Ryan Ross and Rick Sharman grew up in Texas where, naturally, good barbecue became a staple in their diets. Though the pair didn’t meet until college, they developed a bond that, despite distance and time, would eventually lead them to open a barbecue-based food truck together.
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20 years ago, Ryan moved to Colorado from Texas to become a river rafting guide in Buena Vista. 14 years later, he decided to call up his friend Rick and persuade him to move to the place he’d come to love and call home. Rick, who was already on the cusp of leaving the Lone Star State, packed up and reunited with Ryan.
Then, last October, the two launched RxR Texas Tacos & BBQ to bring a taste of Texas to Colorado. The stationary truck permanently posts up in the Arc Thrift Store lot at 1400 West Littleton Boulevard.
“The food we grew up on in Texas is a lot harder to find out here. It’s just different,” Ryan told Westword. “And with all the Texans moving out here, we wanted to give them the same stuff we grew up with.”
In 2022, the duo’s food took top honors for both the judge’s and people’s choice in the barbecue tacos category at Top Taco.
Despite both having culinary and hospitality backgrounds, the team admits there have been a few growing pains in operating the food truck. However, they’re diligently and smartly working through the hiccups and enjoying the fruits of their flavorful labor. According to Westword, Both Ryan and Rick want to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant in the future.
Some of their eclectic, eccentric, and downright delicious menu options include:
- The El Camino – a quarter-pound of brisket served on a flour tortilla with scrambled eggs and cheese and then topped with homemade jalapeno salsa.
- The Migas breakfast taco – eggs, onion, jalapenos, tomatoes, and corn tortilla chips served on a flour tortilla.
- Carne Guisada – chunks of beef cheek in a rich gravy, topped with extra cheese.
- Meat Shot – a piece of brisket served in a small ramekin with a little barbecue sauce on top.
An interview with Rick Sharman about the eventual brick-and-mortar is forthcoming.