What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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APRIL 23-26, 2022 24 WHAT'S UP! RIVER VALLEY Advertorial Feature Dining guide story By Karen Rice T-Mack's BBQ and Fish Food Truck offers items that you don't always find on other BBQ food trucks, or anywhere, for that matter. It's just one reason T-Mack's has developed such a loyal folloing in the Ft. Smith area. One of the many unique things about T-Mack's is, unlike other businesses who may use pond-raised catfish, they prefer to use fresh caught. "I have a commercial fishing license," owner Terry McGinister said. "And we mostly use fish that come right out of the White River. We make our own homemade tartar sauce and we cut our catfish filets into bite size pieces. We then bread them and put them in our homemade Buffalo sauce and they dip it in our homemade tartar sauce." The fish, the barbecue and the whole food truck idea was born out of Terry and his wife Brittany's love of entertaining. When Terry was serving his country in the Army at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, he and Brittany loved hosting barbecues, that were always a big hit on the base. "We would barbecue for the other families and everybody used to say 'y'all should sell this,'" Terry said. So, when Terry and Brittany moved to Fort Smith, they decided to give it a go. "One of the main things that everyone pretty much loves is our turkey leg stuffed with mac and cheese which we incorporated recently into our menu," said Brittany. "We are known for a lot of things, in particular our brisket, ribs and our fried catfish." Another unique item is their awesome barbecue nachos. "Some people think that they have to wait until they go to a fair or a carnival to get them," Brittany said. "But we offer barbecue nachos on a regular basis. We also have our loaded fries where you can get whatever smoked meats you want on. That's another item you usually only find at the fairs." Brittany's homemade baked mac and cheese, her own original recipe, is also a big hit. "There's a lot of time, a lot of effort and love put into it," she said. "But you can say that about all of the items on our menu." Terry's leg quarters are also real favorites with the customers. "I really take the time to focus on my leg quarters," he said. "They are not just your average piece of chicken you would find somewhere else that is often dry. You can see our chicken on the smoker with juice dripping out of it." Another popular menu item not often offered by other BBQ food trucks is their smoked bologna. "People love coming to get our smoked bologna with our homemade sauce on top because they can't find it anywhere else," Terry said. In addition to the food truck, Terry and Brittany cater for groups big and small. "And what is unique about us is that we're not just limited to barbecue and fish," Terry points out. "We can basically do just about anything. So, if you say 'hey, I want an Italian theme' we'll put that together for you." In the future Terry and Brittany are looking to branch out into having a brick and mortar business as well as more food trucks in different locations in the River Valley. For now, you can enjoy their one-of-a-kind menu items by visiting T-Mack's BBQ & Fish food truck right here in Fort Smith. T-Mack's BBQ & Fish LOCATION 23 Towson Ave. Fort Smith, AR 72901 PHONE 479-285-2659 ONLINE www.facebook.com/tmacksbbq/ T-Mack's BBQ & Fish: fresh-caught catfish and more