Chef
Damien Brockway
- Discipline
- Chef
- Based in
- Austin, Texas, United States
i. Biography
Damien Brockway is the pitmaster and owner at Distant Relatives in Austin, Texas, and that role now best captures the range of his public work. The path to it is built from formal training, a 2017 kitchen post in Austin, a 2018 brewery leadership role, and then the move, in 2021, into the restaurant he now leads. Seen in sequence, those steps show a practice that is methodical, hard-earned, and increasingly defined by his own standards.
Coming Up
Training at Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park gave Brockway a formal base in culinary discipline before he brought that discipline into Texas kitchens. The early roles that followed added responsibility in stages, each one sharpening the way he worked and widening the scope of what he was expected to carry. In 2017, he was Head Chef at Counter 3.Five.VII (2017), a post that marked a clear point in his rise. By 2018, he had moved into the role of executive chef at Jester King Brewery in Austin, Texas (from 2018), where leadership demanded steadiness, judgment, and a firm sense of direction. That sequence is the framework for the work Brockway does now. The position of chef, pitmaster, and owner at Distant Relatives (since 2021) brings those earlier responsibilities into one setting, where the craft is both operational and personal. Damien Brockway’s current work is the point at which training, management, and fire-based cooking all come together.
Where They Are Now
Since 2021, Brockway has served as chef, pitmaster, and owner at Distant Relatives in East Austin, Texas. The restaurant is where formal training, kitchen leadership, and pit work meet in a single program. Brockway has described the method plainly: "we're picking out particular contributions from different areas and putting them together into what we think is something very cohesive, presentable, and delicious." The line is useful because it names the work without dressing it up: selection, assembly, and discipline in service of a coherent plate.
Career - chef, pitmaster, and owner — Distant Relatives, East Austin, Texas (2021–present) - Head Chef — Counter 3.Five.VII (2017) - executive chef — Jester King Brewery, Austin, Texas (from 2018) Education: Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park
Signature
Damien's signature dishes include Black Eyed Peas & Burnt Endz, Prime Beef Brisket, Chicken Leg Quarters, and Collard Greens. Together, they point to a kitchen working with smoke, richness, and sides that carry equal weight with the main cuts. The set also suggests a cook who values timing, control, and the restraint to let each component read clearly.
Honors
Damien Brockway has received MICHELIN Guide Bib Gourmand (2024). Damien's honors include StarChefs Austin-San Antonio Rising Stars Award (2017).
FAQ What is Damien Brockway's current role? As of 2026, Damien Brockway is Pitmaster and Owner. Where did Damien Brockway train or study? Damien Brockway trained at Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park. What recognition has Damien Brockway received? StarChefs Austin-San Antonio Rising Stars Award (2017).
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