Fort Worth-area spot known for Tex-Ethiopian BBQ is James Beard Award semifinalist

Smoke’N Ash BBQ is still racking up the food awards.

Newly listed in Michelin Guide, the Arlington restaurant continues to win coast-to-coast acclaim, with chefs Fasicka and Patrick Hicks named semifinalists for “Best Chef: Texas” in the annual James Beard Awards for national culinary achievement.

The list of semifinalists is narrowed to the final nominees April 2, with the winners to be announced June 16 in Chicago.

Also a semifinalist for Best Chef: Texas is Regino Rojas of Purépecha in Dallas, formerly a Fort Worth restaurateur at Revolver Taco.

In Irving, Anais Paniagua and Iris Rojas are semifinalists in the same category for their work at Doña Maria, a Dominican restaurant. in Lewisville, Starship Bagel is a semifinalist for Outstanding Bakery.

Smoke’N Ash BBQ, 5904 S. Cooper St., first opened in 2018 in a strip shopping center on Matlock Road. It won praise for its basic brisket and pork ribs before the Hickses added Ethiopian barbecue and gained national fame.

Texas Monthly and The New York Times lavished praise on the missir wat lentil stew, Ethiopian spicy beef tibs stew and Ethiopian-spiced collard greens.

Fasicka and Patrick Hicks’ family began experimenting with serving Ethiopian food almost from the day in 2018 when Smoke’N Ash opened in one of the most generic strip shopping centers in the suburban sprawl of south Arlington.

But the pork ribs are far better than average — thick and peppery — and the hickory-smoked brisket is soft and flavorful. It’s the same brisket that launched Patrick Hicks’ career from a food truck.

Smoke’N Ash is open for lunch and dinner daily except Monday; 817-385-9975, smokenashbbq.net.