Self-taught chef Kaius Austin-Bey is aiming for his third consecutive People’s Choice Award at the Burger Showdown 6.0 on Friday at The Cherrity Bar .
Billed as “San Antonio’s Juiciest Night for a Cause,” Austin-Bey and 11 other local chefs will sling burgers starting at 6:30 p.m. to support the nonprofit Mercy Chefs and its flood relief efforts in Kerrville.
Inspired by a recent trip to Puerto Rico, Austin-Bey will be grilling an angus patty topped with braised oxtail, guava peach marmalade, queso de freír and papitas on a potato bun.
“It’s gonna be insane,” said Austin-Bey, owner of The Chef Kauis Xperience. “Our winning burger last year had tomato bourbon bacon jam with aged cheddar and some crispy onion rings.”
While Austin-Bey captured the People’s Choice Award the last two years, Justin Bluhm of STXBBQ won the Judges Choice Award for best burger in 2023 and 2024.
Other notable chefs at Friday’s showdown include Ernie Bradley from The Cherrity Bar, Jared Cattoni from Dos Sirenos Brewing and Phillip Gonyea from Krazy Katsu.
Winners of the People’s Choice and Judge’s Choice awards will each receive $100.
“Chefs love this competition because we have sponsors that provide the ingredients so they can go all out and make the best burger they can,” said Alan Williams, co-founder of The Flavors of Texas, which is co-hosting the event with Homegrown Chef. “And they love competing.”
General admission tickets are $71.30 and VIP tickets are $117.51. The event features all the slider burgers you can eat, french fries from JD’s Chili Parlor and dessert from the Texas Cookie Shop.
Drinks are not included. The Cherrity Bar will have an array of beer and cocktails available for purchase.
Austin-Bey is an unlikely People’s Choice Award winner. A native of Montgomery, Alabama, he worked as a server at several San Antonio restaurants with aspirations of becoming a caterer and private chef.
His cooking experience? He once prepared meals for five roommates in a two-bedroom apartment.
“These guys were from Louisiana,” Austin-Bey recalled. “They said, ‘This tastes like grandma’s cooking.’”
Unable to attend culinary school, Austin-Bey read books, studied YouTube videos and watched cooking shows. He experimented with pop-ups while serving food at Paesano’s, Flemings and Olive Garden.
Finding time to pursue personal ambition while working as a server was difficult. Launching a business, he felt, was all but impossible.
The COVID-19 pandemic opened a door. As restaurants shut down, Austin-Bey found himself out of work and with plenty of time.
“I decided to bring the restaurant experience into people’s homes, to intimate private dinners,” he said. “All the things I learned in restaurants, I used and combined with my cooking skills. So I’ve been able to service Spurs players, politicians and big time CEOs.”
In just a few years, Austin-Bey says he has won 14 awards for cooking and presentation. Demand for his cooking and catering continues to grow.
“Business,” he said, “is good.”
