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A familiar pitmaster joins the barbecue scene in south Fort Worth

Pitmaster Rodney Lambert is smoking ribs at Smokestack 1948 near TCU now, and he wishes he had more barbecue competition.

“I wish Dayne hadn’t gone to the west side,” he said, referring to Texas Monthly magazine Top-50-ranked Dayne’s Craft Barbecue, which gave up a chance to move to a patio near Paschal High School and chose far west Fort Worth instead.

Lambert is the pitmaster at Smokestack, a well-hidden food trailer, patio and bar west of Eighth Avenue at 2836 Stanley Ave. That’s two blocks behind the busy new Lola’s Saloon, 2000 W. Berry St.

“If Dayne [Weaver] had come to Lola’s, think about all the great barbecue within 5 miles and how that would have helped us all,” he said.

Pitmaster Rodney Lambert is now at Smokestack 1948 in Fort Worth.
Pitmaster Rodney Lambert is now at Smokestack 1948 in Fort Worth.

Lambert listed the craft barbecue restaurants within 5 miles: Top-10 Panther City BBQ, Heim, Derek Allan’s, Smoke-A-Holics and neighborhood favorite Mama E’s.

But for now, he has the only barbecue restaurant close to TCU or Paschal High School.

By fall, Chef Jon Bonnell is expected to open his Jon’s Grille barbecue and burger restaurant, 2905 W. Berry St.

A smoked chicken plate plus a cheeseburger with potato salad and cole slaw at Smokestack 1948.
A smoked chicken plate plus a cheeseburger with potato salad and cole slaw at Smokestack 1948.

Smokestack 1948 isn’t playing the high-priced prime beef “craft barbecue” game.

It serves good commercial barbecue at a reasonable price — $17.99 for a platter with one meat, sides and a drink included, or $23.99 for two meats. The choices are chopped brisket, pork ribs, smoked chicken or two kinds of sausage.

Sandwiches cost $9.99. Desserts include bread pudding or a Fruity Pebbles tres leches cake.

The barbecue trailer is adjacent to the Smokestack 1948 bar and patio.
The barbecue trailer is adjacent to the Smokestack 1948 bar and patio.

Smokestack 1948, a bar and patio combination with a food trailer, is a good landing spot for Lambert.

He ran Deer Creek BBQ and also Uncle Daddy’s, although he’s better known as a chuckwagon cook for Fred’s Texas Cafe and as the pitmaster at the ridiculously overbuilt Smokey Mae’s near Mansfield.

“It’s a blessing to be here,” he said.

The barbecue trailer at Smokestack 1948, a bar and patio in south Fort Worth.
The barbecue trailer at Smokestack 1948, a bar and patio in south Fort Worth.

Like a rodeo rider, “I’ve been thrown a couple of times,” he said.

“This is a good place. It doesn’t take 17,000 square feet or a gigantic staff to do good barbecue. We can do it in this trailer with a few folks right here.”

Smokestack 1948 is open for lunch and dinner daily except Mondays; smokestack1948.com,