You have to get to know Chef Erik Freshley

Executive Chef & Pitmaster, Mermaids & Cowboys

La Jolla, California

Celebrated pitmaster and barbeque world champion, Chef Erik Freshley has led an inspiring culinary journey across the U.S. 

His childhood was marked by hunting trips, fishing, and farming on his grandparent’s homestead outside of Chicago, Illinois. Living off the land, they grew and canned much of what they ate, butchered their own game, and barbecued whole hog on the weekends. At 19 years old, Chef Erik landed his first restaurant job at a family-friend’s soul food kitchen. Over the next two decades, the self-taught chef cooked for dignitaries on-base at Fort Eustis in Virginia, sharpened his high-volume skills in the luxury cruise industry, and spent time in the corporate kitchens of Marriott hotels in Miami, Tampa Bay, and Richmond. 

Erik went on to make a name for himself within the competitive barbeque circuit, conquering prestigious cook-offs such as Kansas City’s American Royal World Series, where he won 1st place, and Houston’s World’s Championship, where he placed 2nd. Erik developed a cult-like following in Southeast Virginia for his community barbeque pop-ups focusing on live fire cooking and education. Once he arrived in San Diego, he quickly worked his way into the culinary teams for lauded hotels and restaurants including The Grand Del Mar, a AAA Five Diamond hotel, La Valencia Hotel, Dolce, and Grand Ole BBQ. Today, Erik helms the kitchen as Executive Chef of Mermaids & Cowboys, a surf and turf-inspired restaurant in the heart of La Jolla, California.

In both his personal and professional life, Chef Erik is a committed advocate for underserved communities and passionate about paying his success forward. Alongside his position at Mermaids & Cowboys, he owns a boutique catering company focused on advancing culinary opportunities for people of color. He also regularly contributes to organizations such as Father Joe’s Villages and Rachel’s Women’s Shelter in San Diego, and proudly leads an annual community-oriented Juneteenth celebration where he donates barbeque to hundreds of locals in need.