Smoke, Heart,
& Post Oak

Chad is a Rockwall native whose barbecue obsession began in the spring of 2008, the day he walked into Smitty's Market in Lockhart. He was struck by the fire burning on the floor, the soot-covered walls, the brisket sliced on butcher paper — and knew he had to learn to cook like that. He went home and started practicing. Early results were humbling. Brisket that tasted like an ashtray. A Thanksgiving that landed back in the oven. But he kept at it — through food blogs, cookbooks, and what he calls "YouTube University" — through nearly nine years of failed attempts before he finally felt like he'd mastered it.

Jessica left her day job. Chad quit his. Together they bought a flat-bed trailer and a barbecue pit, and spent the better part of a year welding and hammering the body of a food truck on top of it — all while Chad kept refining the smoke. In May 2017, they towed the Smoke Sessions trailer to the parking lot of Holt Ranch & Feed Store in Royse City and lit the pit for the first time as a real business.

Texas Monthly called it "some of the best barbecue in North Texas" that same year. The line never really went away after that. In 2021, they opened the doors at 307 W Highway 66 — a permanent home, with custom-built smokers, a real dining room, and a covered patio — and Royse City finally had its restaurant.

Every fire is still 100% wood — no propane, no natural gas, no supplemental heat. Every sausage, every side, every rub and sauce is still made from scratch, every day, with fresh ingredients. The pits still fire before dawn. Some things shouldn't change.