Damarr Brown

The finalists prepare themselves for the most important cook of their lives; they'll have to leave it all on the plate in order to wow Padma, Tom, Gail, and guest judges Stephanie Izard and Eric Ripert.

The chefs are challenged in the Quickfire to put their own spin on the Tex-Mex classic queso; for the Elimination Challenge, the competition heads to the field of a high school football stadium.

The chefs meet Brooke Williamson at Houston's J-Bar-M, where she tasks them with putting their own spin on a brisket dish for some of the best BBQ pitmasters in Houston and their guest judge, pitmaster Greg Gatlin.

The chefs must create salty-sweet desserts that will inspire a new flavor of Talenti gelato; in the Elimination Challenge, the chefs must draw inspiration from the lives of some of Texas' most influential women.

The chefs expand their horizons in a master class on Nigerian flavors guided by local chef Ope Amosu and all-star Kwame Onwuachi, and need to make a stew that pairs perfectly with traditional Nigerian swallows.

The chefs are put to the ultimate test; they have to build restaurants from the ground up; "Top Chef's" signature challenge levels up yet again, requiring the chefs to satisfy their VIP counter and a dining room full of guests.