Raised in Cleveland with deep Southern roots, Gilbert grew up in a home where food was part of the family identity—his father an avid BBQ man with his own rubs and sauces, and his mother a gifted home cook who nurtured his early passion for the kitchen.

Gilbert has been featured on numerous national television shows and culinary competitions, Alex V America (finalist), Beat Bobby Flay (winner), Midnight Feast (winner), Cutthroat Kitchen (winner), and serving as a judge on Chopped Junior. Most recently, Gilbert made his debut on Tournament of Champions Season 7 on Food Network, winning the D-Division in his first appearance and advancing all the way to the Final Four—one of the most competitive brackets in the show’s history. His talent and personality have also been showcased on CBS Saturday Morning, The Today Show,HGTV, and a wide range of digital food platforms.

His recipes and culinary perspective have appeared in leading publications such as Food & Wine, Coastal Living, Garden & Gun, Men’s Journal, Playboy, and O Magazine. In April 2026, Gilbert was named Headliner Chef for Southern Living Magazine’s 60th Anniversary celebration in Panama City—a milestone event honoring the most iconic voices in Southern food and culture. Oprah Winfrey has long tapped Gilbert to cater her holiday festivities as one of her preferred personal chefs, and his food has been featured in multiple cookbooks including Oprah Winfrey’s Food, Health and Happiness, Art Culinaire, Top 100 Toques of Black Chefs, Adrian Miller’s Black Smoke, and Beat Bobby Flay.

A multifaceted entrepreneur, Gilbert launched his signature spice line in 2014, expanding into sauces in 2022. He is also the creator and owner of House of Birds & Drop Biscuits, a growing franchise concept celebrating bold flavors, soulful comfort, and globally inspired Southern cooking.

Throughout his career, Gilbert has opened and developed well over 44 restaurants across the country and internationally. Gilbert joined Grove Bay Hospitality in Fall 2022 as VP of Culinary, overseeing all culinary operations for the group. Since joining the group, Gilbert has opened and re-developed more than 24 of those restaurants, taking the company from $65M to just shy of $100M in annual sales and reducing food cost by more than 3 points.

Most recently, he has added 11-plus locations in airport concessions, with the most notable being Crawford’s Genuine at Raleigh-Durham International Airport—a concept that earned the prestigious Ace Award for Casual Dining.

In April 2023, he released his debut cookbook, Southern Cooking, Global Flavors (Rizzoli), further cementing his voice as one of the most influential modern chefs in America.