Not every shot at making a dream come true can make your mouth water.

Of course, going out on a limb rarely includes wetnaps, a secret sauce recipe and a tasty hobby.

Shukri Simmons hopes the backyard barbecue he loved as a child can translate into a successful downtown business.

"Since this is my first venture, [I] don't have any choice but to go all out here," he said seated at a table in his restaurant.

Until lately, most local recognition thrown Simmons' way has been from his role as an assistant football coach for Waynesboro High School. That's changed since he opened Shukri's BBQ two weeks ago,

Already, the aroma of ribs and chicken emanating from the restaraunt has become somewhat of a sensation in downtown Waynesboro.

Come lunchtime, the smell of sauce-smothered pork seems hard to resist. More than a handful of patrons initially were seen bound for elsewhere, only to stop in their tracks and comment on that mouth-watering aroma. Seconds later they were bound for barbecue.

Bill Brown is an admitted football addict with an ability to tune out the world when a game flashes across the television screen. On more than one occasion at Simmons' house, Brown has blanked out on the Sunday games when digging into a barbecue creation.

So spectacular is the secret recipe that Brown suggested Simmons start his own restaurant.

"If you've got talent like that and can use it, [then] use it," Brown said.

Simmons grew up as one of more than a dozen foster children to a Roanoke couple.

For adoptive father Franklin Riles, an armful of ribs thrown on the backyard grill proved key in feeding his family.

"We just couldn't wait until he threw them on the grill and we were ready to roll," Simmons said.

It satiated the appetite and sparked a passion for cooking up a lip-smacking good meal.

The sauce, however, is a masterpiece that took Simmons years to create.

"I'm a big guy … so I like to have something good to eat," Simmons admitted. "I want it to be something that I want to eat."

Brown's football-Sunday suggestion for Simmons to open a restaurant soon was joined by a chorus of praise.

"His barbecue is one of the best I've tasted," said Boys and Girls Club director DeWayne Moore.

Simmons' barbecue was a usual dinner favorite for the club's kids.

"He's one of the best in the area," Moore added.