STARS AND STRIPES BBQ

STARS AND STRIPES BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 38 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2016. Their best overall finish is 2nd of 33 at the Griller's Cup (2013), and they have finished Reserve Grand Champion once. They are ranked #965 of 6,485 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#965

of 6,485 rated · rankings

Rating

1609

peak 1620 · rated over 37 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted

Contests

in the data

First seen

Jan 25, 2013

latest Jun 17, 2016 · 3.4 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#172

Master 2013 · every season

Grand champs

1 reserve

Category wins

19 podiums

Overall top-10s

45% of 38 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 42%

overall standings

Best overall

686.3200 / 720

Master · 21st Colorado BBQ Challenge

Perfect 180s

1 🔥

Current form

661.82 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 656.61 (+5.21)

Walk rate

74%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

180 🔥

Brisket · Pony Express BBQ Challenge

Consistency

±32.46

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 166.86 · weakest Pork Ribs (162.14)

Road miles

8,560

across 38 mapped stops · furthest 602 mi

Schedule strength

30%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1540)

Master avg

656.61 / 720

38 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (13 found in their record)

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

The heartbreaker

1.6340 points from the title

Came within 1.6340 points of the Grand Championship at Griller's Cup (Jul 19, 2013).

Perfect scores on the board

1 perfect 180

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

Brisket ×1

Happy hunting ground

Top 12% average finish here

Griller's Cup is their spot: an average finish in the top 12% across 3 visits.

3 visits
best finish 2nd
average top 12%

They almost always walk

74% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 28 of 38 contests

A top-10 category call in 74% of their 38 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

686.3200 career-best overall

95.3% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 686.3200 at 21st Colorado BBQ Challenge — 95.3% of a perfect 720.

Master
Jun 13, 2014

The one to beat

3× one call ahead of them

Backdraft BBQ has finished one call ahead of STARS AND STRIPES BBQ 3 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

20–4 behind in the head-to-head

G "QUE" ahead in 83% of their meetings

G "QUE" has come out ahead in 20 of their 24 shared contests.

Show 6 more storylines

The weak link

−4.7 points behind their best meat

Pork Ribs is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.72 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 24% of the time against 34%.

Pork Ribs avg 162.14
Chicken avg 166.86
9 calls in 38 entries

A strong matchup

17–2 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 89% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Lost Weekend Grill in 17 of their 19 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

22 of 33 shared chicken entries lost

Backdraft BBQ ahead 67% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, Backdraft BBQ has out-cooked them in 22 of 33 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

4× one call behind them

CHIBI-Q has landed one call behind them 4 times.

An August team

Top 26% average finish in August

Something about August: average finish in the top 26% across 7 contests, versus top 42% the rest of the year.

7 August contests
top 42% the rest of the year

The long haul

8,560 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 8,560 miles across 38 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 602 miles to 5th Annual Lake Havasu Music Brews & BBQ Championship.

38 mapped stops
furthest 602 mi

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
2016 ↗	Master	#1946 (118 pts)	#1396 (213 pts)	#2024 (118 pts)	#2004 (118 pts)	#1331 (233 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#246 (1,326 pts)	#261 (1,246 pts)	#245 (1,281 pts)	#322 (1,051 pts)	#161 (1,661 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#200 (1,507 pts)	#204 (1,407 pts)	#235 (1,327 pts)	#309 (1,120 pts)	#70 (2,047 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#172 (1,520 pts)	#181 (1,357 pts)	#298 (1,005 pts)	#203 (1,269 pts)	#109 (1,795 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to STARS AND STRIPES BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

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

RUB'N WOOD

#968 of the rated field

1608 power rating

Contests: 31
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 16%
Peak: 1608

2–0 in 2 shared contests (100% to STARS AND STRIPES BBQ)

2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team STARS AND STRIPES BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 31 contests
last seen Sep 23, 2022

⚔ Head-to-head

Cities Edge BBQ

#964 of the rated field

1609 power rating

Contests: 57
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 30%
Peak: 1648

They've been 1648 at their best, 39 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 55 contests
last seen Sep 5, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

FASTLANE BBQ CREW

#966 of the rated field

1609 power rating

Contests: 27
GCs: 5
Top-10s: 30%
Peak: 1623

Careers of much the same size, 27 contests to 38, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 23 contests
last seen Oct 25, 2019

⚔ Compare careers

The BBQ Asylum

#969 of the rated field

1608 power rating

Contests: 69
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 33%
Peak: 1608

Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 69 contests, alongside a 33% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 61 contests
last seen Jul 24, 2026
on a 3-contest top-10 run

⚔ Compare careers

Pits and Grills

#970 of the rated field

1608 power rating

Contests: 22
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 50%
Peak: 1608

They turned up 6 years after STARS AND STRIPES BBQ did, first appearing in 2019.

rated over 20 contests
last seen Oct 3, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

MUSIC CITY BBQ

#967 of the rated field

1608 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 47%
Peak: 1608

Level with STARS AND STRIPES BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 19 contests
last seen Jun 16, 2017

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Backdraft BBQ	33	12	21	36%	⚔ compare
BURNIN BOBS BUTTS N BONES	29	10	19	34%	⚔ compare
GRILLIN' BEAVERS	25	11	14	44%	⚔ compare
G "QUE"	24	4	20	17%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN TIMBERS BBQ	20	16	4	80%	⚔ compare
FLYBOY BBQ	20	4	16	20%	⚔ compare
Lost Weekend Grill	19	17	2	89%	⚔ compare
JO-BAWB'S BBQ	19	4	15	21%	⚔ compare
3 LIL' MACS BBQ	18	6	12	33%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN TRIGGERS	18	3	15	17%	⚔ compare
LOS NERDS	17	15	2	88%	⚔ compare
THE CELTIC PIG	17	10	7	59%	⚔ compare
303 BBQ	16	11	5	69%	⚔ compare
BRACKEN RACKS BBQ	15	13	2	87%	⚔ compare
ROCKET BOYS PYRO BBQ	15	8	7	53%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	38	13	2	3	177.7144	149.7140	166.86	top 43%
Pork Ribs	38	9	1	3	177.1544	142.8572	162.14	top 54%
Pork	38	11	0	1	173.7028	148.5714	163.47	top 51%
Brisket	38	22	3	12	180 🔥	20	164.14	top 30%

“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	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	1	top 24%
Medium (20–39)	23	top 41%
Large (40+)	14	top 44%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
CO	27	top 41%
WY	3	top 12%
NV	2	top 84%
NE	2	top 63%
KS	2	top 23%
SD	1	top 27%
AZ	1	top 84%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Conifer Mountain BBQ Challenge	3	6	top 25%	Aug 14, 2015
Griller's Cup	3	2	top 12%	Jul 17, 2015
Wild West BBQ	3	9	top 53%	May 8, 2015
Smokin' Brew BBQ	2	16	top 31%	Sep 5, 2015
Colorado Pork & Hops Challenge	2	21	top 52%	Sep 12, 2014
Pony Express BBQ Challenge	2	8	top 63%	Apr 25, 2014

More numbers

Busiest season 2013 13 contests

Contests a season 9.5 across 4 seasons in the data

Most contests held in CO 27 of 38 contests · 7 states in all

Contests visited 29 6 of them more than once

Opponents faced 528 finished ahead 813 times, behind 563

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

20161 milestone

Jun 17 Most recent contest 23rd Annual Colorado BBQ Challenge

20151 milestone

Sep 18 Peak power rating (1620) Taste of Autumn BBQ Championships

20143 milestones

Apr 25 First perfect 180 (Brisket) Pony Express BBQ Challenge
Jun 13 Career-best overall score686.3200 21st Colorado BBQ Challenge
Sep 12 25th tracked contest Colorado Pork & Hops Challenge

20138 milestones

Jan 25 First tracked contest 5th Annual Lake Havasu Music Brews & BBQ Championship
Mar 29 First call Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Mar 29 First category win (Chicken) Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Mar 29 First overall top-10 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Mar 29 First overall past 90% of a perfect score654.2854 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Jul 19 First overall podium Griller's Cup
Jul 19 First Reserve Championship Griller's Cup
Aug 30 10th tracked contest Smokin' Brew BBQ

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+16.6	Griller's Cup	Jul 19, 2013
+15.6	Colorado Barbecue Challenge	Jun 14, 2013
+13.8	Showdown on the Plains BBQ Challenge & Air Show	Sep 6, 2013
+12.6	21st Colorado BBQ Challenge	Jun 13, 2014
+12.6	Griller's Cup	Jul 17, 2015

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-14.6	Pony Express BBQ Challenge	Apr 26, 2013
-11.9	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional)	Apr 19, 2013
-10.7	5th Annual Lake Havasu Music Brews & BBQ Championship	Jan 25, 2013
-9.9	Wild West BBQ Cook Off	May 13, 2016
-9.4	The Great Vegas Gridiron Grill-Off	Sep 5, 2014

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	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2016	2	0	0	50%	top 62%	91.2%	90.3%
2015	11	4	1	82%	top 37%	95%	92.2%
2014	12	7	2	92%	top 37%	95.3%	92.9%
2013	13	6	3	54%	top 46%	95.2%	89%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Jun 17, 2016	23rd Annual Colorado BBQ Challenge Frisco, CO	28 / 58 (656.3884)	23 (167.3828)	37 (157.6572)	29 (165.0856)	17 (166.2628)
May 13, 2016	Wild West BBQ Cook Off Lamar, CO	25 / 33 (644.4344)	9 (170.2972)	31 (149.6228)	28 (158.2628)	10 (166.2516)
Sep 18, 2015	Taste of Autumn BBQ Championships Spearfish, SD	8 / 30 (680.5256)	18 (169.1200)	15 (168.5600)	19 (167.9656)	4 (174.8800)
Sep 5, 2015	Smokin' Brew BBQ Parker, CO	16 / 49 (666.8000)	16 (172.5484)	28 (160.5716)	34 (157.6800)	2 (176)
Aug 14, 2015	Conifer Mountain BBQ Challenge Conifer, CO	12 / 31 (660.9596)	17 (164.5372)	7 (169.1200)	15 (165.0740)	15 (162.2284)
Jul 31, 2015	SLV Beat the Heat - Barbeque, Brews and Chili Alamosa, CO	17 / 29 (656.4228)	17 (165.6800)	21 (160.5372)	12 (166.2400)	13 (163.9656)
Jul 24, 2015	Arvada on Tap - A Craft Beer & BBQ Fest Arvada, CO	4 / 26 (678.7772)	16 (166.8344)	7 (166.8228)	5 (171.9772)	3 (173.1428)
Jul 17, 2015	Griller's Cup Laramie, WY	3 / 29 (683.9428)	6 (171.4172)	1 (177.1544)	12 (162.2284)	3 (173.1428)
Jun 19, 2015	22nd Colorado BBQ Challenge Frisco, CO	19 / 58 (661.0516)	11 (170.8344)	7 (172.5600)	21 (165.1200)	37 (152.5372)
May 30, 2015	Rock'N Western Rendezvous Loveland, CO	25 / 38 (648.4232)	9 (172)	37 (146.2172)	28 (159.3716)	7 (170.8344)
May 8, 2015	Wild West BBQ Lamar, CO	9 / 26 (656.4916)	3 (172)	14 (162.2744)	9 (164.5372)	16 (157.6800)
Apr 17, 2015	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Fort Collins, CO	17 / 30 (642.2172)	17 (160.5828)	13 (163.3944)	21 (158.2400)	17 (160)
Jan 9, 2015	National Western BBQ Throwdown Denver, CO	16 / 40 (663.8852)	23 (164.5600)	27 (161.1084)	18 (166.8112)	7 (171.4056)
Sep 12, 2014	Colorado Pork & Hops Challenge Grand Junction, CO	21 / 47 (661.5652)	6 (174.8572)	39 (157.0740)	38 (156.4912)	3 (173.1428)
Sep 5, 2014	The Great Vegas Gridiron Grill-Off Las Vegas, NV	33 / 42 (651.7824)	26 (165.6684)	35 (157.6456)	37 (159.3484)	16 (169.1200)
Aug 30, 2014	Smokin' Brew BBQ Parker, CO	15 / 48 (665.6112)	27 (166.2628)	32 (157.6800)	6 (171.4056)	7 (170.2628)
Aug 22, 2014	Bootleggin' BBQ Garden City, CO	4 / 17 (686.1712)	6 (170.8228)	7 (170.8228)	12 (167.3828)	2 (177.1428)
Aug 15, 2014	Conifer Mountain BBQ Challenge Conifer, CO	6 / 43 (675.8972)	1 (177.7144)	27 (157.6800)	14 (168.5256)	6 (171.9772)
Aug 1, 2014	The SLV Beat the Heat BBQ, Brews and Chili Competition Alamosa, CO	8 / 31 (669.6684)	10 (170.2628)	20 (159.4400)	10 (167.9772)	2 (171.9884)
Jul 25, 2014	Colorado Rockies Invitational BBQ Championship (Competitor's Series) unrated Denver, CO	18 / 20 (679.3716)	19 (168.5372)	19 (165.0856)	10 (173.1544)	12 (172.5944)
Jul 16, 2014	Griller's Cup Laramie, WY	5 / 26 (674.7660)	13 (166.2400)	4 (171.9772)	9 (170.8572)	7 (165.6916)
Jun 20, 2014	2nd Annual South Park Kick Ass BBQ Competition Fairplay, CO	10 / 28 (663.8968)	21 (162.2856)	3 (174.2972)	13 (162.7884)	12 (164.5256)
Jun 13, 2014	21st Colorado BBQ Challenge Frisco, CO	5 / 55 (686.3200)	7 (171.4172)	3 (175.4172)	27 (161.7256)	3 (177.7600)
May 9, 2014	Wild West BBQ Lamar, CO	13 / 29 (644.9372)	10 (163.9544)	13 (162.2400)	23 (155.9084)	9 (162.8344)
Apr 25, 2014	Pony Express BBQ Challenge Gothenburg, NE	8 / 28 (663.3484)	21 (159.4056)	17 (161.0856)	14 (162.8572)	1 (180)
Sep 13, 2013	Colorado Pork & Hops Challenge Grand Junction, CO	25 / 42 (643.2684)	14 (167.4056)	27 (157.1200)	24 (161.6572)	25 (157.0856)
Sep 7, 2013	Sky's the Limit BBQ Classic Garden City, KS	8 / 26 (681.6456)	9 (170.2628)	15 (166.2744)	9 (173.1084)	5 (172)
Sep 6, 2013	Showdown on the Plains BBQ Challenge & Air Show Scott City, KS	4 / 28 (685.0856)	18 (162.2628)	13 (171.4172)	3 (173.7028)	1 (177.7028)
Aug 30, 2013	Smokin' Brew BBQ Parker, CO	16 / 53 (666.1484)	16 (169.7028)	12 (170.2628)	28 (160.5028)	14 (165.6800)
Aug 16, 2013	Conifer Mountain BBQ Challenge Conifer, CO	7 / 33 (667.9428)	18 (162.2628)	22 (158.2516)	4 (173.1084)	2 (174.3200)
Jul 19, 2013	Griller's Cup Laramie, WY	2 / 33 (678.8572)	6 (171.4172)	16 (162.8344)	9 (169.1656)	1 (175.4400)
Jun 21, 2013	South Park Kick Ass BBQ Competition Fairplay, CO	14 / 23 (640.5708)	11 (163.4282)	10 (162.8570)	20 (153.7142)	10 (160.5714)
Jun 14, 2013	Colorado Barbecue Challenge Frisco, CO	5 / 68 (662.8568)	11 (166.8570)	21 (162.2856)	24 (159.4284)	2 (174.2858)
May 10, 2013	Wild West BBQ Lamar, CO	25 / 31 (611.4280)	28 (149.7140)	23 (152.5714)	12 (160)	25 (149.1426)
Apr 26, 2013	Pony Express BBQ Challenge Gothenburg, NE	46 / 47 (492.5708)	23 (158.2854)	24 (158.2856)	28 (155.9998)	47 (20)
Apr 19, 2013	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Las Vegas, NV	27 / 30 (625.7140)	22 (158.8570)	27 (149.7144)	27 (154.8570)	13 (162.2856)
Mar 29, 2013	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Thornton, CO	5 / 30 (654.2854)	1 (172)	15 (160.5714)	10 (161.1428)	11 (160.5712)
Jan 25, 2013	5th Annual Lake Havasu Music Brews & BBQ Championship Lake Havasu City, AZ	72 / 86 (617.1426)	37 (162.8570)	81 (142.8572)	78 (148.5714)	34 (162.8570)

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

STARS AND STRIPES 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 (13 found in their record)

The heartbreaker

Perfect scores on the board

Happy hunting ground

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

Chicken nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

An August team

The long haul

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)