I ordered a vegetable platter--the collards were perfectly cooked, not overly soft. The beets on the platter was a wonderful surprise. Lentils were fantastic. Everything flavorful. Others in the party ordered a sweet potato with brisket. The brisket was awesome--very moist and a good smoke flavor definitely not overboard. Another member got ribs, sausage, and lamb dishes--the cook on meats were perfect. And last but not least the bread---completely spongy and airy, great sourdough like taste, Service and friendliness of staff definitely made you feel at home. The worst problem with this place is it's in Arlington and we're from Frisco. But we all agreed to make the hour trip for the next birthday in our family group. Just simply outstanding. read more

We ate there and had three different dishes. He had two orders of the ribs, granddaughter had a brisket sandwich and I had the nachos. Each dish had unique use of Ethiopian inspiration, especially the nachos I had. The platter is huge and there is no way one person can finish it. The chips are Ethiopian toast points and added a crunch that was delightful. The ribs were cooked perfectly. They did not fall off the bone which we like. They are true competition ribs allowing you to nibble off the bone. Granddaughter loved the flavor and juicy quality of her brisket! I'm giving the restaurant 3 stars because we had to wait for our food for over an hour. The wait staff were a bit indifferent to our order and had to be reminded twice our order was not complete. The restaurant was not that busy prompting me to believe there is a disconnect between the front and back of the house. The restaurant is in a strip center in Arlington. It's a comfortable little restaurant and bar and the adult beverages looked delicious!! read more

We drove 40 minutes from north Dallas to try this highly reviewed Ethiopian BBQ fusion restaurant. I guess my expectations were set too high. I expected "knock your socks off" but got very good food instead. I expected a packed dining room but at 12:30 it was almost empty. We ordered the sample plate for 2 which included ribs, brisket, rib tips, and doro wat (chicken stew) with rice, injera and we got beefy collard greens and cabbage with carrots sides. The ribs were excellent. I also really liked the chicken stew. I was surprised by the sour flavor of the injera. The thin bbq sauce was tasty while it was not sweet or full of vinegar. It was a nice alternative to traditional sauces. While we enjoyed our meal, and I would order the ribs and chicken stew again, this place is a bit too far for a repeat. But it introduced me to Ethiopian food which I can find closer to home. I love the creativity of the owners. read more

Was outta chicken but on my 3 meat I got two briskets which I can never get enough of, lamb, BBQ beans, toast, African cabbage, and some kind of Africa bread. Was so full I couldn't eat half of the meal. But I love leftovers tho so it's cool. read more

Smoke'N Ash BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Arlington, Texas

Second visit. We live quite a distance away. We came in January and loved every bite. For Father's Day we asked where my husband wanted to go and of course it was Smoke n Ash. It did not disappoint. Loved every bite. read more

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This place has a michelin star, and is so worth it. I've had ethiopian food before and not loved the bread that you eat with. This meets my need by serving the style of food you need a knife and fork to eat and I did not miss the bread. I had the mac and cheese, totally worth it. I got the last piece of berbere chocolate texas sheet cake and it was also so amazing. Best fried okra I've ever had. read more

Checked this place out with the family. Heard about it on Diners and drive ins. The restaurant was clean and welcoming. Service was great. We ordered: Awaze ribs, lamb, brisket, vegan collard greens, beefy greens, Mac n cheese, rice pilaf, beet and potato side, lentil side and a cabbage side. We also ordered the loaded injera nachos. The food is delish. Table favs were the Awaze ribs, brisket , beefy greens, nachos and lamb. I personally didn't like the lamb but I was out voted!!! read more

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As my fellow Yelpers said, today just seemed really off with the service and level of attentiveness. I felt like they were unprepared when it came to our event. Possibly, they should only do it on certain days, days when the regular crowds mixed with Yelpers, will not cause their energy to be one of stress and lack of organization. The person at the register was versed on their menu, but did need the help of the owner. It was very busy, but she managed to stay on track, and the manager made sure everything was correct and that I received my Yelp Swag. Two meat plate: Sausage: Was great, but it was a bit spicy. I don't remember it being spicy, but again, it has been a bit since I've had their sausage. Brisket: I'm not a brisket person, but I wanted to try something new. It was very good and not fatty, that's the way I like it if not chopped. The sides: Mac n' cheese: I did not get the one with the added spices; I didn't want to take a chance that it would be too spicy. The mac n' cheese was store-bought. There was nothing original or homemade about it; it was truly disappointing. Potato Salad: This was another disappointment. The potato salad was bland and left something to be desired. Once I added a pinch of salt, it was okay. Lemon Cake: The cake was good, it was moist and not too sweet. I'm willing to visit again, but I will choose differently. read more

Smoke'N Ash BBQ - Yelp gift, I love it! - Barbeque Near Me - Arlington, Texas

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There were some great aspects of the sample patter I had. But whatever spice pervades a majority of the food is not my favorite. Is it a kind of smoked meat, sure. Is it BBQ . . . eh . . . not in my opinion. Worth trying, maybe. But just isn't for me. read more

I had high hopes for my experience with Smoke'N Ash. We arrived at the opening time (in February 2026), and the staff were not ready. We were the second table to be seated, and it took over 20 minutes for a server to take our drink order. Then, they were out of several items on the menu. It was obvious that the restaurant was unprepared and did not navigate what was available well. It was a frustrating and discouraging experience. read more

I got the Tex-Ethiopian platter which combines elements of Texas-style BBQ with Ethiopian influence. The awaze pork ribs were good, and so was the brisket. The rib tips and the berbere macaroni and cheese were delicious too. However, the red lentil stew was just okay. On the bright side, the Texas toast and the injera were the stars of the show. Overall, I might go there again but try something else on the menu. read more

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This was a great experience. The Ethiopian BBQ mix was awesome. We had the brisket and lamb which I recommend with the cabbage/carrots and ice pilaf. Kudos to the owner who was kind enough to allow us to thank her for the meal along with our delightful server, Kierra, who made the experience great. read more

Smoke'N Ash BBQ - Tex-Ethiopian Platter for 2 - Barbeque Near Me - Arlington, Texas

Kira was very friendly and helpful when asked about menu items. I had the loaded yam with brisket and the Ethiopian coffee, both of which were delicious. Our food came out hot and in a timely manner. Very nice experience! read more

I visited on a Saturday afternoon, and the restaurant wasn't very busy. I was dining alone and was seated promptly near the front. The hostess/server greeted me quickly, took my drink order, and brought my drink out in a timely manner. It took a while before she returned to take my food order, and a gentleman later brought my meal to the table. The food itself was good, and I enjoyed it. Unfortunately, the service during / after my meal was very disappointing. For approximately 35 minutes, no one came by to check on my table, ask how my meal was, or offer a drink refill. Which I had finished almost after the meal got to my table. I never saw the server who initially took my order again, and none of the other servers checked on me either. I looked around several times hoping to get someone's attention but was unable to. Eventually, I had to find an employee myself just to request my check & a to go box so I could leave. While the food was enjoyable, the lack of customer service significantly impacted my experience. I hope this was an isolated incident and that improvements can be made, as attentive service is just as important as the quality of the food. read more

Ok, so say what you want! But the food is untouchable!! Man!! The doro wat is the best! Left my plate soooo clean!! Top it off with the spicy Berbere Bourbonade!! A match made only in TEXAS!! A MUST HAVE!! read more

Smoke'N Ash BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Arlington, Texas

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I have been feeding barbecue for weeks. I went to Georgia Virginia in Florida and I could not find that barbecue that just hit the spot but then I found smoking ash and I was like how does an Ethiopian Smoke House work but believe me it works I had the chopped pork and the rib ribs, baby. The ribs are amazing and that cabbage and carrots chefs kiss. read more

Smoke'N Ash BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Arlington, Texas

So delicious! The fusion of Texas BBQ and Ethiopian could be called unique, but that doesn't feel like the right word when it seems like this is the way it should always be. We tried a bit of everything and were colored impressed. The only bad part about this place (and it's REALLY bad) is its terrible service. It was a pretty slow early evening, and it took 15 minutes before anyone attempted to take our order and 40 minutes more for the food to come out (and there were other tables that were seated before us still waiting!). Service is slow and honestly lazy (the workers really don't seem to care for their jobs or their guests). Go for the food, but don't expect ambiance or a friendly smile. read more

Ethiopian meets BBQ!? Was excited to try this one. We got the 4 person platter that comes with 4 sides and a side of fries for 3 adults and 2 teens. Def enough food. Opted for the pork and beef meat selections vs the beef and lamb. The meats were all good and I loved the seasoning with the Ethiopian flavors. Only one I didn't care for was the ribs as they were dry and not fall-off-the-bone...flavor was there though. I think my fav was the awaze tibs. Sides: we tried the Mac and cheese, potato salad, beefy greens and the yellow split peas. Of all of those I liked the greens the best. Split peas were also good and had a unique flavor profile. My friend loved the potato salad but I didn't care for it as it was pretty heavy on the mayo. Mac and cheese I would pass on. The teens really loved their fries lol they were seasoned well. It also came with two small mounds of rice, 4 halves of toasted bread and a piece of injera under the awaze. I wish they provided a few rolls of injera as well. Definitely worth checking out! read more

Smoke'N Ash BBQ - Platter for 4 - Barbeque Near Me - Arlington, Texas

Smoke & Ash is such a gem! If you've never had Ethiopian BBQ before, this is the place to experience it. The flavors are bold, smoky, and deeply spiced in a way that makes every bite memorable. We ordered a combination platter so we could try a little bit of everything, and it was absolutely the right move. The brisket was tender and juicy, the chicken had a beautiful smoky char, and the traditional sides like injera, lentils, and collard greens tied everything together perfectly. The injera was soft, tangy, and the best "utensil" you could ask for--it soaks up all the spices and sauces beautifully. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, with a modern touch but still plenty of cultural influence in the presentation. The staff was friendly, attentive, and happy to explain dishes if you're new to Ethiopian cuisine. What really stood out is how unique this place is--Ethiopian flavors blended with Texas BBQ. It feels both familiar and completely new at the same time. Definitely a restaurant I'd recommend to anyone wanting to try something different but delicious. read more

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Texas barbecue meets Ethiopian cuisine...? It's brilliant and absolutely delicious. I recommend the Tex-Ethiopian platter for a thorough sampling of all the best things this restaurant offers! It includes: Smoked Doro Wat (Spicy Chicken Stew), Awaze Rib Tip Tibs, Awaze Brisket, Awaze Pork Ribs, your choice of 2 sides, Texas Toast, gluten-free teff injera, and rice pilaf! The hardest part is choosing the sides because they're all amazing, from classic BBQ sides like potato salad, fried okra, baked beans, corn, collard greens, and mac and cheese to Ethiopian sides like shiro wat (chickpea stew), misir wat (red lentil stew), tikil gomen (cabbage and carrots), and more. Even berbere-spiced mac and cheese! Berbere is an incredible blend of Ethiopian spices that is amazing on everything, savory or sweet. If it's just me eating with no one to share, I like to get the Big Ash loaded baked potato. Your choice of meat on a perfectly fluffy hot potato with plenty of butter and sour cream -- it's soooo comforting and delicious! read more

Wow. Just WOW. I got the ethiopian style ribs and let me tell you. They were Exceptional. The service was quick, the atmosphere was friendly, and the food was just amazing. The potato and beet stew was soooo good. read more

Hmmm. Ethiopian and BBQ sounds like a good match. I ordered the lunch special (fried ribs and a side). My side was the bozena Shiro wat(chick pea). The chick pea was a bit go spicy for me so I replaced with Mac and cheese and it was very tasty. The service was great and the place is clean. I will come back to try other items. The fried ribs were okay. read more

Smoke'N Ash BBQ - Fried ribs and bozena Shiro wat. - Barbeque Near Me - Arlington, Texas

Let me say that I am not generally a BBQ person. I came here last night to celebrate a cousin's birthday and wow, just wow! My husband and I split the Tex-Ethiopian platter for 2 and chose the Tikil Gommen and Missir Wat for our sides. Friggin' amazing. Amazing. The service was OK, the staff were friendly but not very attentive. And that was fine. We didn't suffer. :) The ambiance is nothing real special but the food is all the ambiance you'll need. Do yourself a favor and try this place. Don't be in a hurry. I forgot to take a picture before we started so here's a picture of our empty platter. :) read more

I ordered Loaded Queen of Yams. I wish I had taken a picture. Food was good but the price did not match the small size potato. My sweet tea cup remained empty for 20 minutes and the restaurant was not busy. We could not order fried food because they did not have cooking oil. Maybe it was just a bad Juneteenth day for them. ?? read more

Smoke'N Ash BBQ takes Texas barbeque and fused it with Ethiopian twist. This was my first time ever having Ethiopian food at a restaurant. There was a lot of parking available since the store front is located within a plaza. My boyfriend and I arrived right before they opened on Saturday and were the first customers for the day! We ordered the Tex-Ethiopian Platter for 2, which was priced at $44.99 on the menu. It comes with smoked doro wat (chicken stew), rib tip tibs, awaze brisket, awaze pork ribs, two sides of our choice, served with Texas toast and choice of injera or rice pilaf. For the sides, we did the berbere mac n' cheese and tikil gommen (Ethiopian-style cabbage and carrots), as well as the rice pilaf. This amount of food was more than enough for the two of us. This was our first meal of the day and we were stuffed! We appreciated the cashier for helping us make our selections. The food was great! Personally, my boyfriend and I both enjoyed this more than regular barbeque. The injera and Texas toast helped ease the spice of one of the meats for sure! read more

Smoke'N Ash BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Arlington, Texas

I loved the food. I ate it Luke warm and the flavors were still awesome! I didn't expect to actually enjoy it, but I did! The service was fast and they were really confident in answering my questions. My only negative review is that we asked for one side of injera and one side of rice and instead we got no rice and double injera. Our order wasn't that big or complicated but it was a Thursday night and it may have been busy! Overall I will return! read more

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In my opinion, there are better BBQ in DFW. Actually I don't see how Smoke'N Ash got Michelin Recommended... As far as the Texas BBQ goes, I thought the ribs and brisket were kinda dry. I prefer the Ethiopian side of things more. I didn't see anything special with the supposed Ethiopian spices/rub for the BBQ meat. Regular Texas BBQ has a better flavor. Their Ethiopian TIbs I thought was pretty good. Injera is always good. I really liked their collard greens! I would show up early as there will most likely be a line. read more

Smoke'N Ash BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Arlington, Texas

I randomly came across this restaurant on IG and bookmarked it for whenever I visited Dallas. This place is worth the hype. I mean a random guy behind me started telling me how good they were and said he liked their lamb. Party of 5. 3 adults and 2 kids. This was a holiday so by the time we got there, they were sold out of quite a few things. We decided to order the platter for 4 and it did not disappoint. Apparently you place your order then you get seated but since we weren't ready, they told us to grab a seat and then we placed the order at the register when we were ready. We ordered the Tex-Ethiopian Jumbo Platter and got spiced rice x2, fries and Mac n cheese as our sides. We also substituted lamb for pork which was a great decision. Everything tasted great. Injira is an acquired taste but glad I got to try it. One person in our party liked it. The Doro Wat (chicken stew) had a nice kick to it. The spiced rice was okay but nothing special. If I do end up going again I may be tempted to try more things. We were there towards the end of the day so it wasn't too crowded. The owner came by to say hello and explained some of the dishes. Everyone at the table was satisfied, including the kids. There are to-go containers by the register which was convenient. I absolutely recommend them! 4.5/5 read more

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Good was pretty good. Best thing I tried were the ribs. The brisket was a little dry but good flavor. Mac n cheese was just okay. They messed up my friend's order but made it right (just took awhile) read more

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I normally love smoke and ash. This time my husband joined me and he has a tomato allergy. We let the server now about the allergy and I wanted to make sure anything I got I could share with him and anything he got was also OK. We asked a lot of questions about ingredients. We were not at all confident that this experience was going to be OK because the employee kept saying phrases like will this item only has a little bit of tomato paste in it and expected that to be all right. It was a stressful experience. They left off the lamb on the nachos, but did bring us a side of land after we let them know. read more

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I wasn't sure what to expect as I'd never even heard of Ethiopian fusion but I was pleasantly surprised. Service was so friendly and welcoming. I opted for the ginger tea and let me tell you it tasted medicinal in the best way. If I was not feeling well I'd go order that tea again to feel better. Really good flavor. I got the strawberry cake because you just can't go wrong with strawberry cake. We also ordered the bbq loaded fries with brisket, perfect fries! Crinkle cut, soft on the inside, crunch on the outside. Had a little spice but really delicious. read more

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Visited this place today and tried their hot ginger tea and Italian cake. They were both truly amazing as far as quality and service. The staff were also very friendly although there was a bit of wait upon arrival. The place also had a cute mom and pop diner vibes. read more

Smoke'N Ash BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Arlington, Texas

Was in town visiting a friend and she rsvp'd for the watch party here. They were on Diner, Drive In's, and Dive's and the episode aired the day we visited. Service was amazing. It's a family owned restaurant and you can feel the community between the owners and the customers! I had the Ethiopian Vegan combo which was so good! It was my first time having Ethiopian food so I went in with no expectations and was blown away. Everything was delicious and the staff were so friendly read more

Smoke'N Ash BBQ - Vegan Combo - Barbeque Near Me - Arlington, Texas

Such a fun restaurant. I have not found another restaurant in DFW with this variety of flavor and comfort food. The BBQ and spices are such a great combination. The staff and owners are so genuine and kind. I will be coming back read more

Smoke'N Ash BBQ - Tex-Ethiopian Platter for 2 - Barbeque Near Me - Arlington, Texas

"The restaurant was not that busy prompting me to believe there is a disconnect between the front and back of the house."-Yvonne L. The major blight of this restaurant so succinctly put by this yelp review still persists as of my recent visit to this restaurant on 7/28/26. First time trying this restaurant and received an appallingly awful level of customer service from the front of house staff particularly from the "bartender" a person who seemed like they wanted nothing to do with their job. First walking into the establishment I was greeted by a scribbled together sign on their counter that said "please wait to be seated" a few minutes pass waiting all the while not being greeted by any of the waiters nor bartender whom is directly off to the side of the counter where I'm waiting. I proceed past the sign which prompts a begrudging glance from the bartender whom I notify I while be seating at the bar. I help myself to a seat at the bar as a couple off to the other side of the bar sips away at their drinks. As I peruse the menu the impersonal bartenders only concern is my drink choice. At no point of my visit in this restaurant did the bartender nor servers ever recommend any food/drink items available or even unavailable a crucial point of information that circled back on to me once my food was delivered. And back to the drink recommendations I inferred their tea choices from a chalk sign behind the bar and for the happy hour drink menu I had to ask for and receive it from a server and not the bartender himself. On to the food, do not come here on an empty stomach because there will be a long wait even with the moderately filled dining room present at the time of my visit. If any of the servers or the useless bartender would have let me know any information at all at any time of my visit of the long wait times for the food to arrive after ordering (~25 minutes for my visit) usual or unusual would have gone a long way to make up for my already beaten expectations. Back to the food I had a simple enough order 1 TEX-ETHIOPIAN PLATTER FOR 2, and the taste and preparation of the food was the shiny gem marred by the lackluster and impersonal front of house staff. The disconnect enters. While enjoying my food I mention to the bartender an item missing, something the bartender didn't care to notice/follow up on a simple "how did everything come out" "how's the taste" or even a "this item from your order is still being cooked and we'll be out later than expected" were all a foreign and distant concept for him. read more

PHOENIX!!!! Server with excellence! Top tier service mos def from the staff! Food was amazing

So glad to finally try this unique restaurant. I've always loved Ethiopian food, though not everyone does. This is a great spot if you want traditional Ethiopian dishes while others prefer barbecue. The barbecue has a stronger flavor, and overall, the food here is really good with big portions. read more

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I've wanted to try this place for so long and was excited when things aligned and I was in Arlington so I came with some of my family. We came in and were told to have a seat anywhere and someone would help us. Smoke N Ash has a decently sized interior with large booth seating along the wall with a bar; this particular day we came in to a light crowd but this place stayed with a steady stream of customers. I started with one chicken and one brisket sambusa and my mom and I decided to split the Tex-Ethiopian platter for 2, with the rice pilaf , deciding on the baked beans and berbere Mac and cheese for our sides. The sambusas came out fresh and was tasty, I thought the brisket flavor stood out though I did feel for 3.50 each they were rather small. It took some time for all of our meals to come but I expected that and when everything came, it was beautifully presented and I was so anxious to try everything. Must Try items: The awaze brisket was super tender, could have had more flavor but I really enjoyed it. The awaze ribs were really good , had a nice chew and the rib tip tibs were probably my favorite. All the meat was good but most of it was lukewarm. The baked beans which i typically don't care for was surprisingly delicious. Unfortunately, everything else was disappointing or just downright not good. The rice pilaf was not good at all, I didn't care for the flavor, it was lukewarm and pretty mushy. Berbere Mac and cheese was just ok, I was expecting more flavors based on how the server described it and the shells pasta used was a little undercooked. The smoked doro wat(chicken stew) which I was looking forward to trying the most was a miss for me. The doro wat was not hot in temperature and there was a spice in it that I didn't care for, maybe cinnamon or allspice but it was all i could taste and I unfortunately left all of that behind. I would say for the hype this place gets, I was expecting to be blown away and I just wasn't. One major issue that cemented me not returning was the annoying gnats we had to continue swatting away which proved unsuccessful because several ended up landing on our food. Paying for our food was an issue as well. Our server assumed it was all going on one ticket and when we told her it'd be split up we all got a chance to look at the ticket and there were multiple items added that we didn't even order and things we were charged for that came with our meal like Texas toast, it was so unnecessarily chaotic. This place shines with their meats, but everything was not it. I wouldn't return. read more

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Visiting for the first time. I had the meat stew and it was delicious. Loved the atmosphere and service was great. Will definitely visit again. The waitress (Kira) was nice and friendly. read more

Back in this place again. A new location since my last visit but the food is just as good. I knew I wanted a Big Ash potato so I called it in and it was ready upon arrival. I added chicken and sausage and what a treat! This potato is so large I barely ate 1/4 of it. So I'll have leftovers for a few days at least. They always have awesome desserts too. Whatever you decide to try I'm certain it will be yummy to your tummy! Enjoy!! read more

Smoke'N Ash BBQ - Big Ash Baked Potato Special - Barbeque Near Me - Arlington, Texas