Do you eat at food trucks?

11 years ago

The best chorizo and egg burrito IÃ¯Â¿Â½ve ever had was from a food truck that came to our plant every morning when I worked in the Silicon Valley. I donÃ¯Â¿Â½t even think it cost a dollar. Was watching The Great Food Truck Race last night and they were charging 10 to 12 dollars for a burger!! From a food truck! Jaw dropping. There is a BBQ truck that opened here recently. Everyone was just raving about it. Stopped on my way home one night and picked up a half rack of ribs (I think it was 8 or 12 of those little pork spareribs) and a chicken. It was 45.00. And nothing to write home about. Do you eat at food trucks?

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Comments (29)

Jodi_SoCal
11 years ago
I agree, the best chorizo and egg burrito I've ever had was at a food truck years ago. And yes, it was under a dollar.

Every Wednesday evening several "gourmet" food trucks show up at our local bowling alley. It's called OC DinDin-A-GoGo. I pass it on my way home from work. Someday I'm going to stop and check it out.

Jodi-

Here is a link that might be useful: DinDin-A-GoGo
marilyn_c
11 years ago
There are a couple in a nearby town that have great tacos. My daughter lives in Houston and they have all kinds of food trucks there that specialize in everything from crepes to smoothies and lots of stuff in between. The ones here are all Mexican food. Doesn't bother me to eat at a food truck. You can more or less see inside them and they are probably cleaner than a lot of restaurants where you can't see in the kitchen.
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matti5
11 years ago
Some of best food I've had has come from a food truck. We have several that come to our area a couple of times a month and a few that come to our weekly Farmer's Markets. I recently had some fabulous french and Italian food and paid less than $10 for a good sized portion.
ravencajun Zone 8b TX
11 years ago
There are several good Mexican ones right near my house and I have been wanting to try a few but have not done so yet.
There are different categories of food trucks I think, the new craze since the tv show about food trucks started all kinds of gourmet food trucks, unlike the original ones that would mostly go to construction sites and work sites for the lunch crowd and set up in parking lots around town. There are a lot of them here that are Mexican food the original kind of trucks.
I have not seen any of the new fancy gourmet ones, those are the ones with the higher prices.
I have no problem eating food from a food truck. Actually I have never heard of an outbreak of some disease from food at a food truck. But I have heard of several from well known restaurants.

Holy smokes $45 for half a rack and a chicken?? I think I would have told them to keep the golden egg you just wanted the chicken. That is high.
Fun2BHere
11 years ago
Years ago, I would eat from the food truck because it saved time from driving somewhere to buy lunch. It was decent and somewhat reasonable. You could get a nice salad or sandwich for $6 or so. That was long before the gourmet food truck trend. However, this truck did cater to those who wanted fresh, healthy fare. I guess their route was mostly corporate buildings.
linda_in_iowa
11 years ago
At one time I ate at the one that came to my place of employment. Most people in northern CA called them "roach coaches".
LuAnn_in_PA
11 years ago
We don't have food trucks here.... so, no!
azzalea
11 years ago
Eat food, prepared on a street, by someone without access to an actual bathroom and no running water? prepared by someone who alternates between handling food and money? When you aren't absolutely sure the food's been under adequate and constant refrigeration?

Nope--I won't touch stuff like that. There are enough ways to get sick in this world, without hanging a sign around your neck saying, "Here Germs, Come and Get ME!"

I won't buy prepared food on the street. Won't even buy a can of soda, because those questionable hands are touching it, handing it to you. Won't buy ice cream from trucks, either--same reasons--those guys use a bottle for a toilet, then they make your ice cream cone/sundae/milkshake? YUCK!
Chi
11 years ago
I've eaten at the Seabirds truck in Irvine. It seemed very clean to me and the food was really good. Beer battered avocado tacos and sweet potato fries! I'm pretty sure they have running water and are subject to inspections like any other restaurant. All the ones I've seen also park near places with ample restrooms.

Any time someone else prepares food for you, there's going to be germs and an ick factor. I watched a lot of the cooking shows and even the top chefs in the world lick spoons while tasting stuff and put it back into the pan and drip sweat into the food, or cut themselves and bleed into it. I've seen people wash their hands then pull open the germ-covered door before heading back into the kitchen, and people usually don't use gloves anymore. The only time I see people use gloves is at sandwich places. I just try not to think about it. It's either that or never go out to eat again.
ravencajun Zone 8b TX
11 years ago
Actually all the ones I have been to do have running water just like an RV does. And they have plastic glove dispensers and use them. They are regulated much like a restaurant. There are inspections to pass and refrigeration is required.

Dirty nasty hands can happen in the restaurants too.
I have never seen a waiter put gloves on in a restaurant when serving food or handling money but I have at a food truck.

Much of it is perception.
jenni_ca
11 years ago
I have never eaten from a food truck but it can't be any worse than my local Lucky's grocery store. I took this picture the other day of one of the food cases. A look around the store found these same disgusting things in other areas. Meat and chicken trays sitting in fresh and dried blood. I called the corporate office and sent them the pictures I took. Got a call from the assistant manager at the store with all kinds of excuses. She got a little snippy and told me to not call the corporate offices when I see something like this, to come tell her. Yeah, I bet she doesn't want corporate involved. She called the next day to assure me everything had been cleaned up. I had high hopes that it was true. Went back in and all they did was cover the shelves with a liner. I went home and called the health department and requested an inspection. Needless to say the store manager is not to happy with me.
I don't care tho. This is unhealthy and just plain gross.
You can bet they are scrambling now!
I'm thinking eating from a food truck can't be any worse than buying food from a grocery store that is less than sanitary.
Adella Bedella
11 years ago
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

I don't normally eat at food trucks, but I don't see them aroung much either. The Margarita Man comes in the summer and sort of operates out of his truck at events. Dh hand I have been conducting quality control tests. So far, MM is passing. Lol!
wildchild
11 years ago
Heck yeah. The Mexican food trucks have some of the best Mexican food around. I find them to be very clean and sanitary.

I don't eat at foo-foo food trucks.

Not to get political about it but I have never really seen a dirty Mexican restaurant or kitchen. I feel pretty safe in all their establishments.

Lucky stores have really gone downhill. My main gripe is with their freezers. Soft melting ice cream,freezer burn etc. I've pretty much stopped shopping there. Walmart is even cleaner. It's a shame because I loved Lucky when they were still the "lady lee" stores.

We have a mini chain called Chavez Markets. Clean, clean clean and it's Mexican. Reminds me of the old groceries of the 50/60s.
petaloid
11 years ago
Yes, I really like the truck with Korean BBQ and there's one that parks close to home with good tamales.

(Jenni - you did well to report the mess at your Lucky's, first to the manager and then to the corporation, because that was a definite health hazard.)
OklaMoni
11 years ago
If there's food, and I am hungry... yes, I do. :)

Moni
kfca37
11 years ago
Food Trucks in our Bay Area of California are quite common, especially at Farmer's Markets. We sometimes purchase ethnic foods there. Although food trucks in the Mexican area of our city have been common for decades, I can't remember purchasing from one, mostly because Mexican cuisine is not a favorite choice of mine.

Many of the food trucks hereabouts are offshoots of sit-down restaurants, using some of the same employees. I've heard of none being shut down by the health dept.
nanny98
11 years ago
Well, here in the Rogue Valley we have several "food trucks" that cater to "events" like outdoor concerts and wine tastings, not to mention private parties in outdoor venues. They are very "up-scale" and food is prepared in certified kitchens and kept in more sanitary conditions than what you might bring to such an outing. Our State Health Department regulates those catering services be it truck, kitchen or home kitchen....and the providers must maintain a high standard of sanitary conditions (sometimes better than some restaurants) and are required to carry a size-able liability insurance policy. States vary, but most are regulated.

(How do I know....we (DD) are going thru the process as DD has contracted to provide cakes/deserts for one or more of those caterers...starting Sept. There are many "hoops" to jump thru!)
sjerin
11 years ago
Good for you, Jenni!! Thank you from the rest of us. I don't usually go to Lucky because they rarely seem to have what I'm looking for.
Marilyn Sue McClintock
11 years ago
There are no food trucks around here. Only time there are is when a festival is set up, so I would for an elephant ear, a funnel cake or a breaded tenderloin, maybe a sausage with onion and peppers sandwich. But no there are no food trucks around this area.

Sue
dedtired
11 years ago
Ate lunch at a food truck every day when I worked in the city, especially near the university. The food was great and reasonably priced. The city regulates trucks like it regs restaurants. There was one that sold goat meat! They were Jamaicans. I didn;t try that.
kim_okla
11 years ago
There's only one I've been to in OKC, Big Truck Taco. Excellent, not cheap but excellent.
drewsmaga
11 years ago
We've lived NE of Orlando almost a year and I LOVE when the 40-50 food trucks come to our mall twice a month. I'm still sampling my way through them and have found, after sampling, GOOOD local restaraunts to go to. (MMMM fish tacos!) And they are all clean and have hot running water for employees to wash hands --- local/state regulations. I recently moved from Houston -- those Taco trucks servicing the home builders were the BEST!
wanda_va
11 years ago
I worked in a federal building that housed more than 7,000 employees. We had a very large cafeteria in the building, plus a lot of restaurants nearby.

Right outside the building was the little hot dog stand, run by Jim--a retired Vietnam vet/DC policeman. He sold hot dogs, sandwiches, drinks and snacks--and you had to stand in line to buy them.

One day, the owner of the cafeteria reported Jim to the health department. They came for an inspection. Jim passed in flying colors, while the cafeteria was immediately closed because of violations! Poetic justice...
teresava
11 years ago
They don't have any near me, but down where my DH works there are tons! I would try one, and some are offshoots of established restaurants (Chick-fil-a) etc. Most seems pretty foo-foo or ethnic to cater to the crowds. There is also a cupcake truck! I should probably avoid that one to save my waistline!! LOL
angelaid
Original Author
11 years ago
Wanda - that is PRICELESS! ROFL
ravencajun Zone 8b TX
11 years ago
hahaaa don't you just love Karma in action!LOL
thanks wanda!
pammyfay
11 years ago
Ditto to what TeresaVa wrote (I assume your DH works in downtown DC?)

DC is a big food-truck city.
A couple years ago, there was a gathering of food trucks in a big parking lot offering their food so people could taste what they were about to put on the streets. I recall my response from a co-worker when she asked if I wanted to go: "Are you kidding? I think food trucks are gross. I would never eat at one!"

She and another co-worker came back with mouth-watering tales. I blew it! But I have to say I'm not the most adventurous eater...

Also, my work hours aren't "normal" ones, so I only see a food truck here and there packing things up.

Spike Mendelsohn from "Top Chef" has a food truck (in addition to his Capitol Hill eatery), big-time chef Jose Andres (he's been on "Iron Chef America") has one ...

OH: And if you have plans to visit DC, these food trucks are the best thing that's happened to tourists in a long time, I think. Previously there weren't a lot of "grab-a-bite-quickly" places to get food.
arcy_gw
11 years ago
Never--can't say I have ever have the opportunity. I did however live next door to the owner of one as a child. I was fascinated by all the doors and watching them clean and re-stock each evening. Now I think of all the plastic wrapping and waste associated with them. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" LOVE IT!
jannie
11 years ago
I've eaten at food trucks most of my life. From Leo The Greek's hot dog and can of pop $1, to the food truck at the Long Island RailRoad station a quarter mile from my house (coffee and tasty fresh sandwiches).And when I visit Canada I eat their fries with Poutine. I'm not worried about getting sick-they are checked somewhat regularly. My Mom was exposed to Hepatitis from a grocery store worker years ago, had to get shots.

Do you eat at food trucks?

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