Owner Allyson Wiggins hands an order to a drive through customer Friday, August 1, 2025, at DeuceÕs Taste of the South in Broussard, La.

Brisket has a mystique all its own. From its bark to the tender, melt-in-your-mouth meat, a great slice of brisket is more than just a meal -- it's a moment of connection to the traditions, flavors and craft of barbecue.

For chef Shane Wiggins of Deuce's Taste of the South, that tradition is firmly based in Texas. Wiggins, who is from the central Texas town of Normangee, grew up around his grandfather's butcher shop. After working in the oil field for more than 20 years, he's back to carving meat out of a little drive-thru spot in Broussard, slinging breakfast tacos, pulled pork, smoked brisket and classic barbecue sides like mac and cheese and purple hull peas to hungry customers.

There's something undeniable about his brisket, which comes with a richly caramelized and flavorful exterior bark (a crust formed from the reaction of spices, sugars and the outer layer of the brisket itself as it smokes.) According to Wiggins, it's the bark that sets a Texas brisket apart -- and you only get it with a long, low-temperature smoke.

"I just use a simple seasoning, with salt, pepper and some seasoning rub," he said. "The main thing is the slow, low-temperature cooking overnight. I use pecan wood for everything I smoke, and that's where you get that flavor profile from.

"The bark is not something you can necessarily get cooking on a grill, or in an oven, where you get a lot of folks saucing it while it's cooking. This gets seasoned, smoked overnight, and that's it. If you want sauce on it, we have our own barbecue sauce. You can put that on there, but that's your choice. You know, we try to let the meat speak for itself."

Deuce's sauce is a balanced concoction that doesn't lean too sweet and isn't too thick, but adds the perfect tangy note when dripping down a pulled pork or brisket sandwich.

"It's my own recipe that I've made and refined over years and years. It brings a good balance to the smoke of the barbecue to help accentuate the flavors," said Wiggins.

Shane and Allyson Wiggins opened Deuce's Taste of the South in 2022, after a hard period of losses in both of their families. The trailer, where the couple spends hours a day smoking meats and serving customers, became a refuge for both of them as they figured out the ropes of being first-time restaurant owners. Despite not having a brick-and-mortar -- Deuce's is located in a food truck off of U.S. 90, at 2007 E. Main St. in Broussard -- Wiggins said that the food started taking off quickly, becoming especially popular with salesmen traveling up and down the Lafayette to Houma corridor.

It might have been the breakfast tacos that started pulling people in, said Wiggins.

"Texas-style barbecue is not really that prevalent in the Acadiana area. There also are not a lot of places that do breakfast tacos, which we make fresh everyday. That was one of the main things I missed in Texas," he said.

Deuce's breakfast tacos, when available, can be prepared with smoked brisket, pulled pork, chorizo, bacon, hash browns -- everything you want in a hot, compact meal picked up before a hard day's work.

READ MORE: Looking for good Louisiana barbecue? These Cajun spots are in a class of their own.

The couple have no plans to move on from their current location to a full-service restaurant, and are busy now preparing a smaller trailer to be able to bring barbecue to more local markets and other pop-up events. They are also planning the launch of a new idea for the Acadiana area: a barbecue date night special featuring local comedy and a rib eye dinner under the stars.

"We'll call it date night at Deuce's," Wiggins said. "Rib eye, baked potato, sides, salad, roll. Adults only, BYOB, a comedy show where you don't have to worry about the kids being there. Maybe in November, when it's nice and cool out."

Deuce's Taste of the South is open for breakfast and lunch hours only, 7 a.m. till 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. They are open 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays, and are closed Sunday and Monday.