In Bedford, a tiny soul food-BBQ cafe hits TV stardom
The little soul food-barbecue restaurant in Bedford has gone bigtime.
Rosako Bailey’s cooking and charm put Rosako’s Soul Food & BBQ on the Food Network and now, the Travel Channel.
Soon, he’ll open a second restaurant, Rosako’s Bar & Grill in Lewisville.
Yet this week he was still in the kitchen on Brown Trail, cooking up quarts of Thanksgiving dressing and gravy and dishing up portions of his year-round turkey special: “Thanksgiving 365.”
“People only have turkey at Thanksgiving. and I wanted something where people could have it every day,” he said.
The Thanksgiving 365 was one of the early eye-catchers on his menu. It’s smoked turkey over a cornbread-dressing waffle with giblet gravy.
But that first limited menu has grown to include an amazing selection of home cooking and barbecue, plus Bailey’s inventive “secret menu” and daily specials.
His recent bestseller is a giant baked potato stuffed with more than a pound of jumbo shrimp and a half-pound lobster tail.
“I’m trying to come up with some new creations,” he said.
He’s experimenting with a lobster-and-mac-and-cheese waffle, and a recent special was salmon and shrimp-and-smoked-Gouda grits.
The Travel Channel’s “Food Paradise” taped at Rosako’s last month, doing a show on secret hole-in-the-wall restaurants.
He’s already been a Guy Fieri guest on the Food Network and has a new invitation for another show.
With Bailey’s outgoing personality and the restaurant’s location close to DFW Airport, he’s a natural stop for camera crews and for his hometown Indiana friends changing planes.
(Bailey was recently recognized with a Ball State University alumni achievement award.)
The daily specials include plates such as smothered pork chops or oxtails.
Then there’s Bailey’s selection of four or five house-baked cakes.
For the seniors in Bedford, there’s a weekday seniors’ plate for less than $8.
Rosako’s is taking the holiday weekend off, but it’s usually open for lunch and dinner weekdays and Saturdays, and for lunch Sundays until everything’s gone.
It’s in an old Taco Bell, 2816 Brown Trail at Harwood Road; 817-785-3393, rosakosoulfoodbbq.com.
This story was originally published November 18, 2018 at 8:25 PM.
