Food Network Unveils Huge July Lineup With Andrew Zimmern, New Shows and a Fan-Favorite Return (Exclusive)

By Andrea Reiher Parade - Trending Stories

Updated June 4, 2026 11:11 AM

Food Network is turning up the heat this summer with one of its most ambitious programming slates in recent memory.

The network announced Thursday, June 4 that it will launch three new series, debut a new Guy Fieri tournament, revive the Restaurant: Impossible franchise with a fresh twist and bring back one of its longest-running competition shows.

Leading the lineup is Pitmasters, a new barbecue competition hosted by Andrew Zimmern. The series premieres July 13 and pits some of the country's top pitmasters against one another in a grueling wilderness challenge where competitors cook around the clock while battling fatigue, the elements and live-fire cooking challenges.

"Food Network is expanding its summer slate with bold new originals and content designed to drive audience engagement," Food Network President Betsy Ayala said in a statement. "Paired with fresh takes on proven favorites, the lineup offers something for every viewer."

Before Pitmasters arrives, Guy Fieri will kick off the summer schedule with Guy's Grocery Games: Global Games on July 8. The five-part tournament features eight chefs specializing in cuisines from around the world competing for a $50,000 prize and championship trophy.

Also premiering July 8 is Kitchen Chaos, a new series that explores some of the internet's most outrageous food-related moments, viral cooking mishaps and culinary disasters, with chefs weighing in on what went wrong and how it could have been avoided.

Later in the month, Food Network will revisit one of its best-known brands with Restaurant Impossible: Last Call.

Premiering July 23, the series stars chef Aarón Sánchez and restaurateur Jen Agg as they help struggling restaurants navigate the realities of today's hospitality industry. The show marks the return of the Restaurant: Impossible franchise, which originally starred chef Robert Irvine and aired from 2011 to 2016 before returning from 2019 to 2023.

Food Network is also bringing back The Great Food Truck Race for its 19th season.

Hosted by Tyler Florence, the new season premieres July 26 and features a sweet-versus-savory theme as eight teams travel from Nashville through the Great Smoky Mountains competing for a $50,000 grand prize.

The network's third new series, Kitchen Undercover, will debut later in July. The hidden-camera restaurant rescue show stars Antonia Lofaso and sous chef Nestor Milian, who go undercover inside struggling restaurants to uncover the problems driving customers away before attempting dramatic turnarounds.

In addition to its television lineup, Food Network will continue expanding its digital offerings with new episodes of Gabe Bertaccini'sCook Like an Italian, Esther Choi'sCooking with Choi and the previously announced Guy's Feast Club on the network's YouTube channel.

All of the new and returning television series will stream the day after airing on HBO Max.

This story was originally published June 4, 2026 at 10:00 AM.

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