SAN ANTONIO — Chicken Charley’s is a food truck on Main Street in Bandera. Art Clymer is Chicken Charley. It’s a name he picked up when he owned a restaurant in Balmorhea in the 70s. The name kind of stuck.
The 82-year-old is Navy and Marine veteran who worked as a beer rep for years.
“Everyone knows me---knows I like my beer,” He said.
In fact, Clymer said it was routine for some reps to throwback 30 beers a day. Something he used to do.
“I’m kind of down to a couple of six packs,” Clymer said.
The Poteet native also loves carpentry. He built his food truck from the ground up. The shiny cedar finished space is just big enough for a one-man operation.
“One man and my dog back,” He said. “My dog helps me out. She barks at me every now and then.”
Clymer started cooking when he was seven. He evolved into professional cooking in 1959. He started his food truck in 2014. Chicken Charley’s serves traditional BBQ with a simple rub Clymer even sells to customers.
“My main deal would probably be brisket,” He said. “But I serve a lot of ribs. I serve pulled pork, chicken---I got all kinds of stuff.”
His large, economical portions attract customers who said his BBQ is some of the best. Neighborhood Eats was provided a taste test to see if Chicken Charley’s was as good as billed.
Chicken, potato salad, pickles, onions and jalapenos were on the first plate. It was pretty good.
Sausage, beans, pickles, onions and a jalapeno were on the next plate. Good.
The pulled pork and meaty ribs were pretty good too.
Brisket was the last part of the taste test. It was good.
Overall: Chicken Charley’s is a good local spot to get a bite to eat. Neighborhood Eats, however, did not get a palate shattering BBQ experience from any of Clymer’s plate. In fact, we found the man far more interesting than the food. Don’t get my wrong that doesn’t mean we didn’t like his food. Neighborhood Eats has just had better. IF driving through Bandera, we’d stop again and again. Where else will you get a plate of brisket for $8.00?
Give Marvin your review of Chicken Charley’s. If you have a restaurant suggestion for Marvin send an email (Mhurst@kens5.com), (@Mhurstkens5) or post it on his KENS 5 Facebook page. #KENS5EATS