A Tulsa Pitmaster Gets His Restaurant on Route 66

A new barbecue restaurant is about to open on Route 66. Behind it will be a Michigan-born, Texas-trained pitmaster who spent years cooking for crowds from state fairs to celebrity kitchens before landing in Tulsa, Oklahoma to build something of his own.

Taraile Stinnett, owner of Smoked N Smothered, expects to open his restaurant in August 2026. Stinnett grew up in Michigan watching his mother cook, then carried that habit into a career that took him through culinary school in New York, eight years building a business there, and a move to Texas where, he said, “things took off.” In Texas he ran a food truck, cooked at the New York State Fair and the Florida State Fair, prepared meals for celebrities, and earned local news coverage and cooking awards. In 2023, he relocated to Tulsa to be closer to his church community.

His menu leans on Texas-style brisket alongside the Southern cooking he learned from his grandmother, aunts and mother: collard greens, candied yams, smoked mac and cheese, sweet potato pie, a combination he calls “barbecue with a soulful fusion.” His motto: “Where Southern tradition meets smoke perfection.”

The Capital Gap That Stalled a Dream

However, reaching a storefront took capital Stinnett didn’t have. Stinnett said funding was the obstacle that stalled a Texas restaurant venture and kept him working out of a food truck for years. That changed when he connected with the Lending Team at Communities Unlimited (CU).

CU Economic Development Loan Officer Candence Brooks worked with Stinnett. The loan, made possible with support from the Sachs Family Foundation, funded equipment, advertising and inventory for the new restaurant. The space already came equipped with a smoker and kitchen appliances. Stinnett got the keys and has been at the restaurant daily since, getting it ready to open. Learn more about Communities Unlimited’s small business lending and how it works alongside rural and urban entrepreneurs.

What the Loan Made Possible

“What you guys did for me really gave me an opportunity I’ve never had before. This is my chance to own my own restaurant and fulfill promises I made to my mother, my father and my kids. When Candence called to tell me the loan had been approved, it brought tears to my eyes. It let me know that all of the sleepless nights, sacrifices, wins and losses weren’t in vain. It was all worth it.”

The referral that connected Stinnett to CU came from Ray Little of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce.

A Gathering Place on Route 66

Stinnett said he wants Smoked N Smothered to become a gathering place on Route 66: somewhere Tulsans watch a game, share a meal and keep coming back and, in time, a household name built one plate at a time.

“I want people to enjoy my food because everything comes from love,” Stinnett said. “I’m very meticulous about my craft and making sure everything is done the right way.”

Jobs, Community, and a Craft Built on Love

Beyond the food, Stinnett wants the restaurant to create jobs in the neighborhood. He ultimately thanked CU for its support in getting the business off the ground.

“If you work hard enough and truly love what you’re doing, eventually somebody is going to notice,” Stinnett said. “I can’t thank Communities Unlimited enough. You guys rock, and I’m going to send a lot of people your way.”