Thank You For Smoking

Smoke exports now-famous meats and brunch to Plano

Restaurateurs Christopher Zielke and Christopher Jeffers and chef Tim Byres have opened a second branch of Smoke, their meaty restaurant at the Belmont Hotel. This second Smoke takes over the former Snuffer's space at Preston Towne Crossing in Plano.

The original opened in 2009, and it's one of Dallas' most popular spots for Sunday brunch. Nearly everything is made in-house, from sausages, sauces, pickles and breads to wood-infused spirits and cocktails. Seared scallops, grilled quail and bricked Cornish hen entrées share equal space on the menu with smoked meats. Byres smokes or cures almost all of his dishes over wood.

The Plano branch is a 5,800-square-foot space at 2408 Preston Rd. with four private dining areas, bar and two patios — one of which is insulated off the main dining room for year-round use.

The interior clones the atmosphere of the original, with reclaimed wood, a small fireplace and campy-yet-nostalgic Texas artwork. Diners have a clear view into the kitchen, behind a countertop made of maple planking that once served as a roller rink in Seagoville.

"We like to consider Smoke Plano as another member to our family," Byres says in a release. "While it brings to the table all of the things we love about Smoke in Dallas, the hearth will give us so many more options to [work with] fire and smoke. It's real primal and real raw, and we're pretty excited about it."

Behind the counter is a 10-foot, custom-designed hearth, permanently built into the restaurant, which serves as the focal point of both the interior and the cuisine. It's run solely off burning wood, requiring more manual labor and allowing less margin for errors.

While the first five feet of the hearth houses a multilevel grill, the other half harbors an array of custom instruments, including adjustable shelves, spits for animals of all sizes and swings to hoist larger cuts of meat, allowing juices to drop into whatever is cooking directly on the coals below. All pieces can be maneuvered to work separately, or pulled together to create what the release calls "an orchestra-like technique of cooking."

The menu will include the most popular items from Smoke Dallas, as well as new dishes fabricated via the above-mentioned hearth and the cultural, communal cooking techniques learned through Byres' travels abroad. The restaurant is open ~~only~~ for lunch and dinner, Sunday-Thursday, 5-10 pm, and Friday-Saturday, 5-11 pm.

Jeffers and Zielke are described as front-of-the-house "visionaries" who oversee a service style that's refined, minus all of the trappings of traditional fine dining, and gives way to communal and family-style presentation. They, along with Byres, also own Chicken Scratch and The Foundry, and oversee BarBelmont in the Belmont Hotel.

Smoke has expanded to Collin County.

Photo courtesy of Smoke Plano

Smoke has expanded to Collin County.

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Bar News

Rodeo Dallas bar takes party to Uptown Dallas at new location

Rodeo

Rodeo bar is open in Uptown

A bar with Deep Ellum roots is expanding to Uptown Dallas: Called Rodeo Dallas, it'll open at 2922 N. Hall St. in the space previously occupied by Palms Bar. According to co-owner Joseph "JD" Ybanez, it'll open on November 28.

The first Rodeo location in Dallas opened in 2023 at 2724 Elm St. from Ybanez and partner Josh Reagan, a pair of hospitality veterans whose prior venues include Longshots in Dallas, plus two locations of Varsity Tavern, in Fort Worth and in Tempe.

Ybanez' first bar was Trophy Ranch in Fort Worth which had a mechanical bull. "That's where I learned how popular it was," he says. (He also became familiar with Fort Worth's bar scene and went on to open a Rodeo spinoff in 2024.)

In August 2025, the Deep Ellum location became the focal point of neighborhood concerns about crime and was closed via an order from the Dallas city attorney. Ybanez says the city is scapegoating Rodeo for other problems in the neighborhood, and that the Deep Ellum location isn't going anywhere.

“This is not a relocation,” he says. “We maintain an ongoing legal dispute with our landlord Asana Partners regarding the re-opening of our Deep Ellum establishment. The Uptown location represents an expansion of the brand.”

Prior to opening Rodeo in Deep Ellum, they opened a bar in Tempe in 2018 called Rodeo Ranch which served as a template for the concept, featuring an "adult playground" with mechanical bull, bottle service, girls in bikinis, DJs, dancing, and light show.

According to Ybanez, visitors to the Uptown location can expect to take these factors to the next level.

“The Uptown space offers an expansive back patio,” Ybanez says. “This area will feature a massive video wall, optimizing it for communal sports viewing. Furthermore, we have executed a comprehensive refinement of our food menu, which we are confident will elevate the guest experience."

The menu is rendered by Donde Los Tacos, the highly regarded Mexican taqueria in Oak Clifff, with $3 and $4 tacos, like trompo, barbacoa, and suadero. The Uptown location will also serve brunch with dishes such as chilaquiles.

"We have meticulously preserved the core of the Rodeo experience: the unparalleled atmosphere and vibes, our commitment to genuine hospitality, the homegrown character of the brand, and the inclusive spirit that welcomes every member of the community," Ybanez says.

uptown openings