Truman White doesn’t consider himself a chef.
“I’m just a cook,” the easygoing Alabama native says with an understated smile.
This straightforward self-appraisal reveals the humble yet workmanlike approach the restaurant proprietor brings to his new namesake eatery in downtown Fuquay.
Guests come early and often to get their fill of everything from breakfast bowls and specialty coffee drinks to barbecue platters and craft cocktails. No doubt they appreciate the relaxed vibe, generous portions, and friendly service they encounter with each visit.
Truman White
Fittingly, the restaurant just received 2026 Maggy Award honorable mentions for Best New Restaurant, Best Breakfast, and Best Barbecue categories.
“We’re excited to be recognized by our loyal guests,” says Truman, a Navy veteran turned IT professional who’s always enjoyed cooking — and eating — quality comfort food. From the time he was just eight years old, he helped make pizza and other family favorites alongside his mother and grandmother.
What originally began as a food truck has grown into a brick-and-mortar eatery situated in the former Brus on Main in downtown Fuquay.
“Sometime last year I was at The Mill envisioning owning and running a place in the local community,” Truman explains. Shortly afterward, he told Brus owner Tracy Gower to keep him in mind if she wanted to leave the space.
Eventually the timing worked out. Truman’s opened its doors for business in mid-2025.
“We took our time to get the kitchen set up just the way we wanted it,” says Truman, adding that the restaurant has a small, reliable smoker oven onsite.
Most days involve cooking and serving everything from chicken and waffles to burgers to smoked meats.
There’s good reason Main & Broad readers enjoy visiting Truman’s for the first meal of the day. The Garbage Bowl, a classic returning favorite from the Brus menu, is the ultimate hearty breakfast: a messy heap of eggs, cheese, and corned beef hash, all smothered in sausage gravy over crispy potatoes or creamy pimento cheese grits.
“When we opened, we weren’t necessarily thinking we’d be a place for breakfast,” Truman explains, “but what we found was that the community really supports breakfast service, especially on the weekends.”
Be sure to try the biscuits, which are made with love using White Lily flour, buttermilk, and lard.
“My mom is the best biscuit maker you’ll ever meet, and she came here and taught our crew how to make them,” Truman shares.
Arrive early to enjoy the brisket sandwich, before it sells out.
For a lighter option, choose sourdough avocado toast crowned with egg, tomato, and Everything Bagel seasoning.
“We get the bread from our good friends at Stick Boy, which is right next door,” Truman reveals.
Pair your breakfast with a cappuccino, espresso, or Americano brewed with locally procured java from Oak City Coffee Roasters, an intentional change from the New York–sourced beans previously served at Brus on Main. Or kick it up a notch with a specialty latte like the Wound-Up Tortoise with white chocolate and caramel or the crème de menthe–infused Stoked Grasshopper.
“The Wound-Up Tortoise and another called Wound-Up Turtle were bestselling coffee drinks on the previous menu, so we purposely kept them around,” Truman says.
Solid midday food options include a Reuben sandwich featuring house-smoked corned beef, a smash burger drizzled with zesty pub sauce, and the French Pig comprising pulled pork, cheddar, pickles, onions, and a ridiculously good sweet-and-tangy barbecue sauce.
“We make the sauce in five-gallon batches,” says Truman. “When we first started it had 19 ingredients, but now we’ve got it down to 12, including ginger and honey.”
At lunch or dinner, tempting spring roll appetizers are well worth consideration. Whether you select the crispy rolls stuffed with pulled pork and mac and cheese, buffalo chicken, or smoked brisket and pimento cheese, you can’t go wrong.
“Our pimento cheese is made with extra-sharp cheddar, Duke’s mayo, a touch of honey, hot sauce, and fresh jalapeños,” Truman discloses.
If you see it on the menu, order the fried green tomatoes with goat cheese and a balsamic reduction.
Two- and three-meat platters are crowd-pleasing favorites, particularly at dinnertime. Choose from among beef brisket, pulled pork, sausage, meatloaf, and turkey plus two side items, pickles, and Texas toast.
“The smoked meats are the stars of the show, especially the brisket,” says Truman, who advised that the highly desired protein often sells out.
Truman’s maintains a relaxed atmosphere and encourages walk-in diners.
“We’re using prime beef smoked low-and-slow over hickory wood,” he adds.
Don’t ignore the shrimp and grits involving sauteed shrimp served atop creamy grits imbued with scratch-made pimento cheese. Or ask if the fall-off-the-bone St. Louis–style pork spareribs are available (just be sure to have plenty of napkins handy).
Rewarding side items include ham hock–tinged collard greens, whiskey-battered onion rings, and sidewinders, a cross between crinkle-cut and steak fries.
“Our french fries are seasoned with our barbecue rub and cooked in beef tallow, which makes them crispier and adds flavor,” Truman says.
When it comes to libations, Truman’s accessible full-service bar churns out quality craft cocktails. Curated mimosa flights, another Brus carryover, are popular on weekends.
The restaurant offers counter service for breakfast and lunch and table service for dinner.
“We’re not fine dining by any means,” says Truman. “The atmosphere for breakfast and lunch is very relaxed, but for dinner we lower the lights and make it a bit more intimate. We want people to feel comfortable and get a good portion for a fair price.”
A cozy lounge area affords guests access to an electric fireplace, while a pet-friendly outdoor patio comfortably seats 25 to 30 people.
Truman’s Smokehouse & Kitchen is open Wednesday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. with dinner on Friday and Saturday nights from 5 to 8 p.m. The restaurant operates on a walk-in basis, and event catering is available.
tru-b-que.com
@trumanssmokehouse
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