All for a smile - My journey with Hibachi Joe
Hibachi Joe made a trip from Dothan, Alabama to Washington DC to feed people in need. About a week or so ago, Joe saw news reports about soldiers serving in DC. He was motivated to feed them his hibachi specialty meal. When I saw the post, I made a comment saying that if he goes to let me know because I would love to document the experience with photos and videos. Long story short, Joe reached out and we made our way up to DC.
In this post, my intention is to give you my experience on this journey with Joe and to communicate his heart and purpose. I’ve known Joe as a fan for a while at this point. He was the reason we would go to Mikata Japanese Steak House in Dothan, Alabama. Joe is very entertaining, funny, and talented. When I learned about his departure from Mikata, I was bit bummed but was relieved to know he was still working on cooking for people with his hibachi grill.
Many like myself, kept up with Joe through Facebook and over a short amount of time grew a largely supportive audience. Joe has been part of a few events like Foster Fest that I have been able to capture as well. It’s been fun to watch Joe’s growth throughout the years and he does it all for God and for a smile. As many of you know, Joe has an amazing heart and cares for people. I got to know and learn more about Joe as we drove up to DC. More of those details to come.
Let’s get back to more of the timeline from the trip to DC.
As mentioned above, I commented on his post about tagging along if Joe decided to go to DC, sure enough, I got a message on Sunday around 6 pm saying to call him. I had a feeling it was about going to DC, I was at the time trying to take it easy on Sunday and spend time with the family before letting the rest of the week get busy on me. I mentioned that I could call on Monday, but he replied with, “i heading to DC at 8pm cst.” So, I perked up, looked at my wife, and was like, “Joe is leaving at 8pm for DC…” All sorts of thoughts began to race through my head…
do I need to go?
what gear do I bring?
what to pack?
is this even a good idea?
is there anything on my schedule that would conflict?
and what does my wife think?
I gave Joe a call to get more info and we talked for a few minutes. He described how many people were telling him not to go, it’s too risky, dangerous, there’s no way you’ll be able to feed the troops, etc. But God put this mission on his heart to do and has faith He will lead the way. He mentioned there is a risk of being arrested, but nothing was going to keep him back if God was leading the way. He told me that there is room for one and if I wanted to go, the seat is available. Joe wanted to communicate the risks and push back already, to give full disclosure. I told him I would let him know in about 30 minutes if I am going or not.
At that point in time, I only had about an hour to pack. Also, I had not showered, shaved, or anything like that, nor had any gear just ready to go on the spot. I still was unsure if I needed to go or not, but I had no pull to stay home. In the past, when situations came up of if I need to do something, I would get a hard NO, a gut feeling, God telling me one way or another, and then of course my wife’s approval. So with so many questions still stirring in my mind and heart, I just made steps to go, and if got that ‘no’ I would just stop.
There are so many opportunities that can come from an experience like this. As I was packing and preparing to head out the door, I was talking with my wife, checking my intentions. I didn’t want to go for the sake of potentially getting a viral post, although I am definitely not against a post going viral. It’s a humbling feeling and experience to have my work get that kind of attention. I’ve been fortunate to be able to capture some experiences that went viral and it’s such an honor to have people share those experiences through my work. I mentioned how I love and get my drive to share people’s good hearts like Joe and how his story needs to be shared. I also wanted to provide quality photos and video of his efforts. I knew this experience driving with him to DC would provide some great content. If anything at least, I get to know Joe more.
Even while packing and getting cleaned up, I still was not sure if I was going on the trip, but again, I was not having a pull to stay home. In less than an hour, I was on my way to Joe’s shop from Ashford and messaged him that I was on the way. I didn’t get a reply, so I called him saying I would be there about at 8:20 pm and he said ok he will be there. Even then I was still questioning if I should be going. I pulled into the shop’s shopping plaza area and I was asking God, “am I going, do I need to just go home, please tell me now…” I turned the corner and saw Joe’s silhouette in the driver’s seat and when I saw that image, I knew it was time to go. I parked, shook hands, and hopped in the van.
Where do I start with trying to communicate a man’s heart? The drive up to DC will be something I will never forget. I made a friend, got to know someone who has a heart of gold and got a little rejuvenation of my walk with God too. LOL one of the first things Joe said to me is, “you’re crazy! You don’t even know me and you’re ok with driving to DC with me.” Thing is, while I have not known Joe on a personal level, in my thoughts my response, was, but I feel like I know your heart, and it’s good. So I smiled back at him and we kept on with our conversation.
While on the drive, some of the things I learned about Joe was his experience in Cambodia growing up, captivity, landing in Dothan, his journey as a cook, being a mentor to other chefs, entrepreneurship, his relationship with God, and what drives him. He also talked about how so many people were trying to talk him out of going on this trip. But when he saw the soldiers in the cold, he wanted to provide a hot meal for them. We all know that the soldiers are being well taken care of, but when God puts someone on your heart, you know you still have to pursue obedience. Joe said that all he needs is one smile and he would be fulfilled. I understand this heart because with my photography and videography, I love being able to capture someone’s good heart and passion. When I see a person’s reaction to my work that makes them emotional, that fills me up. I want to bring out the best in others through photos and videos. That one smile makes a huge impact on people like Joe and myself.
We made a few stops to refuel, power nap, and make sure we were safe to keep driving. Hours later, about noon, east coast time, we made it to DC.
The Capitol building was the destination. As we approached the Capitol we noticed the National Guard has about two soldiers every 50 feet or so, along with police officers posted and routing traffic. The area was definitely on lockdown. We pulled up near the side of the Capitol, rolled down my window, and Joe spoke with an officer trying to find out who to talk with to feed the troops. The officer mentioned that he didn’t know, but could try to talk to the soldiers through the fence. We found a near parking spot, I stayed with the van and Joe made his way to the fence line.
Joe was taking about a solid 15 minutes and I was wondering what was going on over at the fence. Not gonna lie, I was getting a little worried and wondering what I would do if he got in trouble or something. But was also optimistic hoping the reason it was taking a little time was that things were working out. Even though Joe was told beforehand that it was not going to be possible to feed the troops, that sometimes you get the chance to talk to the right person at the right time. I was hoping this was one of those times.
Shortly after those racing thoughts, I saw Joe walking back towards the van through the rearview mirror. He sat back in the van, I asked if there was any luck, and unfortunately came to find out that the troops and police cannot accept any donations at all. Security and protocols were strict. Joe said he was not giving up.
During this time of trying to figure things out, Joe was getting calls and messages from officials like Barry Moore’s wife, Heather. Mr. Moore is an Alabama congressman. There were also some Dothan representatives trying to reach us. Joe was also in contact with one of his chef apprentices, Chef Honeybees, who is located in DC. As you can tell, there were quite a few people trying to work something out all at the same time, which gave us hope. Deep down I knew something was going to work out. I wasn’t sure who the recipients would be, but someone was going to get a meal.
Joe went live on Facebook to give his audience an update. While going live he got a phone call from an official (I can’t recall who exactly who it was) during the live stream, so he ended the video, and got on the phone. While this was going on, we were trying to make our way back to the same parking spot we were at first. We ended up circling the block a few times near the same area of the Capitol building. We found a different place to park the van so Joe could talk to the official who was trying to link us up with the Dothan reps. Within a minute or so of parking, we were surrounded by Capitol Police…
As the police approach us, Joe was still on the phone, he rolled down his window to let the police talk with us, but Joe was still on the phone. So in my head, I am like, “joe put the phone down and stop making the officer wait on you!” The officer and I make eye contact and he asks if he could speak with me on the other side, I said, “yes.” By the time I roll the window down he starts to ask me some questions and Joe was able to let the person go on the phone. I gesture to the officer to Joe, so Joe could explain the situation.
There were about 3 cruisers, motorcycle, and bicycle cops on the scene.
Before I go any further with this story, let me say that the police officers were all very cordial. The tone was peaceful. Also, for what it is worth, there were officers of many backgrounds - white, black, male, female. With these officers just getting through riots, protests, the inauguration; I didn’t know what to expect. Let’s face it, the mainstream media doesn’t always show law enforcement in the best light. And to remind you, my intention for this post is to give you my experience, from my perspective. There wasn’t a moment where I felt threatened or intimidated, which honestly surprised me because my heart drops when I get pulled over for traffic reasons, even if I know I didn’t do anything wrong. I never know how I am going to be treated. In my past experience, I have been bullied, talked down to, etc. right off the bat when pulled over. I wasn’t treated well. SO with all that said, put yourself in the Capitol police’s shoes in this particular case.
We drove around the block a few times next to the Capitol, Joe was live streaming with his phone, the van is weighted down, out of state plates - you can see how there are SO many red flags!
The officers let us know of their concerns listed above. At that point, Joe told them they are free to search if they wanted to, got out of the van, and began to talk to the officers. I stayed in my seat, but was very worried at what was about to happen because you NEVER get out of the vehicle when not instructed to do so…my nerves got a bit racked because the officers could have arrested Joe at the point. But if you know Joe, you can imagine his tone and the way he carries himself.
Joe is a bubbly, happy, and genuine person. I think these officers could see that and I think someone was definitely looking out for us too, so thank you for the prayers of safety.
The officers asked us questions - who were are, what we are doing, how we know each other, etc. An investigation team arrived on-site to dig further and make sure we were not a threat. I remained in my seat, one because it was the warmest place I could be and two I didn’t want to do anything I was not told to do. The least I can do, the better. Funny thing is, my friend Tec Tony tried to call me during this and I had to message him that I would have to call him back and I was a bit tied up with the Capitol police. Cliffhanger, right?
Also, during this time Chef Honeybees was able to catch up with us.
At this point, we are all basically shooting the breeze while the investigation team finished up. The officers thanked us for being kind and wanting to do a good thing for them and the troops. As the situation wrapped up, they let us know of a homeless shelter down a couple of blocks and that location could give us better chances of serving. Once they were finished with us, we headed that way.
We pulled up next to the shelter, Joe gets out and speaks with a few of the people outside of the building, and he headed inside to talk to the shelter. A few minutes go by, Joe comes back out, and with a smile, he let me know we had permission to set up outside. Joe also was kind to get permission for me to take photos and video.
Click here for a photo gallery
So I was excited to get to do my thing, to do what we set out to do. We all started to prepare and set up an area to work around. I got my camera out and began to document Joe and Chef Honeybees bring out the gear and food. While the two were setting up, some of the homeless began to help set up tables and supplies, which was amazing to see. It didn’t take long to get the grill fired up and cooking.
An interesting fact, Joe has a hibachi grill on motorized wheels. The thing is HEAVY! So this innovation makes it so Joe can basically take a kitchen anywhere. There were a few people around us that were definitely fascinated with the grill on wheels, as was I.
One of the things Joe mentioned to me on the way up to DC was that he serves the best regardless of who he is serving. Doesn’t matter who you are, you’re getting his best. Chef Honeybees asked what kind of steak Joe brought and Joe replied with New York Strips :-) The homeless people around heard the news of getting high-quality steaks and you could see how much joy that brought. They were also surprised to see such large shrimp.
Joe cooked, Chef Honeybees served, I documented, and people were feed. While the cooking and feeding was happening, a couple people from Capitol Baptist showed up with a bunch of what they called ‘Blessing Bags’ filled with personal hygiene and food items. It was inspiring to see that others heard of what was going on and wanted to do their part as well.
Towards the tail-end of the serving time, Joe wanted to fix me a plate, and I was definitely hungry myself, we didn’t have a lunch break or anything like that, and I wanted to receive his gift. It’s been a while having his cooking and no need to say, but MAN it was good!
Throughout the day I was messaging a friend of mine who lives in DC and made arrangements to stay with him and then catch a flight back home. Once the serving time ended, I thanked Joe for all he did, told him I couldn’t wait to work on the photos and videos, and that he got a lot of smiles today. I summoned a Lyft ride and met up with my old friend.
Joe ended up driving back as soon as he was done with the event.
Side info - we were offered places to stay from our State official and offered us meals, etc. We are thankful for the offers. If I didn’t have my friend to stay with, I would have taken up the offer. Also, if you are traveling by air try using the app Skiplagged. I was able to find an inexpensive flight back home. The way the app works is it finds the best rates even if it’s not your actual destination. For example, I was looking for a flight to Atlanta, but the tickets were for Panama City Beach, Florida. In theory, I could get off at ATL or ECP. I ended up getting off in ECP because my wife with 3 kids would only have to spend 4 hours in a car vs 7 hours. Ironically, my flight from ATL to ECP was delayed and they ended up spending 7 hours in a car anyways 😂 🤦♂️
I shared my story with a friend back here in Dothan and he asked if I would do it again knowing all of what happened, and I said, oh yes. I got to know Joe, made a friend, and shared an experience I will never forget. Once I got back home, I worked on getting the photos done as soon as I could. I wanted to get the story through photos out to everyone. I am thankful for the great response and my opportunity to share what Joe is about. He’s a good man with a good heart. We need more people like Joe.
In some conversations with a few friends and my wife, we talked about how it is a blessing to be able to be part of things like this. There was a comment made by someone on my post that this person wants to be part of projects like this. Thing is, this was not planned. It just happened. I had minimal time to get out the door and head up north. I say this in good heart, but we can’t wait around for others to make opportunities for you. Keep your ear to the ground, network, and when something comes up, act. If I didn’t make the comment on Joe’s post I would have never had this chance. Look for opportunities you want to be part of. That said, if I ever come across something where I think someone can be part of something, I will definitely post about it. More than likely will be posted on my personal brand or account on Facebook. Feel free to follow Evergreen and Joshua Bane.
I’m so thankful for this experience and to know it was all done for God and a smile 😊
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