Among many others, two things Texas is well-known for is its large trucks and barbecue, and one west Texas man has made it his mission to combine those two loves into one.
John Reeves is the Pit Master at Smokin X BBQ and the proud inventor and owner of “Miss X,” a ’96 Chevy duly with more to her than meets the eye.
“There’s nothing like this in the entire U.S.,” said Reeves. “The first thing that people see is the stack. People walk past, they think it’s part of the exhaust for the engine like a lot of college high school kids do. She has a six foot offset smoker, she has a sink, water, flagpole and stereo. The whole nine yards.”
Reeves said he made the mobile BBQ as apart of a competition for the Travel Channel called “Grill of Victory.” It took six people over the course of 10 days to assemble Miss X.
After the show, she didn’t exactly retire from the spotlight. Miss X travels roughly four to five thousand miles each year, making appearances at various events and BBQ competitions.
“It’s actually a work of art. It travels all over the U.S. doing specialty events. She’s been to the Big 12 Championship, she’s been to Houston, three days of Billy Bob and Rangers opening day this year.”
More than just a photo op, Reeves knew that if he built it correctly, BBQ lovers would come.
“I’ve fed a thousand people in 45 minutes off this truck. The concept that I had was that you wanted to build your dream rig and my rig was Miss X,” said Reeves. “She is a working rig. So, one day she may be spotless, the next, she’s greased up and just dirty.”
The truck is completely safe to work and use, but Reeves says it takes some people a little time to warm up to the idea of a smoker operating from the back of a truck.
“Everything above the truck is double-walled. The tires won’t ever get hot. Fire Marshals hate this struck, but everything about it is street legal and safe.”
Native to west Texas, Reeves says more than the bragging rights, his favorite part of Miss X is getting to share her with the world.
“They stop in their tracks, they take pictures of it for 10- 15 minutes. The awe, they just stand back.”
To keep up with the Smokin X BBQ, visit their website: http://www.smokinxbbq.com/
