Bobby Flay Battles Against Father and Son Dallas Chefs in a Foodie Feud: This Reality TV Showdown is a Family Affair With Plenty of Surprise Twists

Two Dallas chefs might just learn that if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. Beto  (no, not that Beto) and Julian Rodarte, the chefs behind Mexican restaurant Beto and Son, are going head to head with celebrity chef Bobby Flay on his Food Network show Beat Bobby Flay.

The nail-biting, mouth-watering episode airs on Thursday, October 18th at 9 pm.

The father and son will showcase their restaurant at Trinity Groves. The younger Rodarte has a little experience with reality television, with past works including a Travel Channel segment showing off Beto and Son’s signature liquid nitrogen margarita. Julian Rodarte also cooked and catered to the next gen crowd with Chopped U, the snapchat version of the hit Food Network show.

Then, it was time for Beat Bobby Flay (with the episode actually filmed last May). But there was a twist.

It’s father versus son in Round 1. Beto and Julian will put their cooking skills to the test —against each other — before the winner advances to challenge Flay. This is one foodie Family Feud.

Who knows? Maybe a trio of chefs would have been too many cooks in the kitchen.

“It was a blast getting to face off with my dad. It was kind of funny — we were both rooting for each other, making sure new both got all of our food down on the plate,” Rodarte tells PaperCity, laughing. “Telling my dad ‘Hurry up, get all your food on your plate!’ And him telling me the same thing.

“It was an amazing experience, one person going against another.”

Another Dallasite put up his dukes against Flay in a past season. Tim Love, the restaurateur and celebrity chef behind a a slew of successful spots such as Lonesome Dove and the Love Shack, battled against Flay and had to hang up his apron.

A Houstonian gourmand also stepped up to the plate — and knocked it out of the park.  Chef Kevin Nedari of Montrose’s Roost restaurant went up against Flay in 2016 and took the formidable chef down a peg.

No Ordinary Mexican Restaurant

Time will tell how Beto and Son fare with their unique Mexican fare. The restaurant is known for its tableside guac and innovative liquid nitrogen margaritas. They sell about 200 of the boozy, creative concoctions a day.

Opening up a Mexican restaurant was a bit of a risk, but they took the plunge.

“The last thing Dallas needed was another Mexican restaurant,” Rodarte laughs. “It’s on every corner, whether it’s Tex-Mex or authentic, mom and pops or taquerias. Our goal was to create dishes that are a little more Millennial-driven, Instagrammable, Facebook-worthy.

“Instead of ceviche in a cocktail glass, we serve it in a tower. We really just wanted to give Mexican food a little fresh spin. It’s a reflection of what people crave here in Dallas in a presentation or experience they’d never seen before.”

Diners rave about the chicken tortas and beef quesadillas — along with vegan options. Beto and Son boasts an entire vegan menu, with everything from nachos to enchiladas to tacos to quesadillas.

“It’s not just vegetables on a plate,” Rodarte says.

Despite their street cred, Flay may be a beyond-worthy adversary. Think about it — this isn’t the chef’s first rodeo. He’s got a lot of reality TV cooking under his belt. He also hosts Throwdown! with Bobby Flay.

And there’s so much more to what Flay does than filming these shows.

“It was kind of an eye-opening thing. ‘Oh, TV chefs have got it so easy. They don’t work too much.’ That’s the polar opposite of what I experienced,” Rodarte says. “He was there filming from six in the morning to six in the evening and then he goes and closes the restaurant. I’ve got a lot of respect for him.”

Beto and Son is hosting a viewing party for the episode on October 18. Guests can watch the whole showdown go down either in the bar or on a massive TV screen on the patio at 9 pm.

“Come support a Dallas-based chef going up against Bobby Flay,” Rodarte laughs. But don’t try to ask him who won in advance — his lips are sealed.