BIG L'S SWEET HEAT

BIG L'S SWEET HEAT is a competition barbecue team with 26 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2017. Their best overall finish is 2nd of 42 at the Euharlee Covered Bridge 'Que (GBC Qualifier) (2015), and they have finished Reserve Grand Champion once. They are ranked #4847 of 6,477 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#4,847

of 6,477 rated · rankings

Rating

1466

peak 1466 · rated over 26 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Feb 8, 2013

latest May 19, 2017 · 4.3 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#416

Master 2015 · every season

Grand champs

1 reserve

Category wins

6 podiums

Overall top-10s

15% of 26 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 67%

overall standings

Best overall

698.8000 / 720

Master · Euharlee Covered Bridge 'Que (GBC Qualifier)

Perfect 180s

Current form

663.75 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 651.44 (+12.31)

Walk rate

58%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

178.8572

Chicken · Euharlee Covered Bridge 'Que (GBC Qualifier)

Consistency

±24.91

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 165.92 · weakest Brisket (159.31)

Road miles

4,392

across 26 mapped stops · furthest 447 mi

Schedule strength

35%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1546)

Master avg

651.44 / 720

26 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (9 found in their record)

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

High-water mark

698.8000 career-best overall

97.1% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 698.8000 at Euharlee Covered Bridge 'Que (GBC Qualifier) — 97.1% of a perfect 720.

Master
Jun 5, 2015

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

BEN'S BEST QUE AND STEW has finished one call ahead of BIG L'S SWEET HEAT 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2015 their best year

2015 was the year it came together: 8 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 2 category wins, at an average finish in the top 46%.

8 contests
3 overall top-10s
2 category wins
average top 46%

A tough matchup

14–1 behind in the head-to-head

QUE'N STEW'N & BREW'N ahead in 93% of their meetings

QUE'N STEW'N & BREW'N has come out ahead in 14 of their 15 shared contests.

The weak link

−6.6 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 6.61 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 15% of the time against 27%.

Brisket avg 159.31
Chicken avg 165.92
4 calls in 26 entries

A strong matchup

6–2 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 75% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Stewbabys BBQ in 6 of their 8 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

12 of 15 shared chicken entries lost

QUE'N STEW'N & BREW'N ahead 80% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, QUE'N STEW'N & BREW'N has out-cooked them in 12 of 15 shared chicken entries.

Show 2 more storylines

The long haul

4,392 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 4,392 miles across 26 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 447 miles to Sam's Club National BBQ Tour.

26 mapped stops
furthest 447 mi

A standing appointment

5 years running at one contest

They've cooked Roman Roast on the River every year from 2013 to 2017 — the contest they never miss.

5 visits in all
best finish 7th

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
2017 ↗	Master	#1079 (294 pts)	#1030 (359 pts)	#1298 (239 pts)	#1149 (294 pts)	#943 (384 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#1775 (120 pts)	#1883 (120 pts)	#1790 (135 pts)	#1322 (240 pts)	#1639 (160 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#416 (907 pts)	#310 (1,142 pts)	#414 (902 pts)	#451 (857 pts)	#444 (847 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#922 (350 pts)	#860 (420 pts)	#844 (435 pts)	#670 (565 pts)	#954 (350 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#612 (512 pts)	#435 (717 pts)	#514 (647 pts)	#588 (567 pts)	#672 (482 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to BIG L'S SWEET HEAT, each with one reason worth a look.

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

Pikes Pits BBQ

#4,832 of the rated field

1466 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 5%
Peak: 1466

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 19 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 19 contests
last seen Oct 1, 2022

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BootsBBQ

#4,850 of the rated field

1466 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 7%
Peak: 1466

Fewer contests behind them than BIG L'S SWEET HEAT has cooked, 14 to 26, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 14 contests
last seen Apr 3, 2026

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KCBEER'S SMOKE SHACK

#4,843 of the rated field

1466 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1466

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

rated over 10 contests
last seen Oct 12, 2018

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Boondoxx BBQ

#4,852 of the rated field

1466 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1466

Level with BIG L'S SWEET HEAT on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 8 contests
last seen Aug 9, 2019

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SWEET SMOKE RING BBQ

#4,854 of the rated field

1466 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 13%
Peak: 1514

They've been 1514 at their best, 49 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 8 contests
last seen Sep 28, 2018

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ALL AROUND PIGTAILS PORK

#4,860 of the rated field

1466 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1466

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 8 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 8 contests
last seen Jun 8, 2018

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
QUE'N STEW'N & BREW'N	15	1	14	7%	⚔ compare
CHOO CHOO TRAIN BBQ	14	7	7	50%	⚔ compare
OLD PLANTATION BBQ	13	1	12	8%	⚔ compare
SMOKE ON THIS	11	2	9	18%	⚔ compare
DIGGIN QUE-GA	11	1	10	9%	⚔ compare
MOYERS COMPETITION BAR-B-Q TEAM	11	1	10	9%	⚔ compare
SWINE AND SHINE BBQ	11	0	11	0%	⚔ compare
Bubba Q	10	2	8	20%	⚔ compare
PLUM SUPERIOR BBQ	10	2	8	20%	⚔ compare
HICKORY PRIME	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare
The Pig Lebowski	9	2	7	22%	⚔ compare
THE PIT CREW GA	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare
DEEP SOUTH BBQ	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare
Stewbabys BBQ	8	6	2	75%	⚔ compare
BIRD DAWG BBQ	8	5	3	63%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	26	7	1	3	178.8572	155.3944	165.92	top 58%
Pork Ribs	26	5	0	1	176.5944	132.5718	161.53	top 64%
Pork	26	4	1	1	177.7144	147.9996	164.67	top 58%
Brisket	26	4	0	1	177.7028	131.8972	159.31	top 66%

“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)	17	0	top 78%
Large (40+)	9	0	top 47%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
GA	20	top 63%
AL	3	top 86%
MS	1	top 93%
FL	1	top 41%
NC	1	top 96%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Roman Roast on the River	5	7	top 61%	May 12, 2017
Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	3	23	top 86%	Feb 26, 2016
The National BBQ Cup	2	47	top 77%	Nov 20, 2015
Atlanta BarB-Que Festival	2	14	top 46%	Aug 14, 2015

More numbers

Busiest season 2015 8 contests

Contests a season 5.2 across 5 seasons in the data

Most contests held in GA 20 of 26 contests · 5 states in all

Contests visited 18 4 of them more than once

Opponents faced 446 finished ahead 334 times, behind 613

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

20172 milestones

May 12 25th tracked contest Roman Roast on the River
May 19 Most recent contest Sam's Club National BBQ Tour

20156 milestones

Feb 20 First category win (Chicken) Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Feb 20 First overall top-10 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Jun 5 First overall podium Euharlee Covered Bridge 'Que (GBC Qualifier)
Jun 5 First Reserve Championship Euharlee Covered Bridge 'Que (GBC Qualifier)
Jun 5 Career-best overall score698.8000 Euharlee Covered Bridge 'Que (GBC Qualifier)
Jun 5 Career-best single call (Chicken)178.8572 Euharlee Covered Bridge 'Que (GBC Qualifier)

20141 milestone

May 9 10th tracked contest Roman Roast on the River (SBBQA)

20134 milestones

Feb 8 First tracked contest Georgia BBQ Championship Throwdown (GBC Qualifier)
Feb 8 Peak power rating (1485) Georgia BBQ Championship Throwdown (GBC Qualifier)
Feb 22 First call Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Sep 13 First overall past 90% of a perfect score654.1600 Atlanta BarB-Q Festival

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+19.6	Euharlee Covered Bridge 'Que (GBC Qualifier)	Jun 5, 2015
+16.5	Roman Roast on the River	May 8, 2015
+9.3	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	Feb 20, 2015
+9.3	Atlanta BarB-Que Festival	Aug 14, 2015
+7.6	Atlanta BarB-Q Festival	Sep 13, 2013

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-15	Georgia BBQ Championship Throwdown (GBC Qualifier)	Feb 8, 2013
-13	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	Jun 7, 2013
-11.3	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	Feb 28, 2014
-9.7	Smokin on the River (GBC & SBBQA Qualifier)	Apr 3, 2014
-8.6	Roman Roast on the River (GBC Qualifier)	May 10, 2013

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)
2017	3	1	0	100%	top 56%	92.9%	92.7%
2016	2	0	0	50%	top 76%	91.6%	91.5%
2015	8	3	2	63%	top 46%	97.1%	93.8%
2014	6	0	0	17%	top 86%	90.1%	87.5%
2013	7	0	0	71%	top 77%	90.9%	88%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
May 19, 2017	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Marietta, GA	19 / 26 (666.6968)	15 (170.8228)	23 (162.8000)	23 (162.7884)	10 (170.2856)
May 12, 2017	Roman Roast on the River Rome, GA	19 / 37 (665.5772)	26 (166.2400)	29 (161.0972)	10 (170.8228)	10 (167.4172)
Apr 22, 2017	Atlanta BBQ Classic (At Atlanta Motor Speedway) Hampton, GA	10 / 23 (669.0628)	4 (173.1200)	11 (165.6800)	15 (163.9656)	10 (166.2972)
May 13, 2016	Roman Roast on the River Rome, GA	26 / 36 (658.1144)	24 (163.3828)	23 (163.9544)	21 (165.0972)	19 (165.6800)
Feb 26, 2016	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Daphne, AL	24 / 30 (659.3032)	25 (162.8000)	23 (163.9544)	7 (171.4172)	22 (161.1316)
Nov 20, 2015	The National BBQ Cup Cumming, GA	47 / 74 (670.1484)	61 (162.7884)	49 (165.7144)	46 (166.2400)	12 (175.4056)
Oct 3, 2015	Smoke-N-Thunder BBQ Classic Day 2 (GBC Qualifier) Rome, GA	29 / 41 (666.7320)	34 (165.0972)	21 (169.7032)	30 (165.0972)	25 (166.8344)
Oct 2, 2015	Smoke-N-Thunder BBQ Classic Day 1 (GBC Qualifier) Rome, GA	25 / 52 (671.9428)	28 (170.8228)	37 (164.5600)	13 (172.5828)	31 (163.9772)
Sep 18, 2015	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Southaven, MS	28 / 30 (677.0972)	2 (177.7144)	29 (162.2744)	28 (165.0856)	18 (172.0228)
Aug 14, 2015	Atlanta BarB-Que Festival Atlanta, GA	14 / 48 (667.8856)	27 (166.2284)	34 (159.3944)	24 (164.5600)	2 (177.7028)
Jun 5, 2015	Euharlee Covered Bridge 'Que (GBC Qualifier) Euharlee, GA	2 / 42 (698.8000)	2 (178.8572)	7 (173.1200)	1 (177.7144)	14 (169.1084)
May 8, 2015	Roman Roast on the River Rome, GA	7 / 41 (686.8116)	14 (171.9772)	2 (176.5944)	14 (173.1200)	29 (165.1200)
Feb 20, 2015	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Kissimmee, FL	9 / 22 (662.1828)	1 (173.7028)	6 (168.5372)	15 (165.1200)	19 (154.8228)
Oct 18, 2014	Smoke-N-Thunder BBQ Classic (SBBQA) Rome, GA	25 / 27 (648.9028)	16 (168.5372)	23 (161.6572)	17 (166.2284)	26 (152.4800)
Sep 27, 2014	Whole Hawg Happenin' (SBBQA) Marietta, GA	29 / 34 (627.2004)	24 (162.8344)	32 (151.3716)	20 (163.9428)	31 (149.0516)
Aug 15, 2014	Atlanta BarB-Que Festival (SBBQA) Atlanta, GA	27 / 43 (638.6972)	21 (166.2400)	30 (159.3828)	36 (154.8228)	25 (158.2516)
May 9, 2014	Roman Roast on the River (SBBQA) Rome, GA	32 / 38 (646.0800)	35 (158.2056)	14 (170.2628)	26 (164.5372)	37 (153.0744)
Apr 3, 2014	Smokin on the River (GBC & SBBQA Qualifier) Summerville, GA	28 / 30 (603.7716)	28 (155.3944)	21 (158.2400)	18 (158.2400)	30 (131.8972)
Feb 28, 2014	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Daphne, AL	28 / 28 (615.2000)	28 (155.9544)	27 (148.5028)	6 (170.2628)	28 (140.4800)
Nov 15, 2013	The National BBQ Cup (GBC Qualifier) Cumming, GA	71 / 79 (644.3656)	73 (158.8000)	53 (165.0972)	65 (162.8112)	70 (157.6572)
Sep 28, 2013	Whole Hawg Happenin' Marietta, GA	19 / 30 (653.5432)	24 (163.3944)	9 (169.6800)	21 (161.6572)	22 (158.8116)
Sep 13, 2013	Atlanta BarB-Q Festival Atlanta, GA	14 / 41 (654.1600)	9 (167.3944)	11 (163.9772)	17 (165.6684)	26 (157.1200)
Jun 7, 2013	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Asheville, NC	25 / 26 (602.2854)	7 (165.1428)	26 (132.5718)	18 (155.4282)	21 (149.1426)
May 10, 2013	Roman Roast on the River (GBC Qualifier) Rome, GA	27 / 33 (641.1424)	25 (161.7142)	10 (166.2858)	17 (164.5712)	31 (148.5712)
Feb 22, 2013	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Daphne, AL	23 / 29 (642.2852)	7 (170.8570)	28 (149.1428)	22 (161.7140)	19 (160.5714)
Feb 8, 2013	Georgia BBQ Championship Throwdown (GBC Qualifier) Young Harris, GA	32 / 33 (599.4276)	31 (155.9998)	32 (146.2856)	31 (147.9996)	27 (149.1426)

BIG L'S SWEET HEAT

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 (9 found in their record)

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

Chicken nemesis

The long haul

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)