Poe’s Family Food Truck is uniting Jasper with delicious fare—and a smile

Words by Justin Hunter | Images by Al Blanton and Justin Hunter

Poe’s Family Sandwiches and More is causing mouths to water all over Walker County with their unique takes on soulful festival dishes. The food truck is bringing the street food of Black America to Jasper, Alabama.

Don’t come to the Poe’s Family Food Truck planning to count calories or macros because the fried broccoli alone will demolish your diet. The food is well-seasoned, flavorful, tasty, and lip-smacking good. 

The food truck has a wide menu: sandwiches, burgers, quesadillas, wings, load fries, and much more. You’ll need both hands to handle a Poe’s feast.

When owner Fred Poe got into the food-service industry at 15 years old, little did he know that it would turn into over 30 years of working in the restaurant world. Poe previously worked at Warehouse 319 as kitchen manager and chef, and this experience would become the culinary catalyst for Poe’s Sandwiches and More. 

In 2015, Fred began serving up delicious Philly cheesesteaks underneath a white tent at the local Foothills Festival. The two-day weekend was wildly successful, and Poe wanted to take his business to the next level. In 2018, he purchased his first food truck, an eight-foot pull-behind trailer.

“How I got into the food truck was a fluke,” Poe says as the aroma of loaded ranch fries fills the air. “Doing this wasn’t even in my plans. My idea was to find as many festivals as possible and set up a tent and actually start cooking.”

Poe’s Family Food Truck #1 isn’t fancy; it’s a simply-adorned, white food trailer parked in Browder’s Reliable Detail parking lot on Highway 78. You’ll hear the constant hum of the gas-powered generator and the noise of highway traffic while you wait for Heaven's manna to touch your soul.

“I’m not going to wrap the food truck,” Poe says as he greets customers placing their orders in the sultry June heat. “The basic white color of the truck reminds me where I came from. If I wrapped the truck, it would be destroying the journey of how I got to this place. I’m thankful and glad just to be here. Also, when they see the white food truck the people will know it’s me.”

Poe wants to continue to expand his business and increase the number of food trucks in his fleet. He recently purchased his second truck, a red and black pull-behind trailer, located in the Cricket Wireless parking lot next to Pat’s Archery & Outdoors. He has aspirations of setting up food trucks in Adamsville, Cullman and Birmingham. 

Community and family are built around food. Food is a great unifier. Food disarms us and brings us together, just as Poe’s Family Sandwiches and More is bringing Jasper together. And Fred is building friendships with every meal that passes through the front window. 

“We are serving good food with a smile,” Poe says. 

He greets every customer with a big smile as if each one is an old friend. 

MENU PREVIEW

Must Try – Philly Cheesesteak, Lemon Pepper Wings, and Fried Broccoli. 

In an addition to “The Best Philly Cheesesteak in All of Alabama,” Poe’s has the “best wings in all of Walker County.” They are crispy on the outside and so good they’ll leave anyone sucking on the bone. As you bite into the wing, steam rises from the white meat within. He also serves deep-fried flats and drums with an arrangement of seasonings to choose from.

Lastly, the fried broccoli is to die for and a great appetizer. If you know someone who hates the vegetable, this will change their mind. Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, the broccoli is battered and well-seasoned and comes with ranch dressing. 78