This week we’re shouting out our King of the Week, Oli Thomas. Raised in Hawaii, Oli developed a love for slow cooking over the fire, and then moved to the San Francisco Bay Area where he got a taste of the many diverse cultures and cuisines there. Now, he shares his passion through his catering company, Island Bay Cocina, serving up his unique island/latin fusion feasts. One day, he hopes to open his very own BBQ restaurant and butcher shop. Until then, you can follow him on Instagram @oli_be_eatin for food reviews and exciting home recipes and @islandbaycocina_bbq for catering.

Our King of the Week Shaan Grande is an amazing chef and content creator who seamlessly blends Caribbean zest, Latin flair, and BBQ goodness. Growing up in Sangre Grande, Trinidad, and Toronto, Canada, he draws from both family tradition and personal creativity in vibrant dishes like Easy BBQ Chicken with MVP or Pineapple Chow BBQ Shrimp with Lemon Stepper, showing how easy it can be to bring deep, joyful flavor to your table. Follow him on Instagram, Tiktok, or Youtube @whatsindepot for step-by-step recipes, tips, and to see what delicious masterpiece he’s cooking up next!

This week we are spotlighting our girl Jamika, also known as Jay’Zo. Jay is a self-taught cook from Detroit who brings chef behavior to the kitchen, making delicious, ooey-gooey good food. Her decadent recipes and flavor combos are sure to make your mouth water. She loves to share her knowledge and passion with the world on her Instagram @jaychefbehavior

We’re giving an extra special birthday shout out to our king of the week, Fred St. Ange from Upland, California. Fred is a dedicated father and a retiree after 29 years of dedicated service to Vons supermarket and Southwind Foods. Now he enjoys basketball, football, and UFC, as well as grilling for his family on his custom-made grill - where he cooks up legendary beer chicken, Louisiana hot links, and his extra special tri-tip (his son Nick’s personal favorite!). Send him good wishes and great flavor for his 71st birthday on June 20th!

Our King of the Week puts the “fan” in fanatical - Rick Tennant began his business Sofire Tailgating to combine his passion for the LA Rams with his love of backyard cooking and creating great party vibes. Even though he’s since moved to Las Vegas, he still makes the trip to every home Rams game to bring his exciting and inventive menus to the SoFi lot - including one with AC Barbeque last year. When he’s not busy cooking up delicious recipes, he enjoys craft beer and whiskey, fine cigars, and riding his motorcycle (not at the same time, of course). We love his food and we know you will too - so check him out at @sofiretailgating on Instagram and try to catch a game with him!

This week we are giving some love to the incredible Dr. Carla McCullough! Carla is the visionary behind College Reunion, a transformative movie•ment with a global impact. As a Chicago native and proud Spelman College alumna, she is dedicated to using the powerful narrative of three women reuniting for their 45th HBCU College Reunion to inspire real change. Join Dr. McCullough's mission to increase college reunions and support students nationwide. Follow her journey and be a part of this movement at acollegereunion.com (@acollegereunion)

This week we’re giving some love to Jeffery Smith Jr., AKA Chef Jeff, a private chef and caterer to the stars in Los Angeles. Born in Chicago, he is a proud alum of Jackson State University where he studied mass communications, but eventually made his way into the culinary world. He loves to bring new flavors and techniques to the table, and has traveled to 35 countries and counting to learn new things to bring back to his kitchen. You can catch him hanging with Anthony & Cedric on Kings of BBQ, or cooking up delicious dishes on his Instagram @jefro5

All Hail our Queen of the Week, Misty Banchero! She may be known as the “Seattle Butcher’s Wife” because of her husband’s 3rd-generation butcher shop, Mondo & Sons in Tukwila, Washington, but she’s made her own name as a self-taught backyard BBQ pit-maven and recipe writer (who happens to have access to the best meat in the Pacific Northwest). You can catch her at live fire cooking events, on her local FOX13 station, or on her social media @seattlebutcherswife sharing recipes and grilling tips.

Holla at our King of the Week, Ishmael Wilson! He may just be 22 years old, but his drive and ambition are infinite. He set the internet on fire with his famous Hot Cheetos Boudin Balls, and now he’s climbing to new heights as a college student, entrepreneur, chef and a Husky & Handsome king. Next time you’re in Houston, check out @htxfoodplug and have yourself a delicious bite of history!

Our King of the Week is Frankie To-ong, otherwise known as the light maestro himself, HTown Frankie! Frankie is a Houston-based dad, DJ and diehard sports fan who’s been entertaining millions on social media with his viral Christmas light displays. You can check them out at https://spacecitylightshows.com.

We’re excited to announce that Frankie will be helping us reveal the winner of the Wild Card Weekend Sweepstakes on New Year’s Day with a new light show, so follow him @htown_frankie and get ready to kick the year off right!

Straight outta Ypsilanti, Michigan, our Queen of the Week is Jodi Varner! She’s a store lead at her local Walmart who loves to share her favorite products and deals. She’s also a barbeque enthusiast who loves to experiment and find new flavor profiles to share with her friends and family - like mixing MVP with Midnight Smoke! Check out her videos for easy and fun ideas and recipes for baking, grilling, and lots more!

Shout out to our King of the Week, Raydio G! Raydio G is a Chicago-born comedy writer, musician, and grill aficionado serving up laughter and good eats. In addition to his entertainment career, he's owned and operated several restaurants - so you know he’s got good taste! If you haven’t heard it yet, listen to his 🔥 rhyme about our sauces, plus his other raps on Instagram @raydiog!

Our King of the Week is William “Boogie” Whitfield, owner of Slo-Mo-Que in Washington, Missouri. His company is named for his hometown of St. Louis, MO, but his BBQ journey started in Seattle - when he couldn’t find the BBQ flavor he was looking for and decided to take matters into his own hands (or grill, that is!). He loves to share his knowledge and his food with friends and family, and YOU, if you hit him up next time you’re in the SLo-Mo area!

Congratulations to our King of the Week, Tay Nelson, owner of Bobby’s BBQ in Fountain Inn, SC! Tay and his wife Sarah serve up all-wood-smoked central Texas-style BBQ in the heart of South Carolina, bringing passion and love to their food and their community. Named in memory of Tay’s father and brother, Bobby Sr. and Jr., Bobby’s restaurant has been going strong for 5 years this month, so we’re giving an extra big AC shoutout for that incredible milestone!

Meet our Queen of the Week - Chef Kandace Roby. This Houston/LA chef cooks up soul food on a whole new level, like sticky honey glazed wings, her signature gumbo greens, or elevating her pork chop game with BOTH Lemon Stepper and MVP. Ask extra nice and she might even make you one of her boozy, fruity lemonades to go with it! Kandace is #goals for flavor and flair - and we love to see her creativity and talent grow with her business. Check her out @must.bee.honey on Instagram, and order direct to try her food if you’re in the Houston area!

Shoutout to the first ever King of the Week, Jay D. with Big Tex BBQ and Hotdogs! Jay comes to us from Los Angeles, but his BBQ story started all the way back with his family owned business in Fort Worth, TX. He’s been whipping up some fantastic Texas style BBQ for over 25 years, repping his military family roots and love of the pit. Be sure to hit up his LA based catering biz for some finger lickin’ meats!