Fort Worth’s Haven for Beignets and True New Orleans Treats Finds a Permanent Home

The Dusty Biscuit Beignet Bar first set up shop on South Main about a month ago, in mid-January. But with Fat Tuesday rolling around next week, the fact that Fort Worth is now home to some true New Orleans-style beignets and cafe au laits bears repeating.

Owner Trey Smith launched The Dusty Biscuit originally as a catering operation (which he began last year on Fat Tuesday), and it soon gained quite a following by popping-up at local breweries and coffee shops.

Now, you’ll find him permanently “popped-up” at 105 South Main Street, where Smith will be frying up a staggering variety of beignets from 7:30 am to 1:30 pm every Tuesday through Saturday, inside the Airstream trailer dubbed Fork Worth.

That’s the name Locavore gave to the stylish Airstream owned by Laurie Henderson (who owns the property it now inhabits). Locavore is a small business incubator, specializing in giving “foodie trailblazers a home.” Smith has partnered with them from the beginning.

“Locavore has given us a huge step up. . . we couldn’t be where we are today without them,” Smith says.

Smith calls where grew up in southeast Texas, “a dot on the map.” He says the tiny town of Buna was really Cajun-country. “I’ve always loved Southern and Cajun flavors, and that’s what my mom used to cook,” he tells PaperCity Fort Worth.

Smith spent a year in New Orleans, prior to Hurricane Katrina and fell in love with beignets.

“One of my friends brought a bag of fresh beignets back for us one night. I opened the bag and breathed in a nose-full of powdered sugar, and nearly chocked to death,” he says.

Along with traditional beignets, like those powdered sugar topped trays, made famous at the legendary Café du Monde (just off Jackson Square in in NOLA) ― Smith has introduced a riot of flavors, both sweet and savory to choose from. Creative glazes, flavors and dustings take his beignets to another level.

The menu is constantly evolving and changes seasonally. This next week he’ll be churning out colorful King Cake creations topped with cream cheese drizzle and cinnamon sugar, decorated with classic yellow, purple and green sanding sugar. In addition to the traditional French Quarter style, they are also serving a Chocolate and Sea Salt and a Cherry Cheesecake beignet.

The savory selections are just as wild. A savory cream cheese tops the Everything Beignet-gal. It is dusted with everything seasoning. One of his most popular creations is the Dusty Cristo ― a deep fried, ham and cheese filled slider. There is a creamy Crawfish Pie ― smothered in a spicy crawfish sauce, and on Saturdays you can enjoy his chicken and sausage gumbo as well.

This former school teacher believes in the power of beignets. As proof, the father of five quit his steady job at the end of last semester to devote himself to his new foodie passion full-time.

“I love Cajun food, but when I was narrowing in on the focus of my business, I found that there are not a lot of authentic beignets in the area,” he says. He’s now on a mission to remedy that shortcoming.

Smith is still busy catering for parties and gatherings as well. “I’m always looking for what’s next for us,” Smith says. He has hopes that might someday include a fleet of Dusty Biscuit Beignet Bars, or even franchising in his future. Meanwhile, Smith plans to win over fans, one freshly fried beignet at a time.