Coffee-Q food truck pairs coffee with barbecue
Texas barbecue has evolved in many different directions in the last decade, successfully pairing smoked meats with unexpected ingredients such as wine at the Spring Branch location of Feges BBQ and chocolate at Tejas Chocolate & BBQ in Tomball.
The latest unique combination is courtesy of the Coffee-Q food truck, which combines barbecue with coffee. Indeed, the tag line for this truck is “Where (coffee) bean and Q collide.”
Coffee-Q is the creation of friends and business partners Julio Arevalo and Chris Miguel, who came up with the idea back in 2017. Arevalo now runs day-to-day operations with his brother Luis.
“I have a background in coffee and Chris is an amazing pitmaster,” said Arevalo, “We were originally going to open a truck with two big windows on each side, one serving coffee and the other barbecue.”
Eventually, they decided to combine the two, and the Coffee-Q truck launched in early 2018, mainly posting up around Levy Park, near Greenway Plaza.
Arevalo has a long background in the Houston hospitality business. Originally from Guatemala, he moved to Houston when he was 10 years old, growing up in Alief. He attended Elsik High School and went on to study business at the University of Houston.
While attending college, Arevalo started working as a barista at Starbucks, moving up to a manager position within a couple of months. He would eventually be promoted to some of the busiest Starbucks locahis tions in Houston. His drive and ambition were not lost on his bosses.
“My bosses would always remind me, ‘Julio you are killing it. But you have to remember this is Starbucks and not Juliobucks!’” said Arevalo.
Determined to venture out on his own, he quit his job at Starbucks and spent a year sitting out a noncompete agreement and working on ideas for new business.
He wanted it to include coffee, but not the usual pairing with pastries or baked goods. Growing up in the diverse food scene of Alief, he was inspired by pairings like banh mi sandwiches with Vietnamese coffee. He eventually partnered with Miguel, noting that both barbecue and coffee inspire passion in their respective followers.
The barbecue menu at Coffee-Q is not your typical threemeat plate or meat by the pound, but rather creative items that incorporate smoked meats like brisket and pulled pork.
A recent menu featured a “Pork Mac & Q” with a layer of creamy macaroni and cheese topped with chunks of smoked pork shoulder and drizzled with a tangy barbecue sauce. There’s also the signature “Pretzel Brisket Sandwich” made with a Kraftsmen Baking pretzel bun topped with chopped brisket, a three-cheese blend and lime-tinged coleslaw. All are excellent, with generous portions.
On the coffee side, a pourover technique is used in place of standard drip coffee, ensuring freshness for every cup. The beans from Arevalo’s native Guatemala. There is also a Vietnamese cold brew coffee inspired by the banh mi shops he patronized growing up in Alief.
Personally, I’ve always thought barbecue and coffee are a great combination, both in terms of flavors and culture. There’s a long tradition of dry rubs used on meats that include a coffee component.
And when it comes to the mythical “meat coma” that barbecue fans experience after eating a big tray of barbecue, there’s no better pick-me-up than a great cup of coffee.