LeRoy and Lewis closing barbecue food truck in sign of changing times in Austin barbecue
Matthew Odam
One of Austin's best barbecue trucks is serving its final plate of smoked meats on July 21, as the owners of LeRoy and Lewis shutter the spot at Cosmic Coffee + Beer to focus on their recently opened restaurant in South Austin.
The truck from chef Evan LeRoy and Sawyer Lewis opened in 2017 when the space at 121 Pickle Road was just an empty lot awaiting anchor tenant Cosmic.
LeRoy and Lewis is planning a "going away party" from 11 a.m. until sold out on the 21st, with a menu of brisket, burgers, Sichuan beef ribs, kale Caesar slaw, and Frito pie.
The owners tell the American-Statesman that the decision was "a tough one, but will allow them to continue building out their brand and offerings at the restaurant located at 5621 Emerald Forest Drive. That includes expanding consumer packaged good offerings and a full grab-and-go section featuring whole flatirons, citra hop sausage, beef cheeks, beef fat tortillas, cornbread mix, pimento spread, bacon-onion dip, L&L pickles, kimchi, and more.
“We’ve made so many incredible memories and friendships over the past seven years at Cosmic, and we are looking forward to celebrating these last couple weeks and are excited to see someone special fill the food truck spot there to serve the South Austin community,” Lewis said in a statement to the American-Statesman.
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Food truck closures signal changing landscape for Austin barbecue
The closure of the LeRoy and Lewis truck comes on the heels of the news that fellow standout barbecue truck Micklethwait Craft Meats is also closing in order to move into its own brick-and-mortar later this year.
The closures of two of the top barbecue trucks in Austin are two significant indicators of the changing landscape of the barbecue food truck scene in Austin.
The barbecue renaissance in Texas began with the opening of the Franklin Barbecue food truck off the I-35 feeder road in 2009. The Franklins' truck was set in a hard parking lot, not connected to any existing business to service beverages or offer air conditioning and indoor seating.
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Though Franklin moved into its own building in 2011, the owners had started a trend of barbecue trucks operating in similar fashion. Texas barbecue legend John Mueller returned to the Austin scene in 2011 with his truck, J Mueller BBQ, and was followed by his sister LeAnn Mueller's La Barbecue in the same spot in 2012; Micklethwait in East Austin and Valentina's Tex Mex BBQ in Central Austin in 2013; and LeRoy and Lewis in 2017.
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La Barbecue eventually moved into its own restaurant space, as did Valentina's, which subsequently closed.
Several notable food trucks are still serving barbecue
The barbecue truck scene has shrunk significantly with those departures, along with that of Kerlin BBQ, but is still strong.
Distant Relatives (at Meanwhile Brewing Co.), the long-running Brown's BBQ (at Corner Bar), Crimson Creek Smokehouse (at Deep Eddy Vodka Tasting Room in Dripping Springs) and relative newcomer KG BBQ (at Oddwood Brewing on Manor Road) are all among the best in town, but each of those trailers has partnered with a brick-and-mortar tenant that can offer beverage service, indoor restrooms and air-conditioned seating.
Related:Trailblazing LeAnn Mueller of La Barbecue dies at 51
There are still a few barbecue trucks in town operating on bare lots or as part of food truck courts, but it seems the days where barbecue trucks proliferated a town that suffers oppressively hot summers are behind us.
The LeRoy and Lewis truck will be open regular hours (11 a.m. to sold out Wednesday-Sunday) through July 21. Cosmic will be looking to fill the spot after LeRoy and Lewis departs.