The Craft Explosion

Zest 817 FEATURE// The Craft Explosion

Fort Worth is on the verge of becoming a barbecue destination thanks to a new breed of pitmasters.

BY ERIC GRIFFEY

Listening to Joe Riscky discuss his barbecue was something akin to attending a sommelier’s master class. He casually tossed around trade jargon like “bark” and “smoke ring,” as well describing his brisket smoking process with the precision of a chemist. At his small walk-up counter enclave tucked inside the warehouse complex that houses Wild Acre Brewing Company in South Fort Worth, owner/pitmaster Riscky, who split from his family of local ’cue luminaries, beamed over a large Wild Acre cardboard box crammed with brisket, ribs, jalapeño-and-cheese-stuffed sausage, and more. Sitting on that “plate” was his life’s work –– and a harbinger of important changes to our city that could impact far more than just your choices for lunch.

Riscky: “You go to Joe Riscky’s Barbecue, and nine times out of 10, Joe Riscky is going to be there cutting the meat because I’ve been there all day cooking it.”

Photos by Crystal Wise.

Joe Riscky's Barbecue

Photos by Crystal Wise.

Riscky, whose outdoor picnic-table patio seats roughly 20, is at the forefront of a local craft barbecue explosion. Before last year, there were sparingly few legitimate barbecue eateries that might qualify as crafty –– and that topic was and still is the subject of much debate in the insular barbecue world. Over the next several months, more than 12 such places will open in Tarrant County –– several of which have been serving food out of a truck or trailer and are now moving to brick-and-mortar locales.

Joe Riscky's Barbecue

Photos by Crystal Wise.

Aside from Joe Risky’s, Fort Worth will welcome several new, soon-to-open, expanded, and/or relocated eateries, including 407 BBQ, Brix Barbecue, Dayne’s Craft Barbecue,

Flores Barbecue’s Michael Wyont said the menu at his soon-to-open storefront will incorporate some Tex-Mex elements, in addition to more traditional offerings. Flores will be located at the Trailhead of the Clearfork development.

Photos by Brian Hutson

Flores Barbecue’s Michael Wyont said the menu at his soon-to-open storefront will incorporate some Tex-Mex elements, in addition to more traditional offerings. Flores will be located at the Trailhead of the Clearfork development.

Flores Barbecue

Photos by Brian Hutson

Derek Allan’s Texas Barbecue, Flores BBQ, Goldee’s Barbecue, Heim Barbecue & Catering, Hurtado Barbecue, Panther City BBQ, Patriotic Pig, Roosters, and White Beards. Even longstanding ’cue kitchens like Billy Bob’s Texas are starting to offer high-end meats cooked for hours by pitmasters who treat a smoker like it’s a pod in a NICU.

The critically lauded Panther City Barbecue is one of the latest food-trailer-turned-brick-and-mortar successes. The state-ranked barbecue’s space is being built on its current site near Republic Street Bar in the Near Southside.

Photos by Crystal Wise

So what exactly is the difference between the old-fashioned barbecue style and this new craft upsurge? Risky said there are four pillars to this nouvelle cuisine.

Panther City Barbecue

Photo by Crystal Wise

“First thing is you’re starting with premium product,” he said. “Old-school barbecue is more of a cheap cut cooked well. Back in the day, everyone used select-grade brisket. Now everyone has gone to a premium brisket –– a prime or some kind of branded-beef prime, like certified angus beef like I use.

One-time pop-up king Dayne’s Craft Barbecue has set up shop inside the space formerly occupied by Americado on West Berry Street. Dayne’s prime brisket and beef ribs are sourced from 44 Farms and Halperns’ 1855 angus beef.

Photo by Velton Hayworth

“Two,” he continued, “it’s more of a hands-on cooking style. It’s using fresher ingre- dients, not using [preservatives] on your rubs, mostly the SPG [salt, pepper, garlic] with maybe a little chili powder and stuff. “The next thing,” he went on, “would be using a true offset smoker. Now, granted, I do use a rotisserie, but it is a wood-burner –– a stick-burner would be what they call it. All of the guys doing craft barbecue are using quality pits that are stick-burners, indirect, no gas-assist or anything like that.

One-time pop-up king Dayne’s Craft Barbecue has set up shop inside the space formerly occupied by Americado on West Berry Street. Dayne’s prime brisket and beef ribs are sourced from 44 Farms and Halperns’ 1855 angus beef.

Photo by Velton Hayworth

“The final thing would be –– I’m just speaking for myself and a lot of guys around town that are getting a buzz –– we’re hands-on. You go to Joe Riscky’s Barbecue, and nine times out of 10, Joe Riscky is going to be there cutting the meat because I’ve been there all day cooking it.”

Derek Allan’s Texas Barbecue is taking over the tiny building vacated by Paco & John’s on 8th Avenue. Allan’s is another food truck that graduated to a brick-and-mortar. He uses wagyu beef smoked over oak.

Photos courtesy of Derek Allan’s Texas Barbecue.

Flores Barbecue’s pitmaster Michael Wyont said he moved his operation from Whitney to Fort Worth partly because of an opportunity that arose when his business was recruited to The Shops at Clearfork by head honcho Crawford Edwards but also because he recognized that Fort Worth is on the verge of becoming a barbecue destination similar to Austin.

Derek Allan’s Texas Barbecue

Photos courtesy of Derek Allan’s Texas Barbecue.

“I’m excited that there’s going to be so much great barbecue in one place,” he said.

As for all of the new, highly regarded pitmasters, he continued, “we all keep tabs on each other. This is a movement. We’re friends with a lot of them, and we support each other, mostly because we like to eat each other’s food.”

Derek Allan’s Texas Barbecue

Photos courtesy of Derek Allan’s Texas Barbecue.

In the tradition of showdon’t-tell, Zest 817 visited five purveyors of this new brand of Texas barbecue to give you first look at these meat pioneers. Thanks to Dayne’s Craft Barbecue, Derek Allan’s Texas Barbecue, Flores BBQ, Joe Risky’s Barbecue, and Panther City Barbecue for letting us take these photos.

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