Kevin Bludso

Kevin Bludso (born 1965) is an American chef, restaurateur, and television personality.

Kevin Bludso
Born	1965 (age 59–60) Compton, California, U.S.
Culinary career
Cooking style	American
Current restaurant(s) Bludso's Bar & Cue San Antone
Previous restaurant(s) Bludso's BBQ
Television show(s) The American Barbecue Showdown

Early life

Bludso was born in 1965 in Compton, California.^[1] His father was a police officer at the Los Angeles Police Department; his mother was a postal service worker.^[2] While on summer vacation, Bludso lived with his aunt, Willie Mae Fields, in Corsicana, Texas.^[3] Fields introduced him to Texas-style barbecue; at the age of 9 or 10, Bludso was allowed to help with the cooking. He studied business at the Dallas-based Bishop College.^[4]

Career

Prior to entering the food industry, Bludso worked as a correctional officer for thirteen years.^[4] He opened Bludso's BBQ in 2008, serving as its pitmaster.^[5] Based in Compton, the restaurant shut down in September 2016, following a dispute with the landlord. Bludso also owns restaurants in Hollywood and Melbourne, Australia.^[6] Since 2020, Bludso serves as a judge on the Netflix series The American Barbecue Showdown.^[3]

Personal life

As of September 2020, Bludso resides in Texas. He is a fan of the Dallas Cowboys.^[3]

Restaurants owned by Bludso

United States

Restaurant	Location	Date opened	Date closed
Bludso's BBQ[7]	Compton, California	2008[8]	September 2016[6]
Bludso's Bar & Que[7]	Hollywood, California	2013[8]
Bludso's Bar-B-Que[9]	The Proud Bird Food Bazaar, California	2017[10]
Bludso's BBQ[11][12]	Banc of California Stadium, California	2018[13]

Australia

Restaurant	Location	Date opened	Date closed
San Antone[14]	Crown Melbourne, Southbank, Victoria	November 10, 2015[15]	June 25, 2023

Television appearances

• Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (2013, 2023)
• Bar Rescue (2015 - present)
• Fire Masters (2019)
• BBQ Brawl (2019)
• The American Barbecue Showdown (2020-Present)