Soul food’s on the menu at new Bedford restaurant

John Burkett picked pieces of pulled pork from the plate in front of his wife, Laura. She, in turn, separated savory slivers of meat from the turkey leg he was demolishing.

Sharing from one another’s plates, the Southlake couple were at Rosako’s Soul Food & BBQ to test what they’d read was the only place this side of Dallas serving the tastes they craved. A Beaver, Penn., native, John Burkett said that as much as he appreciated the barbecue, the sides were what will bring him back, and inspire him to tell friends about the restaurant in Bedford

“This is the best black-eyed pea salad and baked beans I’ve ever had,” said Burkett, 50. “And the Thanksgiving 365 is redunkulous.”

One of Ro-sako Bailey’s signature dishes, the Thanksgiving 365 is a waffle made with stuffing gleaned from the smoked turkeys he offers up sliced or as whole, heavy-with-meat legs. Everything Bailey serves is made on-site using recipes he developed during more than two decades working in eateries from the Little Caesars where he was a 14-year-old dishwasher to the Chuck E. Cheese, Golden Corral and Olive Garden restaurants he managed.

“I love food service,” said Bailey, 37, a Gary, Ind., native whose desire to run his own restaurant led him to earn a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1996 and landed him in Bedford this year.

The building that fulfilled his dream started out as a “taco joint,” Bailey said, and “went through several others.” It was an un-air-conditioned, unoccupied wreck the day Bailey moved in. Six months of renovation later, the diner opened Aug. 1.

Every meal is served in black to-go boxes. But about four dozen guests can be accommodated in a bright and clean dining area where walls feature autographed photos of such musicians as BB King, Willie Nelson, John Lee Hooker and George Strait. Its décor harmonizes with non-stop music from the owner’s favorite era.

“I love ‘60s and ‘70s music,” Bailey said. “Good music makes the food better.”

According to folks who have tasted it, that food starts out pretty darned good. Yelp reviews are gushingly positive.

“The turkey tips — marvelous — you just cannot stop eating them,” wrote John C. of Bedford. “Ribs and rib tips — tender, rich and flavorful without a hint of greasiness. Outstanding chicken that falls off the bone when you look at it.”

You won’t find brisket on the menu (Bailey will smoke some for you if you hire him to cater an event). But the bill of fare displayed above the register is loaded with affordable dishes his wife, Shalah, and their kids, Josiah, 5, and Jazmine, 4, love.

“I didn’t want to do brisket because beef is so high,” Bailey said. “I wanted something different. I got tired of taking my family to restaurants and spending $50 without them getting filled up.”

Bailey’s methods and food-service philosophy are what retired electrical engineer Joe Pratt sought as he followed his own dream of owning a restaurant.

“He’s demanding, but an excellent mentor,” said Pratt, 54, who’s in his fourth week of cooking for Bailey. “He’s teaching me the ropes.”

Compassion is part of the lesson plan. Bailey said that, while feeding homeless men and women from a restaurant he ran in Chicago, he discovered the majority of them were military veterans. That inspired the restaurateur’s pay-it-forward program. Guests’ donations fund meals for veterans.

On a wall that features framed medallions representing the Navy, Marines, Army and Air Force also hang a row of cardboard stars. Veterans may write down their names and the units in which they served and bring the stars to Bailey for free meals.

“I have about 60 stars waiting for veterans to claim them right now,” Bailey said. “All you have to do is show me something that proves you served.”

Bailey’s commitment to all his customers is summed up in his motto: “Food cooked with love from my heart to your soul.”

This story was originally published October 12, 2015 at 5:05 AM with the headline "Soul food’s on the menu at new Bedford restaurant."