A Lakewood food truck draws lines with good deals and viral commercials

Bobby Shorts, who plays the character of HamHock Jones, has been cooking Southern comfort food from his food truck since 2014, but this spring has by far been the best yet.

Some might attribute it to the viral success of two musical commercials. The first — called “I Got the Munchies” — debuted April 1, followed a couple weeks later by what could be Shorts’ biggest hit: “Mary Jane Texan Queen.” They quickly racked up views on Facebook, and since then, his business doubled on some days, according to Shorts.

“It definitely has garnered a lot of attention,” he laughed. KING 5 stopped by as did Q-13 Fox, and from there, “it just took off even more.”

In the videos and in the truck, Shorts takes on the role of HamHock Jones, his Ronald McDonald of sorts.

“Soul food, HamHock — you don’t forget that name,” he said, explaining the creative marketing behind the truck’s name and experience.

He pushed the Facebook posts with a few inexpensive ad-dollars, leading to a few thousand views and a “captive audience” awaiting his next drop.

“That’s what’s making me stand out,” Shorts said. “They don’t expect that from a food truck. Even though it’s not the typical commercial, in the age of the internet, there really aren’t no rules.”

So who is HamHock Jones?

“He is that wannabe rockstar in his own mind. Much like a spoof, I’m like the baddest, sexiest model, but really he don’t know that he’s old-school,” joked Shorts. “He’s just superfly — like your old Uncle Willy, from the 1970s.”

In casual conversation, Shorts is full of rhymes and poetic twists of phrase, which makes sense given the lyrics about juicy burgers he wrote based on songs like Nirvana’s “Polly.” At one point, he slid into an impressive rendition of The Carpenters’ “Close to You,” which could be a tease of his next commercial.

Shorts also points to his food, generous in portion and fair in price, and his boisterous, genuinely warm personality.

“They can feel my energy,” he told The News Tribune one night in early June. He called after a long day serving the people from a Shell parking lot at 6101 Steilacoom Blvd. “It’s all about bringing positivity to the world.”

His menu starts with a $3 burger and climbs to the $7 Queen Labeefah, a half-pound patty with a trio of cheeses, sauteed onions, bacon and a fried egg. The video namesake Texan Queen goes for $8 and provides a quarter-pounder with cheese, bacon, a hotlink and a fried egg. Make it a combo for $2 more.

Available only on Friday and Saturday, the Soul Shack Medley is brimming with fried fish, chicken wings and smoked baby-back ribs, with bread and a drink for $17. Custom grilled cheeses run $4 and cheesesteaks $7.

“I keep prices reasonable,” said Shorts. “I like to cater to the working man. You can feed your whole family. I pass the savings back onto the people.”

The food must be good, he admits, but it also must be made with soul.

That’s where the music comes in.

“As silly as it may sound, I feel like there’s two things that bring people together universally, and that’s food and music. You go to a company party, everybody’s chowing down, whether they’re black, white or brown,” he said. “Good food transcends any boundaries and so does good music. People try to affect the world how they can: My way is just to make people happy with my food.”

A musician since his teenage years, Shorts always intended to incorporate that talent into the food truck, which he opened after finding the space the day after his mother died unexpectedly. It was serendipitous, he said.

“I didn’t even plan on being here. I think it saved my life because it gave me some purpose.”

After working as a nurse for many years, where he loved to crack jokes with his patients, he learned how to cook, how to navigate the health department.

He wondered when he would catch a break, feeling highs and lows over the past six years. In fact, he wouldn’t even be able to play music every Friday and Saturday with his old musician friends, weather permitting, had COVID-19 not canceled classes at Tacoma Community College, where he often parked, and festivals, where he would have parked this spring and summer.

His cousin, a videographer, helped him shoot the videos with better cameras after he was laid off from his job in Las Vegas.

That the commercials have caught people’s attention in the midst of a global pandemic and perhaps a national reckoning of centuries of injustice against black Americans is, for Shorts, just life.

“When you do the things you’re meant to do, you’ll find less resistance,” he said.

The conversation turned briefly to the protests against police brutality and institutionalized racism, following the deaths of George Floyd and, in Tacoma, Manuel Ellis.

Shorts, who is black, responded with sincerity and charisma: “I love all people. I hate to see things going the way they’re going. My customers are all over the board — they’re black, white. I never feel racism. I found a way to really make a difference in the world.”

And with another easy rhyme, he added, “Your attitude will determine your altitude.”

HAMHOCK JONES SOUL SHACK

▪ 6101 Steilacoom Blvd., the Shell at Bridgeport Way

▪ Hours: Tuesday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 8 p.m.

▪ Live music from HamHock Jones and The Neckbones, Friday and Saturday, weather permitting

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This story was originally published June 11, 2020 at 10:00 AM.