There’s a new(ish) Texas-meets-Memphis barbecue operation in town. Ritzie’s Barbecue trailer has taken up residence at Yorkshire Liquors in East Memphis, Thursdays through Saturdays.

You’ll find pork sandwiches, chopped cheeses and nachos Thursday nights with plates of brisket and honey-gold chopped ribs Fridays and Saturdays.

Travis Ritzie owns the trailer with his wife Paige Ritzie. He joined me on “Sound Bites” recently to talk about his journey from Ohio to Memphis to Texas and back again, bringing with him the flavors and ethos of the Texas “barbecue line” culture. 

In the episode, Ritzie talked about his experience working at Leroy and Lewis Barbecue in Austin, Texas, one of four barbecue restaurants to earn a Michelin star.

He doesn’t shy away from my questions about comparisons to other Memphis barbecue restaurants either.

Sound Bites: Sushi pop-up, tomato pie pizza, bakery treats galore

We talked through the trailer’s menu, which blends Texas traditions like salt-and-pepper brisket with Memphis touches, such as the aforementioned honey-gold ribs.

The Ritzies have swapped traditional sides for their own recipes for dill-pickle pasta salad, cheesy potatoes and an apple-poppyseed slaw. 

The couple hope to one day open a brick-and-mortar but are focused now on perfecting their trailer service located at 5669 Quince Road. (Ritzie’s started out with pop-ups at Soul & Spirits Brewing Co. in Uptown.)

Ritzie and I talked about how the business for now is mostly a two-person operation and how he and his wife balance family life and her full-time work with running the trailer.

“It’s some of the hardest work you’ll ever do, but it’s also the most fulfilled I’ve ever been, especially professionally,” he said. 

Listen to the full episode below.