Pitt Cue Co.

Food from a van traditionally conjures up images of ghastly hotdogs, gristly burgers and languid tea, or for the more tender amongst us, fluffy white ice cream and a 99 flake (which by the way, now cost more than 99p. When did that happen? And more importantly why? And penny sweets are now two pence. Damn inflation ruining precious traditions... and some people have the audacity to complain that it’s immigration that’s ruining indigenous culture…). However the Pitt Cue Co. seem to have other ideas, attempting to showcase American BBQ meat in all its glory. The trailer has parked itself underneath the Hungerford Bridge (connecting Embankment & waterloo tube stations) and is here to stay for a couple more months (I think it’s going sometime in September).

Once you eventually make your way to the front of the inevitable long queue you are faced with a difficult but rewarding question; slow cooked pork, ribs or chicken wings? Protein decided, you can top it off with root beer beans or classic slaw (or both) and then some cheeky extras (pickles, hot sauce and grilled bread) served in a cardboard box. I went for the slow cooked pork with both the beans and slaw and of course all the extras (with an extra dollop of hot sauce) all for a mere 7 quid.

The pork was juicy and tender, the strips falling apart from each other. The sticky sweet and smoky BBQ flavour packs a hugely satisfying punch bite after bite. The beans are an excellent compliment, although I can’t say I tasted much of the root beer influence, not that that mattered. The slaw was crunchy, light and vegetal, not like that gooey, tart and synthetic bright white crap you get from supermarkets. Sweet pickles on top were great and the hot sauce, whilst not being very spicy, added a sharp contrast to the sweet of the BBQ pork. The bread serves well as a sponge to soak up the juices.

The portion is huge, those cardboard boxes holding a surprising amount, making the final few bites a rewarding struggle. They have also started serving the food in sandwich format but I think that might get too soggy and you wouldn’t get anywhere near as much in them.

BBQ pulled pork with all the trimmings

To top it all off, they are actually fully licensed and all of this can be washed down with a selection of beers and cocktails. The pickleback (a shot of bourbon followed by a shot of pickling brine) sounds particularly intriguing (although I did not try one, I will most definitely next time I’m there)

This is American BBQ food as fine as I’ve ever had it anywhere. Head there now because just like the 99 flake, good things don’t last forever.

Price: £7

Where to go before/after: Being on the south bank you are literally next to the South Bank Centre which is always hosting a multitude of events. check out http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk for the latest. You can even pop into their bar for a drink. Walk a bit further down and watch the street performers and also check out another superb pop-up; the Dishoom ChowPatty Beach bar for cocktails and Gola Ices as well as traditional Indian soft drinks such as Limca (although at true import prices).

Website: None available

Location: Directly underneath the Hungerford Bridge, Belvedere Road, South Bank, SE1 8XX

Nearest Tube: Waterloo

Opening Times: 1pm-11pm but times may vary, they update regularly via Twitter