THE SMOKEMASTER
Mike Johnson's Journey
"When smoke rises just right, transformation happens"
The Calling
Mike Johnson never intended to become Hillsboro's most talked-about pitmaster. Raised in a family where Sunday dinners were sacred and the kitchen was the heart of every gathering, Mike thought his path was set: work hard, retire, enjoy life.
But sometimes, the Lord has different plans.
The Discovery
After retirement, Mike spent his weekends with faith, family and smoke! He'd spend hours in his backyard, not just cooking, but studying the smoke itself. He noticed how different woods created different particle sizes, how temperature affected the way smoke moved, how humidity changed everything.
The breakthrough came during a particularly challenging brisket that just wouldn't take the smoke right. Frustrated, Mike stepped back and really watched the smoke for the first time. That's when he saw it—the way perfect smoke didn't just drift, it rose in organized columns.
"It hit me like a revelation. Smoke isn't random. When you get the conditions just right—the smoke rises in beautiful streams, and that's when the real transformation happens."
The Rise & Transform Method™
Precision Temperature
Every degree matters. Mike discovered the exact temperatures where smoke particles bond perfectly with proteins.
Controlled Airflow
Modified smokers create precise airflow patterns, guiding smoke to rise in organized columns for deep penetration.
Perfect Wood Selection
Different woods, different results. Mike's precise blend creates the ideal particle size for transformation.
Faith & Family
Tie Johnson still rolls her eyes when she tells the story of how Mike's "little hobby" took over their garage, then their backyard, then eventually their entire weekend schedule. But she also remembers the Sunday after church when friends and family fought to get the "first slice" of Mike's brisket.
"When you take something ordinary and transform it into something extraordinary, that's a reflection of what God does in our lives. Every time I see that smoke rising just right, I'm reminded that transformation is possible. Always."
- Mike Johnson
Mike soon realized his obsession with perfect smoke wasn't just about technique—it was about serving others, about bringing people together, about honoring the gifts God had given him.
The Community Connection
Word spread quickly and friends started asking Mike to cater church events, then graduation parties, then weddings. Each time, people didn't just compliment the food—they talked about the experience.
"I kept hearing the same thing: 'This doesn't just taste like smoke on the outside. The smoke goes all the way to the bone.'"
From day one, Mike was determined that Rise N' Smoke would be more than just another BBQ joint. He took his tagline seriously: "Real Smoke. Real Deep. Real Good." Every menu item tells the story of transformation.
"It's not just the science or the technique. It's that we understand smoking is about transformation—taking something good and making it extraordinary."
The Legacy Continues
As Rise N' Smoke has grown from Mike's weekend experiments to Hillsboro's premier BBQ destination, the heart of the operation remains unchanged. It's still about the perfect smoke, still about transformation, still about serving others with excellence.
"This isn't just my restaurant. This is our community's place. Where people come not just for great food, but for the experience of tasting what happens when science, faith, and love for others all come together."
- Mike Johnson
And every day, as the smoke rises from Mike's precisely calibrated smokers, carrying its transformative magic deep into another perfect brisket, the story continues—one plate, one family, one moment of delicious revelation at a time.
"When smoke rises just right,
meat transforms into magic."
- Michael Johnson, Owner & SmokeMaster
Rise N' Smoke Pit BBQ