ABOUT CHEF KENT RATHBUN
CHEF KENT AND TRACY RATHBUN
Celebrity Chef Kent Rathbun has been a respected leader in the Dallas restaurant scene since 1990. The extraordinary dining experience and unforgettable menus that he creates have attracted both local and national acclaim.
Kent’s interest in cooking started at a young age. In high school he became an apprentice at La Bonne Auberge, a five-star French restaurant in Kansas City, where he began his journey into fine dining and service.
Rathbun continued to refine his skills as he worked with some of the most creative culinary teams in the country including Mr. B’s in New Orleans, The Mansion on Turtle Creek, and the Landmark Restaurant in the historic Melrose Hotel in Dallas. Kent then opened the Seventeen Seventeen Restaurant in the Dallas Museum of Art where he also operated Dani Catering where he turned off-site events into a full-service fine dining experience.
Read Chef Kent’s full story
In 1997, Rathbun decided to take his culinary vision to the next level by creating Abacus, a world-class fine dining concept in the heart of Dallas’ uptown district. Opening in October of 1999, Abacus quickly received recognition as a crown jewel of fine dining locally and on the national scene as well.
Most notably, Abacus was inducted into the Nation’s Restaurant News Fine Dining Hall of Fame, consistently earned Forbes Four-Stars and AAA Four Diamonds, was named “One of the Top Meals Around the World” by USA Today, and a “Top Pick” by Bon Appétit Magazine.
Rathbun realized early on that diners were hungry to enjoy backyard favorites with an upscale twist. With this modern outdoor approach, he developed his next restaurant concept Jasper’s, which quickly became a favorite and expanded to multiple locations in Texas.
Jasper’s was named one of the Top 20 Best New Restaurants in America by Esquire Magazine, won Nation’s Restaurant News Hot Concepts! Award, and the ribs were named Top 3 in the US by Bon Appétit Magazine and the Food Network.
Rathbun continued to expand his culinary repertoire with another restaurant concept, Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen. He also continues to operate a sizable catering business which is now known as Catering by Chef Kent Rathbun.
Over the years, Rathbun’s flourishing concepts in restaurants, catering operations, and event hospitality have generated high demand for celebrity chef appearances. He has cooked at the prestigious James Beard House in New York on many occasions and is a four-time James Beard Foundation nominee for Best Chef in the Southwest.
He has made several appearances on The Food Network, the CBS Early Show, the Today Show on NBC, the Rosie O’Donnell Show, and as a competitor on “Iron Chef America”— defeating grill master Bobby Flay in an intense culinary clash. Not to mention, he was the featured chef for the George W. Bush 2001 Inaugural Ball.
Chef Rathbun had the opportunity to make annual trips to Bangkok, Thailand, with Dusit Thani Hotel to teach their chefs how to cook “American” food and also learn about Thai and other Asian cuisines. His love for Asian cuisine has shown up throughout his career.
It’s important to Rathbun to connect with the community by participating in local and national charities to help raise money. He has served as lead chef for the March of Dimes Signature Chef Event and participates in other culinary events that benefit the North Texas Food Bank, the American Cancer Society, and the American Heart Association.
Nationally, he represented the Dallas Cowboys as head chef at the Pre-Super Bowl “Taste of the NFL” for 25 years, and has done numerous food and wine festivals around the country and internationally.
Rathbun lives in Dallas with his two children and wife, and fellow restaurateur, Tracy Rathbun. Tracy previously co-founded local Dallas favorites Shinsei and Lovers Seafood & Market. He enjoys spending time cooking as a family; a Rathbun family tradition that no doubt will carry on for generations to come.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
- Nominee for the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef: Southwest in 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004
- In 2008, Chef Rathbun competed on Food Network’s hit series “Iron Chef America” and defeated grill master Bobby Flay
- Abacus: Inducted into the Nation’s Restaurant News Fine Dining Hall of Fame
See all 22 awards & recognitions
Honors & Nominations
Nominee for the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef: Southwest in 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004
DiRona Award – Abacus and Jasper’s Plano
2009 Restaurants and Institutions IVY Award – Abacus
Abacus Restaurant
- Inducted into the Nation’s Restaurant News Fine Dining Hall of Fame
- Forbes Four Star rating
- AAA Four Diamond rating
- Best of the Year by Bon Appétit, 2001
- Five Star rating from Dallas Morning News
- James Beard Foundation Outstanding Service nominee
- Named one of the “Top Meals Around the World” by USA Today
Jasper’s Restaurant
- Top 20 Best New Restaurants in America by Esquire Magazine
Hickory Restaurant
A past concept of Chef Kent Rathbun.
Notable Moments
With his wife, Tracy Rathbun, former owners of Shinsei and Lovers Seafood and Market
Chef Rathbun has cooked for Ross Perot, The Goss-Michael Foundation, George Michael, Jacques Pépin, Julia Child and Oprah, and was part of the team that cooked for Queen Elizabeth II.
The featured chef for the George W. Bush 2001 Inaugural Ball.
Chef Rathbun has appeared on:
- In 2008, Chef Rathbun competed on Food Network’s hit series “Iron Chef America” and defeated grill master Bobby Flay
- Food Network’s “Chef du Jour”
- Cooking Live with Sara Moulton
- Ready Set Cook
- CBS Early Show
- The Rosie O’Donnell Show
- NBC’s Today Show
- Pre-Super Bowl Event “Taste of the NFL,” 1995-2020
Kent Rathbun at a Glance
Kent Rathbun has worked in restaurants for more than 50 years: his first restaurant job at 14 at a Sambo’s in Kansas City, an apprenticeship at La Bonne Auberge at 17, and his first chef job at 21 at Papa Nick’s 2121 Club in Gladstone, Missouri.
Part of the Dallas restaurant scene since 1990, he created Abacus in 1997, opened it in 1999 and went on to lead more than 30 restaurant concepts.
He has cooked for two sitting U.S. presidents, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, and is a four-time James Beard Foundation nominee.
What Kent Rathbun Does Now
Today, Chef Kent Rathbun brings more than 50 years of restaurant experience, more than three decades of it in Dallas, to hospitality consulting. He helps investors and operators shape a concept from first idea through opening day: concept development, menu creation, opening plans, staff training and team building.
Read more about Kent’s work today
He also handles recipe development and costing, financial oversight and P&L management, so every restaurant he helps build is set up to run well and stay profitable.
From large galas, special events and backyard barbecues to intimate high-end dinners, Chef Kent Rathbun’s catering team handles events of every size and style. Its trailer fleet of rolling kitchens and two Double R mobile bar units brings the kitchen and bar to the event, with the same attention to detail for ten guests or a ballroom full.
Today Kent runs hospitality consulting, Dallas catering and special events, and speaking engagements about his culinary career, restaurant economics, his comeback from a near-fatal ATV accident, his legal fight over the rights to his own name and likeness, and other life and business experiences. He remains committed to philanthropic work in Dallas and nationally.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did Kent Rathbun train?
Kent Rathbun apprenticed at La Bonne Auberge in Kansas City at 17. He later worked at Mr. B’s in New Orleans, The Mansion on Turtle Creek, and the Landmark Restaurant at the Melrose Hotel in Dallas.
What restaurants did Kent Rathbun create?
Kent Rathbun created Abacus, Jasper’s and Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen, among more than 30 restaurant concepts.
Has Kent Rathbun been on TV?
Yes. He defeated Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America and has appeared on the CBS Early Show, NBC’s Today Show and The Rosie O’Donnell Show.
