Where to Enjoy Texas Style Brisket and Comfort Food in L.A.

We love the urban feel of the eatery. Having just opened its’ doors in June of 2020, everything inside was brand new.  We had a chance to speak at length with one of the owners Chef Isaias Hernandez about the story behind the eatery as well as their food philosophies. Isaias has had extensive experience working with restaurants and developing recipes and menus for others, he said he and his other partners wanted to create a space where the food was at the front and center but the place itself was one where everyone could gather and well, be social. We appreciated that even for the indoor dining, (allowed in the county the restaurant operates in) they found an aesthetically pleasing way to maintain social distancing.  The eatery has a great outdoor space that can seat 97 people even with social distance being maintained.

We got a chance to tour the kitchen but we were most interested in was the brisket. We went out back and lo and behold, there were actual BBQ pits and they looked gorgeous. Smoke and Fire has a dedicated pit master who has been dedicated to his craft for over 10 years.

*storytime: the pit master was driving through Texas and got stranded in the BBQ state. He made the best of the situation and ended up staying in the state and mastering the craft of Texas BBQ. Fast forward 10 years and a bunch of memories later: we give you the man behind the brisket magic.

The eateries philosophy on food is similar to what we have come to expect from all great restaurants. Focus on quality. From using small chicken breast because they have more flavor; to making sauces and sides in house, they are committed to getting every ounce of flavor out of the ingredients they are using.  We always appreciate when a restaurant really hones in on the ingredients and in todays day and age when everyone is hyper aware of what they are eating it is very reassuring to be able to know where everything comes from.

*side note- Like live music? Fri-Sun nights this place has a lineup of different genres playing live.

We are HUGE and I mean HUGE fans of good service. We always appreciate the sometimes-lost art of making patrons feel truly welcome. Smoke and Fire has MASTERED the art of true hospitality. Everyone from the wonderful young lady who took our order and also took the time to patiently explain each item on the menu and also give recommendations. All with a smile. When we sat down as were able to have a chat with Brandon, the wonderful server who came to check and make sure that all diners (not just us) were settled and enjoying their food. While we were tucking in to our VAST amounts of delicious food, Jo, the General Manager was making her rounds to all the tables and stopped by to check in on how we were doing. It was soo nice to see everyone on staff from the pit master to the servers all enjoying their respective task and creating a happy environment. As we were finishing up, we had a chat with Josh Bentrem, one of the other owners and it was nice to speak to him and have him appreciate that we had braved LA traffic to try out their delicious food.

What really stuck with us was when we apologized to the kitchen staff for walking into their space, they all smiled and say no problem we are all family here. These are things you can’t teach; they are inherent. You either have it or you done. And Smoke and Fire has it in SPADES. Kudos to the management on a fabulous job in talent acquisition.

Now to be fair, we have had our fair share of great Nashville style tenders around LA. Sophie always loves a good spicy tender since it’s all the flavor without the heavy bread. These tenders were golden, juicy and cooked perfectly. You can choose your spice level from southern, mild, medium, hot, and fuego. In regards to tenders, there is NOTHING worse than when the coating falls off the meat. It’s a crime in our humble opinion. There is a science behind the actually temperature and cooking and all that magic that enables the coating to adhere properly and these tenders were done to perfection. Even when we enjoyed them the next day. That’s a big win in our books.

*Foodie note: Sophie likes spicy but not burn off your taste buds so she got medium and honestly, it was mild for spice lovers. If you like and can tolerate spice go for hot.

The dish that had Aamir salivating as soon as he heard it was on the menu. Buttered Texas toast with beef brisket that has been covered in cheese and grilled. Holy, don’t count the calories and just enjoy. Aamir was soo excited to dig in, the one thing to note is that it comes with a sweeter BBQ sauce in the sandwich. Since Aamir is generally not a fan of sweet sauces next time we will ask them to hold on the BBQ sauce.

*Foodie note– due to the fact that we over- ordered (as per tradition) and thanks to Isaias and Josh’s generosity, we ended up having a le LOT of leftovers. This is a dish that we honestly feel is enjoyed fresh. It was just as delicious the next day but there is something extra about a hot grilled cheese. Trust us.

We are fries’ lovers and sometimes we may even be a bit snobby about our fried spuds. Not gonna lie, these fries are RICH.

Like Beyonce rich

Waffle fries with a full beef patty, cheese, onions, pickles and their specialty sauce. They say they are loaded and they are not lying. The fries were cooked well and had just the right amount of seasoning. We honestly feel like they are a meal in themselves. Next time we go, we will get the waffle fries with maybe some cheese.

*Foodie note– the pickles served with all meals are sweet pickles not the tangy ones some people crave and love. So, if you are not a fan of sweet pickles ask them to hold off.

Any restaurant that claims they make comfort food better have a GREAT Mac n Cheese. There is nothing more comforting than ooey gooey, hot cheese and pasta. Ohh did we enjoy the mac n cheese here. The cheese wasn’t too sharp and they were seasoned perfectly.

Fried chicken on top of a mountain of Mac & Cheese. What is there to complain about. This dish is a meal in itself. Aamir really enjoyed the combination and was dipping back in to this plate and was really enjoying every bite. He was also very clear that the leftovers are HIS (something he rarely does, was it taken seriously, nope 😉)

*Foodie note: We had some (read a lot) left over and yes, it tastes just as delicious the next day and re heated well.

The big one, the item that sets the amateur BBQ enthusiast apart from the masters. We have had horrible experiences with brisket in the past being too fatty (bleh), too dry (double bleh) so we were cautious before digging in. When chef sent us this gorgeous board with slices of meat, we were ready. Aamir jabbed his fork into a slice to transfer it on to his plate (our feeble attempts to be civilized) it was an EPIC fail. Why? The meat was soo tender it literally fell apart with a fork. There was no extra fat and the meat was cooked and seasoned perfectly. Our compliments to the pit master. He knows what’s up.

What is better than brisket? Brisket Tacos!!! Three street tacos that were stuffed with the brisket we described above as well as a refreshing slaw that helped tone down the richness of the meat. Sophie loves her Tex Mex and these tacos were a hit. Don’t be deceived by the size, they are a substantial portion and very filling. This place does NOT skimp on fillings (not that we are complaining).

*Foodie note: these bites are best eaten fresh and are not the easiest to re-heat so bear that in mind when ordering.