The Texas Monthly Top 50 BBQ list has been a guide and light for me through these past couple of…read moremonths as I have tried so many excellent BBQ joints all over Texas. A joint that has been close to me but regularly out of reach was Rossler's Blue Cord Barbecue. The Harker Heights-based food truck routinely sets up shop outside a dentist's office on Wednesdays and Thursdays for lunch and does a few pop-ups on the weekend as well. Thanks to having to work through the week, the stars have not aligned for me to try Rossler's until today. Rossler's Blue Cord Barbecue set up shop outside the recently opened Porch Light Bar in Salado for the Christmas Stroll off Main Street both Friday and Saturday, and I wasn't gonna miss my chance. I invited my cousin's fiancé to join me, and we made the trek up I-35 to get here. All in the name of stamps and barbecue. For me, this is stamp 20. That is two fifths of the way there. The food truck opened right after 12:30, and I had to order a little bit of everything. For a reasonable 46 dollars, I was able to order a FOUR meat plate with two sides. That is two meals right there. Lunch and dinner. I will share my thoughts on everything I had below: Brisket: A quarter pound slab of dreams. It was really well rounded and the flavors were delightful. I thought the brisket was really savory. Pork Ribs: The bark on those suckers was phenomenal. There is something special in that seasoning that really makes it stand out. Jalapeño and Cheese Sausage: I have tried quite a few sausage variations through my journey, but I think this might be the best straight Jalapeño and Cheese sausage I have had. Most I have had is too cheesy and lacks the jalapeño kick or is just jalapeño with no cheese. I have had a few that feel like the cheese was melted and cooled off, making it stay solid. Here, the cheese melts in your mouth with the rest of the sausage. I was thoroughly impressed. Raspberry Pork Belly Burnt Ends: I do not normally get another meat after the trinity, but a raspberry glaze talks to me. A good burnt end is tender and flavorful, and the best ones I have are sweet as well. The raspberry glaze here really tells that story. I might sound like a broken record, but again, I was thoroughly impressed. Elote Pasta Salad: The best of both worlds. This side combines the fantastic flavors of elote with the noodles in a pasta salad, almost making a faux mac and cheese with corn. It is very sweet and flavorful. Dirty Rice: I love Cajun food, and this dirty rice recommended by the staff really hits those seasoning notes. I could eat something like this with every meal. Spiced Banana Pudding: Sometimes you have to throw in a dessert, and a gingerbread-like Nilla Wafer in banana pudding is next level stuff. It is an upgraded take on a Texas BBQ classic. I also got to try a bite of the Borracho Beans and their mac and cheese. Both were excellent, and I think cohesively, Rossler's has some of the best sides in the game right now. After getting my food, I got to chat with pitmaster Steven Rossler and learn his story from his time in the military. That is where the Blue Cord in their name comes from. I also learned what got him into barbecue. He has created something special here, and I will always celebrate somebody who has roots in West Texas. Both Steven and Kristen Rossler have cracked the code in Texas barbecue, and this is a must try location on the list. Their specialty hours can always be found at the start of each week on social media, and I highly recommend making a trip out to wherever they are stationed to give this a shot because it is worth it. To Rossler's Blue Cord, I salute you. RIYL: Barbecue worth the journey, but sides that make you plan the next trip.

"Burnt ends so good, I nearly tried to enlist in the Blue Cord Army."…read more TL;DR: Rossler's Blue Cord Barbecue is a Wednesday-Thursday slice of smoked heaven. Brisket divine, ribs on point, raspberry pork belly burnt ends worth a medal of honor. Elote pasta salad so good my side dish queen requested a royal encore. Spiced banana pudding earned a standing ovation at home. Stamp number 12 secured with flair and a shirt stamp bonus. The Texas Monthly passport had been burning a hole in my glove box, whispering "Number 12 is calling." So I marched down to Rossler's Blue Cord Barbecue, a proud member of the Top 50 list and clearly not afraid to open shop mid-week while the rest of the BBQ world hits snooze until the weekend. Noon sharp. No line yet, but like the smell of smoke, it drifted in fast. The trailer gleamed under the Texas sun, practically hollering my name. Live music playing. Tables set. This was the kind of lunchtime battlefield I was born for. I called in a tactical strike: brisket, ribs, and those famed raspberry pork belly burnt ends. Steven, the pitmaster himself, must've sensed my dedication to the cause. He tossed in sausage on the house. That's Texas hospitality, battlefield general style. The brisket was rich and juicy with a smoke ring that could win a beauty pageant. The ribs were perfect, holding just enough bite to remind you they came from a real pit, not a shortcut. But those burnt ends? Sweet, savory, caramelized treasures that had me questioning whether dessert was even necessary. The elote pasta salad earned high praise from the side dish queen herself, who normally gives elote a royal thumbs down. She declared it "worthy of the crown," which in our house is the ultimate accolade. Before leaving, I grabbed a spiced banana pudding for my queen. She later reported it was "heaven in a cup," which means next time I better bring home two. Steven sealed my visit with not just a passport stamp but a shirt stamp too. That's how legends are made. Stamp 12 down, 38 more to go before the big prize. If Rossler's wasn't an hour away, I'd make Thursday BBQ runs a standing weekly appointment.

Tried them for the first time this morning and it did not disappoint!…read more Called them via posted Google # but it routed to the original Tatazo truck on Veterans Memorial. She put me in touch with Tatazo # 2's truck owner and here we are (# listed here is the correct #). Ordered the Carne Asada Burrito (Approximately $11) and absolutely loved it! The burrito came with rice, meat, onions and cilantro. Felt like I was back in Southern California with the food quality and vibes. Absolutely recommend and will be back!

I had a craving for tacos and found this place on here. Can't beat a food truck!…read more Really nice people and pretty quick with service. I don't remember seeing any seating there. But I wasn't looking The tacos were my favorite of the two. Not a fan of canned cheese for nachos. Would get the tacos again.

If you're in Killeen, you have GOT to go to the Firehouse Ranch. We were looking for a BBQ joint…read moreand wound up giving them a call. After speaking to the owner I knew we had to try them out. It's a Food-truck style business owned by Les and Miss Paula. Both wonderful people and it is so very evident that they love what they do. Everything that we tried was screaming with down-home, made-from-scratch love!! Pork Ribs-Outstanding / Brisket-Outstanding / Pulled Pork-Outstanding!! I tried and loved their Collard Greens, their Ranch Beans and their Cornbread. They are open at the location that we went to on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I live in IL, but I'll be back to eat Les's smoked up specialties and Miss Paula's homestyle fixins. Top notch customer service!!

You know the saying, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression", this was so true…read morewhen I visited Firehouse Ranch BBQ. They were very friendly. Today was a day to myself and I figured I'd finally try their food. Oh My Goodness!!!! This food is amazing. I ordered the pork ribs, coleslaw and greens. The meat was falling off the bone. The greens didn't need any tweaking. Normally when I get greens I have to add vinegar to them. Their greens were perfect. The coleslaw was very creamy. You've got to give their food a try. Awesome first impression Firehouse Ranch BBQ!

Wings were amazing perfectly cooked and seasoned. Loved it and the tacos were great!!!read more

Tacos Penjamo is the spot for tacos!…read more The street tacos here are the epitome of authentic tacos. They host a Taco Tuesday Special, where the street tacos are $1.50 each (Carne Asada, Carnitas, Chicken, and Al Pastor). I normally get five to feel full- and six when I'm feeling adventurous. You order/ pay at the cash register and get a table placard if you choose to dine in. If not, same process but you'll wait for your food on the side. Have been going here for years and absolutely look forward to every Taco Tuesday here!

Service was fast even though it was busy for the lunch hour. So glad that the food still came out…read morequickly and if anything tasted better than the first time! Also, ordered similarly as last time - Birria taco plate with a horchata. Yummy in my tummyyyy

See this place multiple time heading to work and home finally stopped and it didn't disappoint!…read moreGreat food and great owner and workers!

Babies, we I tell you about those hand cut, fresh fries!!! They have me over here shouting! The…read moreservice is second to none! Very friendly, professional people! The atmosphere is welcoming! Let's get back to the fries! There's no picture to go with... I must confess: they're gone. It was mini-micro ninjas. Yeah. Add the haberno sauce. Jesus is in the building! Praise dance!

Burgers were over salted and the workers were underwhelming. This premise is good. The execution is…read morejust not where it needs to be.

call it luck or call it what you want, but this is an actual food truck that landed today in the…read morehotel I am staying in Killeen TX, and boy, is this food tasty. Its a Boricua own truck that serves cuban sandwiches, empanadas of all type of meats, pork, beef, chicken, and they also have Spanish rice and pull pork. Now looking as some of their previous pictures, I guess it depends of the location, the menu may be different. So let me talk about what I had. I had the spanish rice, with pull pork and beef empanada. They also included a slice of avocado in my plate. It was $8.00 for my plate and the serving was generous. Flavor, well, lets say I though my mama made this food, and I love my mama's cooking because she can cook. Rice flavor was not overbearing, it was just wright, the pull pork was also very flavorful and moist. The beef empanada was not greasy and the empanada was full of meat, unlike other places where the empanadas are full of air, hardly any meat. The meat had great flavor. They had special sauces you could add, but the flavors were such that I didn't have to add anything to it. Since this is a food truck, I have no idea of their hours or their next location, but their business card says to check them out Facebook@TheHotSpotGrill and if you subscribe, i guess you can check out their events and next spot. Unfortunately I don't have a Facebook account, but I do have a phone and I am sure that if I call them and I don't sound like a stalker, they will let me know of their next service spot which I would have no problem visiting. In case you are wondering, their ph # is 254-458-2150. I am all about promoting great places with great flavors!!! : )

The garlic sauce is delicious!!!…read more The ladies here are so friendly! These hard working women make everything from scratch & it is so worth it!! I got the fried chicken wings with gandule rice & empanadas. The chicken is so crispy & moist at the same time with juicy flavor that's not too salty. The gandule rice is perfect, not dry or hard, you can taste the flavors which makes it addicting! The empanadas!!! Yessss!!! Crust is flakey & the insides are moist & very flavorful! Ask for the garlic sauce, it was a little party in my mouth!! When you're looking for the place, it's on the left side In front of anther building. It's like a little stop truck. I believe they cater to other places & also they go to tyku a lot.

My family and I got a day pass to go fishing. Afterwards wondered into krab kingz because the smell…read morefrom outside was heavenly. The view from our table was awesome of the lake. The server was very sweet. We ordered two appetizer's. Mozzarella sticks and a basket of french fries. The fries were awesome. My husband ordered the shrimp boil. My father-in-law, the fried shrimp. The fried shrimp was much better than the shrimp boil. Everyone had a great time together. We would stop back in again for sure.

Great food, quick service, good portions and decent prices! The food was seasoned nicely and stayed…read morewarm during delivery. We will definitely be back to try more.

If you want some quick, fresh, delicious bulgogi- this is the place to go. The place I normally go…read moreto get this is at lunch on Fort Hood right off of TJ Mills next to the gas station and AAFES shoppette. They serve beef and spicy pork bulgogi, chicken bulgogi used to be an option but is not anymore (hope they bring it back!) They have lunch sizes (perfect for one) and dinner sizes (that can feed at at the very minimum two people, or eat as two meals for one). Either way, you won't regret either portion because one portion just isn't enough! What's even better is they all come with kimchi: cucumber or traditional cabbage. BOTH very scrumptious, cucumber kimchi isn't as spicy, only because cabbage kimchi is thinner and soaks up more of that spicy kick. Personally, I'd get the cabbage with the beef bulgogi and cucumber with the pork bulgogi since the beef is sweet and pork is spicy. When I got brave enough, I tried the bulgogi fries, which you can see has more photos than the delicious spicy pork. Not only is this fish so beautiful to look at, the taste is OUT OF THIS WORLD DELICIOUS! I'm not a huge fan of beef bulgogi, I prefer chicken and pork but WOW. These bulgogi fries are a GAME CHANGER. If you don't care for beef bulgogi, this will probably change your mind. If you LOVE beef bulgogi, you'll fall in love with this dish and seriously (like the name) KRAVE IT. Give it a go and go try this DELICIOUS FOOD TRUCK! Yummy yummy, in my tummy, every single time. I swear it's a weekly addiction.

Some of the best food are on food trucks. Korean Kravings food is delicious. I've only tried the…read morebulgogi fries and dumplings. The sauce that they put on the fries gives it that extra goodness. The dumplings are ok but I've had better. Still worth going to and checking out!!!