Black Star Pirate BBQ’s original location in Richmond.
Freda Moon
In an Instagram post shared Monday, chef Tony Carracci announced that the eatery — newly christened as Black Star BBQ — would return as a pop-up seven days a week in the parking lot of Baltic Kiss, his other Southern-comfort restaurant and music venue at 135 Park Place in Richmond, just a little over 5 miles up the road from Black Star’s original location. Look for the food truck with a black paint job and skulls and gold stars adorning the exterior: A colorful handwritten wood plank sign will let you know you’re in the right place.
“We’re here every day, 11 to 5 or 6, whenever we sell out,” Caracci said in the video post. “Come and check us out, man.”
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The food truck started operating in late October, Caracci told SFGATE over the phone Wednesday in between taking orders from customers, but this is the first time he’s been serving food out of it on a regular basis. “I know people are going to think, ‘Why are you doing this in the winter?’ But I’m trying to get everything worked out so in the summer it’ll be just like it used to be, crazy all the time.”
But the demand seems to be already there.
“It’s been wildly busy, in the rain and everything,” he said. “I almost wondered if I should even open today. But it’s been insane, and the outpouring of support has been really heartwarming. I knew we were cool but I didn’t realize people loved us so much.”
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Most of Black Star’s favorites are back on the menu, including charred brisket, juicy pulled pork and fall-off-the-bone ribs. You can choose one and add two sides (black eyed peas, potato salad, macaroni and cheese, cowboy beans or coleslaw) to a bowl for $15, or order them a la carte for $7. Tater tots ($8) or loaded tots ($18) are also available to make all of your crispy, carby dreams come true.
“And we’ve got the best corn bread on the planet,” Caracci added. (That’s $4.)
The news of Black Star’s revival doesn’t exactly come as a surprise. Last year, the former shipyard worker turned makeup artist, longtime nightclub owner and then founding chef said he was considering plans for a monthly pop-up in the Baltic Kiss parking lot, but hadn’t ruled out the possibility of a permanent brick-and-mortar elsewhere in the near future.
“All we’re doing is bringing the party somewhere else,” he said at the time. “The show will go on. There’s no way it will go away.”
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On Wednesday, Caracci said he had previously been eyeing a new spot in Berkeley, but plans fell through a couple of months ago. While a standalone barbecue restaurant is still in the works, he’s happy with the system he’s running for now. “I’ve had a food truck for about three years and it’s just been in mothballs, so I was like, ‘Let’s make it happen, captain,’ and I did something about it.”
It’s only a matter of time until Guy Fieri shows up, so grab a bite before the lines get too long.
This story has been updated.
