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c/o Kevin Baumgartner

Kevin Baumgartner with his Filipino food truck from Pinellas.

There’s no shortage of small Filipino cafeteria restaurants in Tampa Bay, but a new food truck is offering a unique twist on classic Filipino dishes.

Owner and Chef Kevin Baumgartner is a Pinellas County native with years of experience in the kitchen and recently launched his first food truck business called Kuya Kevin’s Filipino Fusion BBQ.

The 34-year-old serves “authentic Filipino cuisine mixed with Western cooking methods” and celebrated the grand opening of Kuya Kevin’s in early August.

“I’ve spent the last few years tweaking traditional dishes and putting a twist on them,” Baumgartner tells Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “Kuya” is a Tagalog word meaning “older brother.”

“One of the first questions customers ask me is what ‘Kuya’ means,” Baumgartner added. “I think the name creates curiosity and is a good way to get people interested in a cuisine they may not know much about.”

Currently, Kuya Kevin’s menu consists of some popular Filipino classics like crispy lumpia, pancit and grilled pork skewers or inihaw, as well as some of Baumgartner’s own variations – like his chicken wings marinated in sinigang (a sour tamarind soup) and then deep-fried.

He’s constantly working on new dishes to add to the rotation of permanent menu items, such as a smoked pork belly sisig and a poutine-like dish with chicken adobo and fries.

Baumgartner tells CL that the “fusion” element of his food truck draws on his Filipino and American roots, incorporating Western barbecue techniques into traditional Filipino dishes.

Currently, Kuya Kevin’s is opening in Clearwater, Largo, Safety Harbor and St. Petersburg, and plans to expand across the bridge to Tampa soon.

The food truck’s schedules can be viewed on Kuya Kevin’s website.

“My dad was always the one who told me I was going to be a chef when I grew up – and now I’m here doing just that,” Baumgartner says. “He may have passed away two years ago, but it feels like I’m really building a legacy with the knowledge he passed on to me, and it makes me a little more proud to do it. And I certainly couldn’t have done it without the support of my family, friends, my mom and my wife.”

“So far it has been very overwhelming,” he continues, laughing.

Visit @kuyakevinsbbq on Instagram or their Facebook page for the most up-to-date information on the new food truck schedule, menu items and more.

Baumgartner also offers catering services and off-menu dishes. Interested customers can email (email protected) for more information.

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