Barbacoa Smoke

08/28/2026

SOLD OUT OF RIBS FOR TODAY!

More tomorrow!!😉

08/28/2026

👻 Ghost restock! 👻

Available today:
• 5 medium white
• 1 small white
• 4 small pink

Once they’re gone, they’re gone — so come snag your favorite before they disappear! 🎃

And hey… while you’re here, grab some BBQ for dinner and maybe surprise your wife with a little handmade ghost on your way home. 😉

Just saying, BBQ + a cute ghost = husband points. 😂

08/27/2026

These guys aren’t at the truck yet, but will be available and ready to purchase tomorrow - I apologize for the delay!

5 more medium ghost ($15 each)
2 more small ghost ($10 each)

Available today AFTER 1PM! 😊

08/27/2026

Not sure what to do for dinner?

We got you covered 😉

08/27/2026

Freshly shredded brisket 🤤

08/27/2026

5 more medium ghost ($15 each)
2 more small ghost ($10 each)

Available today AFTER 1PM! 😊

08/27/2026

Barbacoa Smoke 🔥💨

OPEN
Tuesday - Friday 11am-6pm
Saturdays 11am-4pm
Sundays CLOSED

📍127 East Lakeshore Drive

08/27/2026

08/27/2026

We’re getting close to the end of the season…
What’s an item you’d like us to try for a Wild Card Wednesday?! 🤔

08/26/2026

https://www.sevendaysvt.com/food-drink/fooddrinkfeatures/tasting-seven-smoking-hot-barbecue-spots-around-northern-vermont/?fbclid=PAVERFWAT8FY1wZG9mAmZkaWQWUNPtH0DinDWULsikvHlhkMuer8f6uGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDzEyNDAyNDU3NDI4NzQxNAABp765brIzdHDN-Azjmtj4zwHz-vNxhGDbct34QX2jl6O02PJoag9X-XmWp9cR_aem_qkNVOWl_HVqGtBGZ98DtEg

Louie Laberge grew up as a farm boy in Charlotte. After working his first job at Al’s French Frys in South Burlington when he was 19 years old, he started a career in construction that lasted decades. Then a friend gave him a meat smoker, and Laberge never looked back. He’d always liked cooking, and soon he was doing just that for his friends, as well as his fellow campers at Colchester’s Malletts Bay Campground, where he spends his summers.

“They all started telling me I needed to start a food truck, because there just wasn’t anything like this in town,” Laberge, 57, said.

In May, he made that idea into reality, opening the Barbacoa Smoke food truck on East Lakeshore Drive, tucked neatly behind the Pickled Perch restaurant. Laberge serves burgers, hot dogs and chicken fingers alongside his barbecue specialties: succulent Texas-style brisket ($18), pulled pork ($13) and ribs ($20 for a half rack; $35 for a full).

The kind of brisket I like to make, I spend 12 to 14 hours cooking.

LOUIE LABERGE
Preparing the meat the way he likes it requires Laberge to be an early riser. He starts the brisket a little before 4 a.m. each morning, trimming and seasoning it before throwing it in the smoker. The pork butts go on next, followed by the ribs, which take an average of six hours to cook to perfection. The result is mouthwatering, tender meat with a smoky, slightly sweet taste that has as much flavor as Laberge has patience.

“With this smoker, I can push through the brisket in seven hours or so, if need be,” he said. “But the kind of brisket I like to make, I spend 12 to 14 hours cooking. The best brisket is a really slow-cooked one.”

The Town of Colchester only allows food trucks to operate until October 1, so Laberge’s season doesn’t last as long as he’d like. Those in the know fill up while they can. On a recent afternoon, the line for barbecue included teenagers, construction workers from a nearby site and tourists staying near the bay. They’re drawn by the smell of slow-cooking meat and an ideal location for eating it, facing Bayside Beach.

“I’ve got the view, the marina,” Laberge pointed out. “Hard to beat!”

Chris Farnsworth