Fresh faces and smoked chops, meet the new contestants and returning judges for 2024 Grill Showdown season 3
Grill Showdown is back on Netflix, bringing together contestants from across the country for a high-stakes barbecue.
Each episode presents unique challenges that test their culinary skills with surprise restrictions, different meat dishes, settings, themes and tight time limits.
Participants are equipped with a variety of smokers, grills, frying pans, ceramic pots and various meat, vegetable and ingredients to prepare food under pressure.
This season, the contestants showcase a variety of styles and backgrounds, including Tex-Mex, Cajun, Jamaican, and Egyptian cuisine.
Barbecue Showdown Season 3 Cast
Gerald Vinnett
Gerald Vinnett, owner of Big Papi’s Smokehouse in Destrehan, Louisiana, won a $7,500 grant from Kingsford Charcoal’s Preserve the Pit program in 2021.
Primarily a one-man business since November 2020, Vinnett’s passion for barbecue, especially brisket, led him to develop his skills even as he worked full-time as an engineer.
He is now taking his talents to Georgia Gay Grill Showdown Season 3, hopefully titled “American Barbecue Champion.”
Kareem El-Ghayesh
Kareem El-Ghayesh, Austin, Texas, a pitmaster originally from Egypt, is one of nine contestants in Season 3 competing for the $50,000 prize.
El-Ghayesh left his corporate finance job in Cairo to pursue his passion for Texas-style barbecue, incorporating Egyptian flavors into his dishes at KG BBQ.
Despite the challenges of the career change and the strict shooting process, he cherishes the camaraderie formed with the contestants and emphasizes the importance of passion and perseverance in making dreams come true.
Kent Rollins
Kent Rollins is a cowboy and chef dedicated to preserving the historic western way of life. With nearly 40 years of experience, he started by guiding and feeding cowboys in New Mexico before expanding into cowboy catering with his 1876 Studebaker saddle wagon.
Rollins, who is based in Oklahoma with his wife Shannon, eschews the term “chef” and prefers to cook with traditional tools such as cast iron skillets and his cast iron wood stove called “Bertha.”
Before Grill Showdown Season 3 is also known for defeating Bobby Flay Throw down! with chicken fried steak.
Luis Rivera
Luis Rivera, also known as Meat Papi, is a Venezuelan-born barbecue enthusiast who left his government job to pursue his passion for smoked meats.
He moved from Chicago to Dallas, where he now serves his unique barbecue bowls at Outfit Brewing.
Combining elements of his Venezuelan heritage and various culinary influences in his dishes, Rivera hopes to become a world champion. Grill Showdown.
Melissa Pappas
Before discovering the grill, Melissa Pappas was a special education teacher in Orange County, Florida, serving children with intense autism and behavioral needs for nearly seven years.
According to the Daytona Beach News-Journal, he has received several awards from the Florida Department of Education. However, since 2020, Pappas has been sharing her love of food, developing recipes and creating content under the name “Sweet Melissa Cooks”.
He decided to focus entirely on his culinary passion and embrace barbecue and Florida flavors. Grill Showdown season 3
Shaticka Robinson
Shaticka Robinson, executive chef, owner and pitmaster of Coley’s Jook Junt food truck in Nashville, Tennessee, brings over 15 years of culinary expertise Grill Showdown season 3
Known for his innovative approach to southern cuisine, Robinson learned the art of BBQ from his parents at a young age.
His entry into the competition underscores his rising status in Nashville’s vibrant barbecue scene, where he serves unique dishes such as smoked oxtail and smoked crab cakes.
Sloan Rinaldi
Sloan Rinaldi is the owner of Texas Q, a renowned artisan barbecue restaurant located in Kingwood, Texas.
As a fourth-generation pitmaster and proud Texan, Chef Rinaldi is known for his innovative approach to traditional Texas barbecue.
His journey into the barbecue world began with competitions and his signature selection of barbecue sauces, which earned widespread recognition both locally and nationally.
As a passion for pushing the boundaries of barbecue flavors, Rinaldi is committed to earning the top spot Grill Showdown season 3
Stacie Jett
Staci Jett, seasoned culinary professional and competitor Grill Showdown Season 3, brings a wealth of experience based on his upbringing and passion for scratch soup learned from his grandmother.
Along with being the executive chef at Staci’s Hog Heaven, he has been recognized for his skills as a butcher, breeding deer for local hunters for over ten years.
Staci has showcased her talents on major cooking shows such as Travel Channel’s American Grilled Louisville and the Food Network Chopped Grillmasterswhere his personality and spicy cooking style have earned him popularity in the competitive barbecue world.
Tung Nguyen
Tung Nguyen is a skilled chef and entrepreneur with a strong background in the culinary arts Grill Showdown season 3
Hailing from a family steeped in the restaurant industry, Nguyen has founded successful businesses such as Slow & Pho and Roch & Claude in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he focuses on fusing Asian flavors with classic Texas-style barbecue.
Kevin Bludso
Returning as a judge in Season 3 is Kevin Bludso, a chef and restaurateur known for his Texas-style barbecue.
After his career as a correctional officer, he opened Bludson BBQ in Compton in 2008 and became known for his skills as a pitmaster.
Despite challenges, including closing in 2016, Bludso has expanded his culinary empire with restaurants in Hollywood and Melbourne, Australia.
Melissa Cookston
Another judge in favor Grill Showdown Season 3 is Melissa Cookston, a prominent figure in the barbecue world.
As a seven-time world barbecue champion and owner of Memphis BBQ Company in Horn Lake, Mississippi, Cookston has built a reputation as a pioneering female entrepreneur in the food industry.
She is also an accomplished writer with two cookbooks, Smoking in the boy’s room and Smokin’ Hot in the Southand has been featured on national news and cooking shows, including appearances on the Food Network.
Grill Showdown Season 3 is now streaming on Netflix.
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