OGDEN — One of Northern Utah’s favorite food trucks and a purveyor of authentic Texas barbecue will be setting up shop (of the brick-and-mortar variety) in the building that formerly housed Slackwater Pizzeria.

Steve’s Black Sabbath BBQ, owned and operated by Steve Armstrong, is set to share the riverfront space — located at 1895 Washington Blvd. — with Taboo Pizza on a permanent basis, beginning next spring.

To announce the business’ forthcoming arrival, Armstrong is bringing his truck to the location Oct. 17 (from 6-9 p.m.) for a “Backyard BBQ Bash.” The free event will feature performances by Paddy Teglia and Zach Williams, no-cost sample bites and more.

“It’s just me kind of introducing myself to Ogden,” Armstrong told the Standard-Examiner. “I’m going to be letting folks try some food, and then they’ll be able to purchase plates and stuff from the food truck. So, we’re going to have live music and have tables out there, some cornhole, some rope toss and all that — right there on the river.”

Armstrong has been serving up his signature chicken wings and “BBQ Sammiches” with “Drunk Texas Chicken,” brisket, pulled pork and tater scoops on the side since 2021 when he decided the corporate life wasn’t his bag.

“I just absolutely hated it. There’s too many people there, politics and all that. And I was drinking beer with my buddies in my backyard and, of course, I’m throwing a little party and stuff. I have my barbecue going all over the place, and they’re like, ‘Steve, you hate your job. Why don’t you try selling this?'” Armstrong said. “That Monday — I think it was the next day — I put in my two-week notice and started researching.”

Now, you can find Armstrong serving up slow-smoked goodness all over the Beehive State each week, primarily in Weber and Davis counties (although he’s done events as far north as Bear Lake and as far south as St. George). And while a lot goes into making his meats taste as they do, Armstrong says he’s sourcing specific woods from his home state to help make the magic happen.

“I use live oak from south coastal Texas — like Victoria, Texas, on down to Corpus Christi — and the reason why is that the saltwater does something to that oak,” Armstrong said. “I get my mesquite from a little town called Haskell, Texas, where I help the ranchers out there.”

Armstrong says he makes the trip down to Texas “about three times a year” to get the wood he uses for smoking. And with a March or April opening targeted for the restaurant in Ogden, he figures those loads will be getting bigger in the year ahead.

Despite the increased workload, Armstrong is excited for his partnership with Taboo Pizza.

“It is possibly the best pizza in this state that I have found. Between (Taboo Pizza owner Jeremy Holmes) and I, it’s going to be a nice marriage right there,” Armstrong said. “We’re going to do a lot of crossovers and that sort of thing. He’ll get some of my brisket, some of my chicken and stuff and put it on his pizzas, and then I’m going to smoke some of his pizzas.”

While Armstrong gets great joy out of seeing people enjoy his food, he also finds joy in giving, donating his time and tastes to charity events throughout the region. He’s an active member of the nonprofit Veteran Warrior Revival, which supports veterans reintegrating into civilian life.

He’ll receive the Hometown Heroes Award — presented by American Heroes Outdoors Television — for his charity work at Scheels in Sandy on Friday.