	10	23%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA	12	4	8	33%	⚔ compare
BAD AZZ MULE BBQ	12	3	9	25%	⚔ compare
PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ	11	9	2	82%	⚔ compare
SOUTH BOWIE SMOKE	10	10	0	100%	⚔ compare
BIG BOB'S SMOKIN QUE	10	8	2	80%	⚔ compare
SMOKECRAFT - MD	10	6	4	60%	⚔ compare
BUBBA'S BARBECUE	9	9	0	100%	⚔ compare
BLUE EYED BBQ	9	9	0	100%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	23	7	0	0	174.2972	154.8228	167.95	top 48%
Pork Ribs	23	16	3	7	180 🔥	161.1200	171.82	top 19%
Pork	23	7	0	3	175.4056	151.4284	167.95	top 41%
Brisket	23	10	2	5	180 🔥	150.8572	168.13	top 36%

“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 25%
Large (40+)	12	1	top 32%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
PA	6	1	top 26%
MD	5	0	top 28%
NJ	5	0	top 29%
VA	3	0	top 25%
KS	2	0	top 24%
GA	2	0	top 47%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
Smoke in the Grove (Day 2)	3	1	1	top 25%	Jul 30, 2022
Maryland State BBQ Bash	2	2	0	top 18%	Oct 14, 2022
BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard)	2	9	0	top 21%	Mar 26, 2022

More numbers

Busiest season 2022 9 contests

Contests a season 5 across 5 seasons in the data

Most contests held in PA 6 of 25 contests · 7 states in all

Contests visited 19 3 of them more than once

First title Jul 30, 2021 Smoke in the Grove

Opponents faced 1,025 finished ahead 1,364 times, behind 622

Longest layoff 1.1 yrs Oct 12, 2019 → Nov 20, 2020

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

20226 milestones

Mar 26 First perfect 180 (Brisket) BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard)
Sep 29 Career-best overall score696.5944 American Royal World Series of Barbecue - INVITATIONAL CONTEST
Oct 14 First Reserve Championship Maryland State BBQ Bash
Oct 14 25th tracked contest Maryland State BBQ Bash
Oct 14 Peak power rating (1635) Maryland State BBQ Bash
Oct 14 Most recent contest Maryland State BBQ Bash

20216 milestones

May 14 10th tracked contest Twin Valley Fire and Smoke
Jun 11 First category win (Pork Ribs) BBQ Jamboree
Jul 30 First overall podium Smoke in the Grove
Jul 30 First Grand Championship Smoke in the Grove
Jul 30 First state championship Smoke in the Grove
Jul 30 Biggest field won (54 teams) Smoke in the Grove

20193 milestones

Mar 8 First call Mid Atlantic BBQ Expo
Mar 8 First overall past 90% of a perfect score657.6116 Mid Atlantic BBQ Expo
Aug 9 First overall top-10 Maryland State BBQ Bash

20181 milestone

Oct 19 First tracked contest Boo-B-Que

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+15.4	Smoke in the Grove	Jul 30, 2021
+14	Red White & Que: Day 2 CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES	Oct 12, 2019
+13.1	Red White & Que: Day 2 CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES	Oct 23, 2021
+13.1	Interstate BBQ Festival - Day 2	Apr 17, 2021
+11.2	Maryland State BBQ Bash	Oct 14, 2022

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-6.6	Georgia BBQ Championship Throwdown	Nov 20, 2020
-4.6	Interstate BBQ Festival	Apr 19, 2019
-2.8	Smoke in the Grove (Day 1)	Jul 29, 2022

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)
2022	9	0	3	4	67%	top 23%	96.7%	95.3%
2021	8	1	5	1	100%	top 24%	96.4%	93.6%
2020	1	0	0	0	100%	top 63%	94.4%	94.4%
2019	6	0	2	0	83%	top 38%	93.8%	92.2%
2018	1	0	0	0	0%	—	—	—

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Oct 14, 2022	Maryland State BBQ Bash 🏅 Belair, MD	2 / 30 (693.6112)	14 (170.8228)	1 (180)	2 (175.4056)	10 (167.3828)
Oct 1, 2022	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - SIDES Kansas City, KS	—	—	—	—	—
Sep 29, 2022	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS	203 / 505 (674.1824)	167 (170.2856)	112 (172.5600)	89 (174.2628)	406 (157.0740)
Sep 29, 2022	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - INVITATIONAL CONTEST unrated Kansas City, KS	21 / 249 (696.5944)	59 (174.2972)	42 (174.8572)	131 (170.2856)	14 (177.1544)
Jul 30, 2022	Smoke in the Grove (Day 2) 🏅 Spring Grove, PA	12 / 42 (694.2056)	38 (164.5372)	1 (180)	10 (175.4056)	9 (174.2628)
Jul 29, 2022	Smoke in the Grove (Day 1) 🏅 Spring Grove, PA	24 / 54 (660.9824)	51 (154.8228)	34 (163.9312)	19 (167.3828)	3 (174.8456)
Jun 17, 2022	York County BBQ Festival 🏅 Delta, PA	3 / 34 (685.6572)	7 (172.5828)	7 (169.1200)	17 (165.0972)	1 (178.8572)
Mar 26, 2022	BBQ Gives Back (Day 2) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA	13 / 50 (693.0744)	36 (167.3944)	5 (178.2972)	37 (167.3828)	1 (180)
Mar 25, 2022	BBQ Gives Back (Day 1) (Masters and Backyard) 🏅 Urbanna, VA	9 / 53 (691.9316)	36 (167.9772)	3 (177.7144)	29 (170.8228)	4 (175.4172)
Nov 19, 2021	GBC Throwdown 🏅 Cumming, GA	9 / 28 (685.0400)	15 (169.6800)	10 (171.9772)	19 (165.6800)	2 (177.7028)
Oct 23, 2021	Red White & Que: Day 2 CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES Jackson, NJ	4 / 31 (679.9544)	7 (174.2628)	2 (173.1544)	8 (172.5600)	22 (159.9772)
Oct 22, 2021	Red White & Que: Day 1 CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES Jackson, NJ	11 / 31 (664.5028)	26 (159.9544)	8 (166.8456)	4 (172.5600)	12 (165.1428)
Jul 30, 2021	Smoke in the Grove 🏅 Spring Grove, PA	1 / 54 (692.5256)	10 (172.5828)	4 (174.2628)	7 (173.1200)	4 (172.5600)
Jul 9, 2021	New Jersey State BBQ Championship 🏅 North Wildwood, NJ	24 / 59 (641.1316)	5 (174.2744)	15 (164.5716)	46 (151.4284)	39 (150.8572)
Jun 11, 2021	BBQ Jamboree 🏅 Fredericksburg, VA	10 / 30 (675.3028)	16 (169.6800)	1 (175.4172)	15 (168.5372)	19 (161.6684)
May 14, 2021	Twin Valley Fire and Smoke 🏅 Morgantown, PA	11 / 46 (660.4344)	19 (163.9544)	22 (161.1200)	18 (163.3828)	2 (171.9772)
Apr 17, 2021	Interstate BBQ Festival - Day 2 🏅 Hagerstown, MD	5 / 34 (694.2172)	13 (173.1200)	3 (176)	15 (169.6800)	7 (175.4172)
Nov 20, 2020	Georgia BBQ Championship Throwdown 🏅 Cumming, GA	25 / 40 (679.8396)	35 (165.0856)	3 (177.7028)	31 (166.2400)	24 (170.8112)
Oct 12, 2019	Red White & Que: Day 2 CAMPGROUND BBQ SERIES 🏅 Jackson, NJ	6 / 30 (675.4172)	9 (168)	4 (170.2972)	3 (172.5600)	18 (164.5600)
Oct 4, 2019	Keystone Classic BBQ State Championship 🏅 Harrisburg, PA	18 / 36 (656.4228)	29 (157.6572)	4 (171.4172)	15 (165.0972)	21 (162.2512)
Aug 9, 2019	Maryland State BBQ Bash 🏅 Belair, MD	9 / 30 (669.5768)	5 (171.4172)	10 (171.4172)	15 (162.8112)	16 (163.9312)
Jun 8, 2019	Beltway BBQ Showdown 🏅 Upper Marlboro, MD	12 / 37 (667.3832)	10 (169.7144)	13 (165.1544)	2 (174.2972)	16 (158.2172)
Apr 19, 2019	Interstate BBQ Festival 🏅 Hagerstown, MD	31 / 54 (654.7428)	21 (168.5600)	16 (167.4400)	48 (152.5028)	29 (166.2400)
Mar 8, 2019	Mid Atlantic BBQ Expo Atlantic City, NJ	24 / 66 (657.6116)	35 (162.2400)	9 (168.5600)	22 (166.2400)	37 (160.5716)
Oct 19, 2018	Boo-B-Que Rehoboth Beach, DE	—	—	—	—	—

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

Not So Famous Dave's 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

Purse competed for

State championships

Master avg

Storylines (16 found in their record)

The heartbreaker

Perfect scores on the board

Against the odds

On the rise

Giant slayer

Happy hunting ground

They almost always walk

High-water mark

State champions

The one to beat

A tough matchup

The drought

A strong matchup

Looking over their shoulder

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)