By O’Connor Daniel | Reporter

In East Waco, the smell of hickory smoke drifts down Waco Drive from Papa Jack’s Barbecue, a small family-run restaurant known for its heaping trays of brisket, ribs and sausage. Side dishes like mac and cheese and smoked cabbage line the counter beside slices of key lime pie and bowls of banana pudding. The wooden tables are handmade, the chairs don’t match and the atmosphere feels more like a family kitchen than a restaurant.

Customers are greeted with questions about where they’re from and what they’re craving. Introductions to the pitmaster and the cook come naturally, and most leave feeling like regulars by the time they walk out.

For owner Kim Hicks, feeding people is personal.

“I grew up a little different from most folks,” Kim said. “I was adopted and kind of tossed from home to home. Food, for me, was always an issue. I didn’t know if I was going to eat. So even as a grown person, you still have those insecurities. But when you can look at somebody and you know they’re hungry, it’s nothing better than to hand somebody a plate in their hands versus them going to dig it out of a trash can somewhere.”

Hicks and her husband, Gerald “Junebug” Hicks, started cooking together nearly two decades ago. Their business began beside their house, selling smoked turkey legs to neighbors under a tree. When word spread, they expanded to ribs, brisket and sides, eventually moving from a small trailer outdoors to their current restaurant.

“We started next door at my house under the oak tree,” Gerald said. “The health department came in one day and said, ‘No, y’all got to do it a better way.’ So we got everything legal and went to class. We’ve been here six years now.”

For Kim, good barbecue starts with generosity.

“We really don’t weigh our meat, which is a big no-no in the barbecue industry,” she said. “But I kind of like my plate to look like my money. If I’m paying a lot, I need a lot of food on my plate. Everything for me is in bulk and big portions. I feel like if you fill them up on the sides, they’re not too worried about the meat. You leave full and you’ve got a little bit to take home.”

That same generosity extends beyond food. Baylor students call her “Mama Kim,” a title she’s earned by treating customers like her own kids.

“They bring their mommas and daddies, and that’s my favorite part,” Kim said. “They’re so excited that they’ve ate this meal. For other folks that are away from mom and dad, nothing’s familiar. Everybody wants a little piece of home. And if you can go to a restaurant and somebody’s mom is there to take care of you, that’s special.”

Kim said her goal each day is to meet people where they are, even on hard days.

“It probably has never been a time my customers have caught me in my slip stage,” she said. “When I open my doors, you didn’t come to see me mad or upset. You smile, push it back and take care of your customer. Everybody has stuff going on. Sometimes you can just look at somebody’s face and know they’re not together today. That’s where we come in. I’m going to feed you like your mama would, and sometimes they just need to talk. We’ll do that too.”

Kim and Gerald’s daughter, Bree Hicks, greets everyone who walks in. She said the atmosphere is what sets Papa Jack’s apart.

“It’s the fact that it’s a mama and a daddy,” Bree said. “It gives it that home feel. People always say, ‘This is just like walking into my auntie’s house or my uncle’s house.’ Nothing’s perfect in here — it’s homey. You just want something you can sit down and eat and not feel uncomfortable. Even people who sit next to strangers end up talking about where they’re from and what they’ve been through. It’s the environment and us. That’s what puts people at ease.”

The restaurant’s name honors Gerald’s grandfather, Papa Jack, who inspired him to cook. Born in 1915, Papa Jack taught the family that home always comes first.

“He’d tell my husband, ‘Find something you like that’s going to feed your family,’” Kim said. “So when we started cooking, naming it after him just made sense.”

That family spirit helped carry the restaurant far beyond Waco. A map on the wall marks where customers have traveled from — with pins stretching from Texas to Australia.

“My favorite was we had six people fly in from Spain,” Kim said. “They picked six restaurants between Austin and Dallas, and we were number two on their list. Then a pilot with a layover in Waco told his friends, and a few months later, six people from Australia came in with a note that said, ‘Ask for Miss Kim.’ That map is my favorite thing in the whole building.”

In 2023, Yelp ranked Papa Jack’s the No. 2 restaurant in all of Texas.

“What an honor, out of 254 counties, they picked Papa Jack’s Barbecue to be number two,” Kim said. “We didn’t even know until people started showing up. It was crazy in here for months, lines down the street and around the corner.”

Through it all, Kim said her goal hasn’t changed.

“Whether it’s college kids, locals or travelers passing through, I just want to make sure nobody leaves hungry,” she said. “As long as people keep coming hungry, I’ll keep cooking.”