MEL'S BBQ

MEL'S BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 29 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2019. Their best overall finish is 9th of 34 at the Leavenworth's Hog Wild West BBQ Contest (2013). They are ranked #6175 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#6,175

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1424

peak 1501 · rated over 29 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Mar 15, 2013

latest May 31, 2019 · 6.2 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#517

Master 2013 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

4 podiums

Overall top-10s

3% of 29 contests

Avg finish

top 68%

overall standings

Best overall

669.0860 / 720

Master · Leavenworth Hog Wild BBQ Contest

Perfect 180s

Current form

595.76 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 631.84 (-36.08)

Walk rate

21%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

176.5944

Pork Ribs · Leavenworth Hog Wild BBQ Contest

Consistency

±29.62

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 160.89 · weakest Brisket (152.59)

Road miles

2,651

across 29 mapped stops · furthest 236 mi

Schedule strength

36%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1548)

Purse competed for

$13K

listed at 1 contest — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 2 state-championship entries

Master avg

631.84 / 720

28 Master contests · 0 GCs

Master (5-meat) avg

662.72 / 900

1 Master (5-meat) contest · 0 GCs

These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Master (5-meat) out of 900), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.

Storylines (9 found in their record)

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

High-water mark

669.0860 career-best overall

92.9% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 669.0860 at Leavenworth Hog Wild BBQ Contest — 92.9% of a perfect 720.

Master
Sep 11, 2015

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

ROCK-N-ROLL RIB RUBBERS has finished one call ahead of MEL'S BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2016 their best year

2016 was the year it came together: 3 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 1 category win, at an average finish in the top 53%.

3 contests
0 overall top-10s
1 category win
average top 53%

A tough matchup

16–0 behind in the head-to-head

THE SMOKING HILLS ahead in 100% of their meetings

THE SMOKING HILLS has come out ahead in 16 of their 16 shared contests.

The weak link

−8.3 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 8.31 points below their pork, and turns into a call 7% of the time against 10%.

Brisket avg 152.59
Pork avg 160.89
2 calls in 29 entries

A strong matchup

10–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 91% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of DUSTY ROADS BBQ in 10 of their 11 shared contests.

Pork nemesis

14 of 16 shared pork entries lost

THE SMOKING HILLS ahead 88% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, THE SMOKING HILLS has out-cooked them in 14 of 16 shared pork entries.

Show 2 more storylines

A September team

Top 57% average finish in September

Something about September: average finish in the top 57% across 6 contests, versus top 68% the rest of the year.

6 September contests
top 68% the rest of the year

A standing appointment

4 years running at one contest

They've cooked Big Blue BBQ Championship every year from 2016 to 2019 — the contest they never miss.

6 visits in all
best finish 16th

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
2019 ↗	Master	#2549 (54 pts)	#2479 (59 pts)	#2553 (54 pts)	#2545 (54 pts)	#1678 (114 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#1266 (180 pts)	#1319 (180 pts)	#1354 (180 pts)	#1342 (180 pts)	#1330 (180 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#1392 (180 pts)	#1493 (180 pts)	#1506 (180 pts)	#1376 (210 pts)	#1246 (245 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#1129 (276 pts)	#1180 (281 pts)	#1270 (251 pts)	#939 (406 pts)	#1038 (331 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#945 (334 pts)	#1000 (334 pts)	#868 (414 pts)	#935 (384 pts)	#1048 (304 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#888 (374 pts)	#732 (514 pts)	#943 (379 pts)	#1148 (284 pts)	#899 (379 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#517 (599 pts)	#498 (649 pts)	#365 (839 pts)	#393 (804 pts)	#491 (649 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to MEL'S BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

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

Junkyard BBQ

#6,174 of the rated field

1424 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1424

3–0 in 3 shared contests (100% to MEL'S BBQ)

These two have cooked 3 of the same contests — MEL'S BBQ ahead 3–0 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 8 contests
last seen Jun 12, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

ROLL THE BONES BBQ

#6,177 of the rated field

1424 power rating

Contests: 28
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1424

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 28 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 28 contests
last seen Sep 8, 2023

⚔ Compare careers

SMOKIN ACES BBQ - FL

#6,176 of the rated field

1424 power rating

Contests: 26
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 8%
Peak: 1424

Careers of much the same size, 26 contests to 29, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 24 contests
last seen Oct 9, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

SMOKING STUDS BBQ

#6,178 of the rated field

1424 power rating

Contests: 42
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 2%
Peak: 1424

42 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 2% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 42 contests
last seen Sep 18, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

POP POP'S RIBS

#6,173 of the rated field

1424 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1424

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

rated over 11 contests
last seen Jul 11, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Good Ole Boys Country BBQ

#6,168 of the rated field

1424 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1424

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.

rated over 11 contests
last seen Apr 20, 2018

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
THE SMOKING HILLS	16	0	16	0%	⚔ compare
R BUTTS R SMOKIN	15	1	14	7%	⚔ compare
Three Brothers Different Mothers	14	1	13	7%	⚔ compare
JAESTAR BBQ	14	0	14	0%	⚔ compare
SMOKE ON WHEELS	14	0	14	0%	⚔ compare
B & C SMOKERS	14	0	14	0%	⚔ compare
RED OAK BBQ	12	2	10	17%	⚔ compare
BURNT FINGER BBQ	12	0	12	0%	⚔ compare
DUSTY ROADS BBQ	11	10	1	91%	⚔ compare
MAD HOGS AND AN ENGLISHMAN	11	3	8	27%	⚔ compare
Lazy Butt BBQ	11	1	10	9%	⚔ compare
Theslabs.com	11	0	11	0%	⚔ compare
CLARK CREW BBQ	11	0	11	0%	⚔ compare
JP CUSTOM SMOKE	11	0	11	0%	⚔ compare
GETTIN' BASTED	11	0	11	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	29	3	1	1	174.8800	142.8456	158.85	top 65%
Pork Ribs	29	2	1	1	176.5944	20	154.80	top 60%
Pork	29	3	1	2	174.2628	146.2284	160.89	top 60%
Brisket	29	2	0	0	172	20	152.59	top 62%

“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)	13	0	top 62%
Large (40+)	16	0	top 72%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
KS	20	top 73%
MO	8	top 58%
NE	1	top 49%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Big Blue BBQ Championship	6	16	top 79%	May 31, 2019
Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest	2	48	top 95%	Jul 13, 2018
Smoke in the Spring (WFC Quilfyer)	2	65	top 70%	Apr 7, 2017
Leavenworth Hog Wild BBQ Contest	2	13	top 51%	Sep 11, 2015
2015 Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest	2	26	top 66%	Jun 5, 2015

More numbers

Busiest season 2013 9 contests

Contests a season 4.1 across 7 seasons in the data

Most contests held in KS 20 of 29 contests · 3 states in all

Contests visited 20 5 of them more than once

Opponents faced 1,830 finished ahead 1,359 times, behind 2,783

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

20191 milestone

May 31 Most recent contest Big Blue BBQ Championship

20171 milestone

Sep 1 25th tracked contest 38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN)

20152 milestones

Sep 11 Career-best overall score669.0860 Leavenworth Hog Wild BBQ Contest
Sep 11 Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)176.5944 Leavenworth Hog Wild BBQ Contest

20141 milestone

Jun 6 10th tracked contest Big Blue BBQ Championship

20136 milestones

Mar 15 First tracked contest NKC MO State BBQ Championship
Apr 12 First call The Best Dam BBQ Contest at Smithville Lake
Apr 12 First overall past 90% of a perfect score649.7140 The Best Dam BBQ Contest at Smithville Lake
Apr 12 Peak power rating (1501) The Best Dam BBQ Contest at Smithville Lake
Sep 13 First category win (Pork Ribs) Leavenworth's Hog Wild West BBQ Contest
Sep 13 First overall top-10 Leavenworth's Hog Wild West BBQ Contest

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+10.1	Leavenworth's Hog Wild West BBQ Contest	Sep 13, 2013
+5.1	Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest	Jun 7, 2013
+3.6	Cass County	Aug 8, 2014
+3.6	Leavenworth Hog Wild BBQ Contest	Sep 12, 2014
+3.3	37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN)	Oct 29, 2016

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-13.2	Dodge City Days Barbeque Cook-off	Jul 26, 2013
-11.9	2015 Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest	Jun 5, 2015
-10.8	Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest	Jul 13, 2018
-8.9	Big Blue BBQ Championship (TEAMS FULL)	Jun 1, 2018
-7.5	Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest	Jul 14, 2017

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)
2019	1	0	0	0%	top 93%	86.5%	86.5%
2018	3	0	0	0%	top 92%	87.3%	79.7%
2017	4	0	0	0%	top 81%	89%	88%
2016	3	0	1	67%	top 53%	90.8%	89.6%
2015	5	0	0	20%	top 74%	92.9%	88.4%
2014	4	0	1	25%	top 59%	91.3%	88.9%
2013	9	1	1	22%	top 57%	91%	87.4%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
May 31, 2019	Big Blue BBQ Championship 🏅 Marysville, KS	27 / 29 (622.7084)	24 (154.8344)	27 (154.8228)	29 (146.2284)	13 (166.8228)
Sep 15, 2018	39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS	384 / 467 (628.4460)	434 (152.5144)	271 (164.5372)	324 (159.9884)	397 (151.4060)
Jul 13, 2018	Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest Mayetta, KS	48 / 48 (497.5768)	42 (157.6456)	48 (20)	38 (162.2628)	35 (157.6684)
Jun 1, 2018	Big Blue BBQ Championship (TEAMS FULL) Marysville, KS	40 / 42 (595.8628)	40 (150.2284)	42 (136.4800)	27 (161.7600)	37 (147.3944)
Sep 1, 2017	38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS	317 / 407 (634.2168)	382 (149.0628)	185 (166.2628)	183 (166.8684)	336 (152.0228)
Jul 14, 2017	Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest Mayetta, KS	52 / 58 (633.0060)	32 (166.8572)	55 (154.8228)	19 (169.6800)	53 (141.6460)
Jun 2, 2017	Big Blue BBQ Championship (TEAM FULL) Marysville, KS	29 / 35 (625.5540)	35 (151.9656)	27 (157.6800)	29 (155.9656)	21 (159.9428)
Apr 7, 2017	Smoke in the Spring (WFC Quilfyer) Osage City, KS	73 / 100 (641.0396)	61 (165.1200)	97 (141.6684)	69 (162.2512)	16 (172)
Oct 29, 2016	37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS	290 / 557 (653.6572)	332 (162.2628)	95 (171.4400)	306 (163.4172)	372 (156.5372)
Sep 16, 2016	Butler Chambers Barbeque & Huckster's Day Butler, MO	11 / 21 (636.5484)	18 (142.8456)	15 (153.7372)	1 (174.2628)	5 (165.7028)
Jun 3, 2016	Big Blue BBQ Championship Marysville, KS	16 / 30 (645.1204)	9 (167.4172)	17 (156.6060)	21 (159.3944)	16 (161.7028)
Oct 3, 2015	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open Kansas City, MO	383 / 606 (641.0856)	494 (154.8456)	446 (157.0972)	404 (160)	134 (169.1428)
Sep 11, 2015	Leavenworth Hog Wild BBQ Contest Leavenworth, KS	16 / 28 (669.0860)	16 (168.5372)	5 (176.5944)	8 (172)	27 (151.9544)
Jul 3, 2015	HutchFest BBQ Cook-Off Hutchinson, KS	27 / 31 (622.2632)	25 (159.4288)	30 (145.1544)	28 (158.8456)	22 (158.8344)
Jun 5, 2015	2015 Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest Mayetta, KS	61 / 64 (612.3200)	64 (147.3140)	28 (163.9656)	59 (151.3944)	55 (149.6460)
Apr 10, 2015	Smoke in the Spring Osage City, KS	65 / 97 (636.9600)	73 (157.6800)	58 (161.1200)	52 (162.8000)	63 (155.3600)
Oct 2, 2014	35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open Kansas City, MO	394 / 552 (634.8572)	417 (158.3200)	336 (161.0972)	478 (151.4744)	231 (163.9656)
Sep 12, 2014	Leavenworth Hog Wild BBQ Contest Leavenworth, KS	13 / 29 (657.7028)	1 (174.8800)	16 (162.8572)	26 (152.5600)	8 (167.4056)
Aug 8, 2014	Cass County Weeping Water, NE	17 / 35 (642.8572)	22 (160.6056)	17 (162.8344)	23 (157.7600)	18 (161.6572)
Jun 6, 2014	Big Blue BBQ Championship Marysville, KS	18 / 25 (624.4688)	18 (155.9428)	14 (162.8572)	18 (158.2628)	23 (147.4060)
Oct 25, 2013	Bates County BBQ State Championship 🏅 Butler, MO	17 / 33 (646.1944)	22 (157.0856)	14 (163.3944)	20 (159.4172)	13 (166.2972)
Oct 3, 2013	34th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open Kansas City, MO	324 / 535 (631.8400)	97 (169.1084)	282 (158.8344)	375 (155.3712)	424 (148.5260)
Sep 13, 2013	Leavenworth's Hog Wild West BBQ Contest Leavenworth, KS	9 / 34 (652.5484)	10 (162.8800)	1 (171.4056)	13 (163.4400)	21 (154.8228)
Jul 26, 2013	Dodge City Days Barbeque Cook-off Dodge City, KS	45 / 47 (662.7200)	36 (147.9428)	20 (162.8228)	17 (164.5372)	47 (20)
Jun 7, 2013	Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest Mayetta, KS	26 / 69 (654.8570)	18 (166.8572)	31 (165.1428)	49 (157.7140)	18 (165.1430)
May 31, 2013	Big Blue BBQ Championship Marysville, KS	23 / 30 (630.2852)	25 (156.5712)	22 (157.1428)	22 (157.1428)	13 (159.4284)
May 3, 2013	Apple Blossom Barbecue Contest St. Joseph, MO	25 / 39 (634.2860)	12 (168)	20 (161.7144)	16 (165.7144)	38 (138.8572)
Apr 12, 2013	The Best Dam BBQ Contest at Smithville Lake Smithville, MO	24 / 48 (649.7140)	28 (158.8570)	13 (167.4286)	3 (171.4284)	35 (152)
Mar 15, 2013	NKC MO State BBQ Championship N. Kansas City, MO	38 / 79 (636.5714)	35 (161.1428)	64 (149.7140)	20 (164)	22 (161.7146)

MEL'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

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

Master (5-meat) avg

Storylines (9 found in their record)

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

Pork nemesis

A September team

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)