I love barbecue.
And I’m not talking about the barbecue I grew up with: meat and chicken doused with a thick, sweet, tomato-based brown sugar sauce.
I’m a fan of wood-smoked barbecue with no sauce, where meat falls off the bone and I can taste the wonderful smoky flavor.
So when I was on my way to the Fourth of July fireworks last weekend and saw a sign advertising BBQ, I had to turn around and check it out.
Turns out it was a BBQ food truck in the parking lot of a local plant nursery. But the truck was closed.
I made a note of the location and hours with plans to return the next day.
Little did I know I already had a connection to this particular BBQ food truck.
The next day I arrived at Simon Says BBQ in the parking lot of Kurtzhals Farm Market just after noon for lunch. I placed my order for pulled pork with the woman at the counter.
I asked, “Do you serve your barbecue with sauce on it?”
“Only if you want it that way,” she replied.
Perfect.
“No sauce,” I said.
As I waited for my sandwich, I asked more questions about their business. Simon Says has only been in the spot in Romulus for a few months.
They operated in Standish, Michigan the prior two years.
And that’s when it hit me. I smiled.
“I know you!” I said.
“I’ve been looking for your truck for the past couple years on US-23, but I could never find it. I’m so glad to finally find it!”
Searching for Barbecue
A couple years ago, as we were driving home from “up north” in Michigan, I was searching on Yelp for a place for us to stop for lunch.
I discovered a great Standish barbecue food truck, Simon Says BBQ, but I could never find it.
Last summer, we searched again. No luck, we couldn’t locate the food truck.
My husband was as frustrated as I was as we drove back and forth on US-23 trying to locate it.
The Food
My pulled-pork sandwich was amazing! Served on a locally made bun, and piled high with pork, my sandwich was served with a Tall Paul’s Pickle and potato chips.
Great smoky flavor and so much delicious meat that I couldn’t eat it all; I ended up taking half the sandwich home.
For drinks, you have your choice of soda pop, bottled water, or tea.
Don’t like pulled pork?
You have other choices for a delicious meal, including hot dogs, Polish sausage, beef brisket, full and half slab of pork.
On Sundays, you can order whole or half chickens.
And yes, you can get sauce if you want it. They carry two sauces: regular and spicy.
Service is quick and prices are reasonable. The pulled pork sandwich is $8; beef brisket is $9.
I came home with a pound of beef brisket that cost $12, which I enjoyed on onion rolls during the week. Yum!
What Makes Simon Says Barbecue Stand Out
I’ve eaten food from a lot of food trucks. Great food, great service.
But there’s always one thing missing. If you want to sit down and eat, there’s rarely a table nearby.
You might find a nearby bench and end up trying to balance your food on your lap. And if you’re like me, you likely get food all over your clothes. Or you take it home and eat lukewarm food.
And that’s what makes Simon Says BBQ stand out among food trucks. They’ve taken the extra step to provide an eating area for customers.
And it’s not one picnic table in the hot sun.
Several picnic tables are arranged under a white canopy to keep you cool as you eat your delicious food. Need mustard, ketchup, or want to dip your barbecue in more sauce?
Simon Says BBQ has you covered with a table with condiments for you. Small detail, but it matters.
About Simon Says BBQ
While I was finishing my sandwich, Ernie Simon, the owner of Simon Says BBQ drove up. I greeted him and shared my story of searching for his food truck for a couple years.
He loved it!
Ernie shared some background about the food truck. They recently moved from Standish to Romulus. All the meat they serve is from Michigan. Almost all the other food and ingredients, including buns, pickles, and potato chips, are from Michigan.
The woman who took my order was Ernie’s daughter Sydney. The other person working in the truck that day was Sydney’s fiance, Ryan.
Both were very friendly people who answered all my questions. Sydney was kind enough to let me take her photo.
The barbecue is smoked in their truck cooker, using apple and cherry wood. Daily hours are to . According to their website, they’re open every day but Tuesday and Thursday.
Simon Says BBQ is located at 27098 Sibley Road in Romulus, east of Inkster Road.
Update: As of June 1, 2016, Simon Says BBQ is no longer in business.
