Chef Damian Brown

Chef Damian Brown is doing amazing things. With over 150k social media followers he’s created a name for himself in the food industry. A native of Capitol Heights, Maryland, is the executive chef and founder of The Uncaged Chefs. At 30 years of age he has been quickly rising through some of D.C.’s best kitchens, including Vidalia and Blue Duck Tavern before launching a Sunday brunch, carry-out, pop-up in early 2019 which grew to serve hundreds of customers every Sunday, and recently opened his first concept; The Uncaged Chef, in DC’s first Black Owned Food Incubator; Savor at 3807.

Chef Damian has created a name for himself throughout the DC area with his culinary creativity and “no rules” approach to cooking. His innovative and unique approach in the kitchen is what has set him apart from his peers. His balance of fine dining with urban, African American classics has created his niche in today’s Food and Restaurant scene.

He thrives on inventing new, out of the box dishes that showcase his passion and unique culinary skills. Dishes like Henny and coke braised short ribs and hot Cheeto mac and cheese have garnered him a lot of attention. Freestyle cooking is how Damian describes his cooking technique, but he also incorporates the culinary technique and his fine-dining background into many of his dishes.

Vocal readers, please enjoy our interview!

Tammy Reese:

What inspired you to become a chef?

Chef Damian:

I used to hate cooking actually, it was never my passion. My dream was to be an FBI agent or SWAT team member. My mom was a bounty hunter. So, I knew I did not want to do that. That was when I was maybe 16 or so. I was living in Montgomery County at the time and a racist cop tried to accuse me of stealing a bike. He got in my face, grabbed me by my neck, and kept saying: “Stop lying! Stop lying!” Back then I used to have a very short temper. So I tried to hit him, and I didn't know I was surrounded by cops. They threw me in handcuffs, but I didn't hit him so they just let me go. That changed my mind about the police and my view of all law enforcement. At that point, I was lost. I didn't know what I wanted to do. Because being an FBI or SWAT team agent was all I ever thought of.

My great-grandfather raised me and I would spend a lot of time at his house on the weekends. We would sit and watch the food network channel and Discovery Channel all day every day. Every morning he’d say “Damian, what do you want to eat? Go grab the cookbook!”. So, the first thing I ever made professionally was French toast. So, right now if anybody wants to challenge me to a French toast cook-off I accept!

From there my stepfather was asked me, “How come you just don't go to culinary school?” And I was like, “I just never thought of it.” So I went and I graduated at the top of my class. But the funny thing is I had the highest grades in my class but I did it all with basically one arm. I had broken my wrist playing football while I was at lunch. But, I didn't tell anybody I just went back to school the next day. We had a big group project like making cakes and my team was counting on me. So I just had to suck it up and do it. I was shaking so badly but, I got it done and got a B.

And then I went to the hospital and they put a full cast on me. From there I’ve just been kicking ass. From job to job moving up and moving up.

Tammy Reese:

What sets you apart from other chefs?

Chef Damian:

Freestyle cooking is how I’d describe my cooking technique, but I also like to incorporate the fine-dining background into many of the dishes. My creativity and flavor pairings are unmatched. I’m constantly creating new flavor combinations and pairing random and average food items to make amazing dishes. As a chef, my passion is fine dining so I always try to bring that passion to menus I create.

Tammy Reese:

What are some highlights in your career so far?

Chef Damian:

At the age of 18, I was already cooking in kitchens, like Vidalia and Blue Duck Tavern. By 28 I joined the team at Takoda where I became the youngest Executive Chef in Washington DC. From there my menus drew a lot of attention. The guests were really impressed with the flavors and creativeness of my dishes. After making it to the top of my local industry, the opening of both my restaurants has been a huge achievement for me. Having started my business out of my car, seeing it grow to this level of success has been great.

Tammy Reese:

Please tell us about the vegan options you provide.

Chef Damian:

We currently offer Vegan Mondays where we have a 100% Vegan burger menu. Our first vegan burger, the Oyster Hicken Sandwich, is a fried oyster mushroom sandwich with jerk kale slaw and our special uncaged sauce. We also offer the Trick Mac, a vegan twist on the traditional Big Mac. The burger is built on a vegan burger patty with pickles, house sauce, and sits on a bed of buss down fries. These are just a few of our ever-changing vegan options and we’re looking to expand the menu.

Tammy Reese:

Please tell us about the Uncaged Chefs.

Chef Damian:

The Uncaged Chefs is currently located in District Heights MD for both dine-in and take out and we have a brunch based menu that changes every day. We’re always innovating, creating what some people call “random” but delicious dishes never before been seen. We take a common combination of flavors and traditional cuisine and turn it into an addicting dish. Our biggest thing at Uncaged is “No Rules, Just Good Food”, so our team pushes the boundaries to create unforgettable menus that the customers love.

Tammy Reese:

Has the pandemic changed your day-to-day life or your business?

Chef Damian:

Our business has thankfully seen an immense amount of growth during this pandemic. Despite several hurdles around state mandates and safety guidelines, our business has continued to thrive. The Uncaged Chefs was established as a take out only business and this proved useful in the midst of the pandemic as our staff and customers were already familiar with taking out routines.

Tammy Reese:

What's next for you?

Chef Damian:

Up next for us is expansion. I want to grow my business, get more locations established so more people can have a chance to try my food. I’m also looking to play around with some new concepts, to push myself and my team. Our next project will be a salad and juice bar concept. We’ll have fresh-pressed juices and out-of-the-box salads along with available art and, merchandise for sale. The vision is to add some healthy options to an area that has very few healthy or health-based restaurants.

Tammy Reese:

What advice would you have for anyone who aspires to become a chef?

Chef Damian:

Push hard and stay focus. And to never give up.

Tammy Reese:

Is there anything you don't know how to cook that you would like to learn? If so what is it?

Chef Damian:

It’s a lot of stuff I do not know how to cook. This culinary world is so big with recipes as deep as the ocean. I would love to learn how to make a good bowl of ramen so I can put my twist on it.

Tammy Reese:

What innovative and unique techniques do you apply to cooking?

Chef Damian:

I like to use unique flavor combinations while using my fine dine culinary background to provide balance and bring it to life.

Connect with Chef Damian on Instagram.