8 Below Deck Chefs That Should Return To The Franchise Even If They Don’t Want To

Through the years, the Below Deck franchise has seen a number of chefs come on board, but only a few of them should make their return. The chefs on Below Deck do have a bit of a reputation that isn’t always the best. Whether they are yelling at the chief stew for not getting the food before it gets cold or having poor communication issues, chefs tend to be the most difficult to work with, judging by the Bravo series. While some chefs were difficult to work with, some were at least entertaining and made mouth-watering dishes for the charter guests.

Other chefs on Below Deck were just downright rude. During Below Deck season 3, Chef Leon Walker was the head of the kitchen and often got on Chief Stew Kate Chastain’s nerves. The two were always butting heads whether it was about his food or her work as the lead of the interior team. After ten episodes, Leon was finally fired, and Chef Ben Robinson took over. Even on Below Deck Mediterranean season 4, Chef Mila Kolomeitseva was a chaotic chef who clearly had no idea what she was doing. She was also fired, and Ben was brought back on again.

8 Ben Robinson

Below Deck Seasons 1-4, Below Deck Med Season 4

Chef Ben is one of the most well-known chefs from the Below Deck franchise. Not only has appeared in more than one of the Below Deck series, but he’s been featured in multiple seasons. Ben had his start on Below Deck season 1 and was the chef until season 2. He returned for season 3 to replace Chef Leon and returned full-time again for season 4. Ben was also the chef for Below Deck Med season 1 and replaced Chef Mila in season 4. Chef Ben should return because he was good at his job, and he’s an interesting character.

Everything Ben cooked looked amazing and always got rave reviews from the charter guests. Ben was also always very witty in his confessionals and always provided laughs for the audience. While most Below Deck viewers would like to see Ben return, that doesn’t seem likely. Ben has said multiple times that he has no desire to work on yachts again after his time on Below Deck Med season 4.

7 Rachel Hargrove

Below Deck Seasons 8-10

Chef Rachel Hargrove is one of the best chefs to appear on Below Deck. Captain Lee Rosbach himself has said before that Rachel’s food is some of the best he’s ever seen or tried. Rachel’s food is unique, and delicious, and always made the guests happy. Not only was Raquel a good chef, but she made for great TV. Some of her witty one-liners have gone down in Below Deck history. However, despite Rachel being good for the show, she will likely never return. Rachel made some comments about Bravo and Southern Charm‘s Austen Kroll over a year ago, and she vowed to never appear on the series again.

6 Ileisha Dell

Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 4

Chef Ileisha Dell appeared on Below Deck Sailing Yacht season 4 and always made great food, despite Colin MacRae’s slip-up when he compared her food to Chef Marcos Spaziani from the season before. Ileisha never received any backlash from the guests and overall, they seemed to enjoy what she brought to the table. Plus, Ileisha never got involved in any drama and mostly stayed in the background. Ileisha should return as a chef because she’s an amazing chef, and she was kind to everyone on board. Ileisha is a nice change of pace compared to the other wacky chefs.

5 Hindrigo “Kiko” Lorran

Below Deck Med Season 5

Chef Hindrigo “Kiko” Lorran should return after his disastrous time on Below Deck Med season 5. Even though Captain Sandy Yawn wasn’t a huge fan of his food, Kiko had a different approach to his cooking that benefited the season even though he was fired. Not to mention, Kiko was always so sweet on board and created a nice friendship with Chief Stew Hannah Ferrier. Kiko was a one-of-a-kind chef that fans would love to see return.

4 Dave White

Below Deck Med season 7

While Chef Dave White had some drama on board while on Below Deck Med season 7, Dave still managed to create some mouth-watering dishes. Captain Sandy would constantly praise Dave and his dishes and has even called him one of the best chefs she’s worked with since being on the show. Even though Dave got a bad rep for his drama with Chief Stew Natasha Webb, he was still praised Sandy and fans for his amazing meals.

3 Jessica Condy

Below Deck Adventure Season 1

Chef Jessica “Jess” Condy was a bit of a spit fire on Below Deck Adventure season 1, but she too was always praised for her fantastic cooking skills. Like most chefs, Jess often felt overwhelmed and would often get overly upset in the kitchen. There were even a few time when she went off on Chief Stew Faye Clarke. Nonetheless, the two worked it out like most chefs and chief stews do. Overall, Jess was a good mix of wacky, mean, and a great chef, which is the exact portrayal fans need in a Below Deck chef.

2 Marcos Spaziani

Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 3

Chef Marcos Spaziani from Below Deck Sailing Yacht season 3 is one of the best chefs the franchise has seen. Not one of his dishes received a bad review from guests and even the crew on board loved his food. Many fans would have liked for Marcos to return for BDSY season 4, but his new restaurants need him. Maybe now that they are up and running, Marcos can take a break and make his return to Below Deck.

1 Tzarina Mace-Ralph

Below Deck Down Under season 2

Probably the best chef in terms of cooking and personality is Tzarina Mace-Ralph from Below Deck Down Under season 2. She won fans over with her witty comebacks and vulnerability, and her food was just as enticing.Tzarina even brought the drama with her love triangle with Culver Bradbury and Jaimee Neale, plus she had a short boatmance with Joao Franco. If any chef should return, it’s Tzarina.