Beloved Wilmington chef known for his community support and burgers has died

James Smith, owner of Fork-N-Cork and Smoke on the Water restaurants, has died. A message posted to the restaurant's social media announced his passing.

“It is with the heaviest of hearts that we had to say goodbye to our son, brother, uncle and friend today,” said the message, which was posted Sunday. The post was signed by his family, and brother Dustin Smith, who worked alongside him at the restaurants.

The news of his death prompted an outpouring of condolences from friends, family, neighbors and other local business owners. They mentioned how he was equally adept in the kitchen and in the "front of the house" at restaurants. Most also said that Smith was a consistent supporter of his community. He often participated in local fundraising events and in efforts to feed his neighbors, from local firefighters to a grieving friend.

More: Where can you find the best burgers in the Wilmington area? Here are 15 faves

Details of his death were unconfirmed, but another social media post from a family member said Smith had an accident in his home and suffered a head injury.

After working in local restaurants, including Caprice Bistro in downtown Wilmington, Smith started his food truck, the Patty Wagon, in 2011. It became a hit serving after-hours burgers in downtown Wilmington and helped pave the way for more food trucks to enter the local food scene.

Then, in 2013, Smith announced that he would open a store front. The next year, Fork-N-Cork moved into the former Slice of Life location (which had taken over a bigger space across the street) at 122 Market St. He went on to open another Fork-N-Cork in Carolina Beach, Smoke on the Water in the Riverlights community and the now-closed Bone & Bean BBQ.

While the burgers, mac-and-cheese and more were popular among locals, the success of Fork-N-Cork grew larger when Food Network star and celebrity chef Guy Fieri visited the restaurant in 2018 for the “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” show.

More: Love mac and cheese? Here are 18 to try in the Wilmington area

Fieri loved the confit duck wings and the Beef Wellington Bites, and Smith also introduced the host to a student, Ava. Smith had already worked with Ava to create a special burger to give her a social media win after she was bullied by her peers. Ava's Burger is served between two bacon waffles and with shoestring potatoes.

That type of interaction and outreach exemplified Smith "in a nutshell," Dustin Smith posted.

A memorial service has been planned for Monday, Aug. 7.

Allison Ballard is the food and dining reporter at the StarNews. You can reach her at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: James Smith of Fork-N-Cork, Smoke on the Water restaurants has died