BBQ Brawl is a culinary competition series that premiered on Food Network in 2019, then titled BBQ Brawl: Flay v. Symon. The show is primarily filmed at Star Hill Ranch in Austin, Texas, except for season 4, which was filmed at Long Branch Saloon & Farms in Half Moon Bay, California.
The series features 12 pitmasters from across the country, divided into three teams, each mentored by a celebrity chef captain who serves as a mentor and strategist. The contestants face a range of barbecue-focused challenges, including low-and-slow smoking, regional specialties, live-fire cooking, and large-scale outdoor feasts.
Each episode features back-to-back rounds — an advantage round that rewards one team with a strategic benefit, followed by a main team brawl evaluated by a panel of three judges. Teams are judged on flavor, technique, presentation, and mastery of grilling methods. Members of losing teams face elimination, with the final stages featuring head-to-head showdowns until one contestant is ultimately crowned “Master of ‘Cue.”
Bobby Flay, who has served as a team captain since the inaugural season, is the primary host of BBQ Brawl. The show has also featured other prominent culinary personalities as food captains, including Michael Symon, Eddie Jackson, the late Anne Burrell, Sunny Anderson, Michael Voltaggio, Maneet Chauhan, and Antonia Lofaso.
The judging panel featured pitmaster judges Moe Cason, Chris Lilly, and Amy Mills during the inaugural season, with Carson Kressley, Brooke Williamson, and Rodney Scott taking over from season 2.
