Rib Shack on Wheels

By Neil Schloesser
Contributing Writer

I entered my car and wept for all that is because all that is is pain. I drove north towards the dark ice of the Arctic but stopped well short of finding bliss in white cold oblivion. 

I stopped at Garden of Eatin’, a rib shack on wheels owned and operated by Roger Teegarden of Garden Pavilion. Peace was not on the menu, as it never is, but applewood smoked ribs were for sale. An end to all circles would have been preferable but seeing that miracles are not sold for a mere $7 like a ¼ order of ribs, I’d gladly make due with something smothered in barbeque sauce and served to go.

“You take credit cards?” I asked skeptically.

“Sure do,” a woman replied.

A little bit of peace as my hunger would be momentarily satiated. If only moments could stretch forever.

I left my car running and approached the food trailer with a wooden menu on the side. The trailer is in the driveway of the Garden Pavilion and sells ribs, barbequed pork, roast beef sandwiches, and an assortment of homemade desserts and salads.

“What would you like?” she asked.

“Relief,” I said absent mindedly, my eyes reading the menu and lusting after the prices: $2 for desserts and $3 for a salad.

“Salads vary by day and week but most of our desserts are served daily,” she said.  “Cheesecake, brownies, lemon cheese bars, among others,” she added.

“Are they all homemade?” I ask.

Teegarden enters the vehicle and answers “Yes they are and most of the ingredients I use are home-grown, including the spices and herbs.”

“Ooh,” I think. I drive home to eat my meal.  I hate my truth and I’m tired of Buddhism.

I unravel the plastic wrap from the food container and discover a large slab of ribs and three thick slices of potatoes browned with garlic and butter. I dig into my potatoes. They’re soft yet firm and full of flavor. The breadstick is more for sopping up juices than to enjoy by itself. The ribs take up three quarters of my container and combined with the potatoes, a rather simple but artful presentation was accomplished.  My heart flutters, flies, and expectantly hovers as I dig into the ribs.

The ribs are beyond tender. They fall from the bone with ease. The sauce is simple and red. It is tangy with the tomato base very evident, and there is a sweetness that balances the tang. The meat has the applewood smoke flavor in every bite and the simplicity of the sauce complements the subtle smoke flavor but does not overpower it. 

This was a sauce and blend of flavors that I really came to appreciate after I ate them as leftovers. I ate some of the ribs cold from the fridge and it was then that the smoked flavor really spoke and suddenly the simple sauce made sense. I then wept again for my ignorance and the enlightenment of my palate.

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If You Go      
What: Garden of Eatin’
Where: Entrance of Garden Pavilion, 1421 7th Ave N
When: M-F 4-7pm (Garden Pavilion hours 11am-2pm)
Info: 701.237.4666