By Olivia Eiken | Staff Writer
Since moving to Texas, I have had my fair share of the delicacy that is barbecue. The best, in my opinion, is Helberg Barbecue. Its main location at 8532 N Highway 6 in Woodway was ranked in Texas Monthly’s Top 50 BBQ Joints in 2021.
Earlier this summer, owners Phillip and Yvette Helberg decided to go out on a limb by opening a food truck at 420 Franklin Ave. in downtown Waco. As a longtime fan of the stand-alone restaurant, I had to see if the food truck met the same standard.
The food truck is open for lunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, while dinner hours are 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Customers can expect the same menu from the restaurant at lunch and a significantly shorter menu during dinner hours.
I went for lunch on Saturday and ordered what I normally do at the restaurant. My go-to order for the last two years has remained the same: a half pound of jalapeño gouda sausage, a side of street corn and a side of their famous banana pudding. It was phenomenal as always.
Fellow barbecue connoisseur and Greenville senior Jackson Woodruff also ranked Helberg Barbecue high on his list of favorites. He said he believes the food truck is a great addition to downtown Waco.
“I absolutely love having Helberg right here in our own backyard,” Woodruff said.
Woodruff visited the food truck on Saturday and ordered the brisket French dip, the pork steak Cubano and the Helburrito. These items are specific to the food truck and are only available during lunch.
“The burrito was heavenly, and the pork steak is the best it’s ever been,” Woodruff said. “People need to go and give it a shot. They’ll immediately be hooked.”
Waco local Will Jacob, who has been the food truck’s primary employee for the last two months, served both me and Woodruff. Jacob said they have not gotten a lot of business at the downtown location, causing them to substantially shorten the menu to save money.
“I’m not sure if a lot of people know that we’re here,” Jacob said.
With its close proximity to campus, the downtown location is extremely accessible. Overall, you can’t go wrong with Helberg Barbecue.
