Barbecue cooking shows have exploded in popularity over the last decade, bringing excitement, drama, and mouth-watering recipes into homes across America. One of the most popular entries into this genre is BBQ Brawl, a barbecue cooking competition hosted by Rutledge Wood that pits rival chefs and pitmasters against each other in a battle for smoked meat supremacy. With its charismatic host, innovative challenges, and focus on highlighting lesser-known barbecue styles from across the country, BBQ Brawl has developed a passionate following of fans eager to learn more about the art of American barbecue.
But where is this meaty magic created? What are the key filming locations that the BBQ Brawl crew utilizes to produce each action-packed episode? In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at exactly where BBQ Brawl is filmed, from its primary studio setting to some of the iconic barbecue regions it has spotlighted over its impressive run.
An Overview of BBQ Brawl
Before getting into the nitty-gritty of the show’s production, let’s do a quick overview of BBQ Brawl for the uninitiated.
BBQ Brawl first premiered on Food Network in 2009 to immediate acclaim. The show’s premise centers around a cooking competition format, with each episode showcasing a new group of chefs battling head-to-head to create the best barbecue dishes. Every episode features a new surprise challenge – from utilizing unique meats and ingredients to cooking with unconventional tools and equipment. The two lowest-scoring chefs at the end of each challenge are eliminated, leaving the top two to face off in an epic barbecue battle to determine the episode’s winner.
Host Rutledge Wood provides educational insights into barbecue techniques and regional styles throughout each competition, while also keeping the mood light with his enthusiastic brand of humor. Celebrity judges like grill master Bobby Flay also make frequent appearances tasting and rating the contestant’s creations.
While plenty of food TV competitions stick to mainstream barbecue styles like Texas brisket and Kansas City ribs, BBQ Brawl distinguishes itself by celebrating obscure traditions from barbecue hotspots across the United States. Competitors are pushed to create dishes inspired by unique styles like Brazilian churrascaria, Jamaican jerk, and California tri-tip. This diverse culinary perspective sets BBQ Brawl apart in the crowded TV cooking show landscape.
Now let’s look at where this magical mix of food, culture, and competition comes together for each episode!
Primary Studio – Ranch Steakhouse in Granger, Indiana
The primary filming location for BBQ Brawl is Ranch Steakhouse, an event center and restaurant located in Granger, Indiana. Chef and owner Mark McDonnell opened Ranch Steakhouse in 2008 after extensive experience working in steakhouses across the Midwest.
Shortly after its launch, Food Network was looking for a new studio to film an upcoming barbecue cooking competition and selected Ranch Steakhouse for its large industrial kitchen, event facilities, and “down home” ranch aesthetic. The network has produced BBQ Brawl at Ranch Steakhouse ever since.
Ranch Steakhouse underwent renovations to optimize the space for TV production. This included installing specialized lighting and audio equipment in the kitchen, as well as setting up space for the judge’s table, host stand for Rutledge Wood, and areas for contestants to gather when not cooking.
McDonnell and his team work closely with BBQ Brawl’s producers to ensure each episode’s unique challenges and required ingredients are supported leading up to the shoot. The restaurant is closed to the public during filming days.
Ranch Steakhouse’s roomy layout and barbecue capabilities make it the ideal studio for BBQ Brawl’s intense culinary throwdowns. And for visitors not lucky enough to attend a live taping, you can still sample McDonnell’s renowned steakhouse fare during normal business hours!
Spotlight on Regional Styles – On Location Filming Across America
While Ranch Steakhouse serves as BBQ Brawl’s home base, the show also frequently travels to different barbecue hotspots across the United States for on-location filming. These episodes provide a virtual tour of America’s diverse regional barbecue styles, with contestants incorporating unique local ingredients and cooking methods into their recipes.
Some of the iconic barbecue regions spotlighted on BBQ Brawl over the years include:
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is the grandaddy of barbecue cities, steeped in generations of smokehouse history dating back to the early 1900s. Memphis-style barbecue focuses on ribs and pork shoulder slow-cooked with spice rubs and basted in tomato-based sauces. BBQ Brawl has filmed multiple episodes in Memphis, including a Season 2 contest where competitors cooked at Charlie Vergo’s Rendezvous, a landmark restaurant that pioneered Memphis barbecue.
Lockhart, Texas
The little town of Lockhart is the barbecue capital of Texas, home to multiple legendary joints like Kreuz Market and Smitty’s Market that have been dishing out smoky perfection since the 19th century. BBQ Brawl headed to Lockhart in Season 4, challenging contestants to cook up Lone Star State classics like brisket, sausage, and ribs on rustic open pit smokers.
Kansas City, Missouri
While Kansas City is known for its mellow, tomato-based sauces, the city’s barbecue culture goes far beyond that singular style. BBQ Brawl has done two Kansas City-based seasons, with challenges incorporating Kansas City’s underrated barbecue chicken, burnt ends, and multi-meat “combos”. Competitors got to cook at iconic KC joints like Arthur Bryant’s and Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que.
Santa Maria, California
This coastal California town has its own unique “Santa Maria-style” barbecue defined by tri-tip roast seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic and grilled over red oak coals. BBQ Brawl brought contestants to Santa Maria in Season 5 to pay homage to this West Coast grilling tradition.
Additional Locations
Other US cities showcased in BBQ Brawl over the years include Charleston, South Carolina, Louisville, Kentucky, Richmond, Virginia, and Holland, Michigan. The diversity of locations keeps each episode feeling fresh and allows BBQ Brawl to continually reveal new insights about America’s regional barbecue traditions.
How On Location Filming Works
Pulling off an entire week of cooking competition show production on the road takes serious preparation and logistics. Here’s a quick look at how BBQ Brawl approaches filming on location:
- Advance Scouting – Producers do extensive scouting 6-12 months before filming to identify restaurants and locations that can accommodate the production. They look for kitchens large enough for multiple cook stations and competition filming.
- Permitting – Local permits for parking, noise, fire use, and occupancy have to be secured ahead of the shoot. Producer’s work closely with local officials during the process.
- Equipment Shipping – Lighting gear, cameras, cooking equipment, and hardware have to be packed in trucks and shipped from the home studio to the remote filming destination. This is an expensive but necessary endeavor.
- Crew Hotel – Lodging for the 20-30 person production crew has to be reserved near the filming location for the entire week of shooting.
- Local Assistants – BBQ Brawl will hire temporary assistants and production help locally to aid with the workload.
- Judge Recruitment – In addition to mainstay judges like Bobby Flay, producers try to recruit barbecue personalities and restaurant owners from the region being highlighted to appear as judges each episode.
It takes serious producing chops to pull off BBQ Brawl’s dynamic on-location shoots – which is why the show invests the time and resources needed to celebrate America’s amazing regional barbecue diversity in an authentic way.
Inside a BBQ Brawl Filming Day
Let’s go behind-the-scenes and walk through what a standard day of BBQ Brawl filming looks like:
- 8 AM – Crew Call Time – The episode’s director, producers, camera operators, audio technicians, grips, and PAs arrive to start preparing the set and equipment.
- 9 AM – Contestant Arrival – That episode’s competing chefs arrive to start prepping their stations. Contestants typically get access to the kitchen the day before as well to organize equipment.
- 10 AM – Judges Arrive – Judges for the episode, including any celebrity guests, arrive to go over the challenges and sequences.
- 11 AM – Filming Starts – The host opens the show and then shooting begins of the first challenge and initial cooking processes.
- 12-5 PM – Cooking Competition – Shooting continues of the multi-hour cooking competition, including intervals of judging food and contestant interviews/asides. They pause periodically to adjust lighting, cameras, and audio.
- 5-7 PM – Wrap It Up – The final dishes are judged and a winner is crowned! Show close-ups and intros are shot along with any pick-up shots needed.
- 8 PM – Crew Wrap – Clean-up commences and equipment is prepped for the next day of filming.
As you can see, it’s a long intense day of filming. Episodes typically take 2 full days to shoot, with 1-2 days of lead prep and 1-2 days of wrap-up. The result is 6-8 episodes filmed over 2 weeks of production.
BBQ Brawl By the Numbers
After breaking down where BBQ Brawl films its mouth-watering episodes, let’s take a quick look at some more behind-the-scenes stats and figures from its impressive 14 season run:
- Episodes Filmed – BBQ Brawl has produced over 180 episodes and counting during its 14 seasons on Food Network.
- Contestants Featured – Over 450 chefs have appeared as contestants trying to prove their barbecue mastery.
- Challenges Created – The BBQ Brawl team has devised over 130 different competition challenges to test their chef’s skills.
- Cities Visited – BBQ Brawl has traveled to over 30 US cities spotlighting signature barbecue styles.
- Judges Featured – More than 120 celebrity judges and food personalities have rated competition entries.
- Barbecue Styles Showcased – Over 25 distinct regional barbecue styles from the US and beyond have been covered.
BBQ Brawl continues to churn out new episodes and culinary inspiration, tapping into Americans’ seemingly bottomless passion for barbecue.
BBQ Brawl Gives Back
A fun fact about BBQ Brawl – the show gives back to local food banks and charities in every city it visits for filming. The production company partners with local organizations and donates excess food after each episode shoot wraps. They also make contributions to charities selected by that week’s winning chef.
Just a small way BBQ Brawl shows its appreciation for the communities featured on the show!
Visit a Filming Location Yourself
If you’re a hardcore BBQ Brawl fan, consider taking a trip to one of the show’s iconic filming destinations highlighted above. Use it as an excuse to tour the best local barbecue joints and immerse yourself in regional traditions perfected over generations. From Memphis mop sauce to Santa Maria tri-tip, barbecue pilgrimages await all across the United States!
Can’t make it to a featured city? You can still experience a taste of BBQ Brawl by dining at Ranch Steakhouse in Indiana, where so much of the show’s magic happens. Keep an eye out for special events with Rutledge Wood or other show personalities making appearances.
BBQ Brawl Continues Sizzling Along
As this article outlines, producing a hit cooking competition show like BBQ Brawl takes an incredible combined effort – from the host and judges to the local guest pitmasters and everyone behind-the-scenes turning the lenses on barbecue.
It’s a celebration of American food culture at its finest. No matter which sizzling city or restaurant kitchen the BBQ Brawl crew finds themselves in, they continue putting out some of the most flavorful programming on television.
So fire up your smoker, crank open a cold one, and turn on the latest episode of BBQ Brawl to experience some finger-lickin’ food television at its finest!
Frequently Asked Questions About BBQ Brawl’s Filming Locations
Here are some common questions viewers have about where the hit show BBQ Brawl is produced each season:
Where is the main BBQ Brawl studio located?
BBQ Brawl is primarily filmed at Ranch Steakhouse in Granger, Indiana. The restaurant’s large kitchen, event space, and ranch aesthetic have served as the perfect home base for the show since 2009.
What are some of the iconic barbecue regions BBQ Brawl has visited for on-location filming?
BBQ Brawl has traveled to barbecue hotspots like Memphis, Kansas City, Santa Maria, California, and Lockhart, Texas to film episodes spotlighting local styles and ingredients.
How does filming BBQ Brawl on the road differ from the home studio?
Remote filming requires extensive planning by producers to ship equipment, secure local permits, book lodging, and recruit guest judges and help in each location.
How many episodes of BBQ Brawl are typically filmed over the course of a season?
A normal BBQ Brawl filming block consists of 2 weeks of production resulting in 6-8 episodes.
What does a standard day of BBQ Brawl filming look like?
A filming day starts with morning crew call, followed by episode setup and contestant prep, then cooking competition filming from late morning through evening.
How can visitors experience a BBQ Brawl destination themselves?
Fans can visit the restaurants featured on the show to taste the barbecue styles spotlighted. You can also dine at the Ranch Steakhouse studio in Indiana for a piece of BBQ Brawl history.