Gourmet Food from a Truck?

I see a new trend emerging in my area.  Well, perhaps it’s not really new at all but it is gaining attention by patrons and news media… There are more and more “gourmet” food truck vendors in my community.  Hungry customers are lined up outside them paying over ten dollars for a meal too.

Some are located in the heart of a bustling downtown like the photo above that I took.
Others are next to camping grounds and trailer parks off a busy highway.

One of my personal favorites is a food truck I pass daily on my way home from work.  It’s a Mexican themed one entitled “M__’s on the Run”.   In my head I always change it to “M__’s gives you the runs!”  (Hahaha, I know, that’s gross and juvenile but I can’t help myself!) 

In the past week I’ve visited the main downtown gourmet food truck site to try some of the offerings.  I’m glad I did, not because of what I ate but for the people-watching experience.

I heard tourists talking about their travels.  I listened to foreign accents speaking another language that I couldn’t quite make out (definitely European though).  I saw senior citizens wearing flip flops and bathing suits beneath their tops talking about the first warm day of the spring season.  I saw families and friends laughing and enjoying themselves.  I blurred into the crowd, eating quietly and alone behind my sunglasses.

I didn’t mind sitting there by myself.  The atmosphere was quite nice – outside on a beautiful day beneath an umbrella.

My food, however, was very mediocre and frankly overpriced – an oriental salad with not much meat or flavor.  I also had a cup of water.  The price tag for this unsatisfying meal was over ten dollars.

It wasn’t awful but it wasn’t worth the charge either.

Other folks around me seemed happy with their orders though.  Perhaps it was just me?

I’m kind of old-fashioned when it comes to food preparation.  I make nearly all of my family’s meals from scratch and without any processed ingredients.   The food is high quality and fresh.  In my humble opinion, there is hardly any food out there quite as tasty as a well prepared, home-cooked meal.

I wonder… is the food cooked inside these trucks or are they being reheated in there after being prepped somewhere else ahead of time?  How fresh is it?  How clean is the inside?

These same questions apply to a normal restaurant I visit.  I don’t typically see the kitchen in those establishments; yet somehow I feel more comfortable with the food I’m receiving in a sit-down place.

From a business stand point, I see the appeal of a food truck.  You can park it.  The rent must be cheaper.  The clean-up is much easier.  There are less employees to deal with.  There are no tables to clean up and less folks waiting around.  More people, more food and more profit seem to be a natural flow.  It makes sense.  I get it.

But I still don’t plan to purchase my food from a truck on a regular basis. For me, it’s more of a special treat – an every now and then occasion.

For example when you hear that ice cream truck with its annoying song driving down your neighborhood, you make an exception.  You are reminded of childhood days long gone and the experience invokes positive feelings.  How can you pass up the chance for a rainbow popsicle or a chocolate covered ice cream sandwich?  My kids begged me for treats over the weekend when they heard the treat truck coming.  Of course I caved in.  That price tag was only $2.50 (although it was about fifty cents when I was a kid!)

I’m glad I experienced the food from the truck.  But I would hesitate to call it
“gourmet” or the experience wonderful.  I’d just call it a fast fix and a fun atmosphere.

If I really want good taste and flavor, I’ll probably drive past most of the food trucks and choose a more notable restaurant.  I can build my own burger for the same price and feel fuller and happier.

Perhaps to compromise next time, I’ll take that burger back to the food truck court area for more fun people-watching and eavesdropping on tourist conversations.  Maybe I can purchase two dollar condiments to top my burger or select a five dollar dessert to wash down my main meal.

What are your thoughts on food from a truck?  What has been your experience with eating meals from wheels?