‘Come Get Fat’: We Find a Soul Food Gem in East Texas

We knew very little about Gladewater before trekking through East Texas on a recent road trip. When you’re this far east of Dallas, you’re not far from the Louisiana state line (roughly 60 miles, which isn’t far in Texas terms).

Gladewater’s population is a little over 6,000. It’s known as the “Antique Capital of East Texas,” and it’s a well-earned title as antique shops, one after another, line Gladewater’s busiest streets.

Gladewater also boasts a connection to the king of rock and roll, Elvis Presley. In the 1950s, Elvis performed at the long-defunct Mint Club, which is now an abandoned building by the side of the road. The old Res-Mor Motel (now apartments) is where Elvis stayed when he came through town to visit his friend, DJ Tom Perryman.

All of this is reason enough to make the two-hour drive from Dallas to Gladewater. But maybe the best reason of all is a hole-in-the-wall gem we were tipped off about (and that we’re now in love with), thanks to the wonders of the internet.

Nobody’s T&K Pop-Up Grill and Café bills itself as a soul food kitchen, which it is. But the menu here can’t possibly be narrowed down to a single cuisine category.

State Fair-Inspired Fare

Latonya Lindsey is the remarkable woman behind it all (her fiancé serves as co-pitmaster), and Lindsey’s menu is delightfully eccentric. Lindsey operated a food truck at the State Fair of Texas for two years, and you can see that reflected in the menu, which includes pancake breakfast tacos, beignet banana pudding nachos, waffles on sticks, honey bun and funnel cake patty melts and boudin (or boudain in Texas) egg rolls (which are freaking phenomenal).

Outside of Lindsey’s restaurant, there’s a sign saying, “Come get fat.” And Lindsey doubled down on that as we walked in, assuring us, “If you’re here to get fat, we got you.”

The space is small, humble and patriotic — both Lindsey and her fiancé are fiercely proud veterans. They’re also devoutly religious, offering prayer cards to any customer who walks in. As we sat down, diners at the two nearest tables glanced at us with knowing nods as if to say, “You’ve come to the right place.”

“God blessed me with the gift of cooking, and I want to share that. I love watching people enjoy my food. It brings happiness to my heart,” Lindsey said.

Hot Link Nachos and Smoked Bologna

Other menu offerings include (but are not limited to) sweet potato bowls, dirty rice bowls, po’ boys, lamb patty melts, smashburgers, pork chops and waffles, hot link nachos, smoked bologna, beef “dinosaur” ribs and smoked alligator links. Speaking of alligators (which are also available in deep-fried form), Lindsey offers whole Cajun-smoked alligators via preorder. And the full spectrum of traditional barbecue offerings is on hand, from brisket to pork ribs to smoked chicken.

“There was only one other barbecue place in Gladewater. That’s why we came,” Lindsey told us. And the prices here are a steal by today’s standards. “Folks keep telling me to raise prices, but I’m not going to. I want to keep it affordable. If I make a little bit by the end of the week, I’m good.”

Priced Right

For $40, we got dirty jambalaya (with crab meat, turkey, sausage and chicken), brisket mac and cheese, a smoked pulled pork sandwich, a honey bun patty melt, and funnel cake fries with chocolate.

And they don’t skimp on portions here. The jambalaya and the brisket mac and cheese were outstanding. The honey bun patty melt, which had to have been born directly out of Lindsey’s State Fair roots, is precisely how it sounds: A grilled beef patty with cheese and onions sandwiched between two honey buns and then waffle-ironed on the grill. It should be illegal, but this over-the-top combination of sweet and savory had us in love from the first bite. And the smoked pulled pork sandwich would rival any in Dallas.

As we neared the end of our lunch, Lindsey, who has been cooking for 25 years, sat and talked with us.

“It’s hard but rewarding work. We only get one true day off a week. Eighteen-hour days are the norm because smoking barbecue the right way requires over 12 hours itself,” said Lindsey, who is also involved in a community church program that feeds the hungry.

“This business is for my dad, Robert Lee Albright Jr. He took care of me and my brother after my mother died. He passed away three years ago. And he’s the reason I won’t give up,” she said.

Nobody’s T&K Pop-Up Grill and Café, 186 North Mill St. No. 10, Gladewater. 12-4:30 p.m. with takeout service and outdoor seating.