TEXARKANA, Arkansas – As the temperatures are beginning to warm up more and more food trucks are popping up as well. Mama Nem Mobile Kitchen is one that has been around for quite some time.
The idea to have this food truck came after owner Karen Blackwell and her husband Richard Blackwell were cooking for a local church. Blackwell enjoyed cooking so they began making food for the local trail rides, her oldest son would sometimes bring home his college friends, too. Blackwell also credits her older son for the name of the family truck.
"Well we started this about six years ago, and my son would always bring his friends home from college and they would always say we're going to mama and 'nem' house," owner Karen Blackwell said.
"Mama Nem Mobile Kitchen" sells a variety of southern foods, from catfish baskets, turkey legs, chicken strip baskets, both original and lemon pepper wings, nachos, homemade chili, gumbo and more.
"She loves to cook and I love to eat," said Richard Blackwell, co-owner of Mama Nem Mobile Kitchen. "Our motto is no gimmick, just good food."
This food truck is a way to bring the community together and it helps support their church and the pastoral ministry.
Now as a food truck owner, Blackwell never thought she would be in this position considering she hated cooking growing up.
"I did not like to cook and my mama would always try to make me cook. My mom always worked in cafes and I would watch her but never would do it. Now I use her recipe for the homemade chili and everyone loves it," Blackwell said.
As the Texarkana area begins to expand so are the businesses, but as a border city, Texarkana is unique. Blackwell loves that she is able to serve both sides of the city.
"I like being here in Texarkana on both sides of towns everyone comes out to support us and we do the food festivals everywhere. That's the biggest thing we have here in Texarkana," Blackwell said.
Mama Nem Mobile Kitchen is set up at 830 Hazel St. in Texarkana, Arkansas, in the parking lot of Lula Rose Thrift Store. They are open Thursdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
For more information on menu items, visit the Mama Nem Mobile Kitchen Facebook page.
Karen Blackwell, Owner is preparing French fries inside her Mama Nem Mobile Kitchen Foodtruck on Thursday, March 9, 2023. (Staff Photo by Sharda James)
Lanessa Powell prepares a turkey leg in the Mama Nem Mobile Kitchen food truck on Thursday, March 9, 2023. (Staff Photo by Sharda James.)