Kevin Rathbun was raised in Missouri and one of his first kitchen jobs was at Au Bonne Auberge in Kansas City Missouri, where his mother was the Maitre’d for seven years. Then in 1982, his major apprenticeship began at Hallmark’s American Restaurant, under Great Chef Bradley Ogden. Within a year, he was promoted to sous chef.

Completing his apprenticeship in 1984, he moved to Houston to serve as sous chef for Alex Martin and the Brennan Family at Brennan’s. In 1987, the Brennan Family moved him to New Orleans to work at their Commander’s Palace under Great Chef Emeril Lagasse for a year. Then later in 1988, he was offered a job in Dallas, at department store heir John Dayton’s “Baby Routh” under Great Chef Stephan Pyles, and eventually became executive chef when Pyles left.

Great Chefs was in Dallas in 1993 taping for their Great Chefs-Great Cities series, and taped two dishes with Chef Rathbun at Baby Routh, Salmon Skewers and Shrimp and Corn Rellenos.

In May of 1995, Great Chefs were in Atlanta taping at Panos & Paul’s when we ran into Chef Rathbun, who was now working as Executive Chef at a sister restaurant, NAVA. We taped Chef Kevin preparing Boar Chops for our Great Chefs of America series for The Discovery Channel.
In 2004, Chef Kevin Rathbun opened his own restaurant, “RATHBUN’S” in Atlanta, garnering awards after awards. In 2007 he opened a second restaurant called Kevin Rathbun Steak. In 2008, Chef Kevin and his brother, Chef Kent Rathbun defeated Iron Chef (also one of our Great Chefs) in the Iron Chef Elk Cook-off.