Huntsville Living May 2024 | Page 26

26 | HUNTSVILLE LIVING / BEST OF HUNTSVILLE | MAY 2024

Building a

Story by George Oliver
Nestled in the shadows cast by the trees of Oakwood Cemetery , Bennie J ’ s Smoke Pit is , seemingly , a hidden local treasure . With its off-the-beaten path mythos , Bennie J ’ s has established itself as a formidable main-stay of Huntsville cuisine .
“ Dead people don ’ t bother me ,” said Diana Johnson , of their location . “ People will find you if they want to , and they surely have found us here .”
For 15 years , Bennie and Diana Johnson have kept the oak wood burning at a barbecue joint with major lauds . From shout outs in Texas Monthly , to being the first stop on MidSouth ’ s Summer of Barbecue Trail , ranking as Huntsville ’ s second most highly recommended eatery on TripAdvisor , and still reigning in as The Huntsville Item ’ s Best of BBQ for 2024 , Bennie J ’ s is not lacking endorsements .
“ Some people think we just turn on the gas , but we ’ re up here every morning between 4 and 5 , because this wood ain ’ t gonna light itself ,” said Bennie .
“ We cook with real wood , and that means you have to start early ,” said Diana .

HERE , LIFE MEANS MORE .

At MRC Creekside our philosophy is that no matter how old we are or what challenges we live with , life is about continuing to grow . We fight back on thieves like loneliness , helplessness and boredom . We resolve to make every day one that confirms the seven domains of well-being through identity , growth , autonomy , security , connectedness , meaning and joy .
“ Moving to Creekside really was a step in the right direction . I ’ ve become busy , I have friends around , people to see , things to do , everything is fun and I look forward to every day .”
-CREEKSIDE RESIDENT CAMILLE WHARTON WITH DOLLY
936-215-6103 | mrccreekside . org 1433 Veterans Memorial Parkway , Huntsville , TX 77340
26 | HUNTSVILLE LIVING / BEST OF HUNTSVILLE | MAY 2024