The Craftsman, a new concept from the Smoke and Fire restaurant group is coming to Anaheim. According to a report from Eater LA, the project will be at the expansive site of the now defunct Modern Times Leisuretown at 549 S Anaheim Blvd.
If the name Smoke and Fire rings a bell, that’s because Isaias Hernandez’s burgeoning local empire already boasts a handful of restaurants around Orange County, South L.A., and the inland empire.
While the menu at his flagship concept features undeniably Instagram friendly escalations of many classic smoked barbecue proteins–think brisket grilled cheese on gigantic Texas toast–Hernandez told Eater LA that he expects The Craftsman to have “more of a steakhouse feel.”
However, what Barbecue purists should be really excited about is that the meats at The Craftsman will be cooked on a new offset smoker from famed California pit builders Fatstack Smokers. Known colloquially as “stick burners” these 100% live-fire pits are known for their convective capabilities and many would argue using them is the only way to produce true Central-Texas Barbecue. While zoning these pits has proved challenging for most California brick and mortars, The Craftsman, along with recent hit Barbecue spots Moo’s and Orange County’s own Heritage BBQ, seems to have cracked the code.
