On a Sunday night in late January, customers and their dogs were filling up on barbeque under a picturesque sunset at the Paper Plate BBQ food truck. Smiles came onto the customers’ faces as they took their brisket tacos from the window of the smoker-equipped mobile kitchen.
“It’s the only barbeque in town – fortunately for us, unfortunately for the city of Eugene,” said Sebastian Price, who was working that night. The lack of real competition, as Price sees it, does not stop him from putting all his chops into each cut of meat served when he’s working the truck.
The menu offers a little bit of everything a carnivore might crave: pulled pork sandwiches, cheesesteaks, and chicken marinated in Coldfire IPA just to name a few options. All dishes are offered as pound or half-pound size options, allowing customers to choose just how much protein will suit their needs.
Price served up a delicious brisket coated with a peppery rub that kept my mouth watering between every bite. I could taste each minute spent in the smoker in its marbled core. Each bite brought pure delight, with the smoky seasoning of the bark tantalizing my tastebuds with each bite. The tangy house BBQ sauce slathered over my brisket whet my palate as it saturated each bite with flavor. Once you start eating, you will not want to stop.
The pickled red onions and house-made pickle chips carry a palate-cleansing crunch, offering sweet relief when your taste buds are soaked in the rich succulence of fatty brisket. The acidic garnishes amplify all types of dishes, from their tasty tacos to their brisket Philly cheesesteak, providing a delightful contrast that cuts through the entree.
The creamy Mac & Cheese was the perfect foil to the smoked meats and pickled garnishes, soothing my tongue with each scoop. A must-have side dish for any barbecue meal which drowns out the flavor overload of a rich sauce with a simple, and perfectly numbing creaminess. The Mac was quintessential to striking the balance of the perfect plate, offering a calming reprieve from the otherwise boisterous offerings.
All this is without mentioning the Coldfire Brewery itself. With dozens of options from the lightest pilsner to the hoppiest IPAs on tap, you’ll always be able to find the perfect pairing for your barbeque feast. Paper Plate has been a mainstay of the back patio of Coldfire for a couple of years now. Of the 5 food trucks parked at Coldfire, Paper Plate is open the most often serving 5 days a week.
According to their Instagram account, Paper Plate served 11,350 pounds of brisket in 2023. After only 3 years in the business, they’re moving almost 6 times the amount of total food the average American eats in a year. The volume of meat being moved out of the petite kitchen is a testament to the quality the community has recognized in their offerings.
Price grew up on a cattle ranch in Texas and started his own barbecue joint in Ashland, Oregon. He has only worked at the truck for a couple of weeks now, but his experience in barbequing was passed down from his grandfather, and, he says, from even his most distant ancestors. “It’s the smoke, it’s this primal thing, right? We’ve cooked by fire for how many thousands of years? It’s embedded in our DNA. Anything that has a smoky flavor to it, it just brings out this primal thing in humans,” he said.
According to historical accounts of Spanish explorers, the art of barbeque has a much longer history in the Americas than you’d think. Barbacoa was a term used in the West Indies to describe meat slow cooked over an open flame. The Spanish took culinary inspiration from the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, and by the 1900s the invention of the modern grill cemented American barbecue as the latest in a centuries-long tradition of slow-cooked meats.
Paper Plate’s style of Barbeque takes cues from all over, but it is mostly in line with Central Texas’ signature slow-cooked, no-frills salt and pepper rubbed briskets. The pickled red onion that amplifies many of their dishes indicates southern Texas and Mexican influence on their recipes. The sweet sauces of Memphis barbecue will not be seen here, though the house sauce is an excellent addition should you choose to partake.
Customers online have raved about their jalapeno cheddar hush puppies though they were all out by the time I got there. Your tastebuds will thank you for following their social media where they often announce experimental limited-run menu items. A couple of items from the past few months include “the mib-rib,” an obvious nod to another famously rare fast food item, a teriyaki smoked sausage, and a brisket tostada.
Price is well aware of the greater importance of enjoying fine barbeque. “It brings us together,” he said, “to quote Anthony Bourdain: Barbeque might not be the road to world peace, but it’s certainly a start.” You can start down your own journey to a barbeque feast by heading over to Paper Plate any day of the week to pig out.
