One of Fort Worth’s most popular craft barbecue food trucks will soon open its first brick-and-mortar location. Brix Barbecue, which operates out of a vintage Airstream trailer on Bryan Avenue, will open its first permanent restaurant in the Near Southside, not far from its current home.

The restaurant will be located at 1012 South Main St., in a building that once housed an auto shop. Brix owner Trevor Sales says he’s hoping to open early 2022.

“The shell is there, but everything else will have to be built from the ground-up,” he says. “It’s not a place that used to be a restaurant, so it’ll take some time to get it built out.”

The 2,300-square-foot space, to be designed by up-and-coming Fort Worth architectural firm DVAM, will include a dining room, an indoor and outdoor bar area, and a large patio. It's a major upgrade for Brix, which, in its current outdoor incarnation, is comprised of the Airstream trailer and a couple picnic tables for a dining room.

“The good news is, people won’t have to wait in line outside anymore,” Sales says. “That’s been one of our biggest frustrations – knowing that people are waiting in line in the extreme cold or heat.”

With the new location will come new hours, Sales says. The restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner Thursday through Saturday and for lunch only on Sunday.

Sales says he’s still working on a menu, which will include his expertly smoked brisket, described by BBQ Snob Daniel Vaughn as “simply superb,” spare ribs, burnt ends, and house-made sausage, along with his well-known specialty items such as smoked beef cheek tacos and smoked chicken wings.

Over the past year, Brix has become known for two non-'cue items, a smashburger cheeseburger and the Funkytown Hot Chicken Sandwich, Sales’ version of a Nashville hot chicken sandwich.

Both will be on the new menu, although the burger may be a Friday night special, Sales says.

“These have been a good way to show people that we’re a barbecue joint first and foremost but here’s some other cool stuff we’re doing,” he says. “I’ve never wanted us to just be a barbecue joint. The competition is so thick, we knew we had to do something to set ourselves apart.”

All of Brix’s sides will make the jump, too, such as pinto beans, elote and popular Brix balls, panko-crusted and deep-fried balls of chorizo, chihuahua cheese, and sautéed jalapeños and onions. More sides will be added. “I feel like our menu is already pretty vast but we’re definitely planning on upping our sides game,” Sales says.

There will also be a full bar, Sales says.

Brix Barbecue, which Sales named after his rescue dog, launched in 2017 as a pop-up. Aside from a brief stint at the now defunct Americado food hall, Brix didn’t have a fixed location until last year, when Sales and his wife Katlynn landed an outdoor spot on Bryan Avenue, where they set up their Airstream trailer and 1,000-gallon smoker, nicknamed the “Brisket Bomber.” Sales says he’s planning on adding a second, 1,000-gallon smoker to the new location.

Since opening last year, Sales and his wife have hired two employees who’ve been integral to Brix’s success: Kim O’Valle, formerly of Flores Barbecue, and Jeremiah Jemente, a longtime Brix fan-turned-employee.

“We wouldn’t be where we are without this crew,” Sales says.

The restaurant will be located close to the South Main/Rosedale intersection, where there’s plenty of available real estate.

“My hope is that we’ll be the anchor for that part of South Main,” Sales says. “We hope to coax some other businesses – bars, restaurants – to move down there. It’s a really cool area with a lot of potential.”