The smash burger is one of Bubba’s most popular dishes. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
When I met the crew from Bubba’s BBQ in October last year, they were just days away from opening their food truck and full of energy, enthusiasm, and some big dreams. Just three months later, I came back to taste the menu and see how it’s all been going.
What first struck me was that the truck was brand new! Co-founders Musab Harara and Abdullah Islam quickly realised that to keep up with demand, they would need a bigger truck.
“The layout is much better in the new truck: it’s quicker and everything comes out hotter and fresher,” Musab told Region.
“We worked out that we needed something better within a month of opening!”
A big part of their success has come from community support. They’re parked around the corner from their mosque, and when I visited, they were setting up an extra gazebo (complete with fairy lights) to accommodate the large numbers coming to break their fast during Ramadan.
“The community has been very supportive. We just keep getting busier and busier every week,” said Abdullah.
I took this Nashville chicken burger home, but I ate most of the chips in the car – I couldn’t help myself! Photo: Lucy Ridge.
One of their most popular dishes is the Nashville chicken burger: juicy, crunchy, and fiery pieces of deep-fried chicken sandwiched in a super-soft bun with thick-cut pickles and plenty of sauce. It’s incredibly moreish, as are their chips, which are fried in beef tallow. The flavour is supreme, and the tallow creates a more satisfying crunch.
During Summernats, the pair reached out to Summernats investor Adrian Portelli to come and try their food. He was called away to a family emergency, so he didn’t make it in for a burger, but he did slap a $5000 tab on the truck, which resulted in their busiest night ever! And he’s promised to come back next time too.
Check out that charcoal char! Photo: Lucy Ridge.
They’ve also introduced a rice bowl that can be topped with any of their menu proteins. I opted for charcoal skewers, one chicken and one beef. The chicken has the perfect amount of char and has retained so much moisture. The spices of the beef are incredible, too, and the rice bowl is an excellent healthy option if you’re not feeling like something fried (although you can totally get the Nashville chicken on rice, too). I imagine plenty of climbers pop by for a protein-rich rice bowl after a bouldering session at neighbouring Bloc Haus.
Their newest item is fire-and-tang chicken wings, which are marinated in a deliciously sour and spicy sauce and charcoal-grilled to addictive perfection. I couldn’t pick the secret ingredient, and the boys weren’t giving anything away, although they did say it took them a long time to perfect the recipe.
Visiting with a mate, he tried the smash burger (complete with a fried onion ring), and I grabbed a BBQ box with skewers, fresh flatbread, red onion pickles, yoghurt dressing, and fries. The burger was dangerously good (I was offered one bite, but I snuck in a few more)!
Abdullah and Musab also teased that some exciting things are coming to Bubba’s in the future; all they would say is that they’re “expanding the menu in a different direction” (and maybe opening a second truck).
For now, they’d like to create a small seating area for customers so they can kick back and enjoy their food well into the wee small hours of the morning. I’ll be back for more of those chippies and that juicy chicken.
Bubba’s BBQ is located at 2 Callan St, Mitchell. They are open from 6 pm to 12 am on Wednesday, and from 5 pm to 1 am Thursday to Sunday. Follow Bubba’s BBQ on Instagram.
Original Article published by Lucy Ridge on Region Canberra.
