Celebrity Chef Brings Burgers and a Coffee Bus to Levy Park to Complement the Barbecue

Fort Worth celebrity chef Tim Love had only five days in March 2020 to tempt the tastebuds of Houstonians hungry for his renowned barbecue, burgers and breakfast when COVID-19 shut down his fledgling Levy Park operation. While the Woodshed Smokehouse in the Upper Kirby green space reopened in June, it took until last week for Love Shack and Side Dough to return and for the smokehouse to eliminate any capacity restrictions.

On Friday, the chef himself was in Houston to celebrate the three eateries which are scattered across the park in three different locales and to introduce his new chef de cuisine Brian Mottola, who has worked under such famed chefs at New Orleans’ Emeril Lagasse and New York’s Michael Lomonaco.

“The fires are stoked, the beer and cocktails are chilled, and the burgers are sizzling,” Love says. “Thank you, Houston, for letting us join your great city.”

The Woodshed Smokehouse

Love has been quoted more than once as loving all things “wood grilled, roasted, steamed, and slow cooked.” His Levy Park smokehouse offers a selection of beef, chicken, pork, wild game, fish, shellfish and vegetables, all cooked over a variety of woods—pecan, hickory, oak, and mesquite — and fire sources. We are particularly anticipating the daily specials which might be locally sourced pig (yes!), lamb, goat, deer or antelope.

The faves from Fort Worth such as Lamb Brisket and Smoked Beer Cheese Fondue with Camp Bread are joined by dishes special to Houston — Smoked Gumbo, Pekin Duck, Fire-Roasted Jambalaya and Smoked Banana Cream Pie.

While imbibing in one of the 25 craft beers on tap or wine and cocktails, diners have several options for seating whether in the bar with its open-air sides, the dining room or the sprawling patio. Canines are welcome and doggie treats are on the menu.

The Love Shack

As if the made-to-order hamburgers, hot dogs and nachos weren’t enough to be offered in the kiosk next to the dog park, the special menu features items for dogs including house made rawhide bones. Seven varieties of burgers are on the menu seven days a week.

Side Dough

This explains the presence of the 1972 Bristol Lodekka double decker bus parked along side the Levy Community Park Community Garden. Open only on weekends, 7 am to 5 pm,  for the time being, the Side Dough menu offers espresso, lattes, cappuccinos and iced coffees along with grab-and-go food selections including salads, protein packs and pastries such as cinnamon sugar doughnut holes.

Love is chef and owner of Love Style Inc., which has more than a dozen restaurants in its stable including Lonesome Dove Western Bistros in Forth Worth, Austin and Knoxville. Love also continues to expand his reach in his hometown of Fort Worth — as PaperCity Fort Worth details.