There's smoke on the water in Sicamous with a new restaurant having opened near the river in town.

Big Dave's Lil Texas Smokehouse, which opened in October, uses a stick smoker to cook everything for authentic southern barbecue. Owner Dave Hamilton explained that he uses real wood, not pellets, so the sap is infused into the smoke, which helps keep the meat moist and gives it more flavour. 

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It's an art he's perfected on everything, including ribs, chicken, pork, beef and even his recently added French fries, that are smoked, not fried. In keeping with a traditional smokehouse, the restaurant doesn't have a deep fryer. 

Big Dave's originally started in Coldstream in 2017, and though Hamilton had to give up that location, he kept his Georgia-made smoker, determined to eventually open another smokehouse. He long had his eye on the current venue in the former Joe Schmucks (Alpiner) pub. 

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Though his business venture only began eight years ago, he's been a  smoker since the early 90s. Hamilton got his "first real taste of smoke" in Oklahoma from a man named Apple Jack Pete who cooked a steak on his smoker that was "the best piece of meat I ever ate."

"That's what sold me on smoking."

To help share his love of smoked meat, Hamilton has offered different discounts to locals, including folks from Salmon Arm, and ensures nobody leaves hungry. 

乌鸦传媒淥ur prices are low, our plates are huge, that乌鸦传媒檚 how we operate. We乌鸦传媒檙e in hard times and we should all work together,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淭he big thing is, we乌鸦传媒檙e all about community. I'm all about making people happy."

Big Dave's is currently open Thursday to Monday, but will be introducing Wheel'In Wednesdays and wing night starting April 23, with SicRidz bringing in hot rods, choppers and street rides. He's also planning to start selling smoked meat by the pound, and providing picnic packs for people to take out on the lake.

"It's all a process," he said of building his business. "But exciting."