Next national grilling champion may just be from Cape Coral

There’s a Steak Master grilling in Cape Coral.

Well, make that potential Steak Master.

Jacob Montgomery, who works at the LongHorn Steakhouse on Pine Island Road, has advanced to the final round of the national chain’s annual Steak Master Series.

The eight-year employee is one of seven finalists competing for the chain's national grilling championship title and a $15,000 grand prize during a grill-off in Orlando on May 2.

“I’m so happy to be competing again, and being a finalist comes with a tremendous amount of prestige,” Montgomery said in a news release.

It’s not his first time in the national spotlight. Montgomery was a finalist in 2022.

Thousands of grill cooks from LongHorn’s 580-plus locations entered the competition.

According to the release, Montgomery, who loves the culture of LongHorn and wants to become a managing partner, recommends aspiring grilling champs “clean and sheen the grill” for best results.

As far as his favorite menu item, it’s not a steak as you’d expect.

He’s a fan of the restaurant’s salmon.

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LongHorn Steakhouse, owned and operated by Darden Restaurants and based in Orlando, serves “steak as it was meant to be,” plus ribs, chops, chicken and more.

Other local locations, open at 11 a.m. daily, include Gulf Coast Town Center and Market Square (anchored by Target and Barnes & Noble) in Fort Myers and on Trail Boulevard off Tamiami Trail North in Naples. For more information, go to longhornsteakhouse.com.

Robyn George is a food and dining reporter for The News-Press. Connect at [email protected]

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Cape Coral resident may be LongHorn's best grill cook in country