Name: Justin Rowland
Location: Glen Burnie, Maryland
Who do you like to cook for? My students, my grandparents, my girlfriend, and my parents
Kitchen superpower: Seasoning! I have 80-100 spices—my spice cabinet is amazing, but messy.
For proof that life’s twists and turns can deliver you to the right place, you need to get acquainted with Justin Rowland. As a kid, Rowland wanted to be a state trooper, and he started chasing that dream. But along the way, the upbeat Philadelphia native decided he wanted a job where people were as happy to see him as he was them. He changed course, got his teaching degree, and became a full-time teacher in Philly.
During the pandemic, Rowland taught online and lived with his grandparents on Maryland’s coast. Already an avid fisherman and crabber, he started a YouTube channel capturing his fresh catch and grilling escapades. The background: His grandparents’ bucolic dock on the Chesapeake Bay. Rowland became known around town as “that crab dude,” and soon his grilling videos took off. And with this philosophy, “be on the water, have a personality and sense of humor, and make good food,” it’s no wonder.
Allrecipes Allstar Justin Rowland dining out with his Grandmother.
Courtesy of Justin Rowland
But even as Rowland’s online persona grew, his devotion remained with his students. Now a middle school counselor, Rowland runs a school grilling club where he teaches cooking skills and the value of coming together over a meal.
Allrecipes: I’m a mom of a 14-year-old, so I can attest that connecting with kids, especially middle schoolers, isn’t always easy. You’ve found a way to engage in an untraditional way. Tell me about Grill Club.
Justin Rowland: I’ve got 8th-grade students, so a lot of emotions, a lot of thinking about high school, family, boyfriends, girlfriends—I love it. You have to connect so you can build trust and so they have someone to rely on. At Grill Club, not only do my students watch me cook, but I also get to teach them a real skill. The best email I’ve ever gotten was from a student who was at a family reunion, seasoning and cooking the chicken. The family was like, “How did you learn how to cook?” He cooked for the whole family, and it was my recipe.
How big is Grill Club? Is this just a handful of kids or the whole grade?
Eighth grade is about 270 kids. The most I’ve ever cooked for is 280—I grilled a lot of hot dogs! Grill Club happens in the summer, too. I’m a 12-month employee, so about once a week, I invite kids to come back to school. We’ll do lamb chops, steak, shrimp tacos, and a crab boil. Wegman’s donates food, and Kingsford donates charcoal.
How did you find cooking? Who taught you, and what was the first thing you remember making?
When I was 8, I asked for an Easy-Bake Oven. I was cooking things on that. Everyone in my family knows how to cook—my mom, my dad, my grandma, my grandpa. My grandma had me help make dinner. My dad taught me how to grill. When I went to college, I took my dad’s smoker back with me and had cookouts on my front lawn. I wish I could remember what I used to make in the Easy Bake!
Courtesy of Justin Rowland
Now you’re known for grilled seafood and comfort food with big flavors and a lot of personality. How would you say your cooking has evolved?
I’m super creative. I love thinking of different recipes like seafood egg rolls and shrimp-and-grits oysters. My students come up with some of them, too, like the cheeseburger dip—that was one of my students’ recipes. I actually got in trouble with the cafeteria because I was making food and giving it away—they didn’t like that!
Cooking seafood can be intimidating, especially if you don’t live on the coast. What’s your number-one tip?
Seafood cooks really fast. If you want something quick and easy, seafood is it. Put shrimp on skewers and grill two minutes on each side—done. Just don’t forget to flip.
OK, wrapping up, do you have any secret life hacks? For example, my little secret is that I always have a box of Good & Plentys in my car. My family makes endless fun of me but G&Ps truly make me happy.
Hmmm, OK. Well, I have a phobia of soggy cereal, so I pour the milk first and then add the cereal (my favorite is Cinnamon Toast Crunch) on top. It doesn’t get soggy!
Courtesy of Justin Rowland
