Pee Wee’s Canteen food truck business, which debuts this week, brings a new food option to downtown Bradenton with a focus on soul food, barbecue, seafood and lighter fare for lunch, including sandwiches, soups and salads.
It’s also a labor of love and a tribute to his mother, says owner Lee Washington, former acting administrator for Manatee County.
Pee Wee is his mother’s nickname from the years she worked as a short-order cook in Punta Gorda restaurants, while raising Lee and her other eight children.
Altamese Jones, now 84, was present last week for the soft opening of Pee Wee’s Canteen.
The select tastings menu, from Pee Wee’s soft opening, bears names from Washington’s military career and offers an idea of what the food truck is all about:
▪ The Bag Limit: Fish, shrimp and sides
▪ Tidal Tacos: Shrimp tacos
▪ High and Tight: Fried chicken dinner
▪ Heavy Guns: Barbecue rib dinner
▪ The Sergeant Major: Shrimp po’ boy sandwich
▪ Sides: Semper Fries, collard greens, baked beans, mac ‘n’ cheese and coleslaw