Red White & Blue BBQ; Veteran owned food truck offers sweet, southern flavors

By Faith Hatton, posted Dec 21, 2023 on BizFayetteville.com

Red White & Blue BBQ can be found regularly at the intersections of Cliffdale Road and Rim Road Photo by: GFBJ

A Fayetteville based food truck is working to bring a fun new twist on the American classic “BBQ” while also paying homage to the owner’s service in the U.S. Army.

A red white and blue food truck is a common sight to see at the corner of Cliffdale Road and Rim Road with smokers ablaze.

Inside, food truck Owner and Pitmaster ArRee Bateman can be seen manning the grill and moving ingredients from the smoker straight to the bun.

Bateman has been serving the community since 2020, a business developing that started from wanting to take care of others.

“It became a passion while I was downrange on deployment and I was blessed with the opportunity to cook for my unit, soldiers that were away from home and missing a home cooked meal. So we were trying to fill in that gap and that's where it was born,” shared Bateman.

Food truck owner ArRee Bateman serves up southern menu selections straight from the BBQ Pit to the bun. Photo by: GFBJ

After leaving the Army and serving as a licensed aircraft electrician for the Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation in Savannah, GA for a bit of time, Bateman decided to return to Fayetteville and Fort Liberty. The area was Bateman’s last assignment while he was still in service and where he decided to launch his businesses.

“I had to reinvent myself once I got back to Fayetteville because aviation wasn't really available here. So I had to reach into my toolbox and figure out something else to do. So I started cooking. I had my camper so I started out just renting a grill, just cooking and I started getting a couple of private jobs and so forth. I felt like it was a space of opportunity for me so I jumped in it,” shared Bateman.

Bateman began seeing growth as a chef and officially launched the Red White and Blue BBQ food truck in 2021. The food truck is notable for the attached smoker in the back which serves as the heart of most of the menu's offerings.

“Some people say BBQ but they’re not really barbecuing, we’re in the pit with it. You’re getting it real, right off the BBQ pit. We’re not saying ‘BBQ’ and then giving you something cooked in the oven. We try to go with old school charcoal and do it low and slow the way grandpa did it,” shared Bateman.

Self described as “specializing in deliciousness,” Bateman’s grill and smoking skills are self taught. Red White & Blue BBQ features southern favorites such as pulled pork, ribs and pork chops. Now, the menu is continuing to expand, with Bateman experimenting with new selections that may appear in the future.

The full scale smoke pit in the rear of the Food truck is the heart of the Red White & Blue BBQ menu. Photo pulled from Red White & Blue BBQ's Facebook page

He shared that his focus is on cooking from the heart while staying true to the familiar southern version of BBQ with his own twist.

“We’re not your typical eastern Carolina BBQ, we're kind of more Hawaiian style with pineapples and a sweet flavor. We try to have a little bit of everything. We’re starting to dabble in oxtails, lamb chops and pork chops, ribs of course, mac and cheese, baked beans, potato salad, slaw, just good old country stuff,” shared Bateman.

Bateman shared that after being at it for 2 years, he has received wonderful support from the community and that his goal is to continue learning and making the community happy with his business.

The RW&BBBQ's perfected pulled pork sandwich features smoked pulled pork, pineapple and a helping of BBQ sauce.

“Because I’m new, there’s a line I’m still trying to figure out and it’s about what the people want, it’s not about what I want and I like. So I’m still working to figure that out and I think that'll be a key key ingredient to my success as a business owner,” he said.

While The Red White & Blue BBQ truck is Fayetteville based, they are available for private events and are open to traveling. Learn more and find more contact information by following their Facebook page here.

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