If you pay attention to SoBros Network, you know I recently made a trip out to the Music City Food Truck Park and Flea Market for a relaxing little Saturday. Rather than walk you guys through it all over again, I’ll just share what I said about it from my review of The Rollin’ Ribeye Guys, and then we’ll get on with the Smokin’ Buttz review:
My fiancé and I recently made a little weekend trip out to the Music City Food Truck Park and Flea Market to kill a little time on a Saturday. We moseyed around the flea market, taking a look at all the good the vendors were peddling. I came away with a nice antique enamel pin with the Golden Gate Bridge on it as a nice sentimental reminder of the time I’ve spent in San Francisco. We ventured outside to see the food trucks. Full disclosure, I had been trying to track down Smokin’ Buttz for awhile now and saw they were going to be there. I had every intention of getting some BBQ when I rolled up on The Rollin’ Ribeye Guys, noticed the ribeye sandwich on the menu, and knew I couldn’t leave that place without trying it.
Yeah….you’re damn right I did it. I walked up to The Rollin’ Ribeye Guys, got a steak sandwich and fries, finished it, and THEN got right back up and walked over to Smokin’ Buttz for The Gut Buster. To quote the great Mike Gundy, “I’m a man! I’m 40!” (except I’m actually 35).
If you’re a longtime SoBros Network supporter, then you remember back when the pandemic first started, I got out and started writing about all the food trucks in the area. I was doing daily maps, taking photos, and writing reviews every week. It was one of the few things we could actually do to get some good restaurant quality food while also social distancing. I kept seeing Smokin’ Buttz pop up, but our paths never crossed – for one reason or another, we were never in the same neighborhood at the same time. I kept talking about ’em, and telling my fiancé they were one of the few trucks that I’d yet to try and/or write about. So, I was ecstatic to see them at the Music City Food Truck Park and Flea Market.
When I saw The Gut Buster on the menu, I knew that that was the sandwich for me – it was like these folks created this sandwich with me in mind. Like Cinderella’s glass slipper, but for a 280-pound thicc boi that loves BBQ. What’s on The Gut Buster? According to the Smokin’ Buttz menu, it’s “Smoked Pulled Pork or Smoked Pulled Chicken served on a Fresh Baked Bun. Topped with Nacho Cheese, Jalapenos and BBQ Sauce.” For more on Smokin’ Buttz, check out their website here. Enough yappin’ – let’s get ya to what you came here for….the food pics.
Pics
Ratings
Food: 6.87/10 – What an excellent combination of flavors on The Gut Buster – I’ve never had nacho cheese on a BBQ sandwich, but it is a match made in heaven. I love heat, so the jalapenos were a nice touch. As for the BBQ itself, and the sauce, it was classic BBQ flavor. The pork was tender and juicy….I’d bite into it and taste an explosion of flavor, finished by that smoky signature every good BBQ has. It was tangy, cheesy, spicy, and smoky – it instantly became one of my favorite, most unique BBQ sandwiches in the city. Bravo.
Value: 5.5/10 – $8 for the sandwich, $3 for a side (though I opted out of a side since I had essentially already had another entire lunch). It would’ve been $11 total, which is right on par with what I’d expect to spend to get a good food truck meal in this town.
Overall: 6.19/10 – When you want BBQ in this city, it feels like you have a million different options. I would say that what separates Smokin’ Buttz from the pack is the degree to which they smoke their meat, and how truly tender it is. I’ve had some food truck BBQ that tasted like it had been sitting for days. I’ve had some that felt like chewing on yarn it was so dry. That wasn’t the case with Smokin’ Buttz – the quality of the meat itself was on point. It was every bit as good as some of your favorite BBQ restaurants in town. The creativity of The Gut Buster, the variance of flavor on one sandwich, and how satisfying it was make it one of my favorite “stuff yourself” meals in the Music City.
CURRENT NASHVILLE FOOD TRUCK RANKINGS
- Red’s 615 Kitchen – 7/10
- Califarmia – 6.93/10
- Tennessee Tatercakes – 6.85/10
- Hurt’s Hot Chicken – 6.67/10
- Chang Noi Thai-Lao – 6.65/10
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
Check out the SoBros Shop. Become a Patron. Give us money for no reason. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork. Watch on YouTube.
