Chef Chris Lilly

Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q | Five-time World Champion Pitmaster

Chef Lilly is a barbecue legend and 4th-generation owner of the iconic Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, Alabama. As head chef and pitmaster, he leads the restaurant’s competition team, boasting 18 World BBQ Championships and a record 5 Memphis in May World Grand Championships. A Barbecue Hall of Fame inductee and recipient of the Legends of Barbecue Pitmaster Award, Lilly has won titles including the American Royal International Invitational and International Jamaican Barbecue Championship, earning recognition as “King of the Smokers.” He has shared his expertise at events like Pork Summit at the Culinary Institute of America and the Low-Country & Caribbean Food Conference, and has appeared twice at the James Beard Foundation. Author of BIG BOB GIBSON’S BBQ BOOK and FIRE & SMOKE: A Pitmaster’s Secrets, he serves as a national spokesperson for Kingsford Charcoal, a Yeti ambassador, and caters private events for companies like Nissan, NASCAR, and Microsoft, bringing his legendary open-fire flavors to audiences nationwide.