Our Story

30 Years on the Road

How it started. It started at Texas Lil's Dude Ranch, a party ranch his mother started when Trace was just 10 years old. They started doing their own catering. Twenty people became 10,000, so he built the world's largest transportable smoker: 57 ft 7 in long, 2,000 pounds of brisket at a time. Built in 1997, the paint wasn't dry on it when Texas Lil (Trace's mother) saw a need and decided, let's help these people. So they crossed the country for the first time to feed 7,000 flood victims in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

How it grew. When 9/11 wiped out a year of bookings, Trace bet everything on the smoker. He knew he had a good idea, but not everyone needs 2,000 lbs. of smoked anything, so he modified the original, added a grill under a hydraulic lid and hit the road. Bimbo Bakeries bought Mrs Baird's Bread with a goal of becoming the largest bread purveyor in the US. They signed on for one year, and that turned into eight. When Bimbo bought Oroweat, that sparked the first West Coast tour, the Oroweat Healthy Grilling Tour. Then Tyson Foods bought Wright Brand bacon, which spurred a two-year tour launching it in the Midwest. The History Channel picked up on that and signed on for one year, which turned into three: the History Cross Country Cookout Tour took it from Texas to New York to California and back in 90 days, three summers running. Add NBC, Big Ten, the H-E-B Centennial Celebration and Coca-Cola, plus a half dozen trips coast to coast. Somewhere along the way, the truck came full circle. Trace tells that one in the video.

Where it's going. Trace almost retired the rig. Then Big Ten football fell in love with it. In 2026 it earned the Guinness World Records title for the world's largest food truck. In 2027 it celebrates its 30th year and is looking to hit the road for the 30th Anniversary Tour, with a show in the making.

Trace Arnold

Owner · "The Rib Whisperer"

Trace built the Ultimate Smoker & Grill in 1997 and has been driving it to America's biggest events ever since. The Justin, Texas pitmaster earned the name "The Rib Whisperer" one rack at a time, cooking for crowds and cameras with History, NBC, Food Network and the Travel Channel. In 2026 he took the rig to a Guinness World Records title.

Brendan Lamb

Pitmaster · Live-Fire Chef

Brendan learned barbecue in Austin and made his name in North Texas, where he founded Smiley's Craft Barbecue. He cooked for Bobby Flay and Michael Symon on Food Network's BBQ Brawl, and has taught barbecue classes and consulted for other pitmasters. His style is Central Texas: salt, pepper, time and real respect for the meat. On the rig, he runs the fire.

Giving Back

Feeding people is where this started: 7,000 flood victims in North Dakota, a whole town and its hospital after the explosion in West, Texas, and a barbecue flight to Boston to thank the doctors there.

Today the truck powers the H3 Foundation, Hilltop Helping Hands: hearts that give and hands that help. Trace and his wife were both raised by single mothers, so H3 helps single moms with the basics, from the electric bill to clothes for the kids, and helps fill the need at Christmas and other local needs.

See the H3 Foundation →