Texas barbecue has become a crowded field. With everyone trying to perfect their brisket or stand out with their sides, others have taken different routes, utilizing flavors from a variety of cultural influences to create one-of-a-kind barbecue creations. From KG BBQ‘s Egyptian flavors to Kafi BBQ‘s halal dishes, Texas barbecue has grown beyond pulled pork and sausages.

Food & Wine has acknowledged this expansion of barbecue flavors and highlighted two Texas spots on its list of 5 Barbecue Restaurants Defining the Future of an All-American Tradition. Houston’s Khoi Barbecue and Arlington’s Smoke ‘n Ash BBQ were the only Texas spots to make the list, praised for their Vietnamese and Ethiopian-inspired dishes respectively.

“Barbecue has always represented a collaboration of cultures,” Food & Wine writes. “It’s a living tradition, in constant evolution, shaped by the stories and knowledge of the thousands of cooks tending its fires every day.”

Smoke ‘N Ash first opened as a food truck in 2012 before opening a brick-and-mortar in Arlington in 2018. Created by Fasicka Hicks and her husband Patrick, Food & Wine writes that Fasicka used Ethiopian flavors like berbere spice and awaze to create a superior dish with Patrick’s Southern barbecue.

The publication tells readers to order the Tex-Ethiopian Platter, which offers smoked doro wat (chicken stew), awaze brisket, awaze pork ribs, pork rib tips, Texas toast, injera or rice pilaf and the choice of two sides from misir wat (red lentil stew), berbere mac and cheese or beefy collard greens.

“We’re honored to be included in Food & Wine’s list of the five barbecue restaurants defining the future of an all-American tradition,” Fasicka and Patrick Hicks wrote to MySA. “As a husband-and-wife team, it’s incredibly meaningful to see our vision of bringing together Texas barbecue and Ethiopian flavors recognized on a national level. We hope this recognition inspires others to embrace how food can celebrate culture, bring people together, and push barbecue forward while honoring its traditions.”

The Tex-Ethiopian platter was also praised by Texas Monthly last year when the magazine named Smoke ‘N Ash to its honorable mentions in the Top 50 BBQ Joints list. It was one of only two Arlington smokehouses to receive recognition, alongside Hurtado Barbecue.

Find it: 5904 S. Cooper St., Suite 110, Arlington, TX 76017