BubbaQue opens brick-and-mortar, serving up juicy brisket and other BBQ staples

Juicy.

That’s the first word Ben Levine wants you to think of when you take a bite of brisket.

In fact, he wants it to be so juicy that you don’t even need to slather on any BBQ sauce.

That’s the BubbaQue way.

For the past 16 years, Tucsonans could count on getting mouthwatering, smoky barbecue from the BubbaQue food truck. Now, instead of waiting outside that trailer, a long line now forms outside of a massive red and yellow building.

BubbaQue has moved on up and opened its first brick-and-mortar at 5005 S. Campbell Ave., bringing its Tex-Mex style cuisine to the city’s south side.

This story starts with a kettle corn cart.

Back in 2015, Levine was the owner of such a cart. As he began to do events around town, he met Rich Park, the man behind the BubbaQue food truck.

When Levine heard that Park was ready to sell the business and retire, he knew Tucsonans still needed a place to get their authentic BBQ fix.

He decided to take over BubbaQue. With Park’s mentorship and the vast library of YouTube videos, Levine soon became a grillmaster.

“I didn't go to culinary school,” Levine said. “I always thought: does that taste really good? If yes, then I'll serve it. Never once have I served a meal that I was just in a hurry.”

For the past six years, Levine ran the food truck, but in the back of his mind had grander plans.

When he saw the building on South Campbell Avenue and East Irvington Road was open, he knew it had potential.

During the first week of BubbaQue's soft opening there, the community showed up. Lines were out the door, and menu items were selling out. If you don’t get to BubbaQue within the first couple of hours, you can kiss your dino ribs goodbye.

“The dino ribs are selling out within a few hours every day,” Levine said. “On Saturday, they were out in like three hours, and then on Friday, it was out in four or five hours.”

When you swing open the doors of the bright red and yellow building, you’ll want to take a deep inhale. The smell of smoky, savory pork fills the air.

The aroma makes your stomach growl as you scan the menu. Pulled pork, dino ribs, brisket, mac and cheese and collard greens are just a few of the items you can order at BubbaQue.

Levine suggests you get a main entree with one hot side and one cold side. I took his advice and ordered the brisket with mac and cheese and coleslaw.

Levine prides himself on the juiciness of his food. To make the brisket, it’s a full day’s process to ensure it reaches max deliciousness.

He smokes the brisket, wraps it and then rests it over cold smoke to get a nice smoky mesquite flavor in the meat.

When I saw the beautifully cut slabs of brisket on my plate, I knew my meal was a winner. The brisket was so tender my knife barely glided on it, and it was already cut in half. My first bite was a flavor explosion: The outside of the brisket is covered in vibrant seasoning. The meat itself melts in your mouth, leaving behind a rich, buttery flavor along with an earthy smokiness.

I don’t think I’ve ever had BBQ that was that juicy before. Levine was right, you don’t need any BBQ sauce.

The mac and cheese was creamy and light. I liked that they used bowtie pasta; the velvety sauce gets stuck in the corners of the noodles, so you get cheesiness with every bite.

The tangy coleslaw was a refreshing change from the two rich dishes, bringing a subtle sweetness to my meal.

I have to admit, I’m not a huge BBQ person, but BubbaQue made me an avid fan.

As I waved goodbye to Levine, right next to him was Park, wearing an apron and helping put meals together. Through it all, the duo is still working together, watching their BBQ dreams become a reality one slice of brisket at a time.