Arepa Zone

***Special Post by Keith***
Food trucks are ever present in the city and very popular with people working in my office building. The popularity of these trucks has led to an oversaturation of mediocre and bland trucks so I am always on the lookout for quality options. As I was checking to see how Micky did in this year's 'Best of DC' I noticed that the Arepa Zone also won second place in the food truck category and made a mental note to check them out next time they popped up on Food Truck Fiesta.

East Side King

***Special Post by Keith***
Being in Austin for only a short time I wanted to eat as much of Chef Paul Qui's food as possible.  I went on an adventure to find his food truck, East Side King. My hotel didn't seem too far away from where this food truck camps out at Liberty Bar, so I decided to take a walk on over. The walk was a bit more adventurous than I expected. Dodged a few vagrants and navigated a highway underpass on the way from downtown to the east side. Doesn't seem the two areas of development have quite connected yet, but I managed to find the Liberty Bar without too much issue.

Fojol Bros.

***Special Post by Keith***

After much hype and years of seeing the trucks around I finally had the chance to try the Fojol Bros. truck recently. I usually venture out to the trucks when the weather is especially nice so I'm typically not in the mood for the warm and comforting food that they offer but on this particular day I was craving some quick and easy Thai food - Fojol to the rescue. The Volathai truck serves their Thai inspired cuisine and is the newest addition to the Fojol universe.

Amorini Panini

Amorini Panini claims to be "The Panini…Done Right." Each panini is individually crafted with the finest meats and cheeses sliced daily, served on hand-made artisan bread and grilled to perfection.  With a brick-and-mortar storefront in Penn Quarter, the shop has expanded to two food trucks as well.  Keith and I recently stopped at the truck for lunch.

Ben & Jerry's Greek Frozen Yogurt

***Special Post by Keith***

I had the opportunity to grab a sample of the new Ben & Jerry’s Greek Frozen Yogurt recently from their truck that has been making the rounds throughout DC. I was excited to give this new concoction a try as I am a fan of Greek yogurt (not to mention ice cream, froyo, and basically any other frozen treat). 

The Tasty Business of Food Trucks

If you’ve eaten at a food truck in your city, you may have contemplated the tasty genius of such an idea—and possibly wondered how hard it would be to run your own food truck. If you’re interested in the restaurant business, or you just have an old van sitting around, you could conceivably operate a food truck of your own. There are millions of food trucks across the US, and their popularity seems to keep on growing. From tacos to burgers to surprisingly gourmet options, there’s a wide array of options available from the diverse food truck scene. The following infographic from CarInsurance.org takes a peek at some of the ins and outs of the food truck business: Read on and see if you could hack it in the world of mobile dining!

Hula Girl Truck

***Special Post by Keith***

In search of some lunchtime variety and with a craving for something vaguely Asian, I was excited to see that the Hula Girl Truck was parked outside my building today. With all the good things I have heard about this truck I should have anticipated the long line that awaited me. There were about 20 people queued up when I got there but the Hula Girls did their best to keep things moving and the Hawaiian music pumping from inside the truck helped pass the time. I would say it took about 20-25 minutes to order and get my food, which is a pretty long time but not unreasonable. Comparable to other popular trucks at least.

Kauai Food Truck

Kauai Food Truck (previously Kanaloa's Lunch Wagon) was owned by Kalani & Dana Palama who were known for lots of local favorites on their menu.  Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner options featuring Hawaiian, American, and Mexican cuisine, this laid back truck offers great meals at incredibly cheap prices.  Look for the truck parked in the heart of Koloa Town at the historical site of the Ole' Mill - such a beautiful outdoor site for a great lunch down in sunny Koloa Town.

Island Chef

If you take the drive on the famous "Road to Hana" in Maui, don't overlook this modest food stand on the side of the road serving "ono grindz" from another great food truck known as Island Chef.

DC Empanadas

DC Empanadas is proud to serve DC’s only mobile gourmet empanadas. Their empanadas are made only with the freshest, local and top quality ingredients. Each one is hand-made and filled with a world of flavors.  Look out for this food truck and you won't be sorry!

The Orange Cow

The Orange Cow food truck serves super premium homemade ice cream, hand-dipped from the truck available in 2 oz and 5 oz servings (double, triples, quads) as well as sundaes and pints to go. Milkshakes and floats are also available. They offer incredibly low prices for the quality and serving size (all natural ingredients). During the Fall, they feature warm toppings for the ice cream so as to not be a “summer only” truck. They are available for office, birthday and other private parties.

PEPE

PEPE is José Andrés’ first food truck! The truck serves Spanish cuisine at the moment, but there is a thought that Andrés may change the menu (and even the truck name) at a moment’s notice! Current menu items are sandwiches ranging in price from $8 – $20 (most are $10).  This truck does not drive around as often as other DC Food Trucks, but they did make an appearance at Trucko de Mayo and I was happy to try them out.

PORC

Purveyors of Rolling Cuisine (PORC) is a mobile food truck popular for its pulled barbeque sandwiches.  Keith has tried them for lunch once and I had a recent opportunity to check them out at Trucko de Mayo sponsored by Curbside Cookoff.

Red Hook Lobster Pound

Last date I was here: 07/15/2011

Restaurant: Red Hook Lobster Pound (http://redhooklobsterdc.com/)

Location: Traveling Food Truck

Total Rating: 3.75
Food: 4, Price: 3, Service: 4, Ambience: 3, Accessibility: 5

Summary: Red Hook Lobster Pound serves Maine and Connecticut style lobster rolls and New England Clam chowder from it's famous "Lobster Truck". Look for the mobile truck at lunchtime - it is sure to have a long line around the block - or follow them on Twitter.

Truckeroo 2 is still going on right now in the Bullpen across from the Navy Yard Metro Station and National's Park. Among the 20 or so food trucks that showed up, the Lobster truck is one of the most well known. Surprisingly, the line was super short so we decided to order a roll and finally sample what all the buzz has been about. At $15 each, I was expecting quality chunks of lobster and boy, did they deliver. The meat was plentiful and the bread was perfectly toasted and buttered. Not sure if it was the heat of the day, or just the condition of the truck environment, but the lobster was a tad chewy. Regardless, it was a decent roll and I might like to try some of the other items on the menu next time.

What I ate:

Lobster Roll

Connecticut style (butter-drizzled)

TaKorean

Last date I was here: 07/15/2011

Restaurant: TaKorean (http://takorean.com/)

Location: Traveling Food Truck

Total Rating: 3.95
Food: 4, Price: 4, Service: 4, Ambience: 3, Accessibility: 5

Summary: TaKorean is DC's first and only Korean Taco truck that serves a delicious combination of Korean classic flavors with a Mexican twist. Look for the mobile truck at lunchtime and late night! Or follow them on Twitter.

Truckeroo 2 is going on right now in the Bullpen across from the Navy Yard Metro Station and National's Park. I stopped by to check out some new DC Food Trucks and TaKorean was first on my list. Although when I arrived, they were taking a break, a line soon formed and they opened back up for business. With a friendly greeting, my order was taken and after a couple minutes, the food was ready and fresh. A taco is $3.50 each or get three for $9. I opted to order the day's special of roasted pork along with the bulgogi and chicken (Keith would love to try some too!) with the works. The size and ingredients were very decent. The chicken was tender, however a little bland, and the sriracha sauce was too overpowering. Keith enjoyed the bulgogi steak with kimchi slaw better than the pork. Overall, I enjoyed the taco twist and of all the food trucks, this is one I would order from again.

What I ate:

Tangy Chicken

chicken marinated in sweet chili sauce, ginger and soy

topped with Sriracha sauce, lime crema, fresh cilantro, sesame seeds,

shredded lettuce and cabbage in rice vinegar

all in a corn tortilla

Plus Keith ate:

Bulgogi Steak

thinly sliced ribeye steak marinated in a sweet and spicy soy-based sauce

topped with Sriracha sauce, lime crema, fresh cilantro, sesame seeds,

spicy kimchi slaw all in a corn tortilla

Roasted Pork

shredded and chopped pork marinated in a mild soy-based sauce

topped with Sriracha sauce, lime crema, fresh cilantro, sesame seeds,

spicy kimchi slaw all in a corn tortilla

Eat Wonky

Last date I was here: 09/10/2010

Restaurant: Eat Wonky (http://eatwonky.co.cc/)

Location: Traveling Food Truck

Total Rating: 2.9
Food: 3, Price: 3, Service: 2, Ambience: 3, Accessibility: 3

Summary: The Wonky Truck is what happens when you take the simplicity of the In N’ Out menu, the distinctiveness of a Primanti sandwich, the fun and energy of Las Vegas, and put it on wheels. This food truck hails from Canada and as it turns out, wonky means “a little off-center” in Canadian slang – the perfect description for the idea of putting cheese curds, gravy and fries on top of a hot dog. Look for the truck at lunchtime and late night! Or follow them on Twitter.

After trying the DC Slices food truck and feeling under satisfied, Keith noticed poutine - gravy and cheese curd covered fries - on the menu at the Wonky Truck. Also, the long was not as long as compared to other trucks, so he decided to place an order. Unfortunately, the Wonky truck must not have had as much business as the other trucks because he didn't have any fries ready! He said he would make up a fresh batch, and good thing because more people were showing up and their line was starting to form. After the wait, Keith got his poutine, and it was different, good, a little salty, but interesting. A little overpriced, but I guess is to be expected from a food truck. Keith was first introduced to poutine when he visited Montreal. He says many diners in NY even have fries with cheese and gravy on their menu, and it was a common treat he grew up on. So overall, it settled his craving.

What I ate:

Wonky Fries

Fresh-cut potatoes fried in peanut oil, topped with squeaky cheese and gravy

DC Slices

Last date I was here: 09/10/2010

Restaurant: DC Slices (http://dcslices.com/)

Location: Traveling Food Truck

Total Rating: 2.45
Food: 2, Price: 3, Service: 3, Ambience: 3, Accessibility: 3

Summary: DC Slices is a mobile pizza kitchen bringing pizza to Washingtonians, tourists, and anyone that loves a fresh, hot slice. Advertising the use fresh rolled dough, homemade sauce, hand grated cheeses, flavorful toppings: their pizza is baked right inside the truck and served to you as it comes out of the oven. Look for the truck at lunchtime and late night! Or follow them on Twitter.

Keith and I went to the grand opening of the Yards Park near the National's Stadium and a few of our city's food trucks showed up too. Being a self-proclaimed judge of pizza slices nationwide, Keith wanted to check out DC Slices. We each ordered a slice and found a nearby bench to sit. The verdict - not so good. The pizza places scattered in Adams Morgan serving all the drunk patrons throughout the wee hours of the night serve better pizza than this! I was disappointed. My slice was lukewarm, dry, and tasted more like microwave pizza than fresh made. I also ranked the food truck service and accessibility on the average side since locations vary each day. Some have a facebook or twitter pages that you can track, but seriously that can be a pain to hunt down. Oh well, can't win them all!

What I ate:

Cheese Pizza

Plus Keith ate:

Sausage and Onion Pizza