Old bus becomes BBQ joint

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Dan Parrott has been many things in his life: a French-trained chef, a restaurant owner, a designer and builder. None of those things, though, describe him the way he describes himself.

"Oh, I'm definitely an old hippie," Parrott chortled.

That, for him, means a fondness for "communal life."

"The true idea of communal, living and sharing and giving," he said, "was that we're going to make sure everybody's got enough and we're going to really enjoy being with each other and everything's pretty much, you know, forgivable because we're all humans."

At 55 years of age, he's a large man, reflecting his love of good food. He laughs easily, reflecting his love of people. He drives a kitchen on wheels, reflecting his love of creative energy. He, his son, Danny Parrot and their mutual friend, Albert "Trey" Buell Cook, III, are partners in an enterprise that goes by the thoroughly appropriate moniker of "Old School BBQ & Grill." It's appropriate because the entire outfit is contained in a 1962 International Harvester yellow school bus, named, "Big Mama."

"Big Mama had a great life," the elder Parrott said. "She took care of kids that needed her help getting to school before. This was actually a handicap bus and now she's helping us take care of folks that are hungry."

Parrott guides Big Mama into a small spot of land beside a railroad track on East Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd. in East Austin. Cook quickly erects a portable shelter and sets up a picnic table and some chairs beneath it. Customers are soon lining up for brisket sandwiches, sausage, potato salad and fries, among other things. Some are attracted by the bus, itself. Others are responding to word on the street.

It turns out that when celebrity TV food/travel show host Anthony Bourdain made a recent trip to Austin, he asked around for lunch recommendations. Almost everyone he talked to apparently included Old School BBQ in their recommendations. As result, Bourdain wound up spreading the word about his exquisite lunchtime experience with Big Mama at a book signing that night.

That's not all. The latest issue of Men's Health magazine features an article on the "Street Food Revolution." Part of that article includes a list: The "Ten Best Street Eats in America." So what outfit comes in number six on that list? You guessed it: Old School BBQ, Austin, Texas.

So why all the buzz? Well, for one thing, Parrott carries credibility with him on his bus.

"I've built fifty-six restaurants in three countries on two continents and fourteen states," he said. "And now what I'm doing is doing my part of getting back to what I like."

To understand what Parrott likes, you have to know what he doesn't like. He doesn't like the philosophy dished up by corporate America's food industry.

"Our company is 'Old School,' which for us is real simple," he explained. "We believe in old school service and quality, but without the rip-off pricing. So we want to take everything back forty years to when you went out, it really meant something to the people that were serving you, because it was a big deal. You know, mostly people ate at home; they didn't really go out all that much. So when they did, it was an event. It was a dining experience; it wasn't just shoving something in your face.

"I've been in this business thirty-five years and I've seen that trend go further and further away from the focus on the customer and focusing on the company. I don't fault people for trying to make money; I'm trying to make money. But the way you make it is, I think different than what they think it is, they being the big corporate entities mostly. And the people they train then go out and start doing the same thing. They propagate the thing of, 'If I get the order right and the food's hot, it's a good meal, and that's not true.

"I want to show other people in my industry that this approach works; that you can concentrate on your food quality and your service and everything will come behind it."

To keep up with Parrott and Big Mama, customers will have to do just that: run along behind them. You see, they do some traveling, showing up at festivals and such in an area that spans several counties. When in town, they have been setting up shop at the MLK location.

Now, though, Parrott is contemplating a move to a combination trailer food court and art studio complex at 2326 East Cesar Chavez. What's a customer to do to keep up? The answer to that is anything but old school. You have to follow the bus around on Twitter and Facebook .