Letter from American Smoke and Fire
Entrepreneur Angel Garcia, owner of Templo restaurant, carried a new idea in his mind during the pandemic. His passion for meat pulled him toward southern American gastronomy, where embers and smoke tell a story. He traveled to southern regions to learn firsthand how authentic American barbecue is created, aiming to capture that spirit in a kitchen where fire is a character and every plate speaks of smoke and warmth.
From that realization grew the dream of opening a restaurant where he could lead the charge. The concept would center on the highest quality smoke, premium woods, and carefully selected meat, guided by insights he had gleaned from his experience at the temple. The seed was planted long before the world paused, but the pandemic years acted as a test bench, challenging the team with restrictions while still inviting experimentation. Home kitchens filled with hundreds of hamburgers, ribs, and briskets became a proving ground, a kind of boot camp that sharpened the resolve to become a top listing on portals like Tripadvisor today.
Meat selection hinges on origin, diet, texture, and aging. Each cut is chosen with care and prepared through a meticulous process that honors the craft rather than chasing fast trends. Every hamburger is handmade, built piece by piece to reflect the source and the method behind it.
Meats are cooked with smoke and low temperatures for extended periods, a technique that defines the Southern style. The process extends beyond a simple method; it embodies a philosophy of patience and precision. During this long cook, the meat retains its juices, develops a deeper flavor, and achieves a tenderness that makes each bite memorable. Brisket, pork ribs, beef ribs, and chicken wings reveal their character only after hours of controlled heat and the team’s secret spice blends that add a distinctive signature to every item. The result is a menu where everything tastes of meat, smoke, and embers.
The American Smoke and Fire Experience
The menu at American Smoke and Fire is concise yet packed with essentials. It features crowd favorites that demonstrate the restaurant’s commitment to quality. A cheeseburger uses mature beef, a generous slice of cheddar, and a homemade sauce. St. Louis ribs arrive smoked and boneless, with cheddar, coleslaw, and a house Emiliana sauce. The brisket burger presents thinly sliced brisket with pickled cucumbers, while Smash Trami offers a double burger built from aged beef and pastrami, finished with cheddar and the homemade sauce. A Pastrami Sandwich echoes a classic from New York’s Katz, brought to this side of the Atlantic with a distinctive regional flair.
To accompany the main plates, the restaurant promotes real homemade fries and freshly grilled corn on the cob as classic companions to the burgers. An emphasis on sustainable serving practices appears through the use of trays lined with recycled paper, enhancing the overall dining experience with a nod to responsible hospitality. True to its roots, the kitchen also crafts Creole chorizo, a choice cut of rib, and substantial portions of brisket that celebrate the king of American barbecue.
The flavor profile is anchored in a dedicated spice blend that is applied with intention to highlight the meat’s natural character. The result is a cohesive tasting experience where each bite builds on the last, inviting guests to savor the smoky depth and the lingering warmth of embers that define the style.
For those who crave a sweeter finish, the dessert lineup does not disappoint. Cheesecake and fig chocolate cake offer a well balanced end to the meal, pairing well with the savory and smoky notes that precede them. The overall dining moment invites guests to stay, share, and enjoy the atmosphere created by fire, wood, and careful craftsmanship.
The restaurant is located at 16 Jerusalem Street, Alicante, with an identity carried by the handle American Smoke and Fire. This location combines a sense of southern American hospitality with a European sense of culinary curiosity, inviting visitors to explore a signature approach to barbecue that honors tradition while embracing contemporary tastes and practices. Smoke and Fire concept and menu are presented as a modern interpretation of southern barbecue principles.