The Buckmans have traveled a long road to realize the dream of opening their own brick-and-mortar restaurant.

Chris Buckman and his sister, Liz, journeyed those miles in a food trailer, perfecting their recipes and gaining a loyal following for their cuisine.

Now, along with Chris’ wife Heather, a skilled bartender and restaurant server, the trio have opened Six19 Kitchen + Bar, bringing a savory menu of food to a light and airy commercial space in Plano.

Located at 242 Mitchell Drive, just south of Route 34 on Plano’s growing east end, Six19 features gargantuan hamburgers and tasty Asian-style creations.

Chris and Liz grew up in upstate New York, in a family where cooking good food was a big part of home life.

Later, after coming to the Midwest, the brother-and-sister team cooked and served in area eateries. Heather and Chris met when the two were working at a restaurant in Geneva.

By 2019, some of those family-inspired recipes had been taken on the road with the food trailer, doing business as ACE, for A Culinary Experience.

The Buckmans found themselves invited to breweries and community festivals all over suburban Chicago. The Oswego Brewing Company became a regular stop on the food trailer tour, along with visits to events like Plano’s Smallville Festival.

“We built up a following,” Liz said.

While the food trailer featured a variety of offerings, it was the huge smash burgers that proved to be a big hit, along with “K-Town Tacos” and other Korean-influenced fare.

Soon, full-time restaurant jobs were left behind as the Buckmans worked to build their food trailer business.

Late last year, they opened Six19, naming the enterprise for the street address of brother-and-sister Chris’ and Liz’ home in New York state.

“Our customers gave us the confidence to open,” Liz said. “Now we have a core of regulars who show up to support us and many new people all of the time.”

Situated on one end of a busy strip mall, Six19′s has an inviting atmosphere, with light flooding through walls of glass windows on two sides. The space features a large attractive bar, with conventional dining tables and high-tops.

“It’s the perfect size for a first restaurant,” Chris said.

Outside one of the walls of window panes, along the side of the building, a large patio awaits spring.

At the bar, Six19 features microbrews from breweries where the Buckmans have set up the food trailer.

“We carry beers from the people who have helped us,” Chris said.

The restaurant also carries a lineup of domestic beers, as well as its own special handcrafted cocktails.

“We want people to be comfortable with good food and cocktails,” Heather said.

To learn more, visit facebook.com/ace.aculinaryexperience.