Food Trucks

[rps]

Recent posts in What's Cooking started me thinking about food trucks. 

In college, I ate at my first food truck. Every evening, about dark, several food trucks would pull up and park at the corner closest to the college green.The trucks stayed busy well past midnight. A common date was the Faunce House movies ($.50 at the student union) and dutch treat at the trucks.

I particularly remember two. One was a dog truck (Nathans) that had every conceivable condiment known to man. What ever brand of sauerkraut they used, it was wonderful. The other was a hoagie truck. Bear in mind, this was in Providence, Rhode Island in the late 60's - early 70's, and the city's population featured a very high percentage of Italians and Portuguese. A bad hoagie risked sleeping with the fishes. In the 50+ years since, I have never eaten a hoagie that could even touch what that truck served.

What food trucks worth talking about have you found? Where, when, and what kind of food?

[ness]

We had the 50 cent movies at the Union in collage. They called it 50 CENT FLICKS and each week someone would slide the I on the sign over and connect it to the L,  then someone would come back by and disconnect them. 

We didn't have food trucks in school but we would make the 20 minute drive to Lawrence (KS) for Joe's Donuts. Grab a dozen donuts and a sub sandwich. Anybody that went to KU between the 70s and early 2000s knows Joe's. The donuts were gone before we got back to Baldwin. 

We've got a couple food trucks that cycle through now. Off the Hook does a really good fish and chips. We've also got a Taco Via truck. Taco Via is a Johnson County institution. Basic American Mexican food. You'd kinda have to grow up with it to get it. 

[fishinwrench]

About 4 years ago everyone and their dog was rigging up Food Trucks around here.   Practically one on every major corner.....and they are all good 😋 

They must not be making enough money though because I recognize the trucks/campers but they are all decorated differently this year, and different people are operating them.   

There was even one along the Niangua river selling taco's/Nachos (and secret margaritas) to floaters. 

[BilletHead]

                    No food trucks in my early history but there was one fast food place I remember very well.  My parents were working class people. Money came the hard way. Dad was a machinist and mom a seamstress. Both working. There were my brother and I plus our two adopted sisters. Brother was ten years older than I and sisters even younger. So Big brother ahead of the rest of us he was always doing his own thing but on special occasions when we were really young, we would go to the Der wienerschnitzel. I remember those hotdogs. The sauerkraut ones with mustard on them. Sometimes with fries even. That is what the whole family had. This food truck thread got me to thinking about this place. I can see it in my mind the A frame building and driving through. Blast from the past. This was Southern California in the late 60s and early 70s. El Cajon California. It was a very different place back then. Our Parents were both born in St Joseph Mo but soon migrated West for better work and I was born out there. So glad they came to their senses and moved back down this way in the winter of 1975. Middle of my junior year of high school. It did not bother me one bit. I was made for the outdoors. I went ape crap crazy moving in the boonies :). 

 

 

[rps]

5 minutes ago, BilletHead said:

                    No food trucks in my early history but there was one fast food place I remember very well.  My parents were working class people. Money came the hard way. Dad was a machinist and mom a seamstress. Both working. There were my brother and I plus our two adopted sisters. Brother was ten years older than I and sisters even younger. So Big brother ahead of the rest of us he was always doing his own thing but on special occasions when we were really young, we would go to the Der wienerschnitzel. I remember those hotdogs. The sauerkraut ones with mustard on them. Sometimes with fries even. That is what the whole family had. This food truck thread got me to thinking about this place. I can see it in my mind the A frame building and driving through. Blast from the past. This was Southern California in the late 60s and early 70s. El Cajon California. It was a very different place back then. Our Parents were both born in St Joseph Mo but soon migrated West for better work and I was born out there. So glad they came to their senses and moved back down this way in the winter of 1975. Middle of my junior year of high school. It did not bother me one bit. I was made for the outdoors. I went ape crap crazy moving in the boonies :). 

 

 

We had a Der Wienerschnitzel in Tulsa in the 60's, on the main drag the teenagers used. Long gone.

[rps]

1 hour ago, ness said:

We had the 50 cent movies at the Union in collage. They called it 50 CENT FLICKS and each week someone would slide the I on the sign over and connect it to the L,  then someone would come back by and disconnect them. 

We didn't have food trucks in school but we would make the 20 minute drive to Lawrence (KS) for Joe's Donuts. Grab a dozen donuts and a sub sandwich. Anybody that went to KU between the 70s and early 2000s knows Joe's. The donuts were gone before we got back to Baldwin. 

We've got a couple food trucks that cycle through now. Off the Hook does a really good fish and chips. We've also got a Taco Via truck. Taco Via is a Johnson County location institution. Basic American Mexican food. You'd kinda have to grow up with it to get it. 

But did you stop at Johnny's Up and Under? Workingmen and rugby bar.

[ness]

We had a Der Weinerschnitzel, Arthur Treacher's and a bunch of  others along Noland Road in  Independence. I cruised a lot of miles on Noland Rd. In the 70s.
 

A local joint that's still around is Hi Boy. Burgers, tenderloins, really good rings etc. if you remember the commercial where Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid are eating and Andy says, 'Gimme  a nuggie!' That was shot at Hi Boy. 

[ness]

1 hour ago, rps said:

But did you stop at Johnny's Up and Under? Workingmen and rugby bar.

Johnny's wasn't really a college bar. They've expanded to KC and have several around the metro now. Pretty good. The original closed because the neighborhood is pretty rough and homeless people were a problem. But I think they got that reopened. 

[rps]

8 hours ago, ness said:

Johnny's wasn't really a college bar. They've expanded to KC and have several around the metro now. Pretty good. The original closed because the neighborhood is pretty rough and homeless people were a problem. But I think they got that reopened. 

Yes, it was rugged. I will admit I was there several times with the rugby boys.

[Quillback]

You mean a Roach Coach?  When I was in the Army, there were always a few on the bases in the US. If I remember correctly you could get a taco for 30 cents or something like that.  Which reminds me, September 15, 1975, was when I reported to Fort Leonard Wood to start basic training.  Coming up on the fiftieth anniversary.  Man, I'm getting old!

There's a taco truck on HWY 62 not too far from the Indian Creek Road that I take when I fish the dam end of Beaver Lake.  Never have stopped in there, I'm usually pulling the boat when I drive by and don't want to deal with parking it.  There are usually a few people in line if you go by at lunch.  I always wonder how you can make any money, seems like you'd have to sell a lot of tacos.  

There's a truck that sells Chinese food not too far from my house on HWY 71.  Have not tried it yet.  It is supposed to be good.  

If you've been to Manhattan (New York, not Manhattan Kansas), you may have seen those push carts where you can get a "dirty water dog".  I have eaten a few of those and am still living.