Equipped with over 25 years of restaurant experience, Kyle Bryner is a seasoned pitmaster and owner of Blue Hound Barbecue in Dillard, GA, and Blue Bike Cafe in Highlands, NC. His culinary journey began at the age of 16 while working at a grill in Sarasota, Florida, where he first discovered his passion for barbecue. Mentored by his late father, who shared his love for smoking meats, developing rubs, and building custom smokers, Kyle’s early experiences shaped a lifelong dedication to the craft. After moving to the mountains of northeast Georgia with his high school sweetheart Erin, Kyle immersed himself in Appalachian food traditions, including sausage-making, preserving, and smoking techniques. In May 2019, the couple opened Blue Bike Cafe, inspired by the “brunch lifestyle” of the Gulf Coast and the Southern Appalachian region. Kyle’s one true culinary love, however, led him to open Blue Hound Barbecue in 2022, before relocating the joint to Dillard, GA in 2023. His self-described “Mountain BBQ” or “Southern Appalachian BBQ” blends regional inspirations from Texas, North Carolina, and South Carolina while honoring the heritage of the mountains he calls home. Kyle has also worked as Executive Chef at The Inn at Millstone, consulted for major food distributors like Reinhart Foodservice and US Foods, and teaches local culinary classes. Most recently, he is competing on Season 6 of Food Network’s BBQ Brawl, showcasing his craft to a national audience.
