Kings of BBQ - Season 1

Cedric the Entertainer and Anthony Anderson launch a brand-new Barbecue empire. Harkening back to simpler times in their own childhoods, they launch AC Barbeque to bring back the feeling of friendship and community to everyone's backyard. With dreams of what the Empire could become, they search out expert advice from Kevin Bludso, a legendary pit master who tells them to be authentic and create quality with their products. He suggests they'll need a food scientist to bring their products to life and find Pilot R&D to help them develop their signature rubs and sauces. The guys then explore LA BBQ and all the different influences each pitmaster brings to their foods.

Cedric and Anthony hone in on their signature tastes with the Pilot R&D team. A visit with the marketing team and Mike Meldman help the guys dive further into the purpose of launching the brand and being authentic to their roots. A trip to the golf course yields some iconic and hilarious brand messaging. A competitive game of cornhole leads to a plan to visit St. Louis, to visit one of Cedric's favorite BBQ joints, C&K BBQ, iconic for their sauces--and snoot. The guys try "listeners" to hilarious results.

The guys visit Cedric's hometown of St. Louis and some of Cedric's old stomping grounds, then the famous Kenrick's Butchers, where they learn all about St. Louis signature-style pork steak and tips. A visit from Ced's granddaughter, "grand cookie," and daughter brings good food and fun times. Back home, the marketing team teaches Ced and Anthony about the power of social media for their brands, and Pilot R&D delivers the next phase of their rubs. Mr. Bar-B-Q shows them what's possible with accessories, and a copywriter helps create rub names.

Ced receives the fantastic news Walmart has committed to selling AC BBQ rubs and visits Walmart to learn about retail strategies and sidekicks. Mr. Bar-BQ arrives with new prototypes of their ideas and the guys are pleased with the results. Pilot R&D returns to work on AC BBQ sauces, and AC Barbeque throws an official launch party.

AC Barbeque is hittin' the streets as Cedric and Anthony unveil their rubs at Memphis in May, a world-class barbecue competition and festival. They learn secrets of the trade from award-winning pitmasters, meet new friends on Real Talk with AB & Pat Neely, and reunite with Kevin Bludso, who introduces them to Dr. Howard Conyers. A true barbecue historian, Dr. Conyers takes the guys on the ultimate tour of Memphis, diving deep into the history of Black barbecue along the way.

The day has finally arrived... AC Barbecue is in Walmart stores! To celebrate, Anthony and Cedric head out to Walmart's headquarters in Northwest Arkansas to launch their new brand in front of 5,000 associates. This episode chronicles their cross-country journey--including Diego's first private plane, the guys' big stage announcement, and, of course, a decked-out AC Barbeque food truck so they can win over customers one BBQ taco at a time. To wrap up their launch week, the guys finally head into their hometown Walmart store to thank their California fam, surprise customers, and see their rubs in action.

Now that AC Barbeque is Walmart official, one thing is clear... it's time to get the word out! Following the advice of Mike Meldman, the guys set off to introduce the brand at Anthony's Annual Charity Golf Tournament and, later, pay a visit to their beloved LA Rams--working with award-winning pitmasters and preparing a huge spread of finger-lickin' goodness for the team. Seeing their sidekick for the first time in Walmart stores, the guys launch a surprise attack on shoppers, bringing rubs, good vibes, and the AC spirit to the Walmart fam.

Friend and mentor Daymond John (Fubo, Shark Tank) pays a visit to the guys to talk shop and share his expertise. Excited about the prospect of their own brick-and-mortar, Anthony and Cedric collaborate with a celebrated pitmaster at Smorgasburg, a local food fair, and chat with barbeque icon Rasheed Phillips. To wrap, the guys go big or go home, making their own lip-smacking ASMR video featuring AC products... with some shocking results.Friend and mentor Daymond John (Fubo, Shark Tank) pays a visit to the guys to talk shop and share his expertise. Excited about the prospect of their own brick-and-mortar, Anthony and Cedric collaborate with a celebrated pitmaster at Smorgasburg, a local food fair, and chat with barbeque icon Rasheed Phillips. To wrap, the guys go big or go home, making their own lip-smacking ASMR video featuring AC products... with some shocking results.

Anthony and Cedric's efforts have paid off... ultimate restaurateur Mr. Robert Earl (Planet Hollywood, Earl of Sandwich) comes calling to propose a NEW restaurant venture with AC Barbeque. With that, Anthony sets out to check out spaces with Robert, finding the perfect spot to turn up the heat and start the first ever AC Barbeque restaurant. Meanwhile, at the recommendation of "college guy" & trusty assistant Diego, Cedric scouts a college campus with hopes of bringing the savory, smokehouse-filled world of AC Barbeque to an official campus pop-up.

Anthony and Cedric dive head-first into the tedious (yet delicious) task of menu planning--calling on friends, mentors, and award winning pitmasters Rasheed Phillips and Kevin Bludso to guide the way. On the retail front, Mr. Bar-B-Q also shares some great news... AC Barbeque is comin' to Lowe's, another big box retailer. To celebrate the brand and all of their accomplishments, Cedric and Anthony head down to Mama Doris's house--reflecting on their friendship, favorite flavors, and progress towards becoming true Kings of BBQ.