Seasoned pitmaster fires up Latin-inspired Texas BBQ for Uptown Dallas

A barbecue restaurant from Mesquite is coming to buzzy Uptown Dallas before the end of the year: Called Rodeo City Provisions, it will take over the short-lived NADC Burger spot at 2908 McKinney Ave.

The restaurant comes from Leo Morales, a seasoned chef and pitmaster. Born to a Colombian mother and a Mexican father and raised in New York, Morales draws heavily on his roots to shape the distinct flavors in his food.

Morales has worked in kitchens since he was a teenager, rising from dishwasher to director and operating partner at Barrel & Bones Craft Bar and Smokehouse, then general manager at Smoky Rose in Lakewood. He briefly owned his first barbecue spot in Fair Park, Parry Avenue Barbecue Company, which earned him a Rising Star Chef nomination at CultureMap’s 2022 Tastemaker Awards.

He later became chief operations officer for Refined Hospitality, overseeing culinary operations for the restaurants at The Statler and the Mesquite Rodeo. That experience paved the way for a return to barbecue in 2024, when Rodeo City Provisions debuted as a concession and suite vendor at the Mesquite Rodeo.