Andrew Ward grew up in Elizabethton, Tennessee, where he began cooking Southern specialties at his parents' sides. After mastering family favorites like fried chicken and chicken and dumplings, Ward took a position at a local restaurant, where he thrived in the controlled chaos of the kitchen.

His career path led him to the armed forces, where Ward was an Ammunitions Specialist in the United States Army and obtained the rank of Sergeant. While he gained leadership skills, teamwork and discipline during this time, he missed cooking and working in a kitchen. After his service ended, he settled in Lake Charles, Louisiana, where he took a line cook position at Cajun-New American restaurant Pujo Street Café. Ward's mastery of the cuisine and diligence resulted in his being named Executive Chef of the restaurant after several months. In his new role, Ward became a voracious reader of all culinary materials, created new menus and also took up public relations for the restaurant, appearing in local news outlets and broadcasts.

To continue his learning, Ward moved to New York City to attend The French Culinary Institute. He took positions as a line cook at the Manhattan Ocean Club and Tabla while studying; later he became sous chef of Oceana under Ben Pollinger. Ward worked in collaboration with Craig Koketsu to open Quality Meats and is now Chef de Cuisine of the restaurant, applying his diverse background to create rustic, New American menus.