Master BBQ Asheville: A Legacy of Filipino Cuisine and Neighborliness
In 2021, my wife, Julia, and I brought this legacy to the United States. We first established Master BBQ in Los Angeles as a catering business, introducing Lola Rosa’s 80-year-old recipes to a new audience. After building a loyal following, we relocated to Asheville, North Carolina, where we found a welcoming community that inspired us to expand further.
We transitioned from catering and pop-ups to a permanent food trailer stationed at Zillicoah Beer Co., serving traditional Filipino dishes daily. This was a dream realized—combining our culinary heritage with Asheville’s vibrant brewery scene. Thanks to the support of local breweries, our community, family, and friends, we transformed from pop-up events to a daily food service operation.
Then, Hurricane Helene hit, devastating our trailer. Two-thirds of the truck was submerged in water, destroying appliances, warping the flooring, and washing away all our catering and pop-up supplies. Despite this overwhelming setback, we knew our community came first.
As Filipinos, it is innate in us to help others in times of need. In the days after the hurricane, we put the needs of the community before our own. Despite the damage to our truck, we continued to feed those affected, partnering with other local restaurants to reach more people in need. Serving our community has always been at the heart of Master BBQ, and this difficult time was no different.
Continuously, we do our best to feed more people, even as we face the challenges of rebuilding. For more than 20 years, cooking has been my passion, and serving this community—whether in Los Angeles or Asheville—brings us immense pride.
Despite the damage to our truck, we continued to feed those affected, partnering with other local restaurants to reach more people in need.
Although our trailer has been sent to Georgia for assessment and our insurance claim has been denied, we remain determined to overcome these obstacles. Our team, who depends on the truck for their livelihood, are also eager to get back to work and continue serving the community.
With your support, we hope to rebuild and return to doing what we love: serving Filipino comfort food to the people of Asheville.
To help in rebuilding the Master BBQ food truck: https://ift.tt/7LQiJIF
Paul Pike owns and runs Master BBQ in Asheville, North Carolina.
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