BLACK DOG BBQ IA

BLACK DOG BBQ IA is a competition barbecue team with 48 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2018. Their best overall finish is 6th of 49 at the Minnesota in May (2013). They are ranked #2000 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#2,000

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1539

peak 1572 · rated over 48 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

May 17, 2013

latest Sep 28, 2018 · 5.4 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#339

Master 2013 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

7 podiums

Overall top-10s

13% of 48 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 52%

overall standings

Best overall

680.5712 / 720

Master · Minnesota in May

Perfect 180s

Current form

644.22 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 657.67 (-13.45)

Walk rate

52%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

177.7372

Pork · Smokin' At The Run Shootout

Consistency

±11.78

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 167.60 · weakest Pork Ribs (163.08)

Road miles

6,268

across 48 mapped stops · furthest 387 mi

Schedule strength

48%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1562)

Master avg

657.67 / 720

48 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (12 found in their record)

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

High-water mark

680.5712 career-best overall

94.5% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 680.5712 at Minnesota in May — 94.5% of a perfect 720.

Master
May 17, 2013

The one to beat

3× one call ahead of them

MYASSIS SMOKIN has finished one call ahead of BLACK DOG BBQ IA 3 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2013 their best year

2013 was the year it came together: 8 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 2 category wins, at an average finish in the top 35%.

8 contests
3 overall top-10s
2 category wins
average top 35%

A tough matchup

30–3 behind in the head-to-head

LUCKY'S Q ahead in 91% of their meetings

LUCKY'S Q has come out ahead in 30 of their 33 shared contests.

The weak link

−4.5 points behind their best meat

Pork Ribs is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.52 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 19% of the time against 33%.

Pork Ribs avg 163.08
Chicken avg 167.60
9 calls in 48 entries

A strong matchup

12–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of 3 THIRDS BBQ in 12 of their 12 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

21 of 33 shared chicken entries lost

LUCKY'S Q ahead 64% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, LUCKY'S Q has out-cooked them in 21 of 33 shared chicken entries.

Show 5 more storylines

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

The Q Crew has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A May team

Top 39% average finish in May

Something about May: average finish in the top 39% across 9 contests, versus top 52% the rest of the year.

9 May contests
top 52% the rest of the year

The long haul

6,268 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 6,268 miles across 48 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 387 miles to Smokin' At The Run Shootout.

48 mapped stops
furthest 387 mi

The metronome

±1.64% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.64% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 91.3% of a perfect score
48 contests

A standing appointment

6 years running at one contest

They've cooked Up in Smoke BBQ Bash every year from 2013 to 2018 — the contest they never miss.

6 visits in all
best finish 9th

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
2018 ↗	Master	#1027 (269 pts)	#831 (409 pts)	#912 (364 pts)	#1194 (234 pts)	#980 (309 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#671 (574 pts)	#479 (809 pts)	#638 (634 pts)	#659 (624 pts)	#726 (544 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#523 (755 pts)	#406 (950 pts)	#515 (805 pts)	#540 (760 pts)	#622 (645 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#550 (685 pts)	#513 (755 pts)	#448 (850 pts)	#593 (655 pts)	#496 (755 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#448 (860 pts)	#284 (1,177 pts)	#347 (1,040 pts)	#369 (1,010 pts)	#335 (1,075 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#339 (912 pts)	#258 (1,097 pts)	#358 (857 pts)	#334 (902 pts)	#314 (967 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to BLACK DOG BBQ IA, each with one reason worth a look.

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

NAGAN FOR MORE BBQ

#2,004 of the rated field

1539 power rating

Contests: 20
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 5%
Peak: 1539

3–4 in 7 shared contests (43% to BLACK DOG BBQ IA)

These two have cooked 7 of the same contests — NAGAN FOR MORE BBQ ahead 4–3 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 20 contests
last seen Aug 24, 2018

⚔ Head-to-head

PORK N' CIDER

#1,990 of the rated field

1539 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 14%
Peak: 1539

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to BLACK DOG BBQ IA)

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 Jun 24, 2016

⚔ Head-to-head

Jack9 BBQ-CA

#2,001 of the rated field

1539 power rating

Contests: 17
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 12%
Peak: 1552

Fewer contests behind them than BLACK DOG BBQ IA has cooked, 17 to 48, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 17 contests
last seen Apr 28, 2023

⚔ Compare careers

Que or be Qued

#1,987 of the rated field

1539 power rating

Contests: 16
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1553

16 contests and no Grand Championship yet.

rated over 16 contests
last seen Jun 26, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

16 Mesh BBQ

#1,997 of the rated field

1539 power rating

Contests: 18
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 22%
Peak: 1539

They turned up 9 years after BLACK DOG BBQ IA did, first appearing in 2022.

rated over 16 contests
last seen Jul 12, 2025

⚔ Compare careers

TASTY LICKS BBQ SUPPLY

#1,992 of the rated field

1539 power rating

Contests: 16
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 6%
Peak: 1539

Their last contest in the data was back in 2014, 4 years before BLACK DOG BBQ IA's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 16 contests

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
TRUE SMOKE BBQ	33	4	29	12%	⚔ compare
LUCKY'S Q	33	3	30	9%	⚔ compare
Pig Skin BBQ	26	1	25	4%	⚔ compare
BIG T'Z Q CRU	25	0	25	0%	⚔ compare
DRY 2 DA BONE	24	3	21	13%	⚔ compare
Hogline	23	6	17	26%	⚔ compare
WOODWARD BARBEQUE	23	4	19	17%	⚔ compare
IOWA WILD HOGS BBQ	21	4	17	19%	⚔ compare
SHIGGIN & GRINNIN	21	1	20	5%	⚔ compare
GRUMPY OLD MEN BBQ	20	13	7	65%	⚔ compare
MYASSIS SMOKIN	20	7	13	35%	⚔ compare
SPITFIRE	20	3	17	15%	⚔ compare
BIG CHAIN BBQ GANG	20	2	18	10%	⚔ compare
GRILLS GONE WILD IOWA	20	0	20	0%	⚔ compare
MEADOW VALLEY BBQ CO.	18	5	13	28%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	48	16	1	2	176.5714	156.5256	167.60	top 42%
Pork Ribs	48	9	1	3	176.5714	145.0516	163.08	top 54%
Pork	48	7	1	1	177.7372	146.2856	163.28	top 55%
Brisket	48	8	0	1	176.0344	149.0628	163.71	top 48%

“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)	18	0	top 55%
Large (40+)	30	0	top 50%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
IA	24	top 54%
MN	18	top 44%
OK	4	top 70%
MO	1	top 51%
WI	1	top 44%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Up in Smoke BBQ Bash	6	9	top 50%	Sep 28, 2018
BBQ 'Loo & Blues TOO!	6	10	top 43%	Jul 20, 2018
Smokin in Steele	3	7	top 40%	Jun 3, 2016
State Center Rose Festival BBQ Championship	3	9	top 43%	Jun 19, 2015
Minnesota in May	2	12	top 39%	May 11, 2018
Minnesota in May	2	15	top 31%	May 13, 2016
Central Iowa Expo BBQ (Day 2) (Judges Full)	2	26	top 85%	Apr 23, 2016
Central Iowa Expo BBQ, Cruise & Brew	2	26	top 70%	Apr 26, 2014

More numbers

Busiest season 2014 13 contests

Contests a season 8 across 6 seasons in the data

Most contests held in IA 24 of 48 contests · 5 states in all

Contests visited 30 8 of them more than once

Opponents faced 745 finished ahead 1,121 times, behind 1,103

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

20181 milestone

Sep 28 Most recent contest Up in Smoke BBQ Bash

20171 milestone

Jul 21 Peak power rating (1572) Up in Smoke BBQ Bash

20151 milestone

May 29 25th tracked contest Smokin' in Steel

20142 milestones

Mar 14 Career-best single call (Pork)177.7372 Smokin' At The Run Shootout
Mar 15 10th tracked contest Smokin' At The Run

20136 milestones

May 17 First tracked contest Minnesota in May
May 17 First call Minnesota in May
May 17 First category win (Pork Ribs) Minnesota in May
May 17 First overall top-10 Minnesota in May
May 17 First overall past 90% of a perfect score680.5712 Minnesota in May
May 17 Career-best overall score680.5712 Minnesota in May

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+13.1	Smokin in Steele	Jun 3, 2016
+13.1	Minnesota in May	May 17, 2013
+12.3	Up in Smoke BBQ Bash	Jul 26, 2013
+11.4	Med City BBQ & Musicfest	Aug 9, 2013
+10.4	Minnesota in May	May 12, 2017

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-13	Central Iowa Expo BBQ (Day 1) (Judges Full)	Apr 22, 2016
-11.6	Big Muddy Brew N Que	Sep 2, 2017
-9.5	Bend of the River CookOut	Jun 27, 2014
-8.7	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	Jul 28, 2017
-7.8	Central Iowa Expo BBQ, Cruise & Brew	Apr 26, 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)
2018	4	0	0	50%	top 65%	90.7%	89.4%
2017	7	0	0	43%	top 53%	93.5%	91.2%
2016	8	2	0	63%	top 51%	93.8%	91.5%
2015	8	1	0	50%	top 49%	93.1%	92%
2014	13	0	1	46%	top 59%	93.4%	90.9%
2013	8	3	2	63%	top 35%	94.5%	92.3%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Sep 28, 2018	Up in Smoke BBQ Bash Mason City, IA	18 / 29 (629.5772)	7 (163.4056)	6 (162.8000)	26 (149.6800)	26 (153.6916)
Aug 24, 2018	11th Annual Big Island BBQ Alberta Lea, MN	37 / 49 (639.8400)	23 (168.5372)	35 (161.1200)	40 (153.6572)	34 (156.5256)
Jul 20, 2018	BBQ 'Loo & Blues TOO! Waterloo, IA	26 / 42 (652.5372)	31 (164)	22 (165.1200)	40 (151.4172)	10 (172)
May 11, 2018	Minnesota in May Falcon Heights, MN	43 / 70 (653.0052)	13 (171.4056)	34 (163.9312)	61 (156.5256)	41 (161.1428)
Sep 2, 2017	Big Muddy Brew N Que Winona, MN	18 / 21 (646.1484)	19 (161.0856)	15 (162.2744)	15 (161.1428)	13 (161.6456)
Aug 25, 2017	10th Annual Big Island BBQ Albert Lea, MN	28 / 56 (656.4568)	16 (171.4056)	34 (162.2284)	41 (158.8112)	27 (164.0116)
Jul 28, 2017	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Ankeny, IA	25 / 30 (654.1712)	17 (167.4284)	28 (157.6456)	17 (165.6800)	19 (163.4172)
Jul 21, 2017	Up in Smoke BBQ Bash Mason City, IA	21 / 49 (659.2912)	19 (166.8456)	5 (172.5600)	44 (156.5028)	25 (163.3828)
Jul 14, 2017	BBQ 'Loo & Blues TOO! Waterloo, IA	14 / 33 (655.8856)	4 (173.7028)	19 (159.3828)	15 (164.5372)	20 (158.2628)
May 12, 2017	Minnesota in May Falcon Heights, MN	12 / 71 (673.0512)	9 (171.4056)	19 (167.4056)	9 (171.9772)	33 (162.2628)
Mar 31, 2017	Smokin On Big Creek BBQ Contest Benefiting Operation BBQ Relief (TEAMS AND JUDGES FULL) Pleasant Hill, MO	30 / 59 (653.0056)	19 (169.6800)	41 (159.9772)	44 (158.2284)	19 (165.1200)
Aug 26, 2016	9th Annual Big Island BBQ Albert Lea, MN	19 / 48 (665.5884)	18 (169.7028)	40 (156.5028)	7 (173.7028)	20 (165.6800)
Jul 29, 2016	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Des Moines, IA	20 / 28 (654.7768)	2 (173.7256)	25 (155.4172)	17 (164.5256)	18 (161.1084)
Jul 22, 2016	Up in Smoke BBQ Bash Mason City, IA	30 / 47 (661.0856)	35 (163.9884)	39 (159.9544)	20 (168.5600)	17 (168.5828)
Jul 15, 2016	BBQ'Loo & Blues Too Waterloo, IA	10 / 32 (669.7028)	6 (172.0228)	10 (167.9772)	10 (168.5600)	18 (161.1428)
Jun 3, 2016	Smokin in Steele Owatonna, MN	7 / 53 (675.4404)	10 (171.9656)	3 (175.4516)	34 (161.0972)	17 (166.9260)
May 13, 2016	Minnesota in May Falcon Heights, MN	15 / 71 (669.0516)	34 (163.9660)	9 (170.8456)	20 (167.9772)	28 (166.2628)
Apr 23, 2016	Central Iowa Expo BBQ (Day 2) (Judges Full) Boone, IA	26 / 36 (656.5716)	28 (164.5944)	26 (162.8916)	21 (166.2400)	25 (162.8456)
Apr 22, 2016	Central Iowa Expo BBQ (Day 1) (Judges Full) Boone, IA	41 / 42 (620.4116)	14 (169.1772)	41 (145.0516)	41 (154.2628)	42 (151.9200)
Aug 28, 2015	8th Annual Big Island BBQ Albert Lea, MN	22 / 55 (662.8232)	37 (161.6916)	26 (165.7144)	13 (170.2972)	23 (165.1200)
Jul 24, 2015	Up in Smoke BBQ Bash Mason City, IA	26 / 54 (662.7884)	27 (167.4172)	28 (164.5828)	21 (167.3828)	26 (163.4056)
Jul 17, 2015	BBQ'Loo & Blues Too! Waterloo, IA	11 / 39 (666.7884)	27 (161.6456)	2 (174.2628)	17 (164.5828)	13 (166.2972)
Jun 19, 2015	State Center Rose Festival BBQ Championship State Center, IA	9 / 27 (664.4688)	10 (166.2400)	17 (164.5372)	12 (166.8344)	10 (166.8572)
May 29, 2015	Smokin' in Steel Owatonna, MN	26 / 60 (658.1484)	42 (161.0972)	11 (168.5256)	36 (161.1200)	20 (167.4056)
May 8, 2015	BBQ in the Bluffs Council Bluffs, IA	16 / 33 (649.6916)	5 (170.8228)	11 (166.2860)	30 (146.2856)	9 (166.2972)
Mar 21, 2015	2nd Annual Smokin At The Run Shootout Miami, OK	66 / 82 (670.2052)	66 (167.9540)	73 (161.1200)	54 (168.0228)	19 (173.1084)
Mar 20, 2015	3rd Annual Smokin At The Run Miami, OK	61 / 87 (662.7660)	9 (176.5600)	63 (163.3944)	42 (167.9772)	77 (154.8344)
Oct 11, 2014	WinnaVegas Rib Master Classic Sloan, IA	21 / 34 (648.5480)	26 (156.5256)	19 (163.9884)	24 (160.0112)	14 (168.0228)
Aug 29, 2014	4th Annual Smokin In the Bogs Warrens, WI	15 / 34 (657.7720)	9 (169.7144)	7 (173.1772)	31 (149.1660)	15 (165.7144)
Aug 22, 2014	Big Island BBQ Albert Lea, MN	30 / 54 (657.6800)	43 (158.8228)	28 (166.2628)	28 (164.5600)	22 (168.0344)
Jul 25, 2014	Up in Smoke BBQ Bash Mason City, IA	36 / 52 (651.3260)	15 (172)	38 (160.5372)	41 (161.0972)	39 (157.6916)
Jul 18, 2014	BBQ'Loo & Blues Too! Waterloo, IA	17 / 37 (653.5772)	4 (173.1084)	18 (160.5372)	26 (151.9544)	10 (167.9772)
Jun 27, 2014	Bend of the River CookOut Mankato, MN	40 / 50 (645.5656)	41 (161.6684)	29 (163.9772)	41 (159.9772)	31 (159.9428)
Jun 20, 2014	State Center Rose Festival BBQ Championship State Center, IA	12 / 25 (653.0056)	18 (160.5028)	5 (169.7028)	14 (161.0972)	13 (161.7028)
May 30, 2014	Smokin in Steele Owatonna, MN	32 / 67 (663.3600)	5 (175.4056)	55 (154.8116)	23 (169.1428)	30 (164)
May 16, 2014	Minnesota in May Falcon Heights, MN	24 / 58 (654.2632)	34 (160.5600)	14 (165.1432)	44 (156.5944)	6 (171.9656)
Apr 26, 2014	Central Iowa Expo BBQ, Cruise & Brew Boone, IA	32 / 39 (638.7772)	31 (162.8228)	34 (153.0972)	26 (162.2856)	26 (160.5716)
Apr 25, 2014	Central Iowa Expo BBQ, Cruise & Brew Boone, IA	26 / 45 (660.5600)	24 (166.8572)	22 (163.4172)	21 (166.8456)	24 (163.4400)
Mar 15, 2014	Smokin' At The Run Miami, OK	45 / 72 (672.4912)	30 (172.5484)	60 (162.2972)	56 (165.6684)	20 (171.9772)
Mar 14, 2014	Smokin' At The Run Shootout Miami, OK	27 / 41 (653.6000)	16 (169.1200)	35 (157.6800)	1 (177.7372)	36 (149.0628)
Sep 20, 2013	Kings of BBQ 2013 Des Moines, IA	16 / 35 (665.0860)	14 (166.8228)	15 (163.9888)	11 (167.4400)	13 (166.8344)
Aug 23, 2013	6th Annual Big Island BBQ Albert Lea, MN	19 / 50 (666.2632)	23 (166.8572)	20 (166.2400)	11 (172)	22 (161.1660)
Aug 9, 2013	Med City BBQ & Musicfest Rochester, MN	8 / 50 (678.2628)	7 (172)	13 (166.2400)	25 (163.9884)	5 (176.0344)
Jul 26, 2013	Up in Smoke BBQ Bash Mason City, IA	9 / 66 (675.3828)	17 (169.1428)	48 (158.8344)	7 (171.9884)	2 (175.4172)
Jul 19, 2013	BBQ'Loo & Blues Too! Waterloo, IA	17 / 35 (647.8744)	19 (161.1200)	15 (165.1200)	18 (162.2400)	16 (159.3944)
Jun 14, 2013	State Center Rose Festival BBQ Championship State Center, IA	13 / 28 (656.0002)	8 (169.1430)	23 (152.5714)	8 (169.7142)	10 (164.5716)
May 31, 2013	Smokin' in Steele Owatonna, MN	30 / 51 (645.1428)	1 (176.5714)	45 (146.8572)	7 (172)	42 (149.7142)
May 17, 2013	Minnesota in May Faribault, MN	6 / 49 (680.5712)	7 (172)	1 (176.5714)	24 (166.2856)	21 (165.7142)

BLACK DOG BBQ IA

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 (12 found in their record)

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

Chicken nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

A May team

The long haul

The metronome

A standing appointment

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)