Serving up soul food

Smoke rises from the red tent on the corner of 17th and Dunn as people line up for a taste of the barbecue that has become a fixture on gamedays for more than a decade.

Will Thomas, known to most as Willy T, flips some ribs on the grill, joking with people standing around.

“Another game day,” he explains amid tailgaters, a light southern drawl coating his voice. “People come here hungry.”

The menu reminds customers that there is more to Willy T’s than just his famous “fall-off-the-bone ribs.” He also serves up traditional barbecue such as pulled pork and chicken. And a visit with Willy T reminds diners that there is more to the man at the grill than a red apron and tongs.

Willy T moved to Indiana and started working at the IU Cyclotron Facility in 1979. He still works as a technician for the facility during the week and grills on the corner during IU home football game weekends. He even helps cater to various people and groups, like the IU men’s basketball team.

He caught the cooking bug early as a boy growing up in North Carolina, where his mother was a cook at an Air Force base. He learned the tricks of the trade from her.

“Well, you just put ’em all in,” he joked nonchalantly about the “secret” to his famous ribs. “And you gotta know when to cook ’em.”

As much as he said he loves working on the corner by Memorial Stadium and mingling with tailgaters on game days, Willy has an even bigger future planned: opening a restaurant.

In the meantime, he said he will enjoy serving customers in the parking lot of the convenience mart, where he’s been for more than 10 years.

Although he spoke passionately about cooking and his plans for a restaurant, his smile widened as he talked about his two kids, Whitney and Kyle, both of whom are well-known in the IU athletic community. Whitney is a senior forward for the women’s basketball team, and Kyle is now an IU alumnus and former offensive tackle for the Hoosier football team.

“I couldn’t be more proud of my kids,” he said. “They are really great kids.”

Whitney said she is pretty lucky, too. She explained that growing up, her dad would always have a home-cooked meal waiting for her and her brother when they got home from practices. And even though they’re both grown up now, he hasn’t hung up the kitchen tongs.

“Every time I go home and tell my dad that I’m hungry, he will drop everything that he is doing and cook me a meal,” she said. “You can’t ask for any more than that.”

Bloomington resident Steve Yarus’ house backs up to Willy T’s tent. He had nothing but praise for the man who he said has “the best barbecue around.”

“Oh, from ribs to chicken to pulled pork, his food is second to none,” Yarus said. “And as for Willy as a person, well, there’s no one better. He’s a legend of his own time.”