Home for the Weekend

Fort Worth-area pitmasters bring the heat for Hill Country BBQ festival

Hurtado Barbecue will be firing up the grills at the Brownwood festival.

Hurtado Barbecue/Facebook

The small Hill Country town of Brownwood is going big for its 2026 Feels Like Home Festival, a barbecue and country music event scheduled for Saturday, October 3. A first wave of 10 participating pitmasters has been revealed, including a few familiar names from the Fort Worth area.

The local restaurants represented will be Olmos BBQ of Fort Worth and Hurtado Barbecue of Fort Worth and Arlington, along with The Original Roy Hutchins Barbecue in nearby Trophy Club.

The first wave of pitmasters at the Feels Like Home Festival are:

Bosque River Taphouse (Stephenville, TX)
Brantley Creek Barbecue (Odessa, TX)
Hill City Chop House (Tolar, TX)
Hurtado Barbecue (Fort Worth and Arlington, TX)
Olmos BBQ (Fort Worth, TX)
Pody's BBQ (Pecos, TX)
Rossler's Blue Cord Barbecue (Harker Heights, TX)
Schoepf's BBQ (Belton, TX)
The Original Roy Hutchins Barbecue (Trophy Club, TX)
Victorian's Barbecue (Mart, TX)

Brownwood is located between Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, and Abilene, about a two-and-a-half drive from Fort Worth. Texas Monthly recently detailed some unique ways to spend the weekend there, a place that's "still obsessed with trains."

“Barbecue has been part of the Feels Like Home experience since day one, and we have always believed it deserves the same level of care and attention that we put into the music lineup,” said festival director Steve Clayton in a statement. “This is about making Feels Like Home more than just another concert or music festival. We want people to come to Brownwood and spend the day discovering incredible country music, eating barbecue from pitmasters they may have driven hours across Texas to try, and enjoying the kind of authentic hometown hospitality that makes this community so special.”

Blue Cord Barbecue Pitmasters at Feels Like Home have plenty of space to spread out.Photo by Levi Thompson

This year, the third for the festival, organizers have updated the barbecue portion of the experience to allow more time for attendees to try everything.

On the musical side, attendees can expect live performances from:

Gary Allan
Scotty McCreery
Mark Chesnutt
Jack Ingram
Caroline Hale

The period between noon and 4 pm will be open for complimentary sampling on the Grass Lawn, which is adjacent to the main stage and more accessible than the previous location. Fans will be able to watch from the barbecue area, so it won't be a tough choice between getting barbecue and enjoying the show. They can also move back and forth between the stage and the barbecue area.

Past attendees haven't just made the drive for a meal. Other activities include mechanical bull riding and axe throwing, and other small interactive elements will offer variety throughout the day.

Feels Like Home will be held at the Brownwood Event Center. Tickets (starting at $82, before a $45 unlimited barbecue add-on) are available at feelslikehomefest.com.

barbecue festivals music festival pitmasters hill country brownwood

Global cuisine

New Keller restaurant Umzi to showcase South African cuisine and wine

The inviting and sophisticated atmosphere of the bar area at Umzi Wine & Dine.

Rendering courtesy of Umzi Wine & Dine.

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A new restaurant will bring a rare taste of South Africa to Keller: Called Umzi Wine & Vibe, it will open at 444 Keller Pkwy. in the former Manny G's Sports Bar & Grill, where it will serve South African-fusion cuisine in a warm, sophisticated setting.

The restaurant comes from hospitality veteran Johann Redelinghuys, a South Africa native, who has spent decades in the industry working on cruise ships and, most recently, at Dallas-Fort Worth spots like Thailicious, Social Oak, and Patrizio — a Highland Park Village classic that also once had a location in Fort Worth's West 7th.

With Umzi, Redelinghuys is pursuing his dream of owning a restaurant and sharing his culture through food, paired with his passion for warm hospitality.

The name reflects that spirit: Umzi is the Xhosa word for "homestead." Redelinghuys envisions it as a "homey and warm space where diners can enjoy a meal and create memories."

He says the cuisine will be a blend of South African, American, Asian, and European influences - a first for the Fort Worth area.

To helm the kitchen, he's brought in Mensah Thompson, a local chef with years of experience at Table 13, Bob’s Steak & Chop House, and Dickey’s Barbecue Pit corporate.

Together, they have designed a menu that hits on South African classics — like "Chow Down" Bunny Chow, Boerewors sausage, and cherry bacon "oopsies" — as well as global favorites like flatbreads, lamb chops, filet mignon, fried rice, and chicken tenderloin cordon bleu.

“There will be something for everybody, with prices starting at $15,” Redelinghuys says.

As both Redelinghuys and Thompson are sommeliers, the wine list will be thoughtfully curated, they say, featuring a strong selection of South African bottles alongside other international varieties.

Umzi Wine & Vibe will serve elevated cuisine and wine.Photo courtesy of Umzi Wine & Vibe

Guided by the South African philosophy of ubuntu - “I am because we are” - Umzi Wine & Vibe is designed to celebrate connection and community, the owner says. The 3,000-square-foot space will accommodate roughly 95 guests between the bar and main dining room with booths and different-size tables, with seating for 20 more on the outdoor patio.

“It’s about family, and that’s my motto; Umzi is the place where you’ll always be home,” Redelinghuys says. “Hospitality is what we are all about — everybody will be a VIP as they go through our doors.”

While an exact opening date isn't set yet (they’re even hosting a prediction sweepstakes on their website), Umzi Wine & Vibe plans to open its doors some time by early October.

It will operate daily for lunch and dinner from 11 am-10 pm, extending to 11 pm on Friday and Saturday.

south african fusion wine new restaurants global cuisine keller

Home for the Weekend

Fort Worth-area pitmasters bring the heat for Hill Country BBQ festival

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New Keller restaurant Umzi to showcase South African cuisine and wine

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