By Jeanne Brook
Wafting across the parking lot of Blue Heron Realty these days is the tantalizing smell of Eastern North Carolina barbecue.
Fess Winstead of Ocracoke Catering Company, along with his wife Jennifer Esham, owner of Blue Heron Realty, have added a food truck in the parking lot of the company, at 935 Irvin Garrish Hwy.
“I’ve been doing Ocracoke Catering Company now for about the past six years and have gotten big enough now that people love my barbecue,” Fess said. “So, we are specializing in that.”
Fess has 48 years of experience and a love of cooking barbecue.
So, the couple decided on a food truck capable of smoking, frying and roasting up the briskets, pork butts and chickens, along with homemade sides like mac and cheese, lima beans and coleslaw.
They opened in November, just in time to offer a smoked rotisserie turkey and all the fixings for Thanksgiving. After preparing plates for homebound participants of Food for Folks, the island’s free meal program through the Ocracoke United Methodist Church, they offered full plates for sale.
The business added to the sparse winter food fare with a variety of offerings, such as fried chicken, meatloaf plates, barbecue pork sandwiches, chicken biscuits, eggs and sausage sandwiches and rotisserie chicken.
After sending the truck back for some updates, they reopened in time to smoke some turkeys for the Easter holiday.
They also took the time to provide 2,000 pounds of barbecue and ribs for the Fireman’s Ball fundraiser in May.
Ocracoke Catering Company also offers low-country boils and BBQ for events.
Fire It Up BBQ is “smoking in some love” on a weekday summer schedule: Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
We stopped by for the first time today. OMGoodness, THE.very.best.briskit.we’ve.ever.tasted. When I walked up to the window I said to the guy hey, I understand you cook the best brisket around these parts and your wife will rent us a house where we can sleep it off. The guy says uh, I’m not Fess. (Looking forward to meeting you Sir. Wow, blue ribbon, top-shelf barbecue right there now, and I’ve eaten a truckload of barbecue in my day.)
I look forward to trying it