Smokey John's Bar-B-Que Marks 50 Years of Family, Faith and Flavor

Brent and Juan Reaves, brothers and co-owners of Smokey John’s Bar-B-Que

Fifty years ago, “Smokey” John Reaves was smoking turkeys and hams in his backyard as thank-you gifts for his roofing and construction clients, stacking the extras in his mother-in-law’s bathtub because there was nowhere else to put them. That hobby became Smokey John’s Bar-B-Que and Home Cooking, a Dallas institution now led by his sons, Brent and Juan Reaves. On Saturday, Aug. 29, the family will open its parking lot and dining room at 1820 W. Mockingbird Lane for a free block party marking 50 years in business.

The milestone celebration begins with Smokey John’s annual Customer Appreciation Week, Aug. 24–29, and builds to the block party from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the 29th. Ten percent of that day’s sales will be donated to Helping Hands Open Hearts and RockTeen Youth Foundation, continuing a tradition of community giving the Reaves family traces directly back to its founder.

“My dad built this business on giving, relationships and connecting with the community” said Brent Reaves, co-owner of Smokey John’s. “Fifty years later, that’s still who we are. This block party is us celebrating all of the people who have been a part of us reaching this milestone.”

John Reaves opened his first restaurant, originally called Big John’s, at the corner of Lemmon Avenue and Mockingbird Lane in 1976 with his wife, Gloria, and cousin Douglas “Rent” Spraglin. The name changed after smoke from a pit fire filled the building and a customer joked they should call it Smokey John’s instead. In the late 1970s, Dallas Cowboys stars Drew Pearson and Harvey Martin invested in the restaurant, helping expand the concept across Texas and giving it a national spotlight when Martin plugged “the best barbecue in town” during ABC’s Superteams broadcast weeks after Super Bowl XII.

The business weathered real setbacks along the way, including a bankruptcy in the 1980s and a 2017 kitchen fire that shut the restaurant down for 16 months. Each time, the family rebuilt around what mattered most: faith, family and feeding people well. Brent and Juan Reaves took full ownership in 2013 and have since grown Smokey John’s into a restaurant, a major catering operation and one of the longest-standing black-owned vendors at the State Fair of Texas, where its six booths serve tens of thousands of turkey legs, brisket, ribs and tamales each fall. The family’s 50-year-old rub recipe is now also sold at H-E-B stores across Texas.

“Over the years we’ve learned that hospitality transcends cultures. Dad has always sold good food, but we’ve  learned he was really in the people business.”said Juan Reaves, co-owner of Smokey John’s. “Fifty years in, we’re not just serving barbecue — we’re carrying our father’s legacy forward  solidifying our mission to nourish the community through the joy of food, the strength of faith and the spirit of family.  Food, Faith, Family that’s what we’re all about.”

50th Anniversary Block Party Details

The Aug. 29 celebration will run from 11am to 4 pm and feature a performance by the Bishop Dunne Band, opening remarks from Brent and Juan Reaves, photo opportunities with local celebrities, vendor giveaways and activations, a DJ, face painting and a live musical performance. The day’s centerpiece is the unveiling of a newly commissioned portrait honoring the “Pillars of Smokey John’s” — founder John Reaves, his late wife Gloria Reaves, Douglas “Rent” Spraglin and Ruth Hauntz — followed by a sweet tea toast to the restaurant’s next 50 years.

The block party is presented by Frost Bank with support from the Mark Cuban Heroes Center and the Dallas Stars Foundation, alongside local vendors including Cookie Society, Mama Moore’s Popcorn, Mr. Sugar Rush, Jewels Kombucha and Tish’s Treasures. A portion of proceeds from the day will go to benefit Helping Hands Open Hearts to support seniors with food and everyday necessities, and to the RockTeen Youth Foundation which promotes positive life choices, leadership, and education.

Smokey John's Bar-B-Que is located at 1820 W. Mockingbird Ln, Dallas, TX. 75235. The event is free and open to the public; the restaurant remains open for regular service until 7 p.m.