'BBQ Brawl': Meet the Season 7 Competitors, Captains and Judges

On the all-new season of BBQ Brawl, Bobby Flay is back at Star Hill Ranch in Austin, Texas, alongside reigning champ Maneet Chauhan and judge-turned-captain Brooke Williamson, as the three renowned chefs mentor, compete with and coach a new group of talented pitmasters from across the country and abroad, all battling for the ultimate title of Master of ’Cue.

Get to know the brawlers, captains and judges bringing the heat in Season 7, premiering Monday, May 11 at 9|8c.

Look up resilience in the dictionary and you might find a picture of Dakari Akorede. After growing up in Chicago's South Side, he moved his family to New Orleans, where he built his barbecue business from the ground up.

After losing everything to Hurricane Ida, he’s now the owner of Chicageaux BBQ in Atlanta, bringing that journey to the plate with a style shaped by his past.

"I want to win this for my son Dylan. He's 4, and I want him to see that coming from the bottom, you can make it back. Don't give up, just get back to the top. You know I have the grit to really jump into the fire and make it happen."

Morgan Bolling is a recipe developer, cookbook author and TV host who serves as executive food editor and resident grillmaster at America’s Test Kitchen in Boston.

Known for developing more than 100 recipes and hosting Grill Next Door, she brings a smart, scientific approach to barbecue that’s all about technique.

"I think my biggest strength is just the diversity of knowledge I have. I mean, I've studied everything from the history of BBQ to the regionality of BBQ to the technique of BBQ. So I feel like there's no one more studied for this competition than me."

Chris Farella represents the North Carolina-style barbecue he was born and raised on, rooted in family traditions and Southern technique.

At Brothers Barbecue in Fort Lee, New Jersey, he and his brothers bring those flavors north across their three restaurants, earning numerous “Best BBQ” accolades at festivals and in readers’ polls along the way.

"We've gone from a 1,500-square-foot shack to now having three restaurants … I really want to win this for my brothers, for my son. I want to win this [to set up] a family legacy."

Raquel Fleetwood is an award-winning chef known for her take on modern Puerto Rican cuisine, bringing bold, elevated flavors to every dish.

After making her global debut on Netflix’s Five Star Chef, she stepped onto the international fine-dining scene and now leads Catered by Raquel in Long Beach, California, where she delivers upscale dining experiences with fresh, locally sourced ingredients.

“I am the secret weapon. All of this [pointing to herself] is the secret weapon. It’s all here."

Chef T grew up in the Caribbean, where cooking over live fire was a way of life, shaping the bold, soulful flavors she brings to every dish.

A Hell’s Kitchen standout and the founder of Chef T Culinary Concepts in Bristol, Virginia, she pairs that island-rooted style with fine-dining training and a resilient, high-energy approach in the kitchen.

"You know, I'm going to be completely honest with you. I do a lot of things for a lot of people, but this one's going to be for me."

Vinny Mangual is the man behind Empire BBQ, turning a Brooklyn-born concept into one of New York City’s top mobile barbecue operations, now with three food trucks across the city.

A two-time Rib King of NYC and Pig Island Best in Show winner, he brings a competition-tested style and a focus on bold flavors to the brawl.

"Being named Master of 'Cue would be the best thing that could happen for me and my family. To win something in front of your kid, especially something that you commit your whole life to, that means a lot. I'm going to show everybody how we do it in Brooklyn."

Edith Mattiuzzo, better known as Miss BBQ, built her following by sharing her journey into live-fire cooking and opening up the world of barbecue to more women.

Based in Udine, Italy, she trained in Texas, has judged several major competitions and has worked alongside top pitmasters around the world, bringing a global perspective to her fire-driven style.

"I am a content creator and influencer for many brands of barbecue. And I've come here, of course, to bring fresh new flavors, a fresh new attitude. I'm ready to be Master of 'Cue."

Former fine-dining chef turned pitmaster Tim McLaughlin made his name in the barbecue world by spending 15 years as a lead pitmaster at the legendary Lockhart Smokehouse.

Now leading the charge at Crossbuck BBQ in Dallas, he’s pushing things forward with a chef-driven approach that blends traditional Texas barbecue with flavors from across the country.

"I've got well over a decade of experience in fine-dining restaurants. I've got well over a decade of experience successfully cooking BBQ. I know how to cook just about everything."

Tung Nguyen grew up working in his family’s Vietnamese restaurants while soaking in the flavors and culture of New Orleans, later learning the craft of American barbecue from seasoned pitmasters.

Now the founder of Asian Cajun Cowboy, he brings it all together with a bold, cross-cultural style that blends Vietnamese roots, Cajun influence and classic barbecue techniques.

"I want to be a household name. I want a barbecue empire — from sauces to rubs, I want it all. That means being the Master of 'Cue."

With a path that started in cosmetology, evolved into the medical field and later included years as a military wife, Braunda Smith ultimately followed her passion into the kitchen, becoming the executive chef and owner of Lucy Cooper’s Texas Ice House and creating a bold style she calls "funky Southern and goooood."

"My BBQ reflects all the places I've lived in life: Southern, Cajun, Korean, Hawaiian, and it's got some Texas flair in there. You know, we kind of get overlooked a lot in San Antonio. Taking home Master of 'Cue to Lucy Cooper's would just set everything ablaze."

Don't let the baby face fool you, Blake Stoker may be from a small Tennessee town with just two traffic lights, but this young pitmaster delivers big, bold barbecue rooted in humble beginnings.

At Blake’s at Southern Milling in Martin, Tennessee, he’s recently earned recognition from Texas Monthly and Southern Living as one of the best new barbecue joints.

"I'm here to prove that, despite my being from a small town in the South, I do have a breadth of knowledge that would surprise you. You are looking at the youngest ever Master of 'Cue."

Bob Trudnak built his reputation on the competition circuit, racking up more than 300 wins, including top prizes at The Jack Daniel’s, The American Royal and the World Food Championships.

Now at Bobby T’s in Philadelphia, he brings that elite, competition-tested approach to both his barbecue and the classes he teaches, sharing decades of experience with the next generation of pitmasters.

"I want to be No. 1. People think that I'm just a traditional competition cook and I'm gonna slap BBQ sauce on everything, but I have tricks up my sleeve. People call me BBQ Bob, Bobby T, but I've never been called Master of 'Cue, and I'm so ready to change that."

This year’s captains are a who’s who of legendary Food Network talent, with world-renowned chef Bobby Flay, fierce competitor Brooke Williamson and reigning champ Maneet Chauhan leading the charge.

Bobby Flay has hosted more than 15 shows on Food Network, including the staples Beat Bobby Flay and Bobby's Triple Threat, as well as Iron Chef America, The Next Iron Chef and Food Network Star, while mentoring the next generation of chefs and continuing to shape the American culinary scene.

This season on BBQ Brawl, the four-time champ is on a mission to take the crown back from Maneet Chauhan, and it will take everything in his arsenal and his team’s bag of tricks to defeat both her and the newcomer to the captain’s role, Brooke Williamson.

Led by legendary chef Bobby Flay, Team Bobby includes Tim McLaughlin, a former fine-dining chef turned renowned pitmaster; Tung Nguyen, blending Vietnamese roots, Cajun influence and classic barbecue techniques; Braunda Smith, an executive chef known for her bold, funky Southern style; and Edith Mattiuzzo, aka “Miss BBQ,” an internationally trained pitmaster and influencer.

Former BBQ Brawl judge turned captain Brooke Williamson is one of the fiercest culinary competitors in the game. A chef and restaurateur known for her commanding presence, refined palate and status as one of the Titans on Bobby's Triple Threat, she is a Food Network staple and the first-ever winner of Tournament of Champions.

Brooke was also the youngest female chef to cook at the James Beard House and now looks to use her knowledge and expertise from the judges’ side of the table in her new captain role as she takes aim at Bobby Flay and reigning champ Maneet Chauhan.

With Brooke Williamson at the helm, Team Brooke includes Morgan Bolling, a recipe developer and America’s Test Kitchen grillmaster; Raquel Fleetwood, an award-winning chef known for bold Puerto Rican flavors; Vinny Mangual, the decorated pitmaster behind Empire BBQ; and Bob Trudnak, a barbecue veteran with more than 300 wins and decades of competition experience.

Coming off her Season 6 win and looking to go back-to-back, reigning BBQ Brawl champ Maneet Chauhan is a chef, an author and a TV personality who’s built a reputation for bold flavors, global influence and a competitive edge that’s tough to beat.

Maneet is also a two-time winner of Tournament of Champions, a regular judge on Chopped and a familiar face across Food Network in general, with appearances on Beat Bobby Flay, Guy’s Grocery Games, The Great Food Truck Race and more.

Guided by Maneet Chauhan, Team Maneet includes Chris Farella, a North Carolina-style pitmaster rooted in family tradition; Blake Stoker, a young pitmaster delivering bold barbecue from small-town Tennessee; Dakari Akorede, the resilient pitmaster behind Chicageaux BBQ in Atlanta; and Chef T, a Caribbean-born chef blending live-fire roots with fine-dining training.

Meet the judges bringing expertise, personality and serious star power to Season 7 of BBQ Brawl: world-class chef Adrienne Cheatham, Season 3 champ turned judge Rashad Jones and returning fan favorite Carson Kressley.

He needs no introduction, but he’s getting one anyway. Drumroll, please … Say hello to Carson Kressley, television personality, actor and designer known for his witty one-liners, playful commentary and signature style.

Carson is no stranger to Food Network, with appearances on Beat Bobby Flay, Celebrity Cupcake Wars and Worst Cooks in America, and now serving as a judge for the sixth consecutive season of BBQ Brawl.

World-class chef, competition veteran, podcast host and seasoned judge, Adrienne Cheatham brings serious culinary credibility to the judging table this season.

After working in her mother’s restaurants in Chicago, then rising through the ranks at Le Bernardin under Eric Ripert, she went on to work alongside Marcus Samuelsson and later finished as runner-up on Top Chef, building elite culinary experience that spans every level of the industry.

If you’re familiar with the show — and even if you aren’t — chances are you know one of our new judges: Season 3 winner of BBQ Brawl, host of Eat, Sleep, BBQ and owner of Big Lee’s BBQ in Ocala, Florida, Rashad Jones.

Inspired by his late uncle “Big Lee,” whose generosity and love for sharing barbecue left a lasting mark, Rashad cooks with purpose, honoring that legacy in every dish he serves as he steps to the other side of the judging table four seasons after being named Master of ’Cue.