Cooking with spice, tradition and passion, JR’s is dishing up meat so flavourful, tender and smokey; it literally, not figuratively, falls off the bone. JR’s travelling smokehouse can be seen a mile away thanks to the line of salivating diners eager to get their hands on his meaty pork ribs that are seasoned and slow smoked to perfection alongside tender, juicy free-range smoked chicken and texas-style angus beef brisket. It’s Disneyland for carnivores.

Unlike the standard Aussie-style of barbecue that involves charring miscellaneous meat products until it’s virtually unrecognisable, JR’s southern barbecue involves various cuts of meat that have been submitted to long and slow cooking – up to 12 hours – over a wood fire. While incredibly labour intensive JR aka Joel Romo admits, the end result is worth the effort. The meat is imbued with the fragrances of its spicy pre-rub and a signature smokey flavour that comes from the wood used in the smoking process.

JR himself hails from Tuscon, Arizona and moved to Australia 13 years ago. Disappointed at our lack of southern-style food that he’d grown fond of as a child, Joel reached out to pitmaster Jeff Byrd for guidance. One quick trip to Pasadena later, Joel had learnt the art for himself and was ready to bring his new-found culinary skills back to Australia for us to experience the same happiness that he did when he tried authentic southern-style barbecue for the first time.

All of JR’s sauces, rubs and salads are made from scratch and prepared by hand using recipes that have been passed down through generations of family and legendary pitmasters. JRs Smokehouse Barbecue is at Streetfood Marketta when they aren’t booked out for a private event.