13 Bones Brings Innovative Mobile BBQ to Washington State
About 10 years ago, Kathy and Andy Craig — owners of a successful catering company in Richland, Washington — made the fateful decision to buy an offset smoker. They thought it would be fun to add smoke to some of their creations, not realizing they’d one day open up a full-fledged barbecue operation.
This week, after “having fun” with barbecue since 2012, the couple is formally launching 13 Bones Urban BBQ, a mobile barbecue operation with a custom-built food truck so they can cook and work events all throughout Washington state. “We love to refer to the fact that we play,” Kathy Craig told The Smoke Sheet. “We play with our food, we play with the smoke, and we learn. That’s our story.”
13 Bones Urban BBQ uses a custom-made food truck designed and built by APEX Speciality Vehicles.
The truck, which was completed in the fall of 2020, is a work of art. Designed by APEX Specialty Vehicles in Grain Valley, Missouri (a suburb of Kansas City), it features extra-large windows and fully utilized cooking space. The truck was designed with a dual-purpose — not only can it be used for cooking a lot of food but it also does not look out of place at weddings or wineries.
“What we tried to do when we created this truck and this vision is to step out of the box and create an experience,” Andy Craig said. “We wanted there to be a visual experience so we spent a few years researching trucks and we kept coming back to this ‘cargo container’ look. … We wanted to take out some of the mystery and really open it up to customers. Part of it is self-serving too, because we don’t want to feel locked up in a box.”
Andy Craig of 13 Bones Urban BBQ smokes meats off-site and then finishes them on the food truck.
Kathy and Andy note that Southern barbecue isn’t exceptionally well known in Washington state and throughout the Northwestern United States. But customers are responding to and embracing all of the items they are cooking.
“One of the biggest things we focus on is tri tip, which is our lead meat,” Andy Craig said. “We also throw in chicken, ribs, and pulled pork.”
The 13 Bones team serves up a selection of smoked meats on its food truck.
To ensure the highest quality of the smoked meats, Andy focuses on smoking the meats with their offset smoker and then the meats are finished on the truck while they are at events. The truck’s kitchen includes an Old Hickory smoker, a double-stack oven, a prep table, 24-inch griddle, four-top stove, and a deep fryer — allowing them to make nearly anything on-site.
“Our goal is to come right off the smoker and onto the plate,” Andy Craig said.
One item 13 Bones Urban BBQ is known for is its apple-and-cherry-wood-smoked tri tip.
Building their business around the food truck is especially timely given the COVID-19 pandemic, with indoor dining restricted around the country and brick-and-mortar restaurants hurting. However, Kathy and Andy have been kicking around the idea of the truck for several years, so they acknowledge that their idea just so happens to meet the moment.
“I think it was a happy accident,” Andy Craig said. “We started this design in August 2019, and we were set for production in January 2020. … Then COVID blew up on all of us. As event caterers, our entire world went away on March 14. … With this truck, we will be a little more nimble and be able to provide a neat experience for people. And one thing we learned in 2020 was certainly how to be flexible. This truck is the ultimate in flexibility.”
Kathy adds that many people have been living and working at home, so they are yearning for new things outdoors and they believe their truck can help provide that. “Any time someone steps up to our truck, it will be a new experience,” Kathy Craig said.
Andy and Kathy Craig recently launched 13 Bones Urban BBQ in Washington State.
Starting this week, 13 Bones Urban BBQ Mobile Kitchen is open Wednesdays through Fridays at the Anthology Event Venue in Richland, Washington. While 13 Bones Urban BBQ will be a big part of Andy and Kathy’s lives from here on out, they will still continue to do some non-barbecue catering gigs as well.
Sean Ludwig (NYC BBQ)
Co-Founder, The Smoke Sheet
—Last week a grease fire broke out in the pit at Louie Mueller Barbecue but was quickly extinguished. (Photo by Ryan Cooper)—
HOT OFF THE PRESS
Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor, Texas, which Esquire recently named one of the 100 restaurants America can’t afford to lose, was threatened by a fire last week. A grease fire started in the main pit and went up into the chimney. According to a Facebook post from the restaurant, damage was mitigated due to the immediate reaction from the staff. There were no injuries and the fire was successfully extinguished by the fire departments from Taylor and nearby Hutto. READ HERE.
In spite of the challenges brought about by the pandemic, Stookey’s Famous Bar-B-Que in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania is celebrating its 95th year in business this year. According to owner Ralph Frank, the third generation owner of the restaurant, Stookey’s remains popular and profitable while offering takeout only. READ HERE.
Ara Malekian of Harlem Road Texas Barbecue has made one of the more unique journeys in barbecue. He went from Iran, where his father worked for the Shah to Switzerland and then to Los Angeles, where Malekian was Wolfgang Puck's corporate executive chef. READ HERE.
Several barbecue joints make an appearance in Eric Sandler’s list of the most highly anticipated Houston restaurant openings for 2021, including the Spring Branch location of Feges BBQ, J-Bar-M Barbecue, a Killen’s Barbecue location in The Woodlands, and Aaron Franklin’s Asian smokehouse, Loro. READ HERE.
Soliel Ho writes that Oakland’s Horn Barbecue still has long lines at its brick-and-mortar operation, but she says the meat is “worth the wait” in her article for the San Francisco Chronicle. READ HERE.
Daniel Vaughn of Texas Monthly thinks the Texoma region is worth a barbecue tour. "I’ve spent many summer weekends on Lake Texoma with my family, but rarely do I get off the water and out to explore the barbecue, Vaughn write. "That changed when we left Dallas (and a home under construction) in the late fall for a couple of two-week stints at a house by the lake. ... From previous exploration, I knew there’d be plenty of brown gravy barbecue sauce, a regional specialty. But I also found some German influence in the barbecue, sky-high meringue, a perfectly constructed chopped brisket sandwich, and even a slice of pie with more brisket in it than some sandwiches I’ve eaten." READ HERE.
Among San Antonio’s best barbecue restaurants are three new spots that opened in 2020, including Bandit BBQ, Burnt Bean Co., and The Hot Box. Mike Sutter of the San Antonio Express-News recommends trying all three out. READ HERE.
ADDITIONAL READS
J.C. Reid highlights Houston barbecue pop-ups to watch out for in 2021.
One “Coming 2 America” star admits he spent most of his audition talking about barbecue.
Chicago restaurants pivot from elegant menus to BBQ to survive pandemic.
Dominique Leach combines her southern roots with her Chicago barbecue knowledge at Lexington Betty Smokehouse.
After several months of planning, last week Offset BBQ has opened in the Humboldt Park area of Chicago.
One of San Antonio's best barbecue restaurants, Bandit BBQ, is opening a food truck in Floresville.
The Bain BBQ food truck will be bringing Texas-style barbecue to Memphis this March.
A new fast casual restaurant with a higher end feel called Ruby Red’s BBQ will open in Los Angeles this spring, serving Texas barbecue.
L2 Texas BBQ will bring a taste of the Lone Star State to Las Vegas.
In sad news, The Stellar Hog is closing its Holly Hills location in South St. Louis indefinitely.
Sam Meiner, founder of Bubbalou’s Bodacious Bar-B-Que in Florida, recently passed away at the age of 70.
The Dallas BBQ community has rallied around beloved pitmaster Earnest Griffith as he battles cancer.
—Maddie and Kiki, Canada’s favorite BBQ sister duo, show off how to build this pit in under an hour.—
WATCH
Build this DIY Cinder Block BBQ All By Yourself — Maddie & Kiki
What does it take to build an awesome cinder block BBQ pit in your backyard? Maddie & Kiki, Canada’s favorite BBQ sister duo, show you how easy it is to build this pit in under an hour all by yourself. This video is the first in a series for 2021 where they build grills and BBQ pits using recycled, inexpensive, and easy-to-find materials and testing their effectiveness for making incredible dishes. They include a break-down of material costs and instructions on how to build one yourself, and break it in with a traditional southern New Year’s dish. WATCH HERE.
LISTEN
Podcast Randy and Sylvia Duncan of Daddy Duncan’s BBQ — Kevin’s BBQ Joints
In this episode, Kevin chats with Chef Randy Duncan and his wife Sylvia Duncan who own Daddy Duncan's BBQ in Katy, Texas. They discuss their backstory, including how they met and the inspiration for going into the barbecue business, as well as how much drive, determination and passion it takes to be successful in the barbecue world. They also take an in-depth look at the Daddy Duncan’s BBQ menu, which is diverse with a central Texas focus. Randy and Sylvia talk about their current collaborations and their future brick and mortar location, which they hope to open at the end of 2021. LISTEN HERE.
READ
The Flippin' Awesome Backyard Griddle Cookbook — Paul Sidoriak
Nothing’s more fun than grillin’ up a mess of delicious eats in your own backyard. With the tips, techniques and recipes in this book, you can re-create the authentic restaurant-quality experiences of a classic diner or old-fashioned burger joint in no time. Featuring color photos and clear step-by-step instructions, this book will have you quickly and easily cooking everyone’s favorite dishes like a pro. BUY IT HERE.
—This pork sausage patty melt is what dreams are made of. (Photo by Jenn de la Vega.)—
Pork Sausage Patty Melt
by Jenn de la Vega
There is nothing quite like a patty melt to drive home everything there is to love about local diners, which have been gravely hurt during the pandemic. To celebrate this classic diner sandwich, recipe and cookbook author Jenn de la Vega (aka Randwiches) has developed a fresh, mouth-watering take on the patty melt. For the “Pork Sausage Patty Melt,” de la Vega adds ground pork, swiss cheese, and homemade apple onion relish to this sandwich that is definitely worth your time.
—Many of the largest barbecue events of 2020 have been canceled or postponed.—
In light of the constantly changing coronavirus crisis, we are leaving our events section blank for some time. We’ll be updating our events section on our website with the most up-to-date information as we have it.
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