Food Truck #2: Pacha's By The Pound

For my second food truck, I chose Pacha's By The Pound, currently found on 32nd and Topeka Blvd. I would follow their Facebook page, though, in case they move, which food trucks are known to do.

Pacha's can be found in the Gordmans' parking lot, and yes, there is plenty of parking. They do not, however, have any seating available. Plan to get your food to go, and don't forget to grab some napkins.

Featuring smoked meats, homemade pickles and sauce and some of the best candied bacon I've ever had, Pacha's By The Pound is some of the best bbq I've had in Topeka. Of course, I've only had the pulled pork so far, so I should say they have the best pulled pork I've had in town. I can't vouch for the other meats and items they have available.

I ordered the Piggly Wiggly, which I heard about from friends and my husband who've all said it's an amazing sandwich. A thick piece of toast topped with a large portion of tender, smoked pulled pork and crispy, sweet candied bacon -- you don't even need sauce. I still got some to try, but I'm not sure it really needed it. It was tender, sweet and juicy. The candied bacon tasted like cinnamon, sugar and maybe some brown sugar, oh and bacon goodness. The crispy-chewy sweet candied bacon was a great idea, I just wish there had been more. It paired well with the sauce, too, even though some may not think it would... oh but it does.

The Piggly Wiggly

On the counter, at the pick-up/order window, there are a variety of barbecue sauces. (You can also tip to help support the sauce.) I sampled the regular pork sauce and the all-purpose sauce. I especially enjoyed the pork barbecue sauce. It had a flavor of apples, vinegar and a slight spice to it, but nothing crazy, just enough so it's there but it's not actually hot. It's a nice blend and it pairs well with the pork -- almost like it's made to go with it! (note the sarcasm). The all-purpose sauce is named accordingly. It was a nice, thick sauce, with a sweet, smoky flavor. It was good, but the pork sauce was much better, at least with my dish.

I ordered some coleslaw and I thought it was a nice side item to accompany the Piggly Wiggly. It was apple-cidery, tangy and fresh with a slight kick. I thought it seemed to have a bit of a spice to it. It was a shredded-cabbage style coleslaw with a thin, mayo-based sauce. It seemed to be made fresh because the cabbage was still nice and crunchy.

Coleslaw. (I spilled it everywhere)

I also got some of their fresh-made chips. This was the only thing I didn't like. They tasted like they were fried in old grease, they were too think and most of them were chewy instead of crispy, like maybe the oil wasn't hot enough. The chips are sprinkled with what seems to be a Cajun or other spicy type of seasoning mix, which is good, I just wasn't happy with the the chips themselves. Skip those, go with the coleslaw or something else.

Make sure you go early because Pacha's is only open from 10 a.m. until they run out of food -- and that could be early, especially if you're thinking of a dinner date. I would go for lunch.

I payed $11 for the sandwich, the coleslaw and the chips. The sandwich was $8, coleslaw $2 and chips were $1. It seems to be a bit pricey for lunch, but the portion is huge and I couldn't eat all of what I got. You almost don't even need a side, but I like to try a few things when I go. I would say get one side if you have to have one, and maybe share with another person.

I'm excited to return and try other items on their menu and make sure they have the best barbecue in town.