Bryan Furman is a celebrated American pitmaster and restaurateur known for his dedication to traditional whole-hog barbecue and his role in preserving the cultural roots of Southern cooking. 

Raised on a pig farm in South Carolina, Furman grew up surrounded by the flavors and techniques of classic pit barbecue, which would later become the foundation of his culinary identity. Furman’s path to barbecue began at his daughter’s birthday party in 2010 and, in 2014, evolved into B’s Cracklin’ BBQ, a multi-location, farm-to-pit operation across Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia. In 2017, Eater Atlanta named B’s Cracklin’ “Restaurant of the Year,” in 2018 Bon Appetit named him “Georgia’s New King of Barbecue,” and, in 2019 Furman was selected for Food & Wine’s prestigious Best New Chefs class — the first pitmaster ever to receive the honor. He was also a nominee for the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: Southeast in both 2019 and 2020.

Beyond the pit, Furman is also a cultural ambassador for barbecue. He has been featured in major food publications and television programs, where his work highlights how barbecue is not just food, but a storytelling tradition rooted in resilience, family, and heritage.

Today, he remains a respected voice in the barbecue world, inspiring a new generation of pitmasters while staying true to the origins of his craft. His barbecue is widely praised for its depth of flavor, achieved through patience, precision, and respect for the ingredients.