While the rest of us vegetated on the couch watching The Crown, The Last of Us, and The White Lotus this past winter, the folks behind Rosie’s BBQ & Smokehouse were busy expanding their horizons down south. Heading to the mesquite-scented mecca of Central Texas, pitmaster Karl Gregg and Rosie's operations manager Mandy Gregg took notes and gathered tips at some of the Lone Star State’s best barbecue joints, stockpiling ideas for a return to the Lower Mainland.

“Our Texas trips are a great chance to visit a bunch of BBQ joints to chat with the pitmasters," Gregg told the Straight. "Pick their brains about how they cook, and sample their menus. Eating BBQ, drinking Lone Star, and catching up with friends is never a bad time.”

The pilgrimage helped shape the 2023 menu for Rosie’s BBQ & Smokehouse, which is about to launch this year’s season. The rolling barbecue outlet’s instantly recognizable big red trailer makes its first parking-lot appearance of the year this Saturday (April 29) at Nat Bailey Stadium for the Vancouver Canadians home game.

Joining Rosie’s faves like Texas Ribs, Slow Smoked Wings, and 4AM Brisket will be new offerings like the El Nino Pollo Taco and Brisket Poutine.

Started by Gregg after the closure of his Big Lou’s Butcher Shop in Railtown, Rosie’s specializes in classic barbecue cooked on a 19-foot, 500-gallon smoker from deep in the heart of Texas.

Scheduled to make eight appearances at Nat Bailey over the course of the Canadians’ season, the red trailer will also be serving up breakfast tacos (Jalapeno-Sausage and Egg and Brisket and Egg) at the Plaza of Nations on May 7, and then rolling up to local breweries and random locales around town throughout the spring and summer.

Watch for the big red trailer every Tuesday at Batch for Rosie’s Taco Shack appearance, and a special May 5 pop-up at the Plaza of Nations shipping-container bar and patio for Cinco De Mayo.

For the full Rosie’s rundown go here.