Eats & Treats

Feature - Lloyd’s Lloyd’s BBQ

A Destination Eatery on Wheels

an a food truck be considered a destination eatery?

If you’re talking about Lloyd’s BBQ, then the answer is a resounding yes.

Owned and operated by Monroe residents Andrea and Kenny Lloyd Robertson, Lloyd’s BBQ offers a custom blend of authentic Texas and Kansas City style barbecue, each its own distinct barbecue genre. The brisket is done Texas style, slow smoked to perfection for 12 hours with a classic Texas dry rub. The pork and chicken are prepared with a Kansas City style rub, known for its sweet, brown sugary origins. The meats are smoked with hickory wood and served up with a sassy selection of homemade sides, including creamy macaroni and

Ccheese, tangy coleslaw, BBQ beans and brisket chili. Everything at Lloyd’s is homemade, from scratch, cooked with fresh ingredients and a whole lot of heart. Some of their recipes have been handed down for generations, while others have been carefully developed by Kenny and Andrea themselves. The hardworking couple gets up

BY CHRIS HENDRICKSON

before dawn to cook the food, which is prepared fresh every day they operate the truck.

Relative newcomers to the Pacific Northwest, Kenny, Andrea and their three kids moved to Monroe from Utah in the summer of 2018. They had fallen in love with the community during a Christmastime visit, as Kenny’s brother lives in the area. They decided to make the move, and luckily for the Sky Valley, they brought Lloyd’s BBQ along for the ride.

Always a skilled chef with a knack for culinary greatness, Kenny’s passion for barbecue really began to flourish in 2010 when he cooked at his first festival in Provo, Utah. He then went on to cook at other events before landing a job as one of the Pit Masters for Traeger Pellet Grills. He spent three years fully immersed in the world of barbecue, touring the United States and Canada on behalf of Traeger. The experience not only allowed him to master different barbecue styles, but it gave him the unique opportunity to hone his craft in some of the most influential barbecue cities in the country.

“I cooked alongside some of the most famous pit masters in the country, just learning everything I could about how to do things the right way,” Kenny said.

Kenny’s willingness to work hard, coupled with his natural talent on the smoker, resulted in success in the competition scene. From 2014 to 2016, he scooped up three grand championships and a handful of top five finishes.

It was around that time that he began to consider venturing out on his own, as the constant travel was becoming inconvenient with three young kiddos at home. He missed his family and wanted to spend more time with them, so Lloyd’s BBQ became a reality. The business took off, and Andrea, a successful marketing professional, joined him after it got too busy for one person to manage.

Since becoming established in Monroe, the two have collected a slew of loyal customers and stacks of five-star reviews. They are consistently praised not only for their delicious food, but also their incredible savvy in the world of catering and special events. This is where Andrea truly shines, planning the most elegant, unforgettable weddings, events, and parties. Her skilled ability to meet her customers’ needs is nothing short of exceptional. And then, there’s the food.

We can’t say enough about the food.

If you consider yourself a more adventurous eater, Lloyd’s BBQ is your soulmate. One of their most popular menu items is The Gomer, which features your choice of meat, layered with mac and cheese, BBQ beans, coleslaw, and BBQ sauce. Invented by Andrea, this spectacular “Pyle” of barbecue in a bowl earns high marks from customers.

“It’s like summer in your mouth,” Andrea said.

If you are even more adventurous than that, you might want to consider The Nacho, which is an entire Gomer on top of a crispy bed of tortilla chips and shredded cheese.

Kenny and Andrea’s mastery of clever and unexpected flavor combinations is reflected in other menu items as well, including the hugely popular brisket tacos, which are pure artistry. Each taco is built on a foundation of two soft corn tortillas, filled with a generous helping of Lloyd’s custom slowcooked, melt-in-your-mouth brisket, and then topped with coleslaw, cotija cheese, cilantro, and barbecue sauce.

The two enjoy coming up with new ideas and testing them on their customers. And, we have on pretty good authority that there is something new coming soon. “We’re such a small business that we really have to keep being

When it comes to great barbecue, Kenny’ s talent is legendary.

creative and innovative or I don’t know how we would survive,” Andrea said.

Traditional eaters should not be deterred by the idea of mixed up food. If you prefer your barbecue in its purest form – one big pile of meat – Lloyd’s is still your soulmate. In this case the plates are right up your alley, with their generous servings of tender, smoked meat, accompanied by two sides.

And, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention The Rosarito Burrito, a Mexican-inspired breakfast burrito filled with your choice of meat, scrambled eggs, roasted potatoes and shredded cheese, plus sour cream and salsa if you want it. This exclusive fiesta in a tortilla is available on weekends only.

Lloyd’s has weathered the COVID-19 storm with grace and resilience, thanks largely to the Monroe community, said Kenny and Andrea. When they first arrived in Monroe, they tested some different locations, and eventually worked their way into a full-time gig at Boeing. Earning a regular position on the company’s rotating roster of food trucks gave them a set schedule, which worked well for their family. But then in March, they got the notice that Boeing was halting the program and shutting down the factory in response to COVID-19.

“That kind of put us in a little bit of a panic because that was our fulltime job,” Kenny said.

Fortunately, they worked out an arrangement with the Monroe

For more about Lloyd’s, including the most up-to-date information on where you’ll find the truck, please visit the Facebook page, at: facebook.com/eatlloydsbbq or their website, at: www.eatlloydsbbq.com

Lowe’s which enables them to operate in the Lowe’s parking lot. They are also back at Boeing, but with reduced frequency. You can check their website for a current schedule.

While they’ve managed to stay afloat, they’ve not remained unscathed. The catering and special events side of their business came to a grinding halt, and it’s not anticipated to resume before 2021. But even with that, Kenny and Andrea are grateful for their success and have still found ways to give back to the community, by providing meals to families in need. Communityminded from the very start, Lloyd’s has always been generous with its outreach, which is part of the reason they fit so well in Monroe.

It’s the Monroe way.

Brian Metcalf

Financial Advisor

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sky valley food trucks

Tacos El Rey

hen it comes to food trucks, we cannot resist the old adage: “You’ve come a long way, Baby.” Gone are the days of “roach coaches” and “gut trucks,” which for decades offered workers a quick and w convenient way to refuel without having to leave the jobsite. Fast forward to 2008, which brought a dramatic surge in mobile food truck businesses, as intrepid entrepreneurs sought ways to beat the recession.

Today, mobile food service has been elevated to an art form, showcasing handcrafted chef-inspired specialties made with the freshest ingredients. Authenticity has soared to new heights in this upscale mobile food environment, as expertly trained chefs take to the streets to market gourmet burgers, gooey grilled cheese sandwiches, decadent barbecue, pie, spicy street tacos, sweet and savory crepes, and pretty much anything else you could possibly desire.

Here are a few of our favorites!

Best of Both Worlds

Yes, it’s true we like to brag about our assets, and this is no exception. Best of Both Worlds is America’s very first keto/low carb food truck and catering company, and we are so proud to say that it resides in Snohomish County. Best of Both Worlds invites you to fall in love with healthful eating through Chef Arion Thompson’s surprising and innovative low carb versions of all your favorite comfort foods, including pasta (yes, pasta!), hamburgers, grilled cheese, chicken burgers, pizza, tacos, desserts, and more. The menu emphasizes protein, healthy fats and fiber, all showcased through fresh, real ingredients cooked to perfection. Vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options are often available.

Where you can find Best of Both Worlds:

Check for them at the Bottega Beach Volleyball Park in Snohomish this fall or visit their social media accounts to find out where they’re planning to be. Facebook: facebook.com/bestketotruck and Instagram: instagram.com/ bestketotruck.

Big Dog’s

Because who doesn’t love a gigantic hot dog? Known for serving up the “Biggest Weiner Around,” Big Dog’s offers a unique, football-inspired lineup of quarter-pound hotdogs featuring toppings both quirky, and traditional. Once a small, semistationary hot dog stand parked alongside U.S. 2 in Sultan, today Big Dog’s hot dogs are served from a vivid blue and green Seahawksthemed truck festooned with famous, slightly altered football

phrases like, “Beef Mode,” and “You Hungry Bro?”

Big Dog’s owner Jerry Dixon has not let the challenges associated with COVID-19 impact his ability to serve the community. Never one to shy away from a need, Dixon launched a massive “Feed the kids” initiative that started in March and went through mid-June, that provided free lunches to Monroe kids on Wednesdays. His mission to serve the hard-working Monroe families that rely on the school lunch program to feed their hungry kiddos was vastly successful.

Where you can find Big Dog’s:

Check Big Dog’s Facebook page to find out where you can get your hands on a hot dog or two. For more, visit: facebook.com/ BigDogsFoodTruck or the website at: www.uhungrybro.com.

Tacos El Rey

Corner of W. Main Street and 177th Ave SE, Monroe, WA

Tacos El Rey customers love the tacos, which are always fresh, flavorful, and well-seasoned.

As we browsed the menu we were immediately impressed by the extensive selection of meats. You can get pretty much any type of meat that you like stuffed into one of Tacos El Rey’s notorious burritos, which are made with 12-inch flour tortillas. We were feeling daring, but not completely reckless, so we bypassed buche (stomach of the pig), lengua (beef tongue), cabeza (cheek), and opted for chorizo, a deliciously spicy Mexican sausage. The burrito was, in fact, “really big,” and filled to the max with perfectly cooked chorizo, spicy jalapeno peppers, avocado, rice, beans and more.

NOTE: Please remember that our food truck businesses are doing their best to navigate COVID-19 challenges and may be subject to changing schedules and shifting locations. Always check social media platforms and websites for the most up-to-date location information.

Tacos Monte Alban

10201 Airport Road, Snohomish, WA

Tacos Monte Alban is a serious contender when it comes to who has the most delicious roadside Mexican food. Since it almost feels like a copout to simply proclaim their street tacos as amazing (which they are), and move on, we decided to dig a little deeper. When we asked about their most popular menu item we were directed to the California Burrito, which offers your choice of meat, rice, beans, onions, cilantro, sour cream, pico de gallo, guacamole and, last but definitely not least, French fries. We tried it, The California burrito is good enough to warrant a return visit, and just because we can’t help but mention it, the street tacos come with a side of chunky, perfectly grilled onions that elevates the whole plate. Visit: facebook.com/tacos.monte.alban.

Tacos Pihuamo

283 E Main Street, Monroe, WA

Located next to Monroe’s iconic Coca Cola mural in the heart of downtown, Tacos Pihuamo offers some of the best street tacos around.

Tacos Pihuamo has a comfortable, lighted outdoor seating area, plus an enclosed heated space for those typical, rainy fall days. It’s been highly applauded for its great eats and its fun ambiance and is typically open on weekdays and Saturdays, plus every other Sunday. Their custom, one-of-akind avocado hot sauce earns rave reviews from customers, as do their tacos, burritos, and carnitas, which is the Mexican version of slow cooked pulled pork. Tacos Pihuamo is a great way to indulge on those fall days when you don’t feel like cooking, and your options for indoor group dining remain limited.