His dad wanted him to be a chef. Now he owns a bbq restaurant in Fresno’s Tower District
Before he died, Bernard Mendoza III’s dad really wanted to tell his son something.
The man had had a major stroke, and lost the use of all but a handful of words. Through writing and the few words he had left, he managed to communicate “Three’s Company” to his son.
You want to watch it?
No, said dad. You, he pointed at his son.
They stumbled through the conversation, coming up with “Jack Tripper” and “cooking.” The character was a chef.
“Are you saying you want me to be like Jack Tripper?” Mendoza asked.
His father — who usually only ever said, “yeah,” — spat out a clear and solid “Yes!”
A few years later and Bernard “Ben” Mendoza II would watch his son graduate from culinary school. The elder Mendoza died in 2012, but his memory is still alive in the creation of a new restaurant in the Tower District in Fresno.
BenSmokin BBQ is in the early stages of opening, gearing up for its August grand opening.
BenSmokin
The restaurant is on the edge of the Tower District, in the spot once occupied by Happy Star Chinese restaurant. It’s on Palm Avenue, just south of Olive Avenue.
The restaurant is a barbecue joint — but it’s also a way to honor the dad who the owner calls his best friend, and a tribute to the local music scene. It’s all rolled into one little unassuming place with a chatty owner and a wife who keeps him on track.
The Ben in the name is a reference to Mendoza’s dad — who went by Ben — and the meats the owners have “ben smokin” behind the restaurant.
Food and the menu
The menu is huge — seriously. Mendoza’s hand started hurting while chalking it on the wall and he hasn’t finished.
It’s basically brisket, tri-tip, chicken, pulled pork and sausage served in inventive ways.
Much of the meat is smoked out back. They tow that smoker home at night, and since brisket takes 14 to 18 hours to cook, you might see the Mendozas motoring down Fresno streets with little puffs of smoke in their wake.
It’s accidental marketing too, as people flag them down to ask where they can try the fragrant meat.
BenSmokin has a lot more than a few barbecue plates and saucy sandwiches on the menu. They get creative here.
The top-selling burrito? The Violin on Fire.
The name is a reference to the tagline used by local rock violinist Patrick Contreras.
The $15 burrito that feeds more than one person is made with brisket, tri-tip, rice, chili beans, cheese and two “Bernardo bombs.” Sometimes known as “Texas twinkies,” those are jumbo jalapeños stuffed with cream cheese and brisket, wrapped in bacon and tucked inside the burrito.
“It weighs pretty close to three pounds,” Mendoza said. “It’s huge.”
There’s also the Cloudship, a burrito named after the Fresno band of the same name. They played at the Mendozas’ wedding, and the singer sang at his dad’s funeral.
There are 11 sandwiches on the menu. They range from the standard tri-tip sandwich to The Handful, a sandwich with three saucy ribs, pickles and onion. It’s named after Fresno rapper T.A. The Handful.
Mindful of the number of vegetarians in the Tower District, the Jerry Garcia sandwich is made with zucchini and other vegetables.
All kinds of sides are available, including mac ‘n cheese, chili beans made with three meats, and a potato salad that reminds Mendoza of the kind his family brought to backyard potlucks in the 1970s.
Family
His dad was one of 11 brothers and sisters and they got together for barbecues nearly every weekend. His father was always on the grill.
Those get-togethers are what inspired Mendoza to serve what he calls family-style barbecue — and where he honed his skills, with his father teaching him how to cook.
Mendoza eventually went to culinary school, and his dad saw him graduate before he died.
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mendoza was a stay-at-home dad for their three kids. Rebecca Mendoza was working her county job.
The couple starting selling barbecue from their home, then catering. It took off.
She quit her job when they found they could make more money barbecuing.
Mendoza — still broken from losing his father — kept reminiscing about how his dad taught him to cook and decided to open the restaurant.
“It’s our way of still talking about him and sharing his memory,” he said.
You’ll usually find Mendoza at the counter chatting with customers.
“He’s definitely more of the face of the business,” wife Rebecca said. “I just keep him in line.”
But don’t let that “innocent I-just-make-the-sides-look” fool you, Rebecca said her husband.
To which he added: “This beautiful lady has become quite the pit master. She gets down on the grill.”
Music
Music is a big deal at this restaurant.
Mendoza’s dad took him to see The Doobie Brothers, Huey Lewis and many other musicians.
For years, Mendoza worked as a radio DJ under the name Paul Latino for Mega 97.9 and other Fresno-area stations.
His wife is also a music lover, and the couple spent their honeymoon traveling to see Guns N’ Roses, Mötley Crüe and the Avett Brothers — and later took their kids to concerts.
BenSmokin’s grand opening is scheduled for noon to 9 p.m. Aug. 26. Live music will include Cloudship, Wendell & The Puppets, Otis Reed aka Bravo and T.A. The Handful. There will be a bounce house and pony rides.
“I just love music,” Mendoza said. “Music and food — they’re good for the soul.”
Details: BenSmokin BBQ is at 1120 N. Palm Ave. Note: The restaurant is closed due to illness until Sunday, when it will open from noon to 7 p.m. for the week. Regular hours are from noon to 7 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays. 559-286-4065.
