Smokey Joe’s Barbecue in South Oak Cliff was struggling when co-owner Kenneth Manning convinced his son, Kris, to take it over in 2014. While Kris initially aspired to pursue a career aligned with his college degree, fate intervened when he realized his father and his father’s restaurant partner, Joe Melton, sought retirement. Kris accepted the challenge, stepping into the world of barbecue and entrepreneurship.
Little did Manning know that he would build the tiny takeout spot into one of the most acclaimed barbecue restaurants in the state. Smokey Joe’s first made Texas Monthly’s list of Top 50 Texas BBQ Joints in 2021. Fans such as chef Tiffany Derry, a two-time James Beard Award finalist and judge on PBS’s Great American Recipe cooking competition, further attest to its culinary excellence.
“I look back at myself like, ‘Hey, you had an amazing opportunity, and you didn’t even realize it,’” Manning says.
Located on I-35 about a mile south of Loop 12, the humble smokehouse now offers indoor seating and an upgraded, expanded menu that features scratch-made desserts. On weekends, it also features collard greens, smothered cabbage, candied yams and carrot cake crafted by Manning’s aunt, Debra Hunter.
“One of my goals was to be able to create the family reunion-style plate,” he explains. “Everybody cooks really well in my family, and everybody brings their best dish to the family reunion or Thanksgiving.”
When Smokey Joe’s first made Texas Monthly’s prestigious ranking in 2021, friends and suppliers at Arca Continental Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages (AC-CCSWB) surprised him by celebrating the achievement on an I-35 billboard.
“It had a really big impact,” Manning says. “We got an abundant amount of business that we hadn’t had before.”
This marked a transition into a deeper partnership, where Dallas-based AC-CCSWB continues to promote Smokey Joe’s, including hosting a Facebook Live event in February.
“As a Texas company, it’s important that we support local businesses, especially small, independently owned businesses like Smokey Joe’s,” affirms AC-CCSWB Director of Food Service & On-Premise Kim Adler. “In honor of Black History Month, Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages is honored to be able to highlight the Black-owned businesses we work with, including Smokey Joe’s. Kris has this phenomenal business, but it’s so much more than that with how much he is giving back to the community. That’s huge.”
Indeed, Smokey Joe’s regularly donates its delicious barbecue to Ronald McDonald House, Youth Life - Oak Cliff and football teams from four local high schools on game days. Additionally, the restaurant hosts an annual back-to-school drive, distributing school supplies, backpacks, haircut vouchers and refreshments to support the community.
“We want to step it up every year and give more school supplies,” Manning says. “We want to turn it into a festival.”
He also offers a free summer barbecue class to neighborhood kids. Manning worked hard to elevate Smokey Joe’s from a simple neighborhood staple into a culinary destination.
Established in 1985, the pit stop flourished during its first two decades, but business tapered in the aughts when the partners were pursuing other interests. Manning, who used an inheritance to buy them out, knew he had to rebrand, remodel and retool the menu. He followed his father’s advice, delving into all facets of the business, mastering every dish along the way.
Manning kept the original recipes for chicken and ribs, the perennial top seller, and retooled sides and desserts with help from his aunt. He got a key assist from Texas Monthly barbecue critic Daniel Vaughn. Impressed with Manning’s efforts to improve the place, Vaughn introduced him to the team at Guess Family Barbecue in Waco.
“Four different chefs took me under their wing,” Manning recalls. “I learned how to do brisket, sausage, pork butts.”
Now, Smokey Joe’s crafts three sausage flavors in-house — pork and beef jalapeno cheddar, pizza pepperoni and mozzarella, and Creole brisket boudin, all of which have become top sellers. He rounded out the business by adding a food truck, catering, barbecue classes and branded merchandise.
Manning appreciates the marketing boost from AC-CCSWB. “A big company focusing on a small business is a big deal for us,” Manning says. “It’s really cool, and we’ve always used their products, so that makes that much more special.”
Smokey Joe’s is open Wednesday to Sunday. For information, visit smokeyjoesbbqdallas.com.