Kyle Bryner
Kyle Bryner just conquered Food Network’s toughest BBQ competition. Now he’s bringing the smoke to Highlands. Fresh off his stunning victory on BBQ Brawl: Flay v. Chauhan v. Lofaso, the newly crowned Master of ’Cue will showcase his championship skills at Smoke Signals during Highlands Food & Wine on November 14.
Bryner’s path was forged in fire – both literal and inherited. The son of a chef who opened restaurants nationwide, he moved constantly – 17 schools in all – but the kitchen was always home.
“From the time I was six, I just wanted to cook with my dad,” he says.
That early spark led from a rib joint job at 15 to fine dining roles as an executive chef. But even then, barbecue remained his true north. “I’ve always loved the simplicity and primal cooking of barbecue,” he says.
After years in fine dining – earning executive chef roles in Highlands and Cashiers – Bryner and his wife opened Blue Bike Café in Highlands in 2019. When Covid nearly closed their doors, they pivoted.
Bryner leaned into his lifelong passion for barbecue, opening Blue Hound BBQ in Scaly Mountain in 2022, and then relocated to a former pharmacy in downtown Dillard, Georgia.
His “Mountain BBQ” philosophy blends Texas heat with Appalachian soul – think local Brasstown beef, heritage Duroc pork, scratch-made sausages, and sides that honor Appalachian foodways, pimento cheese grits, chow-chow, and scratch-made pickles.
He applied to BBQ Brawl on a whim, nudged by a casting call he spotted on Instagram. “I don’t usually put myself out there,” he admits.
After months of interviews and vetting, he was drafted to Bobby Flay’s team, then stolen mid-season by Maneet Chauhan. Initially struggling to find his footing, everything changed in episode four during a chili cook-off. In a move that stunned competitors in the heart of Texas, he prepared his son’s black bean and chorizo chili—a controversial choice that proved victorious. “My son had just beaten me with that chili in a Tennessee cook-off, so it felt right to honor him.
From there, he couldn’t lose – sausage battles, vegetarian rounds, and campfire cookery.
On July 27, 10 episodes later, he stood alone. The prize – a massive trophy, national exposure, and future appearances on Chopped and Beat Bobby Flay—was gratifying, but it’s the personal victory that sticks with him.
“It was about honoring my dad, my family, and the food I love,” he says.
This fall at Smoke Signals, Bryner will bring all of it—story, smoke, soul—to Highlands. Come hungry.
You can reserve your tickets here: highlandsfoodandwine.com/smoke-signals.
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