Narja Campbell has worked as a gourmet chef, but his catering company also brings down-home savory Tex-Mex barbecue cuisine to life.
Campbell’s Catering, located right off Manhattan Avenue in South Tampa, was born from Campbell’s longtime passion for fine cooking. Campbell found his love for the kitchen when he was a little kid. His mother’s cooking brought him inspiration and taught him how to cook for a community.
“My mom, coming up, she’s always making sweet potato pies Just make the ginormous meals,” Campbell said.
Campbell has been in the food business for 24 years and has done just about everything. He’s worked in some of Tampa’s high-end restaurants, served as the chef at the Hageman Reserve, and has even been the governor’s sous chef. His extensive history has led to this. Campbell’s Catering opened its South Tampa location in December 2020. The grill hitched to the small trailer may be unassuming, but he makes sure that people can taste the dedication he puts in.
The homemade Tex-Mex flavor is what Campbell says makes him unique in the Tampa Bay area. One thing the customers can taste: the variety of ingredients and inspirations.
“Growing up, the Tex-Mex, the Spanish influence, you can see it throughout most of my menus, most of my dishes and stuff,” Campbell said.
When cooking, he uses different woods to create different tastes in the grill pit. He can smoke a brisket for up to 16 hours and makes sure that each flavorful combination shows his inspirations and dedication. His meticulous attention to detail blends the flavors together, without making anything too harsh or overpowering.
Campbell has been working with food in the Tampa Bay area for eight years now and loves the community that he has created surrounding his food. He never calls his customers a community, or even customers. To him, they are a family.
Campbell’s Catering is at 4325 W. Euclid Ave, at the corner of Euclid and Manhattan avenues. If you want his catering services, schedule an appointment by calling (850) 591-1676, or visit the website.
Editor’s Note: Today’s video package contains a second story, a preview of Veterans Day, reported by Rolynn Wilson.
