Courtesy Pappy's
Memphis-style barbecue favorite Pappy’s Smokehouse's new food truck has officially hit the streets. The truck, dubbed “Pappy’s Rollin’ Smoke,” pulled up to its first service at Wells Fargo in Midtown this past Monday. Its inaugural appearance was a sold-out hit: and afterward, the restaurant received about 100 requests to appear at parties and corporate events.
“We had no idea it would blow up the way it has,” Pappy’s co-owner and operator John Matthews says. “There’s an enormous amount of people in the St. Louis area who don’t come to Pappy’s because the line is so daunting. This allows us to reach more people.”
Courtesy Pappy's
Those Monday customers enjoyed a limited menu ranging from the restaurant's classics, including its pulled pork sandwich. The truck's food is prepared ahead of time at Pappy’s to speed up service. Eventually, the team hopes to get its order-to-delivery times down to 30 seconds, Matthews says.
Pappy’s might expand its food truck menu in the future with weekly specials or even coveted items from the restaurant like ribs or burnt ends, says Pappy’s co-founder Mike Emerson. Emerson and his team are also considering a more permanent timeline for the truck, but they’re not rushing into any big decisions.
“We’ve always had an attitude that we jump off every bridge as we come to it," Emerson says. "The truck may be out a few days a week, or it may be every day.”
The truck will also be available for special events, so people who can’t make it to Pappy’s Rollin’ Smoke can still get their barbecue fix. “This truck is making our barbecue more accessible for all the good people who have supported Pappy’s over the years. First, the neighborhood embraced us, then the city embraced us, then the county embraced us, so we’re going to hug them back,” Emerson says.
Hoping to catch the Pappy's truck for lunch? You can follow the truck on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. But don't plan on seeing it out on Labor Day, Matthews says "the guys who run the truck will be needed in the store all weekend long."
