Food Network’s BBQ Brawl is the kind of show that’ll ignite your appetite with its entertaining cook-offs and dishes. The first season of this tasty BBQ-themed show premiered on August 1st, 2019, with Bobby and Michael as Hosts.
While shows like Top Chef, MasterChef, and others are interesting on their own and feature a wide variety of dishes, no-show focuses only on Barbecue. That’s where Food Network’s BBQ Brawl comes in, a series that features diverse chefs coming to cook the best BBQ Meal on the show.
The first-ever season turned out to be a hit series with many positive reviews. Although Food Network has been filled with many reality shows and not those laid-back recipe series, BBQ Brawl doesn’t disappoint as the recipes that are featured are the show look delicious and unique.
Chefs Bobby and Michael were the presenters, while Chris Lilly, Amy Mills, and Moe Cason showed up in the role of judges of each competition. Robert William Flay (Bobby Flay) is a well-known chef and owner of several amazing restaurants in America. Flay’s work on Food Network has given him many awards and even a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Michael D. Symon is another American chef who’s constantly seen in cooking shows like Food Feuds, Iron Chef, and The Chew. Most of his restaurants are based in Greater Cleveland and Michigan. Meat-centric Symon was the perfect person to be a presenter and team captain at BBQ Brawl.
BBQ Brawl: About The Season 1
The first season of this Barbecue series featured a total of eight contestants, with them being divided into two teams. These teams were mentored by Michael Symon and Bobby Flay. Every episode featured a special competition for our contestants revolving around creating a tasty BBQ dish. The worst-performing contestants from Symon’s and Flay’s teams would then be eliminated each week.
Most of the contestants that were in Season 1 had successful restaurants that were popular for serving the best BBQ food. Some of them even held Guinness World Records and other prizes in the food and restaurant industry. Contestants for the first-ever season were:
- Joe Pearce, Missouri – Bobby’s Team
- Phil Johnson, Arizona – Bobby’s Team
- George Stone, Virginia – Bobby’s Team
- Lee Ann Whippen, Florida – Bobby’s Team
- Susie Bulloch, Utah – Michael’s Team
- Kevin Bludso, California – Michael’s Team
- Carey Bringle, Tennessee – Michael’s Team
- Lynnae Oxley-Loupe, Washington – Michael’s Team
BBQ Brawl: Who Was The Winner Of Season 1?
After multiple rounds and all kinds of challenges held on BBQ Brawl season 1, the winner of the season turned out to be Lee Ann Whippen, from Tampa, Florida. She was a part of Bobby’s Team. Lee Ann was one to watch out for, with her having won second place in the World Food Championship.
Lee Ann held first place in an American Royal World Series of Barbecue, which is considered one of the biggest championships in the BBQ world. However, Lee Ann was not new to reality TV cooking shows, as she had worked with Bobby Flay on one of his Food Network shows called “Throwdown! with Bobby Flay”.
Throwdown! revolved around Bobby Flay competing with their fellow contestants on the show. These chefs were known to be a professional in some kind of specific dishes, like wedding cakes or chili making. Flay had to prepare himself against these contestants and see if he would be able to win against the professional chefs.
Lee Ann Whippen was a part of the 4th season of this series and was seen making dishes from her Barbecue restaurant named Wood Chicks BBQ. Lee Ann’s restaurant has been operating since 2002 and is known for its special barbecue sauce that is glazed over each of her delicious dishes. However, the restaurant was later closed. Newer seasons of BBQ Brawl have since been released, and all of the episodes are available to watch on Food Network and YouTube TV.
Also Read: Where Is The Food Network’s Tournament Of Champions Filmed? All About The Format & Filming Locations
