THE SAVORY SCENT of smoked brisket and pulled pork greets you in the parking lot of Smokey Sensations. But there’s more to the Las Cruces joint than meets the nose. “I don’t want to stick to just barbecue,” says chef and owner Chris Balde about his blend of Asian, Caribbean, and Mexican flavors.
Born in Brooklyn, Balde got his culinary start by watching his mother, Myrna Balde, in their kitchen. As he got older and she put in long hours as a nurse, Balde started making breakfast and burgers. After a stint in the military as a trained engineer, he began experimenting with different grilling techniques. Then he landed a job with Virgin Galactic that brought him to Spaceport America to assist with the company’s commercial spaceflights.
The Spaceport’s remote location, about an hour north of Las Cruces, meant few dining options for the roughly 300 people working in and around the facility. So Balde began bringing plates of brisket and collard greens to his colleagues—and they were a hit. When Virgin Galactic laid off Balde and more than 180 others in 2023, he decided to bring some variety to the Las Cruces dining scene.
from left
The Slammin’ Parmesan Salmon. Owner Chris Balde.
Photograph courtesy of Smokey Sensations.
Smokey Sensations started as a pop-up outside a former gas station. After a month, Balde bought a food truck and parked it in the Home Depot parking lot. “I maxed out my credit cards,” Balde recalls. But the gamble paid off: In 2024, he moved into a brick-and-mortar location in downtown Las Cruces. This summer, Smokey Sensations graduated to a roughly 1,500-square-foot space on Missouri Avenue, where there’s more room for smokers and a growing fan base.
Balde describes the restaurant as a one-stop shop for barbecue and more. The menu blends traditional barbecue staples with American favorites such as smashburgers, wings, hot dogs, pizza, and sandwiches. Customers can order a barbecue platter with sides, or top a pizza with jerk chicken, tuck brisket into a melt sandwich, or dig into a teriyaki salmon rice bowl. “As I’m getting older, I’ve forgotten a lot of stuff,” he says. “But one thing I won’t forget is when I have a good meal.”
Asked for a favorite dish, Balde lists off most of the menu, before settling on the bone-in jerk chicken with its sweet Scotch bonnet chile shining through the seasoning. With 10 different rubs and sauces—including traditional, lemon pepper, hot honey, sriracha, and Cajun—diners can try something different every visit.
In June, Smokey Sensations’s jerk chicken, rib tips, and collard greens won the overall award at the Taste of Las Cruces fundraiser. “Everybody kept saying, ‘You guys have the biggest line,’ ” Balde recalls. “It was nonstop.”
