A little taste of Texas
Published 6:57 pm Sunday, December 27, 2009
MONROE — The yellow school buses were cheap — about $2,500 for the pair.
Leanne and Henry Smiciklas tore out the seats in one and installed long counters, sinks, a microwave and a cash register. Their kitchen was done.
They left some seats in the other, placing those around old tables they got from a bar. The dining room was ready.
They parked the buses alongside U.S. 2 and put up their sign: Old School BBQ.
“We always tell people, don’t judge food by where it comes from,” said Leanne Smiciklas, 56.
The Texas couple expects to be busy again this winter, serving tender smoked meats and homemade sides to skiers and travelers on the highway.
The couple — whose last name rhymes with Nicholas — relocated to the Northwest several years ago.
Henry Smiciklas, 60, was doing auto-body work, while his wife worked as an office administrative assistant.
They loved the mountains but couldn’t find good barbecue, dear to every Texan’s heart. So they quit their jobs to open the cash-only restaurant about two years ago.
They parked their buses on the eastern edge of Monroe, in front of the eye-catching Reptile Zoo.
Location wasn’t a huge concern, though. If they needed to move, they could drive the buses to a new spot.
Now, Henry Smiciklas prepares the meat, using tips he learned decades ago from a friend in Irving, Texas.
Each workday, he wakes up at 1 a.m. to start smoking the pork, beef, chicken and sausage. Then he catnaps, checking the meat every couple hours.
He uses mesquite, like they do in Texas.
The couple went out of state to find a source for that, but they figured it was worth the effort and money. The mesquite gives the meat a distinctive flavor, and as far as they know, their competitors don’t use it.
“You smoke with what your resources are, and up here it’s apple, alder, cherry,” Leanne Smiciklas said.
“You build a house with those,” her husband added.
His wife runs the restaurant. The quirky location, authentic food and fast service helped the couple win over customers without much advertising.
“We built this business by the sandwich,” Henry Smiciklas said.
Some who stopped by on a recent Sunday were regulars, like a Stevens Pass ski instructor returning from a day’s work. Others were first-timers.
Lucy Liu, 25, drove 40 minutes from Sammamish with her husband solely to eat at the bus.
Liu, a barbecue lover, heard about the spot from a friend who used to live in Texas.
“I think it’s one of our favorite places in this area now, officially,” Liu said, after having a three-meat combo.
Charles Dupont, 24, was returning from Leavenworth when he pulled over with his girlfriend for pork and brisket.
“A lot of the best food comes on four wheels,” he said.
Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455, arathbun@heraldnet.com
Hungry?
Old School BBQ is a cash-only destination that sits at 22715 U.S. 2, Monroe. It’s open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. For more information, call 425-367-1045.
