Have you ever wished that all of the fun DC food trucks would gather together and park in one spot so you can try them all? If so, Truckeroo is for you! Truckeroo is a monthly food truck extravaganza held next to Nationals Park. Admission is free and the trucks are serving alongside live music and beer booths. They control the crowds entering (we had to wait about 30 minutes to get in at dinner time), but it is still not for the people-averse. Come prepared to get close to your neighbor.
A bit overwhelmed by the dozens of trucks and zillions of people, we decided to split up, grab food from different trucks, and meet back at one of the picnic tables in the center of Truckeroo.B headed over to Feelin' Crabby. This truck wins points for its fun design, but was there any substance behind the style?
Feelin' Crabby serves a crabwich: jumbo lump crab, mayo, and Old Bay mixed together and served on a Kaiser roll with lettuce and tomato. The crabwich is $11 ($4 cheaper than its lobster roll cousin at Red Hook Lobster Pound). The crab was plentiful and not drowning in mayo, but I missed the butter-toasted buns that my favorite lobster rolls are served on. The roll didn't add much except that it made for an easy vehicle to get the crab in our mouths in record time. If you forced me to choose between the lobster truck and Feelin' Crabby, I'd ask you how long the lines are. Feelin' Crabby had a 2 minute line while the lobster truck's line stretched into Maryland. In a hurry? Go for the crab.
While B procured the crabwich, I got in line for the PORC truck.
PORC stands for Purveyors of Rolling Cuisine. They offer a rotating menu of specialties including BBQ and gourmet sausages. Despite what the name might suggest, they serve more than just pig products. I decided to stick with PORC's pork and ordered the pulled pork sandwich with their hot BBQ sauce. I was pleased to see big meaty chunks in the sandwich. Sometimes overzealous pork pullers turn the meat into something resembling confetti. Not so with the PORC truck. The hot sauce was HOT so don't get it if you don't want some mouth burning action. The people in the truck were ridiculously friendly, and happily and quickly replaced two sandwiches that a customer accidentally dropped on the ground. High five PORC dudes.
Our buddy Ace (after ditching the crazy long Takorean line) stuck it out at Sabor'a Street.
Ace was kind enough to share her bounty of tacos, arepas, and plantains with us. This was by far the most flavorful and complex food of the night. You could tell me this came from Oyamel and I'd believe you.
Truckeroo sound like something fun to you? The thought of 25+ trucks serving food put you in a happy mood? Fear not fair maiden, for Truckeroo Four is coming in one week more. September 30th is the date, so grab your friends or your mate!
Feelin' Crabby serves a crabwich: jumbo lump crab, mayo, and Old Bay mixed together and served on a Kaiser roll with lettuce and tomato. The crabwich is $11 ($4 cheaper than its lobster roll cousin at Red Hook Lobster Pound). The crab was plentiful and not drowning in mayo, but I missed the butter-toasted buns that my favorite lobster rolls are served on. The roll didn't add much except that it made for an easy vehicle to get the crab in our mouths in record time. If you forced me to choose between the lobster truck and Feelin' Crabby, I'd ask you how long the lines are. Feelin' Crabby had a 2 minute line while the lobster truck's line stretched into Maryland. In a hurry? Go for the crab.
While B procured the crabwich, I got in line for the PORC truck.
PORC stands for Purveyors of Rolling Cuisine. They offer a rotating menu of specialties including BBQ and gourmet sausages. Despite what the name might suggest, they serve more than just pig products. I decided to stick with PORC's pork and ordered the pulled pork sandwich with their hot BBQ sauce. I was pleased to see big meaty chunks in the sandwich. Sometimes overzealous pork pullers turn the meat into something resembling confetti. Not so with the PORC truck. The hot sauce was HOT so don't get it if you don't want some mouth burning action. The people in the truck were ridiculously friendly, and happily and quickly replaced two sandwiches that a customer accidentally dropped on the ground. High five PORC dudes.
Our buddy Ace (after ditching the crazy long Takorean line) stuck it out at Sabor'a Street.
Ace was kind enough to share her bounty of tacos, arepas, and plantains with us. This was by far the most flavorful and complex food of the night. You could tell me this came from Oyamel and I'd believe you.
Truckeroo sound like something fun to you? The thought of 25+ trucks serving food put you in a happy mood? Fear not fair maiden, for Truckeroo Four is coming in one week more. September 30th is the date, so grab your friends or your mate!Second Thoughts From B
Usually I'm drawn to people and things that are diverse and complex. I like versatility and balance. I love fusion and admire compromise. The more multidimensional the better, right? My bike is a hybrid, my car is a crossover, and my job is at the intersection of two divergent fields. So it would stand to reason that Truckeroo - with its multitude of eclectic culinary options - would be my own personal heaven.
The problem is that a parking lot of 25+ food trucks is absolutely overwhelming. Putting aside the mass of humanity, the number of trucks is paralyzingly large. If you find it hard to select an item from a scoped menu, this might be a nightmare rather than a dream.
One of the things I enjoy about the food truck concept is that these people specialize. They have a handful of items that they make extremely well, so customers really can't go wrong. But that's only if you can narrow in on a single truck.
Walking in I felt like a judge on the Miss America pageant. The problem wasn't that I couldn't find a winner, it was that I had to select 25 losers. And what if I got it wrong? Would you like a side of fries with your anxiety, sir?
Chances are that you are not as neurotic as I am but the point is this: find a large group of friends and attack Truckeroo family style. Divide and conquer so you can get a little taste of everything. Either that or Valium.
Usually I'm drawn to people and things that are diverse and complex. I like versatility and balance. I love fusion and admire compromise. The more multidimensional the better, right? My bike is a hybrid, my car is a crossover, and my job is at the intersection of two divergent fields. So it would stand to reason that Truckeroo - with its multitude of eclectic culinary options - would be my own personal heaven.
The problem is that a parking lot of 25+ food trucks is absolutely overwhelming. Putting aside the mass of humanity, the number of trucks is paralyzingly large. If you find it hard to select an item from a scoped menu, this might be a nightmare rather than a dream.
One of the things I enjoy about the food truck concept is that these people specialize. They have a handful of items that they make extremely well, so customers really can't go wrong. But that's only if you can narrow in on a single truck.
Walking in I felt like a judge on the Miss America pageant. The problem wasn't that I couldn't find a winner, it was that I had to select 25 losers. And what if I got it wrong? Would you like a side of fries with your anxiety, sir?
Chances are that you are not as neurotic as I am but the point is this: find a large group of friends and attack Truckeroo family style. Divide and conquer so you can get a little taste of everything. Either that or Valium.
No comments:
Post a Comment