There's no shortage of mom and pop, cafeteria-style Filipino restaurants in Tampa Bay, but one new food truck is offering a unique twist on classic Pinoy dishes.
Owner and chef Kevin Baumgartner is a Pinellas County native with years of kitchen experience—and he recently launched his first food truck endeavor called Kuya Kevin's Filipino Fusion BBQ.
Dishing out “authentic Filipino cuisine fused with Western-style cooking methods,” the 34-year-old celebrated the grand opening of Kuya Kevin’s in early August.
“I’ve spent the last few years trying to change up the conventional dishes to try to add a little bit of a twist to it," Baumgartner tells Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. "Kuya" is a tagalog word that translates to "older brother."
“One of the first questions I get from customers is what ‘Kuya’ means," Baumgartner added. "I think the name invokes curiosity and is a good way to get people interested in a cuisine that they may not know much about.”
For now, Kuya Kevin’s menu consists of a few classic Filipino favorites like crispy lumpia, pancit and BBQ pork skewers or inihaw, plus a few of Baumgartner’s own twists—like his chicken wings marinated in sinigang (a sour tamarind soup) and then deep fried.
He’s constantly workshopping new dishes to add to the rotation of permanent menu items, like a smoked, pork belly sisig and a poutine-style dish with chicken adobo and fries.
Baumgartner tells CL that the “fusion” element of his food truck is based on his Filipino and American backgrounds, incorporating Western barbecue techniques into traditional Pinoy fare.
For now, Kuya Kevin’s is popping up in Clearwater, Largo, Safety Harbor and St. Petersburg, with plans to head across the bridge to Tampa soon.
The food truck’s schedule can be browsed on the Kuya Kevin’s website.
“My dad was always the one who told me that I was going to be a chef when I grew up—and now here I am, doing exactly that,” Baumgartner says. “He did pass away two years ago, but it feels like I’m really building a legacy using knowledge that he’s passed down to me, and it makes me a little bit more proud to be doing this. And I certainly couldn’t have done it without the support from my family, friends, mom and wife.”
“It's been very overwhelming so far,” he continues with a laugh.
Head to @kuyakevinsbbq on Instagram or its Facebook page for the latest updates on the new food truck’s schedule, menu items and more.
Baumgartner also offers catering services and off-menu items—interested customers can send an email to [email protected] for more information.
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Owner and chef Kevin Baumgartner is a Pinellas County native with years of kitchen experience—and he recently launched his first food truck endeavor called Kuya Kevin's Filipino Fusion BBQ.
Dishing out “authentic Filipino cuisine fused with Western-style cooking methods,” the 34-year-old celebrated the grand opening of Kuya Kevin’s in early August.
“I’ve spent the last few years trying to change up the conventional dishes to try to add a little bit of a twist to it," Baumgartner tells Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. "Kuya" is a tagalog word that translates to "older brother."
“One of the first questions I get from customers is what ‘Kuya’ means," Baumgartner added. "I think the name invokes curiosity and is a good way to get people interested in a cuisine that they may not know much about.”
For now, Kuya Kevin’s menu consists of a few classic Filipino favorites like crispy lumpia, pancit and BBQ pork skewers or inihaw, plus a few of Baumgartner’s own twists—like his chicken wings marinated in sinigang (a sour tamarind soup) and then deep fried.
He’s constantly workshopping new dishes to add to the rotation of permanent menu items, like a smoked, pork belly sisig and a poutine-style dish with chicken adobo and fries.
Baumgartner tells CL that the “fusion” element of his food truck is based on his Filipino and American backgrounds, incorporating Western barbecue techniques into traditional Pinoy fare.
For now, Kuya Kevin’s is popping up in Clearwater, Largo, Safety Harbor and St. Petersburg, with plans to head across the bridge to Tampa soon.
The food truck’s schedule can be browsed on the Kuya Kevin’s website.
“My dad was always the one who told me that I was going to be a chef when I grew up—and now here I am, doing exactly that,” Baumgartner says. “He did pass away two years ago, but it feels like I’m really building a legacy using knowledge that he’s passed down to me, and it makes me a little bit more proud to be doing this. And I certainly couldn’t have done it without the support from my family, friends, mom and wife.”
“It's been very overwhelming so far,” he continues with a laugh.
Head to @kuyakevinsbbq on Instagram or its Facebook page for the latest updates on the new food truck’s schedule, menu items and more.
Baumgartner also offers catering services and off-menu items—interested customers can send an email to [email protected] for more information.
Subscribe to Creative Loafing newsletters.
Follow us: Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
