Fort Worth restaurants overcome power, water outages to serve diners & those in need
After a deadly pileup, an ice storm, a power outage and a water crisis, restaurant owners and customers are happy to see each other this week.
“We didn’t know how soon people would come back, but it’s been like a grand opening,” pitmaster Derrick Walker said after opening Smoke A Holics BBQ on a rare Sunday to make up for last week’s lost sales.
Derrick and Kesha Walker and a toddler huddled around a gas fireplace at home as the power went on and off last week. Then, he had to deal with supply shortages when it was finally safe to reopen his state-ranked craft barbecue restaurant, 1417 Evans Ave.
“We had to make banana pudding without bananas,” he said.
But customers quickly bought up all of Smoke A Holics’ brisket, along with 120 gallons of brisket chili.
About 100 pounds of smoked meatloaf was gone within an hour.
“That was nuts,” Derrick Walker said.
“People are tired of being inside. But everybody still needs to take it slow and be careful. COVID’s still out there, and my place is tiny — my family works there.”
For the special Sunday opening, Smoke A Holics offered items such as the meat loaf and smoked chicken spaghetti. Almost everything was gone by midafternoon.
“We came out so much better than some of my barbecue friends — they lost pipes or freezers,” he said.
Like every restaurateur, he hopes spring brings both vaccine success and recovery from a year of pandemic struggle.
He also hinted Smoke A Holics BBQ might open a second kiosk location in west Fort Worth.
Smoke A Holics is open for lunch until it’s gone, usually midafternoon, Wednesdays through Saturdays.
The Evans Avenue location is near Interstate 35W between East Allen Street and East Rosedale Street; 817-386-5658, smoke-a-holicsbbq.com
At Enchiladas Olé, big crowds and food for all
Enchiladas Olé owner Mary Vasquez’s eventful week began with her wedding on an icy Valentine’s Day and ended with the restaurant cooking free chicken-and-rice dinners for those in need.
Vasquez, the former Mary Patino Perez, was unable to open her iced-over North Richland Hills restaurant until the sun came out Saturday.
But the flagship location, 2418 Forest Park Blvd., was open Friday and crowded when other restaurants had lost power or water.
Enchiladas Olé showed its support for the community by offering simple dinners to those without power, water or food at home.
“The people who came in — they just seemed to be broken from all the stress,” Vasquez said.
“It was a big relief.”
Vasquez’s home power and water were out three days. She talked with customers in the same fix.
Other customers tipped extra to support the charity effort. One customer, an obstetrician, donated $1,000 to help pay for the meals.
“It was just a way we could help,” Vasquez said.
She was stunned on her way to the restaurant one day when she saw the National Guard handing out bottled water in her own city.
“People wanted to help, but nobody could get out or drive,” she said.
“There are so many people out here working on daily pay, or working on tips — they lost a lot and need help.”
When Olé finally opened Friday, it was as busy as Valentine’s Day, she said.
She’s added two new artisan enchilada sauces, a New Mexico roasted-chile sauce and a nogada walnut-cream sauce.
Vasquez said she hopes to open a third location in the Mansfield area.
“We just need people to support local restaurants,” she said. “When you drive by Whataburger and Chick-fil-A — gosh, I wish we could get all those people to support local restaurants.”
Enchiladas Olé is open for lunch and dinner weekdays and Saturdays, lunch Sundays; 817-984-1360, or 9005 North Tarrant Parkway, 817-849-2451, enchiladasole.com.
This story was originally published February 22, 2021 at 12:00 AM.
