The food hall is an ever-evolving concept. Multiple stalls and communal dining make up the core elements of food hall, but the true science lies in finding the stalls to make up the right combination of tastes. And sometimes, that science comes down to trial and error.

There’s been a rotating selection of stalls and restaurants at the Pizitz Food Hall since it opened in 2017, from Nepalese sandwich shops to bakeshops offering a selection of pies.

SMOKE Bistro is the newest stall at the food hall. Helmed by Chef Raquel Ervin, SMOKE Bistro sports a menu of barbecue meats and sides.

There aren’t any cashiers to take your order at the SMOKE Bistro stall in the Pizitz Food Hall. Patrons place their orders through a touch screen on an electronic kiosk run by Toast restaurant software. SMOKE is one of two stalls in the food hall that are technology-driven and cashless. The other, Dough Boy Pizza, opened last summer.

The food stall marks Ervin’s second brick-and-mortar eatery. She opened SLIDE café — her concept dedicated to burgers and sliders — in 2021 in Irondale. At one point, Ervin hoped to open a second location of the restaurant at Campus 124 in Pelham. But a number of challenges, including staffing shortages, led Ervin to close the Irondale restaurant. She later shelved plans for the location in Pelham.

MORE: SMOKE Bistro now open, bringing barbecue meats to Pizitz Food Hall

SMOKE Bistro is Ervin’s magnum opus — at least for right now. The food stall brings two concepts under one roof: the technology-driven service Ervin used at SLIDE, as well as a chance for patrons to experience her full culinary repertoire.

It’s been a little over three weeks since the grand opening of SMOKE Bistro. AL.com caught up with Ervin via email to ask about barbecue, downtown Birmingham and her favorite dishes on the menu. Here’s an edited version of her answers:

Why did you choose to open a barbecue restaurant for this location?

Chef Raquel Ervin: Pizitz is in the heart of downtown Birmingham with frequent daily traffic from residents and patrons visiting many of the eateries for lunch and dinner. However, a cuisine was missing. It’s all about having the right fit and one of my planned concepts of soul food and barbecue was just the right fit for Pizitz. Since being open, customers have raved about finally having a barbecue option nearby. Although several have said that SMOKE Bistro is not your average barbecue place and that it is definitely something special.

What made you choose the digital ordering system for SMOKE Bistro? How has it been working so far?

I’ve had the digital ordering system from Toast since 2021 with my SLIDE Cafê concept. Toast says I was the first location to go 100% kiosk in the city. It was a bit challenging in that location but SMOKE Bistro customers have adapted well and most love it. For me, I’m a fan of an open concept where back-of-house employees can interact with customers while their food is being prepared. This also allows for customers’ orders to be accurate since they can see what they are ordering and paying for, limiting potential cashier errors and the additional employee(s) needed to function at the front of the house.

I know you probably can’t pick a favorite dish from your menu, but what dish are you most excited for people to try?

Every morning I get a level of excitement from the smell of fresh cornbread from the oven, then topped with my Honey Crunch Butter! Customers’ eyes get big from the surprise taste after trying it on top of a fresh muffin. My next favorite dish would have to be the chargrilled corn bites that are topped with my white barbecue sauce and special seasoning blend. Let’s not forget the lemonade that’s made in-house. But it’s so hard to pick a favorite dish because fans have shown me that they love them all just as much as I do, from the mac n’ cheese to the cabbage, baked beans, smoked turkey legs, pulled pork, beef brisket, baby back ribs, chargrilled chicken thighs, and Conecuh sausage!