Aug. 9, 2023

A soul food restaurant in Lennox is also on the road now with a food truck.

Joni Williamson opened Auntie J’s American Soul Food in March 2022, serving cafeteria-style meals with offerings like barbecued ribs, fried chicken, fried catfish, collard greens and cornbread.

Now, she has a partner in the restaurant and the new food truck: April Woody of Sioux Falls.

“She started out as the friend of a customer,” Williamson said. “Last year, during a brunch and one of my first busiest brunches, she jumped in and offered to help, and she’s been helping me and working with me ever since.”

The co-owners’ skills mesh, Williamson said.

“She just loves hospitality and loves community. She took right to customer service. She takes care of the front of house at the cafe. On the truck, she’s the cashier and all-around helper.”

The food truck made its debut at Lennox’s Fourth of July celebration, which sees huge crowds every year.

“It was a big learning curve,” Williamson said of the shift in operations from a brick-and-mortar restaurant to one on wheels.

The food truck’s offerings are like the cafe’s: “We don’t stay to a set menu. … We will adapt to whatever the job calls for. We keep to the soul food, but it’s whatever the event calls for.”

Popular item so far have included homemade mac-and-cheese topped with pulled pork or barbecued chicken, loaded nachos and Indian tacos.

Kids like plain mac-and-cheese or nachos, she said. The trailer has a freezer, so Williamson and Woody have been stocking popsicles and ice cream treats.

Thursday, Auntie J’s will be in Sioux Falls for an open house from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at Avera McKennan Fitness Center. Wellness Fest will feature yard games, firetruck and helicopter tours, live music, food trucks and vendors. For that event, Williamson is making soul food plates with jerk beef and pork meatballs or barbecued pulled chicken with sides of mac-and-cheese, collard greens and honey cornbread. There also will be loaded mac-and-cheese bowls, loaded nachos and tropical fruit and rhubarb lemonade.

Friday evening, the food truck is headed to Worthing for its biweekly farmers market. It will be back in Sioux Falls on Aug. 19 for Lupulin Brewing Co.’s anniversary party.

The women plan to keep booking public and private events as long as the weather stays warm.

The restaurant in Lennox has tried a variety of hours in the past year, seeking to find what appeals most to customers. For now, it’s offering a country-style brunch buffet on the first Sunday of the month and a fish fry with a few other menu items every Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. when the food truck isn’t booked.

Williamson has been enjoying her time on the trailer.

“We get to see more people. People seem to be really excited to eat outside and off a truck,” she said. “It’s fun. We get to be a part of stuff that’s going on.”

Find locations on Auntie J’s Facebook page.

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