SAN ANTONIO — Chris Conger still has the permit from when his food truck started in 2010. He’s come a long way from selling BBQ on the corner of Broadway and Pershing Avenue for eight years.
“Barbecue—you know—is a soul food within itself,” Conger said. “It brings family and friends together.”
Nine years later, he’s retired the food truck and gained a national reputation for his barbecue product. The nucleus of his businesses is the Smoke Shack BBQ at 3712 Broadway Street. The 34-year-old entrepreneur also owns a bar right behind the BBQ joint called the Pigpen and a meat market right beside the Smoke Shack.
“We didn’t really have a plan to grow like this. It just happened,” He said.
Conger describes the Smoke Shack as a kind of a hole-in-the-wall BBQ restaurant. He pulled from his 16 years of restaurant experiences to come up with a palate he hoped customers would love. In fact, his barbecue has multi-state roots.
“It’s pulling from the southeast in Mississippi, Memphis and Kansas City and South Carolina,” He said.
The menu boasts six types of smoked meat, nine sides, snacks, sandwiches and kiddie options. The brisket grilled cheese sandwich shares the top seller spot.
“Our brisket and ribs and mac and creamed corn seem to be the go to BBQ plate,” He said.
Conger also menus a giant BBQ sandwich called the Big Mac Daddy. The full-size offering was born from customers who wanted to substitute macaroni and cheese on his large Big Dog sandwich.
The Big Mac Daddy is a meat-loving mega sandwich that can be ordered in smaller portions. For those who want the real deal, Conger said it’s designed for a group experience.
“In its entirety, it’s five or six pounds,” he said.
Conger provided Neighborhood Eats a taste test of his prized sandwich.
“It’s about four pounds of meat,” He said. “And then another pound and half of mac and cheese.”
The Big Mac Daddy comes on a bun that’s two feet long. On the bun: Chopped brisket, topped with pulled pork, a house made all beef hot link, Carolina mustard on the pork, BBQ sauce on the beef, mac and cheese and jalapenos.
It is more than a mouthful. More importantly, it’s good! Neighborhood Eats would like to play around with possibly an option with coleslaw on top or better yet potato salad.
Overall: The lines are, certainly, not shrinking at the Smoke Shack BBQ. That’s a clear indicator of Conger’s product. He’s been featured in magazines and on network television. The Big Mac Daddy is a fierce father in the realm of BBQ sandwiches. Bring your appetite, you’ll need it. Conger’s Dallas based friend Kelly Turner is the only person in the sandwich’s existence who’s eaten the whole thing solo. According to Conger, he ate the Big Mac Daddy and chugged four beers.
Give Marvin your review of the Smoke Shack BBQ. If you have a restaurant or food truck suggestion for Marvin send him an email (Mhurst@kens5.com), tweet (@Mhurstkens5) or post it on his Facebook page. #KENS5EATS