By Angie Sullivan
It’s never too late in the season for barbeque and Pefferlaw’s newest food truck intends to dish up a rotating menu of smoked meals all year long. Last Rodeo BBQ had its grand opening on Saturday, September 7 in the Maxi Marina Market parking lot.
Kristien Cloughley, owner and chef, said, “I woke up with an idea in my brain a month ago, and here I am!”
His daughter, Emily Cloughley, aged 13, quipped, “It’s a heartwarming story.”
Cloughley spent approximately $30,000 and built his food truck, smoker trailer, and managed all his permits in record time. He said, “I used to work in the restaurant business and love feeding people. I was in contracting but this is the dream.”
This reporter followed the mouth-watering smell of smoking meat to the corner of Holmes Point Road and Highway 48 and joined a line-up of people ordering lunch. Alternative rock music blared from speakers as three black smokers cooked pork and beef on a modified landscape trailer.
The menu listed a pulled pork sandwich called “The Dirty Pig on a Bun”, a pulled pork platter with a choice of sides called “The Dirty Pig Platter”, the “Bessie Burger” which is a freshly ground beef burger, or Tater Tot Poutine with choice of toppings. I ordered the platter from Emily who let me know they planned to be open Thursdays to Sundays.
Cloughley’s wife, Karena Yeung, said, “There are enough trucks serving fries, so we make our poutine with tater tots and nothing is fried in oil. We use air fryers as a healthier option.”
My lunch came up quickly and was a decent portion. The barbeque sauce on the pork was sweet and tangy, and the side of hash was cheesy delicious.
Yvonne Feeney and Doug O’Brien from Pefferlaw were also thrilled with their lunch. Feeney said, “I loved the twist on the poutine with the tater tots.”
O’Brien said, “It’s something new so we had to try it. There was lots of smoke flavour.”
Tali Damica came up from Richmond Hill to visit Jordon O’Brien and sample the Bessie Burger. “It was so good, I want to keep this place a secret. The best burger I’ve ever had.”
The Last Rodeo BBQ has a Facebook page where you can learn more and see the rotating menu for the day.
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