Shane McBride is a Founding Partner and Director of Operations for Pig Beach BBQ, with restaurant locations in Queens, New York, West Palm Beach, Florida, and a new Louisville, Kentucky location opening in 2023.
Shane started cooking as soon as he could see the top of the stove in self-defense of a mothers terrible cooking skills. He learned at the apron strings of his Grandmother Anne, southern classics and his Uncle Tommy, a professional chef, how to cook family favorites. He started cooking in a commercial setting in 1992 under his first mentor Chef Todd Jent at Narcissus in West Palm Beach Florida. Shane then moved to Cape Cod to work with Chef Al Hynes at the Thompson’s Clam bar and The Chatham Bars Inn. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and one of New York City’s most accomplished chefs, McBride began his career in the city with esteemed chef Charlie Palmer at Aureole and later went on to work with Chef Christian Delouvier at the world-renowned Lespinasse. He subsequently partnered with Jean-Philippe Leloup to open his own star-studded restaurants, Oceo and 7Square. Shane also served as executive chef at Tom Colicchio’s Craftsteak and also opened Colicchio and Sons to a NYTimes 3 star review, which was followed by a long tenure as executive/corporate chef at Keith McNally’s famed Soho brasserie, Balthazar. While with McNally he opened Balthazar London, Cherche Midi and Augustine as well
A Southern boy at heart with an insatiable craving for authentic smoky barbeque, McBride made his debut on the barbecue competition scene in 2008 forming his competition team Ribdiculous Bar-B-Krewe. Just one year later reigned victorious over the best competition barbecue cooking teams on the planet to win the 1st Place Hot Wings title at the 2009 Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest. After the win, the BBQ bug had fully bitten McBride and his Ribdiculous team, and he went on to win several 1st place trophies in mustard sauce, tomato based sauce, seafood and exotic categories. In 2023 the hard work finally paid off with a 1st place in ribs and an overall Grand Champion win, the first rib team in 21 years and the first NYC based team to ever win Grand Champion of the 2023 Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Contest.
In 2016, McBride and fellow award-winning pitmasters, Rob Shawger and Matt Abdoo of competitive barbecue team, Salty Rinse, joined forces to launch Pig Beach BBQ’s NYC flagship location—and eventually, McBride left the world of haute cuisine to focus entirely on operating and expanding the Pig Beach BBQ empire.
He is a frequent guest chef on Food Network and MLB Network programs, and has been featured on CBS Saturday Morning, Thrillist, AARP, Fobes, VinePair, Eater, Washington Post, Texas Monthly, InsideHook and more. In May 2022, McBride and Abdoo released the Pig Beach BBQ Cookbook: Smoked, Grilled, Roasted, and Sauced (HarperCollins), which has earned acclaim from The New York Times Book Review
