Stopped at their food truck on College and Pennsylvania.
First Impressions:
The truck is definitely in need of some TLC. It does not put off a very "inviting" vibe. But I don't judge every book by its cover, so onward I go. They have an electronic "Open" sign that was not lit up, but I saw I gentleman in the truck. So again, onward I go. "Are you open," I inquired. "Yes sir," he responded with a smile.
The Menu:
It was a bit hard to read. Lots of items jammed onto the whiteboard, and a few things crossed off haphazardly. Bigger whiteboards would help. And maybe just erase the items that are no longer available. But I got the gist of it. Sandwiches, 3 meat combo, 1 meat selections (ribs, brisket, pork, chicken, and rib tips), and a couple different sauces to choose from.
I ordered the 3 meat combo. I'm pretty sure the menu listed it at $25. But I was charged $28. Not sure if I read the menu wrong, or tax was involved, or whatever. But it was unexpected. Please list prices accurately or with a "+ tax" next to it.
The Service:
It was not busy. The gentleman working there got my order out in under 3 minutes. He was very nice and friendly to me, and every other customer that walked up while I was there.
Serving Size:
It felt a little light for $28. But upon opening it, the meat portions were generous. For real BBQ, $28 is not necessarily out of the question for the amount I received.
First Taste:
Lackluster smoke flavor. It was clearly cooked on a real smoker (not gas, not electric, not commercial). But what I tasted most was the charcoal briquet flavor reminiscent of most backyard kettle grills. I did not experience any hardwood flavors like apple, pecan, cherry, mesquite, hickory, etc. So that was a bit of a let-down.
Also, it was sauced. But I never asked for sauce. Typically, I like my sauce on the side. But it doesn't bother me so much. Lots of places sauce their BBQ by default. But if they have different sauce options, I'm wondering why I wasn't asked what sauce flavor? Or told they are out of all there sauces but one, and is that OK?
All of the meats were a little on the dry side, but that doesn't surprise me from a food truck. There is only so much one can do slow cooking large chucks of meat and keep it moist throughout the day. So I don't hold that against them as long as it's not beef jerky.
The Brisket:
Sliced and cooked the way I expect. Firm enough to hold itself together, tender enough to bite without pulling on it. Also, my slices had an incredible bark on them. To me, that's the best part.
The Pork:
Basic pulled pork. Tender with a good bark. Not as good of a bark as the brisket. But good. I got a pretty large chunk of fat in mine. Still plenty of meat. But when I pull pork, it's not much more effort to discard all the large chunks of fat. Maybe they don't discard large chunks? Maybe this one just got missed? Not sure.
The Chicken:
Like the others, a generous serving. I got a mix of white and dark meat. This is the only area where the little bit of dryness was an issue. Chicken just doesn't chew well when it's dry. But again, it was tender, not jerky. From a food truck, I won't take points off. But if it was in a restaurant, I would have expected them to the have the equipment to keep the meat moist.
The Coleslaw:
Typical mayonnaise based slaw. Average.
The Mac & Cheese:
This was pretty outstanding. It's not gourmet. It's nothing fancy with bacon and a crusty top. It's just a no frills mac & cheese done right. One thing to note: the cheese was not creamy and a little grainy. Yes, this is what happens when you use REAL cheese and don't serve it immediately after melting. So two thumbs up for that!
Final Thoughts:
I can't say that I would return anytime soon. Food-wise, nearly everything hit the mark except the flavor. If the flavor was less "charcoal briquets" and more "hardwood", I would be excited to return. Otherwise, it will be a once-in-while-I-happen-to-be-passing-by-and-want-some-meat kind of...
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