Bombar’BQ: Delicious Latin Fusion Food Truck in Byram

Tacos come in trios at Bombar’BQ. From left to right: smoked BBQ chicken, carne asada, carnitas.

Finding article subjects can, at times, be difficult. I know that for me, the best resources are often chefs and restaurant owners. One questions that comes up often when we run into each other is, “Where have you been eating lately?” Sometimes we’ll randomly send a text or DM when we feel passionately about an establishment, or in this case, a food truck!

The tip about Bombar’BQ came from Nathalia Gonzalez, who owns the wonderful Colombian restaurant Antojos in Norwalk. “Their food is delicious!” she wrote to me. “You have to come by and try them!”

When I had time to visit, she even threw in her recommendations of a carne asada taco, an arepa, and a creation called “Bomba Fries” topped with smoked brisket as per Nathalia’s suggestion.

I hopped in my Jeep after a gym session and punched the address into Google Maps. I noticed it was just off Mill Street in the Byram section of Greenwich. Cool. Easy enough. No traffic on 95? Even better. Eighteen minutes later, I pulled up by Ebb Tide Boat Rentals and spotted the Bombar’BQ trailer sitting right on the side of the bait & tackle shop. I love fishing, but I certainly wasn’t there for sandworms or bunker.

Before knowing what Bombar’BQ is all about, getting to know its owner, Ruddy Bollat, is essential.

Bollat didn’t have a background in the hospitality industry until he came to the U.S. a decade ago. In fact, he was an accountant in his home country of Guatemala. “In my country it’s hard to succeed in the restaurant/hospitality industry,” he says. “I’ve always been passionate about food, so when I came to the U.S. I saw an opportunity. Since I was an accountant, being good with numbers helped me succeed as a chef here.”

Colombian style arepa with chorizo. Bollat ran with the idea he had for a restaurant but with a food trailer. “The original idea was to open a restaurant and bar that showcased my wife (Wendy) and I’s culinary experiences,” he says.

From there, Bollat got bit by the restaurant bug when he took a job a bartaco Westport as a dishwasher. It wasn’t long until he was offered an opportunity to cook on the line. It was onward and upward after that. “I was hungry to succeed,” he says. “It took me two years before I became the executive chef of bartaco in Stamford. In 2016, I transferred to Barcelona Wine Bar. I worked in Norwalk, D.C., Denver, and Philly.”

After his long stint with the Barteca Restaurant Group, Bollat worked as the kitchen director at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, then with Hudson Grille in White Plains, and he helped out at Hudson’s other concept, Lilly’s.

Hey! There’s some vegan friendly fare here! Fried Brussels sprouts with pickled onions and teriyaki sauce. You’ll also find truffle fries and grilled veggie skewers.

Right around the time Bollat made the decision to do his own thing, the pandemic hit. “It was hard to open a restaurant, so we decided to open a food trailer,” he says. “The plan was to have a Latin BBQ fusion concept. A lot of the techniques and spices we use are influenced by Central and South American cultures.”

And that’s how Bombar’BQ was born.

But what about the name “Bombar’BQ?” “Bom” means “good” in Portuguese and Bollat told us that the idea for a brick-and-mortar was to have not only good food but a “good bar.” That’s where the “bar” part comes in, and the “BQ” is because he’s smoking chicken, brisket, and more to mash up with his Latin flavors.

Bollat revealed that he and Wendy are always experimenting and switching up the menu seasonally. “There is always a surprise around the corner,” he says.

As far as what you might expect from Bombar’BQ’s menu, think Mexican inspired tacos, Colombian and Venezuelan style arepas, Brazilian tapas or pinxtos, and some Argentinian chimichurri.

These fries are no side piece.

And then there’s what’s arguably their signature item…Bomba Fries. It’s a heaping order of crispy, salty fries that are a bit larger than shoestrings, topped with chipotle aioli, mozzarella, cilantro, guacamole, pico de gallo, bacon bits, and your choice of meat. I’m not saying tender carne asada, BBQ chicken, or spicy chorizo is wrong. You do you. But smoky, fatty, chunks of brisket is the answer.

Soon enough, Bollat said they’ll have more salad and dessert options on the menu, and they plan to buy a smoker to keep at the trailer so customers can get their tacos, arepas, or otherwise topped with meat straight out of the smoker. Currently they smoke offsite at a commercial kitchen in Norwalk.

Oh, and that idea for an actual storefront? It’s coming, according to Bollat. “We actually kept the name Bombar’BQ because we still intend to open up our original concept.”

In the meantime, get to the trailer!

112 South Water Street; Greenwich
Follow Bombar’BQ on Instagram for updates on hours and location
bombarbq.com