’Cue Journey

Barbecue is a matter of personal taste, with subtle differences found across various regions in America. These distinctions become even more pronounced when focusing on Texas, widely heralded as the heart of the Barbecue World.

Texas is made up of vastly different landscapes with their own cultures that can influence what you might encounter. For example, East Texas’ African-American barbecue roots relate more to the Carolinas and the vinegar-based sauces served over pulled pork. Along the southern border, you will find Mexican heritage reflected in the flavors that Hurtado Barbecue and Panther City BBQ specialize in.

But the iconic and most imitated taste that has spread not only across America but globally is the Central Texas-style made famous in towns like Taylor and Lockhart.

Wanting to increase awareness of other Fort Worth barbecue joints, we set out to locate those that are maybe overlooked or unique. Sadly, during this research, owner Zain Shafi of Sabar BBQ, a newish Pakistani-Texas trailer on South Main, announced an abrupt closure not long after landing a spot on Texas Monthly’s Top 50 list. No matter popularity or exceptional quality, the labor-intensive business of smoking meat is not immune to shifting winds.

Not often do I stroll into a liquor store only to leave empty-handed, but in this case, I exited without any beverages but with a belly full of Southeast Asian barbecue. Tucked inside Liquor Up on Alta Mere is where I found Kelly’s Cambodian BBQ. The husband-and-wife duo of Curtis Bennett and Cambodia native Kelly Vorn set up shop inside their friend’s liquor store seven months ago, and folks are streaming in and staggering out.

Distinct from the hours-long cooking process on an offset smoker, the Cambodian barbecue style stands out due to marinating meat ahead of time followed by cooking over charcoal, emphasizing Asian flavors with less reliance on the smoke that has come to define Texas barbecue.

For instance, ko jakak (beef sticks) that originated from the Khmer empire (the homogeneous ethnic group in Cambodia comprising 95% of the population) are mixed in a paste known as kroeung, a standard base for Cambodian food. It affords a prominent lemongrass flavor, with makrut lime leaves and turmeric, among other ingredients, before being impaled onto skewers to meet the flames of an open grill.

Kelly’s brisket is more akin to steak as it’s marinated with oyster sauce overnight for tenderization, then grilled and served with sticky rice. Take a pinch of the rice, grasp a slice of brisket, then submerge both in the sweet and spicy sauce known as jeow som. The velvety smooth beef, combined with the sauce, is gently salty and tangy. Another handful is needed for good measure.

Kelly’s pork ribs come fried, and if you notice the scarlet hue lining the meat, that’s a marinade associated with the Chinese barbecued fried pork known as char siu, whose sweet flavor comes from hoisin and soy sauces plus spiced powder and which is sometimes supplemented by red yeast powder. A blend of beef and pork, the Cambodian sausage links made from scratch by Kelly include elements like oyster sauce, minced garlic, chiles, and nam powder, conveying an aromatic and savory herbaceous consistency.

For dessert, Kelly’s creamy and fluffy banana pudding — topped with golden Oreos in lieu of Nilla wafer cookies, offering sensational cinnamon and vanilla flavors — is homemade. It was noted that Kelly’s shrimp fried rice is their top-selling dish, but stick to the proteins and ask about weekly rotating pho specials.

A bustling stretch of McCart Avenue just south of Loop 820 is where Brown’s Backyard BBQ has made a home for nearly two years, with lines swelling on Sundays after church lets out.

Walking in, you’re met with the smell of smoke and a warm welcome from married co-owners Dominick and Nichole Brown and their team that consists of teachers from their day care business.

“I never wanted a restaurant,” Nichole said. “We had no background or experience. I asked Dominick if we should start with a food truck to learn. He said no, so we jumped right in, and now we have a whole restaurant.”

Brown’s is unique. It’s African American-owned but serves Central Texas-style ’cue, using pecan wood and dry rub rather than bathing the meat in sauces, which often obscures flavor. Dominick prefers first-time customers to visit early in the week.

“I want them coming on Wednesday or Thursday,” he said. “We will give a sample of everything we have. We might lose the cost of one plate of food, but they leave knowing what to expect for next time. That’s worth it.”

The Holy Trinity of brisket, baby-back ribs, and sausage links (comes with two) can easily be split between two diners. Possessing a nice bark and properly rendered fat without overwhelming smokiness, this brisket was on point with other local spots that land on lists. On an offset grill, the ribs collect just enough smoke while cooking to that sweet spot where only a slight tug is needed to separate meat from bone, and the cheese from the jalapeno-beef sausage eagerly oozes out after a careful squeeze.

Cutting the brisket is Marisol, who also makes Brown’s charro beans. I went for them and found a bounty of legumes mixed with pork, bacon, Vienna sausage slices, and jalapenos. A secret I attempted to unravel concerned the collard greens, a recipe by Nichole herself, that contained smoked turkey chunks and drippings among the cooked-down leaves in a vinegary broth. Weekend-only turkey legs and oxtails make appearances next to weekend-only Cajun chicken pasta and smothered pork chops or tacos and nachos.

Dominck left me with a tip. “Take the sweet cornbread and crumble it into the charro beans. That’s how I start my mornings.”

Since December 2023, Smoke & Bone BBQ has held a permanent parking spot at Panther Island Brewing on North Main. Manned by two restaurant veterans, the husband-and-wife team of Ross and Katherine Marquette — him a chef by trade and her an operations expert — embarked on this journey nudged by COVID after losing their jobs in 2021.

On the Sunday we visited, I found Ross loading the smoker with pecan wood while Katherine prepped inside the food trailer.

“It’s been a long while since she and I have worked alone,” Ross said. “We gave our team off for the holidays, and this will be the first four-day break we’ve taken in years. You caught us on a slow day since people are shopping.”

Although the trailer was short-staffed, the product was top quality, and the couple’s work side by side was seamless after years of finetuning slim operations as the only two employees.

“We went from cooking very little to 1,100 pounds of brisket a week,” Ross said. “That demands we expand our cooking space,” noting his impending purchase of a bigger smoker from Brix Barbecue.

Smoke & Bone’s menu is extensive but no less than impressive as every item we ordered was executed with precision. The menu maintains balance between traditional Texas and nontraditional that infuses Asian and Hispanic flavors.

Massive St. Louis pork ribs glazed with a sweet Dr Pepper sauce (dry rub, hot honey, and spicy jerk are other options) came with rich and juicy lean brisket, flavor-bursting sriracha kimchi sausage (the hot chicken and pepperjack link is equally popular), and sweet and peppery pastor pulled pork served with a pillowy flour tortilla and verde sauce. We also saddled up with a Texas Twinkie, a plump bacon-wrapped jalapeno stuffed with cream cheese and chopped brisket, and a habanero bomb with similar makings although stuffed in a halved habanero pepper shell.

Smoke & Bone’s sides range from spicy slaw, tallow-pit beans, and fresh green beans with basil aioli, but the mac ’n’ cheese and potato salad called to us. Tastefully indulgent, the noodles were penetrated with creamy cheese, ranking among the best in town, and the chipotle dressing covering the cubed potato chunks and sprinkled with cilantro deserves an award.

Before parting ways with another stuffed gut, we decided to be extra like gauc. So, we ordered Smoke & Bone’s award-winning IPA cheeseburger, dripping with chipotle aioli, layered with crispy pork belly, and partnered with a thicc beef patty and a slop of avocado salsa. And Redneck Ramen? Sure! Crispy pork belly and smoked pork joined mushrooms, carrots, and corn, topped with a sunnyside egg. Who knew superb ramen dishes would be put together within the small confines of a barbecue trailer parked outside a craft brewery? Now you do. Get to chowing.