By Eric Griffey
Photography by Thanin Viriyaki
At first glance, the marriage seems improbable. Texas barbecue is a cuisine of smoke, patience and regional devotion. Ethiopian cooking is a tapestry of spice blends, stews and communal dining traditions stretching back centuries. Yet at Smoke’N Ash BBQ in Arlington, the two fit together so naturally that it can be difficult to imagine where one tradition ends and the other begins.
The restaurant’s story begins not in a commercial kitchen but in a marriage.
Patrick Hicks grew up in Waco, steeped in Texas barbecue culture. His wife, Fasicka Hicks, immigrated from Ethiopia in 1996. Their relationship became, in many ways, the restaurant’s first fusion dish. Long before they opened a restaurant, the couple blended their culinary traditions at home, layering Ethiopian flavors into Texas staples and introducing each other to foods neither had known growing up.
“I never knew anything about Texas barbecue until I met him,” Fasicka said. “And he never knew anything about Ethiopian food until he met me.”
What started as family meals evolved into something larger. Friends sampled leftovers. Coworkers asked questions. Curiosity gave way to enthusiasm.
Eventually, the Hickses realized that the dishes emerging from their kitchen reflected a broader American story, one in which cultures meet not through grand gestures but around a dinner table.
Today, Smoke’N Ash has become one of the state’s most celebrated examples of barbecue’s evolving identity. The restaurant has drawn national attention, earning recognition from the James Beard Foundation and praise from some of the most influential voices in food media. In 2024, it also earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand distinction, further cementing its reputation as one of North Texas’s most distinctive dining destinations.
The accolades are impressive, but they tell only part of the story.
What makes Smoke’N Ash compelling is the way it reveals common ground between two seemingly distant food cultures. Fasicka often points to the communal nature of both traditions.
Ethiopian meals are frequently served on large platters meant for sharing among family and friends. Texas barbecue operates under a similar philosophy, with trays piled high with brisket, ribs and sides intended for the center of the table rather than individual plates.
The flavors tell a similar story. Ethiopian berbere, a spice blend that can contain more than a dozen ingredients, including chili peppers and cumin, finds an unexpected companion in hickory smoke and pepper-crusted meats. Rather than competing, the flavors amplify one another.
“So somehow those spices go perfect with Texas wood,” Fasicka said. “When we first started it, we were shocked by the outcome.”
The restaurant’s growing profile recently carried the Hickses more than 8,000 miles from Arlington. Earlier this year, the couple traveled to Ethiopia at the invitation of the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa as part of a culinary diplomacy initiative connected to America’s 250th anniversary celebration. There, they shared their story with culinary students and showcased the concept that had made them famous: an Ethiopian-Texan fusion born in a North Texas kitchen.
The reception exceeded their expectations.
Sometimes, Fasicka said, it is easy to lose sight of how far a simple idea can travel. Yet, standing in Ethiopia, representing both their adopted and ancestral homes, the Hickses embodied something larger than a successful restaurant. They became living proof that American cuisine remains what it has always been: a conversation between cultures, carried forward one meal at a time.
5904 S. Cooper St., Suite 110, Arlington, TX 76017
817-987-7715
smokenashbbq.net
[email protected]
@smokenashbbq