JACKSONVILLE, Fla — Hey Foodies!
This week we're talking smoked, juicy barbecue hot off the grill from the food truck that's got a whole entertainment picnic area for you: Smoke in the City BBQ.
Roll up your sleeves because Smoke in the City BBQ on University Boulevard across from Jacksonville University is about to hook you up.
"We've been doing barbecue for about 25 years," co-owner Melvin Williams said. "We started doing it as a passion. I always loved to cook. I was the last of nine kids, and my mother taught us how to cook, so this is something that we learned from her."
They cook ribs, chicken and pork, but meat isn't the only food you'll taste with that smoky flavor.
"This is our macaroni that we're cooking," Williams said. "We cook it on the grill so it has that barbecue smoke in it. Smoked cabbage, we cook it on the grill as well."
Get all your favorite sides including baked beans, fresh collard greens and smoked chicken salad. You can also get the specialty city punch fruit drink and a frozen fruit drink.
They've got the setup with a whole picnic area with music and games like cornhole. The area is surrounded by vegetable plants.
"Okra growing all the way around here," Williams said. "So all this stuff I'll pull today, and we'll give this away to some of our customers. My thought process is as my vegetables grow, my business grows."
Williams says his barbecue experience isn't only about the food.
"A lot of people say, 'Well Melvin, you're a great cook,' and I tell people all the time, 'I'm not just a cook, I'm an entertainer,'" he said. "If you come to Smoke in the City, you not only get great customer service, you get great food, and you have entertainment that you have here, and you get some of the best conversation you could ever want."
If all of this hasn't convinced you, they're giving away free food Sunday from 6:15 p.m. to 9:15 p.m.
"This Sunday we're doing a customer appreciation day," Williams said "We're also celebrating Leos birthdays. I so happen to be one of the Leos. I'm celebrating my 50th birthday. So all the food is going to be free until it runs out."