Patrick Hicks, co-chef of Arlington, Texas, barbecue restaurant Smoke'N Ash BBQ, died at 60, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.

What kind of operation did he co-lead?

The Star-Telegram described Smoke'N Ash BBQ as an "acclaimed" Arlington smokehouse. Hicks held the title of co-chef, signaling a two-pithead partnership rather than a single executive chef. Independent barbecue shops often split leadership this way when their programs span brisket and ribs alongside smoked sausage, sandwiches, and a developed side list. The Star-Telegram's headline, however, does not specify which protein or station Hicks owned inside that partnership.

Where does this leave Smoke'N Ash?

The restaurant operates inside the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, one of the most competitive barbecue regions in the country. Arlington sits at the mid-cities center of the corridor, with Fort Worth to the west and Dallas to the east. Tarrant and Dallas counties together field dozens of smokers that have drawn national rankings and television coverage. Losing a founding co-chef at a single-unit independent almost always forces decisions around recipe documentation, smoker scheduling, and second-in-command promotion — questions independents usually resolve internally through existing pit crews.

What remains unknown

The headline carries no date of death, no cause, no survivors, no ownership identification, and no direct quotation from operators or family. No statement from the remaining co-chef or Smoke'N Ash ownership appears in the available reporting. The source also leaves check averages, menu size, founding year, and unit count unspecified. Without those details, hospitality operators across the metroplex are reading a single data point rather than a full obituary.

Industry context

Texas barbecue has consolidated over the last decade around chef-driven brands whose identity extends past the dining room into rubs, sauces, cookware, and apparel licensing. An "acclaimed" tag from a regional daily of record signals critic recognition and likely placement on state and national rankings, even though the Star-Telegram does not list those rankings by name. North Texas, including Arlington, has produced a steady share of nationally covered pitmasters during the same period, framing Hicks's passing inside a cohort that defined regional barbecue's modern era.

What comes next

The Star-Telegram and the remaining Smoke'N Ash co-chef will most likely deliver the next round of details — including memorial plans, operational continuity, and any tribute specials. Restaurant trade outlets covering Texas barbecue are watching for that statement before publishing service or guest-chef tributes. Until then, the most concrete fact on the public record remains the simplest one: a 60-year-old co-chef of an acclaimed Arlington barbecue restaurant has died.