Cedric the Entertainer and Anthony Anderson Open AC Barbeque in Los Angeles

Comedy icons Cedric the Entertainer and Anthony Anderson have taken their love for Southern barbecue from television to the restaurant scene with the grand opening of AC Barbeque in Los Angeles.

The new venture, located inside the Westfield Century City outdoor mall, marks the duo’s latest collaboration after co-starring in the A&E/Hulu reality series “Kings of BBQ.”

According to Restaurant Hospitality, AC Barbeque offers a menu centered around Southern barbecue favorites, reflecting the flavors and traditions that inspired both stars. In addition to its food offerings, the restaurant sells a variety of branded merchandise, including specialty sauces, dry rubs, grilling tools, and other barbecue essentials.

Anthony Anderson explained that the idea for the restaurant grew out of their shared interest in creating a lifestyle brand around barbecue. “Ced and I had the idea of developing seasonings and sauces for our BBQ lifestyle line, and the television show was a byproduct of that,” Anthony Anderson said.

“We wanted to document two friends creating a national company in a space where there wasn’t a face that looked like ours. Starting with rubs, sauces, food trucks, and eventually restaurants. We used what we’ve learned in Hollywood to propel us to success.”

The AC Barbeque brand initially launched with three signature seasonings and quickly expanded to include grilling accessories and apparel. Last spring, the brand debuted its first campus kitchen at Jackson State University in partnership with Sodexo and SodexoMagic. By fall 2024, AC Barbeque was available on six additional college campuses.

Cedric the Entertainer described the restaurant business as similar to producing a TV show.

“You’ve got to start with the basics, which is the food itself, or a script for the TV, and then you’ve got to put together the right staff—you’ve got to find a great chef and good people to run the front of the restaurant so this is your cast that you’re putting together and then you’ve got to have a premiere, open it up and bring it to the people and let them decide.”