Months after announcing plans to expand his popular food truck into a brick-and-mortar venture, barbecue aficionado Ken Alexander lit up the smokers and swung open the doors to Kenโ€™s Hardwood Barbecue at 5250 E. 22nd St.

Kenโ€™s sits on hallowed barbecue ground โ€” the building was once home to the much-beloved Jackโ€™s Original Barbecue โ€” one of Tucsonโ€™s original barbecue restaurants that was in business from 1950 to 2013 โ€” and a couple of barbecue chains before Alexander inked a five-year lease in April.

Alexander, who retired from Raytheon, launched Kenโ€™s Hardwood Barbecue food truck in late 2015 with his son and nephew.

A note on Kenโ€™s website (kenshardwoodbbq.com) says the mobile restaurant is not operating at this time. However there are plans to resume in July after they celebrate their grand opening July 1.

SUmmertime deals
at our favorite spots

Gotta love when our favorite restaurants decide they really want us to brave the blistering Tucson summer and come eat with them.

They make it worth it with sizzling deals, like these we stumbled upon on Facebook:

  • Zivaz Mexican Bistro, 4590 E. Broadway, 325-1234. Daily BOGO specials — get your second item for half-price when you buy the first at full price — includes their award-winning burgers on Fridays.
  • Sir Veza’s Taco Garage has half-off build-your-own burgers on Wednesdays.
  • Nearly two dozen Tucson Originals restaurants have summertime gift-certificate deals for discounts off the face value of the gift card. You can find the deals at tucsonoriginals.instagift.com
  • At Marana’s Monsoons Tap & Grill, 6781 N. Thornydale Road, when it rains it pours happy hour, all day on rainy days. Guess what folks? The 2017 monsoon officially begins Thursday, June 15.

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