I may not know much, but I know this: Working in a food truck carries its own set of difficulties, entirely separate from launching a more traditional brick-and-mortar restaurant. Oh sure, it’s a comparatively inexpensive way to prove your concept and get your name out there. But unbelievably close quarters, a total lack of storage, an inability to receive deliveries, downsized smaller equipment, wastewater management, a complete lack of climate control, and the rigors of working in an uninsulated tin box in an environment that can swing from 50 degrees in the morning to 95 degrees by afternoon isn’t for the faint of heart. Basically, operating a food truck or concession trailer means facing all of the normal difficulties of opening a restaurant, and then ADDS all of the problems associated with keeping an old, sometimes mechanically unsound truck or a tiny trailer operating smoothly.

I’m no expert in slow-smoked barbecue either, but I’ve dabbled enough to know what a risky proposition it is for the independent operator, particularly in an area as small as ours. You’re talking about very expensive cuts of meat that take an incredibly long time to cook, and basically have zero shelf life beyond the day they’re cooked. Mess up a smoke, and you’re out hundreds. Underestimate demand, and you’re not maximizing your potential. Overestimate, and you’re stuck with pounds of cooked meat that really can’t be sold the following day. It’s high-risk, high labor work, with a lot of potential for downside.

So, given the challenges of operating a mobile restaurant, and the high stakes of serving food with such a narrow margin for error, what led Jason Gage and Alexandra Curtis to open Smok’d, Rockport’s newest addition to the Midcoast’s burgeoning mobile food scene?

The answer, as it turns out, is pretty simple: Gage just godamned loves barbecue. And after one meal at Smok’d, I think Midcoast Maine is going to love it, too.

Set against the lush backdrop of Guini Ridge Farm & Garden, the distinctive, brand-spanking-new black and yellow concession trailer was already busy filling the parking lot with the smell of smoldering meat. The menu is tight and focused; there are a few sandwich options, as well as meat-and-sides combo plates with your choice of sliced brisket, pulled pork, or ribs, with your choice of macaroni and cheese, “loaded” baked potato salad, or slaw. Service was quick, and the pricing was more than fair, given the massive portions and the labor that clearly goes into every cardboard container.

I loved everything I tried on opening day, including very meaty baby back ribs that were, to my way of thinking, cooked perfectly. I believe ribs should have a tiny bit of pull, and not just fall apart into mush (“fall off the bone,” FEH!). After all, if that’s what you’re after, you may as well cook them in a pressure cooker. Instead, Jason’s ribs were unbelievably tender, with a lovely thick cap of bark, and just the slightest resistance when hungry teeth rend meat from bone, which is as the barbecue gods intended. The crimson rub is baked in beautifully, and I really appreciated the light saucing these ribs received; too often, shoddy barbecue is masked by gallons of gloppy, sweet sauce, which these ribs just didn’t need.

The brisket was similarly satisfying, and let me tell you, I have messed up more than my fair share of smoked briskets. The version at Smok’d is available sliced in the combination plates, or chopped on a sandwich dressed with pickles and pickled red onions, the acidity perfectly cutting through the fatty richness of the meat. The smoke-ringed brisket was moist, not at all pot-roasty like mine usually turns out, and pulled apart in that webby, almost lace-like way that tells you someone got the cook exactly right..

The sides are worth a special note, as well: I tried generous 8oz portions of both the slaw and the Loaded Potato Salad, and was immediately stoked to find that these weren’t scooped out of a 55 gallon drum of Boston Salads Sysco uni-food. There was none of that weird chemical tang present in prefab side salads, and Smok’d is clearly treating their sides as star players, instead of an afterthought.

Today marked an impressive debut for Smok’d, and the care and attention to detail was clear in every choice the owners made in the preparation, packaging, and presentation of their prized proteins. But what struck me most wasn’t just the quality of the food. It was the sense that every decision, from the restrained use of sauce to the scratch-made sides to the freaking bag that my food was packaged in, came from someone who has spent a lot of time thinking about barbecue, not just selling it.

Opening a food trailer is hard. Opening one centered around slow-smoked barbecue is harder still. It takes patience, confidence, and more than a little faith that people will show up for food that can’t be rushed or faked. Based on opening day, Jason Gage and Alexandra Curtis have every reason to believe they will.

Smok’d plans to operate through Christmas, weather permitting. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for hours, specials, and pop-up events.

Smok’d | 310 Commercial Street, Rockport, Maine | Find them on Facebook