By Tamara Odisho Benjamin

Nestled between shops along the Irving Street corridor west of 19th Avenue lies Smokin D’s BBQ, which is “Bringin’ Texas BBQ to the Bay,” as is noted across its bright orange awning.

At the heart of Smokin D’s is Daniel Ramirez’s desire to bring his love of Houston-style barbecue to San Francisco. Named after its co-founder, Ramirez recalls the serendipitous chain of events that lead him to start this venture with his wife Lareina Chu, a Sunset native.

When Ramirez left Houston for San Francisco 13 years ago for a corporate job, he found himself longing for a good brisket sandwich. As a foodie City, San Francisco is known to have it all, but as Ramirez shares, “Houston barbecue is unique.”

Each type of barbecue is so unique that Ramirez’s neighbor to his left is a Chinese barbecue restaurant and they do not compete for business. Ramirez hopes for a Korean barbecue place to also open up nearby so the block can truly represent “the art of barbecue.”

The business idea began to blossom soon after the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

“Everybody was doing a side hustle,” Ramirez said. “My wife would go pick up sourdough from a 14-year-old kid, and there was a guy that would drop off enchiladas to our door. I thought, barbecue in Houston is a hobby, and it felt natural to bring it to San Francisco.”

When hosting family and friends, their go-to menu always included Chu’s macaroni and cheese and corn bread which paired well with his brisket. So, when Ramirez set out to start his own ‘side hustle,’ his menu was ready to go. He began advertising within his local Houston online groups and accepting pre-orders on Instagram.

“Our first preorder sold 187 items, and I started freaking out because I’ve never made more than one brisket at a time,” Ramirez said. “Once I started doing the math, I had to make five briskets. All I had was a little backyard smoker, nothing special. Instagram grew organically to 1,000 followers within two weeks, and that is when the invitation to host pop-ups at bars and breweries started coming. The lines would be out the door, and we would sell out in two hours.”

The Outer Sunset Farmers Market became a natural next step for the business, however he quickly realized the demographic was different from those at his pop-ups. One evening at a dim sum restaurant, he realized that brisket was not a typical meat served on the menu, so he created his signature barbeque bao bun.

On a rainy Sunday morning, a San Francisco Chronicle writer came unannounced to the Outer Sunset Farmers Market. A few days later, he reached out to Ramirez to share the news that he would be featured in an article. He was delighted and impressed to be featured along with seven other established barbeque businesses, as he was the only one to not have a food truck or brick and mortar, only pop-ups around the City. This media attention brought them a lot of new customers.

Ramirez recalls a sign that the business would do well. On Sept. 15, 2023, at the Sunset Night Market on Irving Street, he set up across the street from their current location, and with four hundred barbeque bao buns, they sold out exactly at 7:13 p.m., which is Houston’s area code.

In February of this year, a local customer appeared on Check Please Bay Area, a KQED show featuring Bay Area restaurants and highlighted Smokin D’s BBQ.

Ramirez said he deeply appreciated the support and laughed that he had yet to meet the happy customer.

“I believe rising tides lift all ships,” Ramirez said. “What’s good for me is good for my neighbors. People ask me why the Sunset, I say ‘why not?’ My wife grew up here, and we live here. I love walking to work and being in this neighborhood.”

Growing up in Houston, Ramirez remembers his family going out every Friday for barbeque. It is part of the culture. He says there is no right way of doing barbeque, but there is a wrong way. He learned through trial and error before perfecting his style. As his business continues to grow, Ramirez is training new staff and moving into an additional new space in the Richmond District on Clement Street and 23rd Avenue.

“One of the hardest things I’ve had to do is let go and teach people who have never been to Texas what barbeque should taste like,” Ramirez said. “Finding consistency in flavor profiles and quality is key for sustainability. Having the space is equally key.”

He said he is excited to work with architects to plan out the space to cater to his pop-ups and in-store customers.

“I started this without a business plan or an idea,” Ramirez said. “I didn’t choose barbeque; it chose me. Now that we are doing it, I want to give it my all.”

Smokin D’ s BBQ is located at 2181 Irving St. and is open Friday from noon-3 p.m. and 4-8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. It has pop-ups at the Grand Lake Farmers Market in Oakland on Saturday from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. and at the Stonestown Farmers Market on Sunday from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Find more information at smokindsbbqsf.com.