Food Truck Reviews

[ScottCLT 219]

So, with all the new food trucks and all the options out there when you go to a "food truck night," which is a new staple of SouthEnd living on Friday and Saturday nights, and it isn't unique to SouthEnd alone, I figured it would be great to start a thread with some recommendations for when you seem overwhelmed by all the options. So I'll start it out with a few reviews...

Dan the Pig Man - excellent pork BBQ, just not enough of it. For $8, I want a portion like Bill Sppon's large BBQ plate. I finished mine while waiting in line at other trucks for side items. Would have preferred it chopped or pulled a bit more, but no complaints except for the portion.

Papi Queso - A must try. I can see this place being on some Food Network special. Gourmet grilled cheeses - my favorite being the Pig Mac. That is a pulled pork and macaroni and cheese grilled sandwich. Delicious! Also, their pickled sides are amazing - olives, okra, and more.

Sal's Roadside Eatery - I got their seasoned fries as a side, but it was a ripoff. A small portion of delicious crinkle cut fries dusted with seasoning should not be $4. Never had a main meal there, though.

The Plated Pallate - best deal I have found with the food trucks. $5 citrus spicy wings are amazing, and come with a good bleu cheese dipping sauce. 10 wings for $5? What a deal! And they were perfectly hot and flavorful for a heat-loving palette like my own. If you are not into hot food, go for the mild, because the spicy wings are HOT! Plus, good sides of potato salad, rice, and more are just $1. Definitely the best deal n food truck night.

The Herban Legend - excellent shwarma wrap. Great (but expensive) truffle fries.

I am looking forward to trying more - please post reviews!

Edited May 27, 2013 by ScottCLT

[Jayvee 2044]

Clover Joe's (in between Chima's and Bank of America Plaza) is really tasty. Great philly cheese steaks

[kermit 1617]

I got an Outstanding sweetpotato hash taco from the Tin Kitchen. They also have a very good pork chop sandwich if memory serves.

I got an aggresively mediocre grill cheese and bacon from Sal's Roadside Eatery at a Hounds game a couple weeks ago.

There is a truck at food truck fridays in southend which has a tv outside which can be very annoying. While I have forgotten the name of the truck I have not forgotten their disapointing chicken philly.

[SouthEndCLT811 258]

Roaming Fork - Korean BBQ is a must try.  Their truffle fries are also delicious yet pricey.  I've eaten at this truck the most and think that all of there stuff is worth a try.  But I seek them out more for the Korean BBQ than anything else.

 

Tin Kitchen - Pork Belly tacos are amazing

 

Echo the above about the Pig Mac from Papi Queso.

 

Burgers from Auto Burger are hit or miss.  I've created my own each time and had mixed results in terms of quality.  Sweet potato fries are great though.

[nonillogical 368]

Out of the uptown area lunch rotation I think Herban Legend and Roaming Fork have the best values for the quality, everything I've ever gotten from them was outstanding and I never spend more than $10 for a main and a side. The surf & turf taco and sri lankan curry at Herban are great, they do a good burger as well.

 

Roots is probably the most focused on healthy, local food out of all the trucks, and it is fantastic, but a bit on the expensive side and while I always love everything I eat there, it never fills me up, even if I get $13 worth of food.

 

I'll echo the love for Papi Queso and Tin Kitchen. Next FTF I intend to try Root Down...I've seen people eating po boys from them that look absolutely incredible. Turkey And looks pretty good as well. 

[Urbanity 307]

All the discussion about Food trucks in another thread made me think we may need to revive this thread.  I know it says Food Truck Reviews - but it seems a good a place as any to discuss the needs for/against Food Trucks in the city. 

 

Re: Time curfew on Food trucks from another thread  - I don't have a problem with 11 p.m. curfew on Food trucks per se if we are talking Uptown in general so long as the city allows special permits for holidays/festival events - which I think they do now anyway with vendors. 

 

I would like to see some more food trucks in the center city - this is true, but not as much as I want to see more mom & pop little restaurants that aren't geared for the expense account crowd.  I honestly don't get the huge love affair with Food trucks.   I like them myself and have eaten from a number (though admittedly many in other cities) but "Food trucks" sometimes gets thrown around like a checklist item that will certainly make us more urbane.   

 

Allow some more places here and there to have trucks, and allow the 11p.m. curfew with ability for special permit on festival events - but beyond that I don't think there is a dramatic crisis of lack of food trucks in the city. 

Edited July 9, 2014 by Urbanity

[grodney 1878]

I tweeted @cltfoodtrucks and @FoodTrucksCLT and asked why there weren't more at Bearden.  One of them responded with a tweet that said "keep letting @KnightsBaseball and @rbeardenpark know you'd like to see more food trucks".

[Urbanity 307]

^I can imagine Knights won't be too keen on food trucks due to perceptions of lost concession sales, but Romare Bearden may be receptive.

[Niner National 493]

Food trucks aren't allowed after 11? Is that a fairly recent law? I remember back before Epicenter existed, there was a pizza food truck that used to always be parked across from Cans.

[rugger62 59]

Food trucks aren't allowed after 11? Is that a fairly recent law? I remember back before Epicenter existed, there was a pizza food truck that used to always be parked across from Cans.

'Food trucks' are new. Right now the existing laws only deal with pushcarts and mobile food locations. I don't know if 11 is new or not. It's probably an issue that it isn't enforced because nobody knows about it!

[elrodvt 219]

Not allowing trucks after 11 seems silly. what is the concern?

 

I have visited the roots truck and loved the "farm to table" menu. As someone said above it's expensive but was essentially gourmet in execution and well worth it. i've found it across the street from my place in the 300 S tryon lot. Hope they stick close by when that lot closes for construction.

Edited July 14, 2014 by elrodvt

[grodney 1878]

Roots is no longer a food truck.  I mean, you can still hire their truck for private events, but they don't do the normal food truck thing anymore.  Now focused on catering.

http://www.rootsfarmfood.com/#roots-background