Call it Norman Rockwell meets Eight is Enough over brisket and jalapeno sausage.
Smokey Mo's Barbecue, owned by Morris and Lisa Melchor, is your quintessential family affair.

“It's family run. My son manages the Cedar Park store with my nephew; my brother runs the Round Rock store, and my sister runs the Liberty Hills store,” Morris says. “Everybody in the family has something to do with it, down to my nine-year-old,” who sells gum at Smokey Mo's three locations. Even the Smokey Mo's logo and sauce bottles were designed by a Melchor, Morris' son Sean.

“And,” Morris adds, “my wife Lisa does all the desserts for all the restaurants.” These confections include homemade cobblers, chocolate and carrot cakes, rice krispy treats, banana pudding and a brownie that has to be seen to be believed.

Morris and Lisa met at - go figure - a barbecue joint, Luther's Barbecue in Houston where they worked. They were married in 1982, and opened the original Smokey Mo's in Cedar Park in July of 2000. Additional locations in Round Rock and Liberty Hill soon followed. Morris credits his religious faith for the smoothness he and his business have enjoyed.

And despite major construction in the Cedar Park area, business is booming. Could it be the food? Morris and family have been getting rave reviews in print and online for their barbecue.

We at Eat & Drink Austin tried to pry away some culinary secrets, but Morris remained pleasantly tight-lipped. We did discover that Smokey Mo's barbecue is made with a special mix of spices that Morris will sell you, though he refuses to disclose the mixture.

We also gained a few insights about Mo's infamous barbecue sauce. “It's not watery or vinegary, and we don't make it as hot as some barbecue sauces, so you can enjoy the meat,” Morris testifies.

Morris also confessed he has a cooking technique that keeps the meat lighter than other places, which I can attest to. I dived into the brisket wrap and it had some of the most tender meat I had ever had the pleasure of tasting, perfectly balanced with a tangy but not overwhelming sauce.

As for side dishes, Morris mentions that people seem to like their beans, while his son raves about Mo's potato salad.

And Smokey Mo's' breakfast menu has become a hit as well. “We do real well here [at Cedar Park],” Morris says, “but the Liberty Hill store does a tremendous amount of breakfast tacos.”

Morris points out that much of his business has become catering and take-out breakfast tacos and barbecue, but you would be well served to sit and relax inside; Smoky Mo's interior décor has a genuine homespun feel, maintained by a gracious staff that isn't easy to find these days.

This commitment to quality food and service is paying off, and Morris and Lisa are investing their success in a new location that will open in May at Parmer Lane in Austin.

Watching Morris and Lisa with their son and his girlfriend smiling for pictures over their own delicious plate of brisket, potato salad, beans and brownie, it becomes clear this is a family content and grateful for a first-rate life filled with good fortune, loyal customers and fantastic food.

Now that's quality family values.