Brown Bagger food truck reputation growing as best burger joint in Pensacola

East Hill’s Brown Bagger food items truck, stationed in just the tree tunnel of Wisteria Tavern, has been sparking rumors of the best burger in the Panhandle since opening in January 2021.

But what accurately is it about them that has contributed to the regular market-outs?

Some consumers say it can be the freshly baked potato bun from Pensacola’s Craft bakery. Other folks argue it is hand-shaped quarter pound Waygu beef that serves as the highlight of the signature Bagger Burger.

Brown Bagger co-owner Tim Thompson reported the brand name goes deeper than the substances positioned inside the “dangle unfastened” beige bag.

Spirit of the Brown Bagger

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Thompson and co-owner Ellis O’Neal said inspite of the results they had in their unique careers in the many years foremost up to opening Brown Bagger, there was one thing that felt indescribably special about the food items truck notion.

Following a recreation of disc golf, the two started swapping kitchen area war tales and targets for the upcoming. Once knowing how likeminded they were being, they started to toy with the strategy of opening up a business enterprise alongside one another.

Thompson worked at Peg Leg Pete’s and International Grill, offering him the experience he wanted to take care of equally higher-volume orders and great eating strategies that aided to shape a position of his have.

“Personally, I experience like we drop appropriate in the center, which would be like a rapid-casual but a small on the increased facet for the experience and the merchandise,” Thompson reported.

At the time, O’Neal experienced a flourishing vocation in developing kitchen devices and Thompson was co-founder of Crystal Creak Organics, a community CBD enterprise. Each ended up instructed it was ludicrous to go away their work opportunities powering to commence clean to do something that would just be entertaining.

Tale carries on

Even their personal distinctions were being considered strengths as business companions, as Thompson considers himself an “eternal optimist” the place the sky is the restrict, though O’Neal keeps their anchor rooted to the ground.

As soon as connecting with personnel from Wisteria Tavern, who confirmed the two a secure location to set up store if they were being to make it take place, Thompson stated they were specified the inexperienced light-weight they required to set their plans into motion.

“We discovered a trailer mainly because every little thing was so affordable, every thing was so risky, we were being like, ‘Alright, let’s do it. Let’s just take this possibility,'” Thompson said.

They started out producing up brand proposals and a menu everyone could relate to and would carry folks alongside one another.

“I preferred to cast a incredibly broad net. I wanted to build a model and encounter that anyone could arrive and enjoy. I think that has occur to fruition,” Thompson stated. “We have this sort of a diverse team of people today that guidance us — you bought your businesspeople, your functioning course individuals, all your get the job done crews out there end by way of. We’ve acquired college youngsters, older men and women, it’s all family members-pleasant, puppies, the entire nine yards. … We want it to be a put you can variety of escape.”

Even if with a menu designed off of seemingly simple things, like burgers and fries, there ended up even now hrs of prep involved to consider their foodstuff to the future degree.

Times were being used slicing potatoes into what would turn out to be crispy, salty, shoestring fries. Thompson said their life altered when they realized they could buy pre-sliced brussels sprouts, which now provide as 1 of the most well known sides when fried up and tossed with a balsamic glaze.

They knew quite immediately they have been likely to have to have extra devices and much more staff members for the company they were having, which now equates in quantity to a complete-dimensions restaurant’s lunch rush, Thompson reported.

“We the two had newborns at the similar time. … We just retained our heads down and we pushed,” Thompson explained. “It was not some easy, quick route.”

Hard highway towards sobriety

Even though it appeared from the outside that Thompson was achieving the pinnacle of achievement — like a booming business enterprise and wonderful family members — he even now was building the silent every day final decision to go after his sobriety.

Now, seven years immediately after earning the decision to remain dry, his sobriety is a person of the most reoccurring goods on his morning gratefulness list he constructs the 1st two minutes of each and every day.

“I would be lifeless or in jail,” Thompson reported of his alcoholism. “I just wasn’t a very good individual, it was simply because I was depressed and I had an habit. Everyday living is challenging now, but it was truly tricky then. I thank my spouse and my support group and myself, I give some props to myself. It is challenging to be happy of myself, at minimum for me it is.”

“I experienced an epiphany, I explained no far more. … I ended up getting a property, having engaged, obtaining a child, building two corporations, advertising a residence, receiving a piece of real estate. … It just goes on and on and that was all only possible due to the fact of my sobriety. I really like sharing it because it really is so tricky and you will find so lots of people today battling addiction,” Thompson extra.

Thompson reported the foreseeable future is only looking up, as he and O’Neal hope to develop their footprint in the long term and provide the brand to unique areas all over Pensacola.

The Brown Bagger meals truck is located at 3808 N. 12th Ave. Brown Bagger is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday via Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and shut Sunday.

This post originally appeared on Pensacola Information Journal: Pensacola’s ideal burger? East Hill’s Brown Bagger could possibly be