New Barbecue and Vietnamese Sandwich Restaurant Is Opening in North Austin

A new restaurant focusing on barbecue and Vietnamese fare in the form of banh mi and sandwiches, Smokin Beauty, is opening next week in the North Austin area. The 11806 North Lamar Boulevard restaurant is opening on Friday, August 28 for both dine-in service on its two patios, as well as to-go service via its drive-thru.

Behind Smokin Beauty are co-owners Matt Roth and Thao Phan, who also run Texas barbecue and Vietnamese food truck Ted’s Farm BBQ. The couple wanted to open a physical restaurant that incorporated Phan’s Vietnamese background and Roth’s passion for smoked meats.

Smokin Beauty’s menu features a short array of sandwiches and banh mi: there’s a brisket banh mi and brisket sandwich with barbecue sauce; a pork belly banh mi; a cheeseburger with a banh mi iteration; and a kids cheeseburger. The brisket, pork belly, and sausage are being cooked in the smoker, and the burgers on a flat top grill. Sides include fries, creamed spinach, potato salad, and slaw. The sandwiches are available a la carte or as part of combination meals.

As for drinks, there are sodas as well as beer (taps, bottles, cans) and cocktails. Of the latter, there’s an alcoholic coconut boba concoction, a smoked Old Fashioned, the Viet-Tex Martini (tequila with a Thai basil, cilantro, and jalapeno-infused olive juice), and another with longan.

Scope out the food menu below. While currently Smokin Beauty’s drive-thru and dine-in menus are the same, the dine-in options will expand later.

Roth and Phan opened Ted’s Farm, which featured rice bowls, sandwiches, and platters with chopped brisket, pork belly, and jalapeno-cheddar sausages, in 2018. Though it originally opened to serve the public, the truck is currently only available for events and weddings. Roth also worked on another food truck in 2014, Wunder Pig BBQ, but he’s no longer part of that business.

As part of Smokin’ Beauty’s COVID-19 safety regulations, guests are required to wear masks when they are not seated at their tables. Dining parties are also limited to eight people (the max allowed by the city is ten). People aren’t allowed to sit at the bar, either.

Employees have to wear masks and gloves, and will have their temperature checked before shifts while filling out a health survey each time. They’ll also have to wash their hands every half-hour and after each customer interaction. Staffers will clean high-contact areas and bathrooms every half-hour and tables will be cleaned after each party. There are plexiglass barriers behind the bar and drive-thru window.

To-go orders can be placed in person through the drive-thru. Smokin’ Beauty’s drive-thru hours are from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and then from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Dine-in hours end later.

Smokin Beauty [Official]

• Smokin Beauty [Official]
• Smokin Beauty [Facebook]