Junkyard BBQ and Ice Cream – Local Restaurant History

Helping others was the way one of Jackson County’s newest food trucks started.

Beginning in 2015, Toby and Tiffani Calhoun made homemade ice cream once a year as a fundraiser for Relay for Life, an organization dedicated to raising money for the American Cancer Society.

“We were always able to raise a good amount of money and donated our time and raw materials,” Toby said. “After a few years of doing that, we were notified that unless we ran it as a business, it was not legal for us to make and sell ice cream.”

The Calhouns said they felt that it was something they were meant to do, and after much prayer, they contacted the Jackson County Health Department to start planning their business.

The couple purchased an old paramedic van, which is a 1973 GMC, and converted it into a food truck to start offering their products in August 2019.

They started offering ice cream and barbecue, and still conduct fundraisers to help a variety of groups. Helping people is something the two feel strongly about.

“Fundraising for organizations and individuals in need are still a huge part of what we do, and consider that our biggest responsibility as a community business,” he said.

Since offering their products to the community, they’ve reached popularity with their staple items: Ice cream and pulled pork.

The ice cream is different, Toby said, because it is made with real dairy product. He added that they do not use premixes, oils or added preservatives, either, so customers can taste the difference. They have an abundance of flavors, too.

Now, let’s talk a little barbecue.

“Many say we have the best pulled pork they’ve ever had,” he said.

The pulled pork can be served alone, on a sandwich, on a layer of nachos and in their mac and cheese. They also offer all kind of other barbecue products, which you can read on their Facebook page.

“Our favorite part of this business is having a platform to support our community and help individuals in need,” he said. “You get a real sense of the community from the window of a good truck.”

Visit the Junkyard BBQ and Ice Cream Facebook page by clicking here.

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