Veteran-owned BBQ restaurant to open steakhouse, bar in North Texas
Patriotic Pig Smokehouse, an honorable mention recipient on the Texas Monthly magazine Top 50 barbecue list, will open a steak and seafood restaurant at a TEXRail commuter station, the city of North Richland Hills has announced.
Patriotic Pig Chophouse will open on city land at 6504 Smithfield Road at the Smithfield station, the city announced.
The steakhouse will be the city’s second Patriotic Pig location and will offer seafood, a bar, event center and catering, according to the announcement.
“I guess it’s official now even though the deal’s not inked yet,” someone from Patriotic Pig wrote on the restaurant’s Facebook page.
The Patriotic Pig Smokehouse, recognized by Texas Monthly for its brisket burger, will remain open at 3900 Rufe Snow Drive.
“Our current location will remain as the Smokehouse,” the restaurant announced, “but we have no room in our current location and have had to turn people away. And people have begged for a patio and full bar. We’ll finally have that.”
Patriotic Pig opened in 2016 as a craft barbecue restaurant with a dedication to supporting military veterans. It was founded by Gina and Marc Smith, an Army veteran of the 1990s peacekeeping mission in Bosnia.
The veterans’ connection has made the restaurant a popular choice for wedding catering, parties and events involving the military or defense industry across the Fort Worth area.
The TEXRail North Richland Hills/Smithfield station is one of the most popular along the rail line between Fort Worth and DFW Airport.
It is the closest stop to Keller and much of north Fort Worth, and offers a 24-minute ride into Terminal B, faster than driving and taking a parking shuttle.
The $1.4 million city lot has been used for storage along the TEXRail line at Smithfield Road, the city said.
It had been “banked” to promote development, and the city had rejected proposals for mixed-use retail-apartment development.
This story was originally published October 17, 2025 at 4:40 AM.
