Community Corner
A Navy Veteran’s Recipe For Healing And Hope Through Barbecue
Bryan Jacobs opened The Liberty Smokehouse to honor his late brother's memory and help fellow veterans find purpose through food.
Whether it’s serving as a military officer or stepping up as a first responder, it takes a rare combination of dedication, resilience and heart to take on these roles. And for many of these individuals, that same drive carries over into life beyond the badge.
Patch has partnered with T-Mobile to spotlight active-duty military members, veterans and first responders who continue to lead, inspire and give back in meaningful ways across their communities.
Navy veteran Bryan Jacobs has combined two lifelong passions—barbecue and service — into a mission to support fellow veterans living with PTSD.
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According to ABC Action News, Jacobs and his younger brother Kevin, a Marine, came from a long line of military service members. The brothers were proud to serve their country during tours in Iraq, but both returned home with PTSD from the experience.
Jacobs found healing through learning how to cook and becoming a chef. Sadly, his brother tragically passed away after taking his own life over Memorial Day weekend in 2014. That loss reshaped Jacobs’ life.
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“I truly had a passion for serving people amazing food, but I didn’t have a purpose in it,” he told ABC Action News. “I said if I’m going to do this, I’m going to change lives on both sides of the plate.”
In 2021, Jacobs opened The Liberty Smokehouse to honor Kevin’s memory and to help others struggling with the invisible wounds of war. He operates out of a 1971 military truck behind the American Legion in Seminole Heights.
The truck, once used overseas, now serves slow-smoked barbecue and a message of hope. Its logo features 22 stars — a tribute to the estimated 22 veterans who die by suicide each day.
Jacobs also runs Vets2Success, a nonprofit organization that helps homeless and displaced veterans find new purpose in life through skill-building food and brews programs.
“Food saved me,” Jacobs said. “Maybe it can save some others.”
Want to learn more? Visit The Liberty Smokehouse’s website or read Bryan Jacobs’ full interview on ABC Action News.
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