Smoking Soul BBQ is Gathering “Soul Mates”, One Meal at a Time!

Smoking Soul was born out of necessity. I was laid off from my job as Executive Chef from an Orlando golf course in March 2020; a time when many people were experiencing job loss and the difficulties of not knowing what comes after. The next day, I went out and bought $400 worth of meat, brought it all home, and posted on Facebook to all my friends & neighbors that I'd have BBQ for sale the next day and it all snowballed from there. I didn’t set out to start a food truck. I followed my instinct to serve great food and it has turned into something I never imagined that first day. 

My background has been primarily fine dining & country clubs. I helped open the Dr. Phillip’s location of Flemings Steakhouse and the Cabana Bay Beach resort at Universal. I've also worked at several clubs throughout Central Florida including The Citrus Club and Interlachen. The Citrus Club is where I met my wife, Jamie! My career took me into the Executive Chef role for both The Golden Bear Club in Windermere and MetroWest golf course. My personal taste in cuisine and lover of all things food is Southern Style cuisine. My heartsong lies in Cajun/Creole & Carolina Low Country foods.

BBQ is an event. Whether it's just a rack of ribs, some smoked chicken for the family, or an all-out feast for the entire neighborhood with pork butts, ribs, brisket, sausage, etc., people will ALWAYS gather around for a good cook out. I love being a part of that. I love making the food that brings everyone together.  It's kind of a big deal, isn’t it? How food has the power to build relationships? 

That’s a loaded question! It depends on what day you ask me! In general, my menu is Texas-inspired barbecue. I find high quality meats, prepare them simply and let the smoke do its thing so the proteins are the star of the show. I do still like getting creative and having fun with my food though, so I'll put together fun items like the brisket taco that has smoked cheddar & onion jam. That's always a big hit! Our menu is rarely the same twice, so be sure to come out and see us often so you can try new things alongside us. 

This is the place my family calls home. It's where we're raising our two daughters. Our friends are here. We have roots in this community. At every event, we have the opportunity to meet new people and build new relationships. I wouldn't want to do this anywhere else. 

We're more than a brand or a company. We're a family! We call our closest customers "Soul Mates" because to us, they're not just customers, they're our friends. We consider them to be like family and we hope they feel the same way when they come to see us.