Ross and Katherine Marquette were service industry veterans when the COVID-19 pandemic left them both jobless. They maintained a connection to their old lives by delivering DoorDash orders. “We found a way to survive and make enough money,” Ross said. But it was their next move that proved to have staying power. Using a refurbished smoker they already owned, the couple began a series of barbecue pop-ups at local breweries in the DFW area under the name Smoke & Bone.
In 2023, they decided that, after a few years of roaming with their tent and tables, a stable address was required to grow the business. David Slaughter of Slaughter’s BBQ was moving into a stand-alone space in Sulphur Springs and told them he was selling his old trailer. “We felt good enough about where we were,” Ross said, so they pulled the trigger, bought a used offset smoker, and came to an agreement with Panther Island Brewing, in Fort Worth, on being a permanent fixture on the street outside the brewery.
Once they no longer needed to unpack every time they served, Ross said, “We felt real inspired in what we could do with our time again.” That meant expanding the menu, which now features barbecue ramen, a smoked-meat taco salad, and the burger that took home the trophy for being the fan favorite at the 2024 Cowtown Burger Showdown. Pitmaster Victor Flores was just pulling a tray of the half-pound, ground-brisket patties off the smoker when I arrived, so I had to try one. I placed my order at the window, then waited inside the brewery for my buzzer to go off.
Smoke & Bone’s award-winning burger and handmade sausages.Photograph by Daniel Vaughn
Smears of chipotle aioli and avocado salsa provided creaminess and spice in the burger. Thick slices of smoked pork belly gave it some crunch, but a bite through the loosely packed patty met almost no resistance. The melted, house-made IPA cheddar cheese covered the patty like a blanket, and the edges of the patty were browned from the flattop. It was a behemoth for sure, but none of the toppings overwhelmed this balanced burger.
The sausage trio is the most popular appetizer. The beefy basil wasn’t quite ready when I visited, so I tried the other two. The one with sriracha and kimchi was great, but I was more impressed with the unusual chicken sausage. It’s not a common protein in Texas, and the few places I’ve tried it served a pretty dry link. This one, with a blend of chicken thighs and pork shoulder, was super juicy, thanks to the addition of frozen butter into the grind.
Katherine said they returned to their roots by hand-making the sausages. “We had time when we were a pop-up, but then we got busy,” she said, so the couple used commercial sausage for a while. Now they’re back at it thanks to the crew they’ve been able to hire, and the results are one of the highlights of this impressive food truck.
Another feature are the pork belly burnt ends. Ross described the multistep process that includes smoking a whole, skinless pork belly, chilling it, and then cubing it. The cooks take the cold cubes and sear all six sides on the flat top until they’re meltingly tender. Asha Chatlani works the register and suggested I get them tossed in hot honey. The salty pork mixed with the sugar and spice was perfect, as were the crispy edges on these tender nuggets.
Dr Pepper barbecue sauce and jerk sauce are the other options for orders of smoked chicken, pork belly burnt ends, and pork spareribs. I asked for the latter drizzled over the tender pork ribs, which are also garnished with sesame seeds and fresh cilantro. I wished for more heat but enjoyed the unique take on ribs.
The brisket offers no surprises, but it’s great. A thick, fatty slice was tender and juicy, with a great bark. The smoke flavor was quite heavy, which Ross chalked up to the wet oak he received from a wood supplier. He has since switched suppliers and wood, now choosing to smoke exclusively with pecan.
Before Smoke & Bone, Ross cooked at the Heritage Table in Frisco, Shady’s in Dallas, and Rough Creek Lodge in Glen Rose. While at the last, he took a liking to the now-defunct Ranch House Barbecue in Glen Rose, especially its red-jalapeño potato salad. (The red jalapeños were actually chipotles.) At Smoke & Bone, he makes a version as close as he can remember. I didn’t much like the green beans, which were drowned in basil aioli and topped with big chunks of fresh tomato. The creamy mac and cheese was more satisfying, especially after paying the extra dollar to add chopped brisket and jalapeño on top.
After the meal, I came away impressed with the barbecue and the burger, of course, but also with the variety this team is able to produce out of a small food truck. “We bite off a lot every week to execute,” Ross said, which is what keeps him and the crew excited about cooking. He and Katherine said their reward is seeing the overwhelmingly positive response from their customers. As Ross explained, “You leave your heart on the tray every day, and it’s never going to be easy.”
Smoke & Bone
501 N. Main, Fort Worth
Hours: Wednesday 4:30–7:30, Thursday noon–7:30, Friday–Saturday noon–8, Sunday noon–7
Phone: 682-233-3785
Pitmasters: Victor Flores and Ross Marquette
Method: Pecan in an offset smoker
Year opened: 2023
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