FOOD TRUCKI actually had two days last week I didn’t have a co-worker in the Kalamazoo office. Friday, I ended up working alone. I had a couple of easy tasks to complete and the Grand Rapids office was short staffed. It was stuff I could handle by myself so I did.
I was in Battle Creek most of the day on the west side of town. I finally got done with what I was doing just before 2:00. I needed to head back to Kalamazoo to finish some things up but I was hungry and I knew there was a food truck not far from where I was at.
I stopped at Brown’s Slappin’ BBQ which is parking on the corner of Columbia and LaVista Boulevard in Battle Creek. The black food truck with red accents sets up shop in a parking lot near the Katie Plaza Liquor sign. The building their next to isn’t being used right now so there is plenty of parking.
I was met by someone as I was walking toward the menu who explained BBQ to me. He told me they don’t cut the tips off the St. Louis slabs so you get a lot of food. The price on those is pretty high so it seemed like a pre-emptive strike to explain while they’re worth it. I have no question that they are worth the price but I’m not a big rib guy. I do like rib tips though.
I went with the Tip Basket which got me tips and 2 sides. I was really just in the mood for mac and cheese so I asked if I could get a double order of the Baked Mac & Cheese. The cost was a little under $17 before tip.
The food took only a couple of minutes to come out. The guy taking my order asked if I wanted sauce on the tips or on the side. I chose on the tips so it would soak in. I was heading back to Kalamazoo to eat because tips in the car are guaranteed to end in a mess.
There was a lot of food in the to-go container. The tips were pretty large tips and they had a really good bark on the outside while still being super tender. There wasn’t a ton of sauce on the tips which is a departure from the usually swimming in sauce tips I get from food trucks. The sauce was much more subtle and the meat was left to be the center of attention. Bold move for rib tips but it worked really well. These are some of the best tips I’ve had.
I really wasn’t hungry when I got done with the tips but I had to try the Mac & Cheese. It was a pretty simple side with a lot of extra cheese. I powered my way through the two servings because I couldn’t let this tasty mac end up in the trash.
I blog about BBQ food trucks often. There is a lot of them out there. Most of them do the brisket/pulled pork thing but every so often, I’ll find one that does the slabs and tips…they’re a little more rare. Brown’s Slappin’ BBQ has easily one of best tips I’ve gotten from a food truck. I’m sure their slabs and chicken are just as tasty.