SmokeShow BBQ in Augusta, GA, USA
SmokeShow is currently made up of 3 food trucks, with a piece of property purchased for a brick and mortar site to come. The company is run by 3 best friends in their mid-late 30s who are deeply connected to the community. Jermel Bennett is one of the owners, our most beloved group fitness trainer in the Augusta area and one of my closest friends. Jermel comes from a low socio-economic childhood, raised by a single mom, surrounded by crime and limited services. By way of athletics, he found his way to a better school district where he met Will Dunaway. Will grew up in a very affluent part of town, and after seeing Jermel's incredible potential and need for resources, the Dunaway family adopted Jermel, allowing him to be the first in his family to go to college and, not too long after, the first in his family to own a business. Along with their friend, Jake Would, Jermel and Will decided to take a risk and go after a passion they all share - delicious food! SmokeShow started as a tent in a parking lot - serving southern BBQ and has grown to three food trucks. A couple of years ago, the guys purchased a plot of land to open their first restaurant. It has been a long stretch of planning, county approvals, etc., but the restaurant should be opening within the next year. I am a yankee who relocated to the south from New Jersey, so southern BBQ was a new experience for me. I dove in, head first, to every rib and pulled pork sandwich I could find. SmokeShow is, hands down, the best BBQ around. They operate out of a small kitchen, where smokers run all night long and chefs show up at 4am to start cutting ribs. Jermel's own mother, Tammy, makes every batch of mac and cheese, from scratch, a few times a week. Not surprisingly, their mac and cheese is their claim to fame (no one beats ma's cooking). Two years ago, Augusta was hit with devastating Hurricane Helene. Most of the city was without power for one to two weeks. Gas stations were down, food stores had only shelf stable food and restaurants were unable to operate; it was an incredibly scary and stressful time. The morning after the storm, SmokeShow got to work. They got their trucks running and started feeding people (beauty of a food truck). As a single mom myself, I know I was so thankful to have somewhere to go to get something other than pop tarts to feed my kids. On top of that singular instance, SmokeShow donates food to the local high schools and continues to be generous to the entire community. SmokeShow deserves national recognition, not only for their food but for their personality, character, drive, work ethic, and community leadership. These boys have a story to tell and it is worth hearing. Thank you so much for your time.
Comments (1)
I cannot think of anyone more deserving of being featured on this show! My friend Jermel owns, hands down, the BEST BBQ food truck in town, and his food is nothing short of sensational! The quality, flavor, and passion he puts into his cooking are truly unmatched. Every bite speaks for itself! He has something special, and I genuinely believe his food deserves recognition far beyond our local community. It’s one thing to make great BBQ, but it’s another to make food that people remember and keep coming back for. I would absolutely love to see him get this opportunity to showcase his talent and share his incredible BBQ with a much larger audience. If anyone deserves a spot on this show, it’s him!