Nice to meet ya: Rob Moon

Not far from Dripping Springs, on hills and in the valleys, people live and still work ranches. A drive to Mount Gainor between Wimberley and Dripping Springs is surprisingly rural and empty when you consider the development on Ranch Road 12 and U.S. 290.

In a short while, you are in ranch country and people and houses are few and far between. That doesn’t mean people are not there. They are and some of them in need, especially with the shutdown and pandemic.

Going up a hill, maybe the second highest point in Hays County, opening and closing cattle gates, Rob Moon and his working farm and ranch greet you surrounded by valleys and hills. It is one of those places that seem like that when you look out, it goes on forever. It is truly pastoral, only central Texas style.

But on Wednesday afternoons the activity starts, with meat already soaking in brine, more preparations get underway for the banquet of BBQ sandwiches. The signs will go out on Mt. Gainor Road, the white tent will go out the next day. Rob Moon is a happy man in serving those who, out here, might be missed.

He’s a private banker at Merrill Lynch and when the lockdown for the pandemic came down, he was downright bored. He was used to working from home, he had been doing it for eighteen years with research and most of the legwork done before having to meet face to face with clients.

“During the lockdown part in April [2020], you know, March and April, I was bored stiff. And, you know, I was very aware of all these people that were being displaced and losing their jobs. And I love to cook. I was trying to figure out a way I could give back and thought well, why don't you just smoke up pork butt every Wednesday night and hand out free sandwiches on Thursday. And I tried it and it was a hit,” said Moon.

“I usually do about 10 pounds, you get about three sandwiches per pound. I produce anywhere from 30 to 35 sandwiches every Thursday and I generally move all of them, from eight to ten cars, the average car grabs two to three sandwiches. And each Thursday, of the eight to 10 cars, about half are repeats and the other half are new,” he said.

“I always ask, how many people in your household? and it'll be a single father. He's like, it's me and my three kids, so I'll give them usually eight sandwiches,” Moon said.

Rob has been doing this for about a year, with little advertisement except the hand painted signs that are on the sides of Mt. Gainor and two church bulletins, as he used to be a part of St. Vincent Society, which helps those in need.

The feeling of giving to others, those less fortunate is a motivator for Moon. Another reason he says is, “I get to cook every week. So that's great. Just the process of making the sandwiches, and I experiment with different things. I pretty much have the same exact brine and marinate, but I experiment with putting different things on top of the sandwiches like a fresh salad or mustard and cabbage.”

It has become a threeday ritual, starting Tuesday night with the meat soaked in brine, Wednesday night it goes on the fire to cook at 9 p.m. and taken off at 2 p.m. Thursday, then the sandwiches are made up, wrapped and taken down to the tent.

Neighbors will help out with supplies and a pecan pie every once in a while, his favorite. His generosity will go on, and Moon says, “I'll do it until people stop stopping.”

For more information, see the website at www.helpinhandsbbq.org. The free BBQ is offered on Thursdays at 5995 Mount Gainor Road from 4:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.