SAN ANTONIO — We've all seen food trucks before, but what about a food bus?
One local barbecue business is serving their popular items from a 1998 Blue Bird, with menu items like "dino" ribs, brisket and pulled pork. And with their name being The Bearded Turkey, you guessed it; they have turkey.
"One thing we really pride ourselves in is being unique. What we do is we put a spin. It’s something that I would definitely recommend to anybody who loves barbecue," said owner Ernest Mendiola.
Their spin equals bacon wrapped Brussels sprouts, secret recipe sweet tea and family.
And they were having so much success with their truck, they needed something bigger.
"Thought a little bit outside the box. We got this 38 foot Blue Bird which was a fully operational school bus at one time. We cut it in half, raised the roof 20 inches to give us more head space, customized it for us with a kitchen, porch in the back. It takes care of all the problems that we previously had," said Mendiola.
And that video has millions of views on TikTok. You can find them here.
"We had people pulling up. Are you the bus from TikTok?" said Mendiola.
But, what can you order when you’re at the bus?
Well, we tried the "dino" ribs first.
"Huge portions, usually for two or three people. Prime beef is what we use and smoked about 12 to 14 hours. So, it's pretty much falling off the bone," said Mendiola.
You’ll need two hands to hold it.
Turkey leg
"We do a brine and cooked the same way about falling off the bone. It's been pretty popular for us," said Mendiola.
Texas brisket
"We only use prime Texas brisket. We smoked it over post oak and mesquite; we actually do a mix. We slice that, put it on a toasted bun and serve with a side of our waffle fries," said Mendiola.
And to think this whole thing started when they lost their jobs because of the coronavirus pandemic.
"It's crazy how something that can seem so bad like losing your job, or whatever it might be, can actually turn out to be probably one of the best things that's going to happen to us," said Mendiola.
So, if you want to support this local business, click here to see where they are serving next.
"With the community behind you, you can really prosper," said Mendiola. "Even in tough times."
If you or someone you know would like to be featured on Food Truck Frenzy, send an email to ahazlett@kens5.com with the subject line "FOOD TRUCK FRENZY."