Food trucks/trailers are no longer just a common sight at summer events as they can now be found at locations around the area year-round. Four of those trucks are Hillbilly Hibachi from Louisa, Kentucky; Fat Boy Q from Ironton, Ohio; The Pig’s Blanket/Spirit of America from Catlettsburg, Kentucky; and Spriggs Steak and Rib Shack from South Portsmouth, Kentucky. While each of these trucks serve different flavors, they all share one common ingredient—an owner with a passion for cooking.

Hillbilly Hibachi
Adam Brown and his wife Veronica started Hillbilly Hibachi five years ago. The menu is small and simple: teriyaki chicken, steak, and shrimp; grilled vegetables; fried rice; teriyaki noodles and homemade yum yum sauce. “It’s not your typical Asian flavor,” Brown said. “It’s my own take on hibachi.”
While Brown does consider himself a hillbilly, the word means something different to him than an unsophisticated person from the country. “When I think of a hillbilly, it’s a person who will do anything for anybody,” he said. “We do a lot of fundraisers, sometimes three to four per week.”
Hillbilly Hibachi has grown from a makeshift cook site to three trailers and a restaurant in the food court at Camp Landing in Cannonsburg, Kentucky.
“It’s non-stop work,” Brown said. “But I enjoy feeding people. I love when someone tastes our food and they enjoy it. I enjoy that to no end.”

Fat Boy Q
D’Angelo Roach has had a passion for cooking since he was nine years old and has long had dreams of opening a food truck. Fat Boy Q opened for business in April 2021 serving authentic American barbecue. Pulled pork sandwiches are the most popular item on the menu, followed by loaded fries and pulled pork nachos, which use wontons instead of chips.
“There are so many men in our family who were pitmasters. I want to pay my respect to them and make my family proud. But not just my family. I want to make Ironton and the Tri-State area proud,” Roach said. “My goal is to be the crown jewel of the area.”
As for the name, Roach said it just sounded like a place where he would want to eat. “It’s easy to remember and it sticks out,” he said. “And with a name like Fat Boy, it better be good.”

The Pig’s Blanket/Spirit of America
Shawn Powell had always enjoyed grilling out, so after his barbecue business The Pig’s Blanket started growing, he and his wife Sami bought the Spirit of America food truck. Powell’s truck is
a little different in that it really doesn’t travel that much from its home base in Catlettsburg. “It’s a restaurant on wheels,” he said. “I know almost everyone which gives it a small diner feel.”
While the truck features barbecue-based home cooking, it doesn’t really have a set menu. Each day there is an $11 meal with a sandwich, two sides and a drink, and on Thursdays, Powell serves baked steak, his most popular item. “I take a lot of pride in what I do,” Powell said. “I love putting out food people enjoy.”

Spriggs Steak and Rib Shack
Chad Spriggs and his wife Ariel opened Spriggs Steak and Rib Shack in August 2022. The menu includes ribs smoked with a dry rub, smoked meatloaf, smoked chicken, and smoked bologna with a homemade glaze. One of their most popular items is a loaded barbecue baked potato with butter, mac and cheese, and pulled pork.
“It’s a new experience for us,” Spriggs said. “We enjoy what we do and we like seeing our customers happy. We always have a good time no matter where we go.”
While all four owners agree that owning a food truck/trailer can be very rewarding, they’re quick to admit it’s not easy. “If someone is thinking about starting a food truck, they need to be ready to give their life to it,” Roach said. “They have to be all in. What you put in is what you get back.”
“For every bad day, there are three or four great days. You take the bad with the good,” Spriggs said. “If you have the dream, you can make it happen. Don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t.”

To learn more about each truck’s menu and weekly schedule, visit their pages on Facebook.