Midwestern and Louisiana Cuisine Combine at the Taste Bud Bullies Food Truck

"I traveled back and forth between Chicago and Louisiana my entire life, so I grew up on all of it," says Jarmal "Chef Redd" Smith, owner of food truck Taste Bud Bullies. From barbecue and po'boys to casseroles, hots dogs and meats on a stick, Smith's offerings take inspiration from it all as he serves what he describes as "Midwest cuisine with a Louisiana influence."

Born and raised on Chicago's South Side, Smith got his love for Southern food from his father, a New Orleans native. But before getting into the culinary world as a career, he went to college to pursue a degree in post-secondary education. After graduating and starting training, however, "I instantly did not want to do it," he admits. "And it's funny, the entire time I was in school, I was always cooking. And a lot of people were like, 'This is what you should be doing.'"

Armed with a college degree in a field he no longer wished to pursue, Smith made a bold next move. "I bullshit you not: I packed my bags at midnight and I jumped on the road and moved to Georgia," he explains. "I had no plans. I didn't know where I was going to stay or anything."

After a few days in Georgia, Smith made the decision to attend Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts. He was nearing the end of culinary school and working an externship with the Wolfgang Puck Company when he had an idea. "I was sitting at this Jamaican spot for lunch, and I came up with the name Taste Bud Bullies in that moment ’cause I was trying to figure out what my next move was after school," he recalls.

At the time, he had no plans for a food truck. Instead, he launched Taste Bud Bullies as a catering company, booking his first gig as a chef in 2012.

Upon finishing his externship, Smith continued working for the Wolfgang Puck Company, where he focused on the catering side of things. He learned all aspects of the business and quickly progressed through the ranks to a management role. By the end of year two, he received an offer from the Commerce Country Club in Atlanta, where he became executive sous chef.

Although his education and experience prepared him for the role, he encountered a steep learning curve. "I had to learn to really trust people," he says. "I know I can do this and get it done, but I had to trust my staff and believe that they can get it done. In a high-pressure kitchen, I had to make sure that I provided staff with the proper information and tools for them to succeed."

Unexpectedly, his experience at the job led to a new opportunity — the country club was opening a location in Carbondale and asked Smith if he'd be open to transferring and helping to open the dining room. "I was like, yeah, why not?'" he remembers. His sister had just moved to the Denver area, but Smith was clueless about Colorado.

Because of the high cost and limited availability of housing in Carbondale, he was advised to live in Denver. Young and somewhat naive, he arrived in the city only to discover that Carbondale is three hours away. "I went to work for two days and was like, I can't do this," he says. "I forfeited my transfer, essentially quitting my job. I lost all my benefits and transfer stipend and had to start all over," Smith says.

He decided to stay in Denver, though, landing an executive-chef job at a retirement home in Centennial and later returning to catering with the Epicurean Hospitality Group. All the while, he kept Taste Bud Bullies going as well, securing more and more side gigs until 2020.

"When the pandemic hit, I had six upcoming catering events," Smith recalls. "Everyone canceled and asked for their money back. I thought I was going to have to file bankruptcy." Slightly discouraged, he had to develop a new plan. In 2017, his dad had purchased a trailer for him, so Smith pulled it out of storage and debuted Taste Bud Bullies as a food truck on March 23, 2020.

"My original idea was to operate with a fine-dining theme," he explains. "That's what I did with catering, and that was my experience. I had no clue what to put into a food truck. My idea lasted as long as our grand opening: one day." Stressed out and not sure how to move forward, he needed a new plan yet again. "I went home and smoked so much weed that night and thought to myself, this is a waste of time.

But his family offered advice and support, including his father. "My dad is so Louisiana, and was like, 'Everybody love an f'n po'boy," Smith says. He quickly realized that he'd been overthinking everything.

To help steer Taste Bud Bullies in the right direction, he now adheres to the acronym KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid." Instead of fine dining, he turned to the food he grew up with. "I decided to take the familiarity of [Chicago and New Orleans] and put my own flavor into them," he explains.

From Fried catfish and shrimp po'boy sandwiches topped with a garlic dill aioli to jerk chicken and hot wings, Smith serves up dishes that everyone can relate to. If you're in the mood for something unique, he recommends trying the Swamp Fries — a big batch of crispy fries topped with melted cheese, jumbo shrimp, crawfish tails, crab meat and a spicy sauce.

"What I love about what I do is that I give people affordable good eating at a quality convenience. Everything is authentic and made from scratch," Smith affirms. Looking forward, "My biggest plan right now, or the goal outside of the food truck aspect, is to open a brick-and-mortar to-go spot," he adds. "You know, something simple with a walk-up order window." But don't wait until then to try Smith's food.

Where to find it: Taste Bud Bullies is parked in front of the Dirty Duck Bar, at 4780 East Evans Avenue, from 3 to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 5 to 10 p.m. Friday. On Saturday and Sunday, it also makes an occasional appearance at Lady Justice Brewing (9735 East Colfax Avenue). Follow the truck on Instagram for updates on its location.