Alley Burger/Food Truck Experience

[darklord700]

So I got my first Alley Burger or any kind of food truck experience today. I was about the 20th in line when I got there about 5 minute before the start for lunch. I didn't get my food until almost an hour later.

I figured in a hour, they had served no more than 30 burgers as most people just bought one for themselves. I wasn't really happy with the wait time because I only have an hour for lunch. This should be a grab and go operation instead I spent a sit down meal time for it.

I ordered the 2 patty beef burger and fries. The patties had some nice flavour to it but were way too tough and dry. At first I though it must be because it has 2 patties but later I concluded that the patties were just too tough. The other problem is that the burger was wrapped in tin foil so by the time I sat down back in my office, it had been squashed somewhat.

The fries were good, better than the burger, but were a little on the cold side.

Had the wait time been shorter, I would have given it barely a passing grade. As it stands, I don't see what the fuss is about Alley Burger other than the novelty, not to say that the burger is $9 each or $10 with cheese which isn't cheap.

I wonder how the food trucks are going to operate in winter when it is too cold not just to stand in line but to fill out the order form by hand.

[Flaming Choy]

If you had the beef burger, you didn't have the Alley burger.

[IliketoPuck]

I had Blamwhich a few weeks ago. Easily one of the tastiest food truck meals I've ever had. Highly recommend it.

[Bigtime]

I had been wanting to try Alley Burger since they first started serving them in the alley behind Charcut. Never had the chance until Sunday at the H1 festival in the Beltline.

I had the Alley burger double patty and it was totally worth they hype. The patties were nice and juicy, and the cheese curds and aoli (sp?) sauce went with it very well.

During Latino fest I tried the Los Compadres food truck, delicious authentic Mexican tacos.

I will go back to both in a heartbeat (and stand out in the cold for them).

[darklord700]

If you had the beef burger, you didn't have the Alley burger.

But the beef burger still should be good though.

[fotze]

I hate that app, it sucks. Hardly any of the trucks update their status. Most of them seem really lazy, the mexican, alley burger and fiasco are out most days where others are barely out once a week. Glad I'm not an investor in those.

Still have to have an alley burger.

I think if you look at these as not a fast food substitute it make these wait more palatable. I also think they are still finding their stride, need employees.

[red sky]

Yeah, I imagine there will be growing pains with this but I expect it will stary to smooth itself out a bit. A few coworkers went today and had to endure the same line up. Also mentioned the burger was a bit cold after getting back to the office.

[Bigtime]

Alley Burger, Los Compadres, Fiasco, and Perogy Boyz seem to be very active and always updating on Twitter with their locations and plans for the next service/day.

[flamingchina]

So I got my first Alley Burger or any kind of food truck experience today. I was about the 20th in line when I got there about 5 minute before the start for lunch. I didn't get my food until almost an hour later.


According to their twitter feed they had cash register problems, so it was slower than usual...
I do agree they could be a bit faster usually, but...

[fotze]

Alley Burger, Los Compadres, Fiasco, and Perogy Boyz seem to be very active and always updating on Twitter with their locations and plans for the next service/day.

The others are useless.

It was funny the other day in Marda Loop, waiting for the mexican while using the Union Station free Wifi. bet that would piss them off.

[Bigtime]

The others are useless.

It was funny the other day in Marda Loop, waiting for the mexican while using the Union Station free Wifi. bet that would piss them off.

Was it you that tweeted that the Union Station people were made with where they parked?

[Bigtime]

The other problem is that the burger was wrapped in tin foil so by the time I sat down back in my office, it had been squashed somewhat.

Also mentioned the burger was a bit cold after getting back to the office.

This burger was born to be eaten in an Alley right away, you don't walk that baby back to your office to eat it. You open that foil up right away and start chowing down!

Did you two bust out a fork and knife for it also? ;)

[fotze]

Was it you that tweeted that the Union Station people were made with where they parked?

No

[socktape]

I would agree, if you are going to the Alley Burger truck you need to get the Alley Burger.... way better than the beef burger.

I would also agree that they do need to figure out a better method of delivery. It is a really good burger but I am one that won't wait 2 hours for a buger again only to have them run out of fries and bacon and whatever else before I get to the front. I understand that there would be some growing pains but it has been a month or so now.

That being said, it is opening up again in 19 minutes....

[darklord700]

II would also agree that they do need to figure out a better method of delivery. It is a really good burger but I am one that won't wait 2 hours for a buger again only to have them run out of fries and bacon and whatever else before I get to the front. I understand that there would be some growing pains but it has been a month or so now.



Maybe they should just get rid of the beef burger or poutine. If they keep pumping out alley burgers with not customization, they can make it more of a grab and go operation and probably make more money.

[jtfrogger]

Had an Alley Burger & poutine for supper yesterday. The burger was good, but the poutine was amazing. Especially with Truffle Oil salt & pepper.

It was a bit pricy, but I'd do it again. And the burger was gone before the poutine or my wife's beef burger came out. No time to cool down or get squished.

[fotze]

Might help if they constructed the patties elsewhere in a central location and ship them frozen to the truck.

[Russic]

Might help if they constructed the patties elsewhere in a central location and ship them frozen to the truck.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/22778/pics/gifs/offside.gif

[me_dennis]

i went to alleyburger 2 days ago at around 1 or 2pm and there was no line up, surprisingly! I got to meet chef connie from top chef canada too. I had the single alley burger and it was quite tasty. it was just warm so i have a feeling i got a leftover one from the lunch rush, so it wasn't as juicy as i'd thought it'd be, but it was still very tasty. I heard that the poutine was actually better than the burger, so i regret not going for the poutine.

as for the other food trucks, i've tried fiasco and los compadres. Fiasco was good, friendly service, and they seem to be always out. I'm not sure how well they'll do during the winter months.

Los compadres i have mixed reviews. The food itself is awesome! I would skip the beef, but the pastor (bbq pork) and the chicken had awesome flavor! It doesn't quite compare to an LA taco truck, both in taste and in price, but it definitely beats tacotime or any other mexican restaurant in calgary. The system that they have set up is a whole different story though. It can be quite slow, and I think that they have a lot to improve on that. There are usually 2 lines, one to pay and order, and one to wait for your food. When you go to order your food and pay for it, they give you a small receipt, and you head over to the other line up to wait for your food. Now I would think that once i have paid and ordered, the kitchen staff would have a ticket on their end so they could just call out a number when my order is ready. Instead, once you have ordered, you wait in the 2nd line, which is usually double in size, where you just wait amongst other hungry patrons for the window to open up. once they open up the window, they ask for about 10 receipts, which at that point they start preparing your order. Highly inefficient i find. Be prepared to wait at least 45-1hr on a busy lunch rush and about 20-30 mins when there's no line. They seemed to have improved though, because the first time i went, there was a lot of confusion on who's order was who's because they didnt call out any numbers.

A lot of people didnt understand the system and would miss out on handing in their tickets, therefore making the wait even longer.

But the food was good enough for me to go back. Hopefully they work out the kinks and create an efficient system soon. Perhaps having a ticket go to the kitchen when the order is placed, as well as taking down names of the customer, so when the order is up, then the chef can just yell out the name?

[fotze]

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/22778/pics/gifs/offside.gif
They can then deploy thousands, if not tens of thousands of trucks as franchises, while reaping the benefits of the economies of scale producing the raw products in a central, standardized facility. The trucks will act as assembly locations. We can call it Macdowell's.

[MissTeeks]

I had my first food truck experience last week and had Fries and Dolls for lunch. It was just meh. I had the Fergie which is fries with pink sea salt, cracked pepper and vinegar. It needed a whole lot more vinegar, most of it had evaporated before I could eat them. The sweet potato fries looked pretty good so I might have to try those next time.

[MissTeeks]

They're open right now with no line if anyone didn't want to wait.

AlleyBurger (http://twitter.com/#!/AlleyBurger) Alley Burger NOW OPEN and no line!!! come check us out 6th ave and 2nd street SW...Corner of Vinci parking

[JiriHrdina]

What is Blamwhich?

[Flaming Choy]

What is Blamwhich?

sandwich truck
http://www.blamwich.ca/menu/

[WhiteTiger]

I've been to the Alley Burger truck. Ended up waiting about 20 minutes in line, and about 40 minutes total (my buddy lost his cash, and had to scramble to find an ATM). Had the actual Alley Burger, two patties.

It was worth it, imo. Chatted with the people in line, really enjoyed the food. The fries didn't "wow" me, but with fries it's hard to. But the burger was good enough that I'd go back.

[IliketoPuck]

What is Blamwhich?

If you ever get it, go with the bacon sandwhich. It is amazing.

[Knalus]

I had the Blamwich Stampede Cheese-steak. Really great food, these guys should be doing better business than it appears. No line up for them either. Real steak, quality ingredients, put together really well.

If you hate the line, give them a try.

[Gundo]

I have to rebump this thread, I just had the Zuccini Zenwhich from Blam!wich and it was UNBELIEVABLE. Hands down one of the best sandwiches I have ever eaten.

How's everyone else finding the Calgary Food trucks thus far?? I think they are great, a couple are ok. But most of them are phenomenal and usually try to hit one up a week if I can.

Any favorites from the trucks??

[Boblobla]

A new food truck just started up this morning, Mighty Skillet. I am going to have to give them a try if they are ever by my building.

[Gundo]

Yeah I heard they were doing breakfast at the Anderson train station this morning.

[MissTeeks]

The Mighty Skillet is at 9 Ave and 2 Street SW until 1:30 today if anyone wanted to try the new truck.

[Russic]

I've had the original alley burger and a pork vermicelli from The Noodle Bus and both were absolutely fantastic. For the alley burger you almost need to be there early or the wait time is too intense.

[Slacker]

I had the baconstorm ($8) at Blam!wich an the chicken satay noodle soup ($7) at the Noodle bus. Both of them are top on my list.

Perogy boyz is good, but the amount of food is not enough for what you pay (6 perogies for $7)and what you pay in other sites.

Fries and dolls are okay.

[fundmark19]

I agree with perogy boys. It is good but not for the amount you pay. Blam!wich is very good I had the jerk chicken as well as the hypocrite (veggie sub with bacon)

[Bigtime]

I've had the Super Mario from Blamwich and it was excellent, that truck definitely has their stuff together!

[MRCboicgy]

I had the three taco sampler from Los compadres and some hibiscus punch, and thought it wasn't only a great value, but great flavor. Props to not being cash only either.

[CRXguy]

I've tried Blamwich and Jojo's BBQ, and they're both excellent. Still want to try Alley Burger to see what the hype is about.

[Top Shelf]

Had the Zuchini Zenwich from Blamwich today, and then walked over and got some garlic fries from JoJo's. Both were pretty good

[Boblobla]

I had the brisket today from JoJos, it was pretty good. Bun could have been fresher.

[darklord700]

I hope to see some of these trucks migrate into food court eventually. The Calgary food courts are exceedingly boring nowadays. It's the same fake asian, fake Mediterranean fair plus subways/quiznos wherever you go.

[Arsenal14]

So far I've tried:
Perogy Boys: food was pretty good, but either the portion size needs to go up or the price needs to come down.
Alley Burger: the Alley Burger is quite good and the fries are amazing.
Blamwich: I was skeptical about a sandwich truck but the Baconstorm is probably my favourite food truck item so far.
Jo Jo's BBQ: Garlic fries were kind of soggy and the pulled pork sandwich was just ok.
Los Compadres: Tried the mixed tacos, portion isn't huge but they were tasty.

[Jing]

Perogy Boys: Like others have said, tastes good, but too expensive for the quantity given
Alley Burger: Awesome burgers and fries, not too expensive
Noodle Bus: Awesome satay pho, banana fritters are pretty good, price is pretty good (for downtown fare)

[annasuave]

I must have dropped by on a bad day. I had the original alley burger when they were at Shaw on Barlow. It was one of the worst things I've ever put in my mouth. Fries were good though.

[Otsy]

I'm gonna try my first Calgary food truck today. Might Skillet is down in my area and looks like they have a tasty special
http://twitter.com/djchabot/status/193370895803367424/photo/1/large

[TurdFerguson]

Had been waiting to try Alley Burger for a long time but they never seemed to be anywhere close. Finally had a chance to try it about a month ago when they came to our community for a community event (which was pretty neat I thought). By the time we got there they only had the pork patty burgers left, so my wife and I both tried one. Nether of us managed to eat the entire burger and we both had pretty bad stomach sickness later that day. I was really disappointed in the whole experience (tried the poutine as well which was meh). I had only heard really good things of alley burger up to that point, but probably wont be having it again.

Perogy Boys is pretty solid from my experience and I'm looking forward to the new Montreal Smoked Meat truck that starting up next week (Red Wagon Diner).

[Flaming Choy]

Had been waiting to try Alley Burger for a long time but they never seemed to be anywhere close. Finally had a chance to try it about a month ago when they came to our community for a community event (which was pretty neat I thought). By the time we got there they only had the pork patty burgers left, so my wife and I both tried one. Nether of us managed to eat the entire burger and we both had pretty bad stomach sickness later that day. I was really disappointed in the whole experience (tried the poutine as well which was meh). I had only heard really good things of alley burger up to that point, but probably wont be having it again.

Perogy Boys is pretty solid from my experience and I'm looking forward to the new Montreal Smoked Meat truck that starting up next week (Red Wagon Diner).

The pork one is the alley burger, and in my opinion the better of the two; however, I've found the quality lacking lately as well. When it was served in the alley, and the first couple times out of the truck it was really good, but the last couple times I've have them, they were either raw or burnt to a crisp (or the outside was really burnt and the middle raw).

[fotze]

Perogy boys is good but you get something ridiculous like 3 perogies for 10. You could easily down $40 worth.

[Bigtime]

Yeah, Perogy Boys need to up the quantity per serving. Way too low right now.

[fotze]

I think the blamwich and noodlebus are the best ones I have had.

The day I had Jojo's bbq, something must have been wrong. It had this awful totally burnt flavour. Spit my bite out and through it in the garbage.

[EverfresH15]

I have had a couple of sandwich's from JoJo's and they were wicked but i also had their crappy jalapeno fries.

[Lt.Spears]

Sounds like bad experiences all the way around right now...

10 bucks for 3 perogies? HAHAHAHA

[OldDutch]

Sounds like bad experiences all the way around right now...

10 bucks for 3 perogies? HAHAHAHA

That is my issue with Food Trucks. They are meant to be good and cheap. They don't have large staff and storefront to pay for. Sure you have to pay for the bus, but the overhead should be way less.

However, the taco one I tried was very good, but small and expensive. So much so, I could have gone to a sit down for the same portion/dollar.

I'm not standing out on the street for 30 mins, to pay the same price or more per proper portion.

Such a typical Calgary way to ruin a good idea. End up defeating the idea by using over the top pricing.

[Lt.Spears]

That is my issue with Food Trucks. They are meant to be good and cheap. They don't have large staff and storefront to pay for. Sure you have to pay for the bus, but the overhead should be way less.

However, the taco one I tried was very good, but small and expensive. So much so, I could have gone to a sit down for the same portion/dollar.

I'm not standing out on the street for 30 mins, to pay the same price or more per proper portion.

Such a typical Calgary way to ruin a good idea. End up defeating the idea by using over the top pricing.


No kidding, I get that its better than street meat or Mcdonalds... but seriously some of these prices are so stupid. Like you said, you can go sit down and pay the exact same, get similar quality, and get service.

I think some of these trucks forgot the reason why they are so popular elsewhere.

[Komskies]

I concur with some of the above posts. To me, a food truck should be 4 things:


cheap
fast
really delicious
filling

As soon as they start going "gourmet" it gets away from most of those above points, namely cheap and filling.

[rd_aaron]

They can probably get away with the higher prices right now since it's still a novelty and there aren't a ton of other food trucks to choose from yet.

[Wormius]

So the Might Skillet is not too far away. Is it worth a try?

[fotze]

That is my issue with Food Trucks. They are meant to be good and cheap. They don't have large staff and storefront to pay for. Sure you have to pay for the bus, but the overhead should be way less.

However, the taco one I tried was very good, but small and expensive. So much so, I could have gone to a sit down for the same portion/dollar.

I'm not standing out on the street for 30 mins, to pay the same price or more per proper portion.

Such a typical Calgary way to ruin a good idea. End up defeating the idea by using over the top pricing.
God I hate that I agree with you on this.

Thats why the noodlebus seems like a good one, prices do seem cheaper than a viet restaurant, and its good.

I don't mind if there are gourmet ones or that some may be expensive. But perogies can be only so good. It can be the best perogy on earth but there are a million better things.

They do seem to take forever though, don't know if thats normal.

[Slacker]

So the Might Skillet is not too far away. Is it worth a try?

I just went there and got the 420 sandwich and I have to say it is awesome!

[Wormius]

God I hate that I agree with you on this.

Thats why the noodlebus seems like a good one, prices do seem cheaper than a viet restaurant, and its good.

I don't mind if there are gourmet ones or that some may be expensive. But perogies can be only so good. It can be the best perogy on earth but there are a million better things.

They do seem to take forever though, don't know if thats normal.

Perogies are something that virtually anybody can make with great success. I prefer to eat out at locations that serve me something that I can't cook very well.. which would be everything except perogies.

[Superflyer]

Perogies are something that virtually anybody can make with great success. I prefer to eat out at locations that serve me something that I can't cook very well.. which would be everything except perogies.

Yes but the perogies you make are they the frozen ones from safeway or do you make your own filling and dough?

[Wormius]

Yes but the perogies you make are they the frozen ones from safeway or do you make your own filling and dough?

Okay, I don't make perogies from scratch. I am not sure I can tell the difference between freshly made and frozen. At least from my experience with the frozen ones (from Sunterra) or fresh (from the Calgary Farmer's Market food court).

If the perogy truck is near my office again, I would give it a try. I also find that most perogies are just boiled, whereas I like them boiled and then pan-fried for a bit.

[Boblobla]

I am looking forward to the Naaco truck. That one should be good.

[SebC]

If the perogy truck is near my office again, I would give it a try. I also find that most perogies are just boiled, whereas I like them boiled and then pan-fried for a bit.Perogy Boyz definitely does some frying. But I agree with everyone else, their value proposition sucks. $14 for 12 perogies, throw in a sausage and a drink and you're looking at $20.

Anyways, looks like we're getting a new truck today: https://www.facebook.com/steakouttruck

[Rathji]

Holy Grill food truck is good news! and it looks like it will be parked out front of the Holy Grill on Monday.

[Bane]

Perogy Boyz definitely does some frying. But I agree with everyone else, they're value proposition sucks. $14 for 12 perogies, throw in a sausage and a drink and you're looking at $20.

Anyways, looks like we're getting a new truck today: https://www.facebook.com/steakouttruck

Handmade perogies are seriously labour intensive to make, so the price will always be on the high side.

[Wormius]

uqg1jCsAubg

gDLAecDxMLo



I guess it's not just a trend in Calgary. I thought we were trendsetters!

[nik-]

uqg1jCsAubg

gDLAecDxMLo



I guess it's not just a trend in Calgary. I thought we were trendsetters!

Calgary is relatively late to the food truck scene I think.

[getbak]

We're well behind the trend on Food Trucks.

Food Trucks in general have been around for a long time, but they were usually greasy poor-quality food. I think the recent trend towards non-traditional "gourmet" trucks started in San Francisco.

It appears that the most important things for having a successful food truck are a quirky name (basically follow the same formula that Homer Simpson used when naming the "Be Sharps"), a quirky menu, and the extensive use of social media to promote your roving location.


The Food Network even had a Food Truck race reality show: http://www.foodnetwork.com/the-great-food-truck-race/index.html

[Otsy]

I just went there and got the 420 sandwich and I have to say it is awesome!

I had the same, agreed it was awesome. It was a lot of sandwhich for $8 I thought, and the homemade hot sauce was fantastic too.

[TurdFerguson]

Anybody try out The Red Wagon Diner at lunch today? It was their first day I think and I heard they were setup by Alley Burger but I couldn't make it down.

[Top Shelf]

Tried the Red Wagon Diner today, I think this was it's first real day out on the streets.

Not bad at all, I had a Traditional sandwich, which was rye bread with a ton of Montreal Smoked Meat and some mustard.

Will try what they were calling the Special next time, basically the same thing as the Traditional but with toasted bread, some onions, tomatoes, lettuce, etc.

Not bad price as well compared to the other trucks anyways, 7 bucks

[me_dennis]

was it the typical deli style montreal smoked meat that you can buy at safeway/coop etc, or is it the thick cut, like in montreal?



Tried the Red Wagon Diner today, I think this was it's first real day out on the streets.

Not bad at all, I had a Traditional sandwich, which was rye bread with a ton of Montreal Smoked Meat and some mustard.

Will try what they were calling the Special next time, basically the same thing as the Traditional but with toasted bread, some onions, tomatoes, lettuce, etc.

Not bad price as well compared to the other trucks anyways, 7 bucks

[Top Shelf]

was it the typical deli style montreal smoked meat that you can buy at safeway/coop etc, or is it the thick cut, like in montreal?

Not sure, but here is a picture :D

http://p.twimg.com/ArIgHIXCEAA_Y-Y.jpg:large

[TurdFerguson]

Dang. Was that what you got for $7? Looks awesome!

[Top Shelf]

Dang. Was that what you got for $7? Looks awesome!

Not quite, that was 7.50 and i don't think the price included the coleslaw and pickle but i can't remember for sure. I pulled that picture from there twitter feed http://twitter.com/#!/redwagondiner

[Flaming Choy]

From the twitter feed it looks like it's run by the Galaxy Diner people. Beside Galaxy Diner is Myhre's Deli, which has pretty good montreal smoked meat sandwiches. Anyone know if those two places are run by the same people?

[TurdFerguson]

I know the Deli and Diner are run by the same people (same with The Belmont I believe). Not sure about the Red Wagon Diner truck though...would make perfect sense if that was the case..

[THowie]

Not sure, but here is a picture :D

http://p.twimg.com/ArIgHIXCEAA_Y-Y.jpg:large

Oh my goodness! I'm hungry!

[Tron_fdc]

I know the Deli and Diner are run by the same people (same with The Belmont I believe). Not sure about the Red Wagon Diner truck though...would make perfect sense if that was the case..

Same people. They also own the Montreal Smoked meat deli a few doors down from the Belmont.

I can't see it being the same people running the food truck if all they charge is $7. I feel like I'm trading a first born every time I get a sandwich at that diner. IIRC entry level smoked meat sandwiches are $11

[TurdFerguson]

Had the Smoked Meat Hash for lunch today and it was fantastic. Large portion and good value for the price ($9.50). The hash was exactly the same as from the Belmont - not sure if there is an actual connection there or not though.

Would recommend giving it a try for sure if you have the chance.

[Titan]

Is there a twitter feed that says where each truck will be each day? Or do you have to follow all of them? Is there a central place to find info? Thanks.

[Komskies]

There is a free iPhone app called street food Calgary.

[Titan]

There is a free iPhone app called street food Calgary.
Cool app. Thanks.

[Otsy]

Cool app. Thanks.

However, there is a twitter feed @yycfoodtrucks that will tell you where they are everyday if you don't have an iphone

[fotze]

However, there is a twitter feed @yycfoodtrucks that will tell you where they are everyday if you don't have an iphone
and it sucks because they just re-tweet every truck. Just follow the 10 odd trucks, then you don't get yycfoodtrucks spam.

The yycfoodtrucks site also isn't very good because the map is never updated.

What no one seems to talk about, how most apps are garbage.

Maybe it is better now but it was no good for the fiurst 4 months I used it.

[Top Shelf]

http://www.yycfoodtrucks.com/

[TurdFerguson]

The YYC Food Truck stuff isn't as much an agitator for all food trucks in Calgary, rather only for food trucks that pay them a month membership fee to be associated with the group (couple hundred bucks a month from what I understand).

[Gondi Stylez]

Red Wagon Diner is run and owned by the old chef from the Galaxie Diner but the truck and the diner have no affilation.

And yes, YYC Food Trucks is basically a promotions association. A good app to view all the food trucks is https://twitter.com/#!/iFindFoodTrucks (https://twitter.com/#%21/iFindFoodTrucks)

[Lt.Spears]

Any food trucks downtown today? I feel like trying something new.

Also, anyone know if Yodling Sausage is back on stephen ave?

[MissTeeks]

Alley Burger is at 5th and 5th. Red Wagon Diner is at 5 Ave and 2 St SW. Holy Crepe is at 12 Ave and 4 St SW. Steakout Truck is at MEC. JoJo's BBQ is on 15 Street and 17 Ave SE

[jtfrogger]

I tried the Red Wagon Diner last week and really enjoyed the smoked meat hash. It was a pretty big portion for a reasonable price (i.e. cheaper than going to a Calgary diner). I'd put it up as one of the top Calgary food trucks that I have tried.

[Jing]

I tried the Red Wagon Diner last week and really enjoyed the smoked meat hash. It was a pretty big portion for a reasonable price (i.e. cheaper than going to a Calgary diner). I'd put it up as one of the top Calgary food trucks that I have tried.

I just tried the smoked meat hash the other day and I thought it was great. Food was hot, the portion size was good and it was tasty (all for $9). Taking all these factors into consideration, I would say it is probably the best I have had from any of the food trucks so far.

[FlamesKickAss]

had alley burer the other day, it was okay. it was cold though

[moncton golden flames]

any thoughts on the 'steakout' truck. it's parked at mec today and i need to get some lunch. is this place any good?

[Bigtime]

I've heard it is good, also it is apparently a non-mobile food truck and will always be there.

[You Need a Thneed]

I've heard it is good, also it is apparently a non-mobile food truck and will always be there.

yeah, it seems to never leave the MEC parking lot.

Haven't tried it though.

[DownInFlames]

I saw it driving around one day, maybe going to a special event. Sticking to one spot kinda defeats the purpose of having a truck.

[fundmark19]

Not really. Since it is part of holy grill and holy grill gets crazy busy at lunch instead of people walking into holy grill walking out because of the line up and going to another business they can walk in see it is busy then head over to the food truck. They are also able to use all the refrigeration and storage of the holy grill to keep all their veggies and what not cold

[Hack&Lube]

Not sure, but here is a picture :D

http://p.twimg.com/ArIgHIXCEAA_Y-Y.jpg:large

That's not Montreal Smoked Meat

I have yet to see proper Montreal Smoked Meat at any food truck or restaurant in Calgary. It's always some thin-cut pastrami they call Montreal Smoked Meat.

[me_dennis]

That's not Montreal Smoked Meat

I have yet to see proper Montreal Smoked Meat at any food truck or restaurant in Calgary. It's always some thin-cut pastrami they call Montreal Smoked Meat.

This is probably as close as you will get to real Montreal Smoked Meat in Calgary. They've got good poutine, and I believe they've got black cherry cola as well

http://www.albertakingofsubs.com/Picture%20Menu.html

[fotze]

Just had a Holy Crepe crepe. It was quite good for $9. Thing is I could have easily eaten 3 of them and I'm not a big eater.

[Bobblehead]

Just had a Holy Crepe crepe. It was quite good for $9. Thing is I could have easily eaten 3 of them and I'm not a big eater.

So you could have eaten 3 because they were so small or because they were so tasty?

[fotze]

So you could have eaten 3 because they were so small or because they were so tasty?
It was small, 3/4 of your hand and half inch thick....

[Lt.Spears]

It was small, 3/4 of your hand and half inch thick....

Why does everything in this city have to be outlandishly expensive?

[fotze]

It was like a quarter of a quesadilla for $9. There was also a giant tip jar looking at you so I put in the loonie like an idiot.

[Barnes]

That's not Montreal Smoked Meat

I have yet to see proper Montreal Smoked Meat at any food truck or restaurant in Calgary. It's always some thin-cut pastrami they call Montreal Smoked Meat.

Smoked meat isn't always thick. Traditional style is usually thicker but it depends on the part of the brisket.

You can buy Dunn's smoked meat from the freezer section at Costco btw. It comes in little packages with some brine so you can steam it in the microwave. It'll be the closest you can get to Montreal here in Calgary.

I once brought a brisket from Reuben's and 3 dozen bagels back in a suitcase and was lucky enough to get one last sandwich at Ben's right before it closed.

[Top Shelf]

Just had the pleasure of trying a the Cheezy Bizness food truck at lunch today. Specializing in, you guessed it, gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches.

I chose the one called Hot Mess and I meant to take picture of the menu but forgot. I think it was Pepper Jack cheese, another type of cheese, fried egg, chorizo, banana peppers and siracha mayo.

Very tasty, will be going back again!

http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/3263/img20120614124535.jpg

[johnnyrocket03]

Was able to get out last weekend and try both the Naaco truck and Alley Burger.

Naaco Truck: Had the butter chicken naaco, great flavor, sauce was a little runny and mogo chips were decent. I would try it again in hopes of getting more delicious sauce, just not as runny.

Alley Burger: Had The Whole Truck with just about everything on it and a poutine. All I can say is wow, I will definitely be going there again.

Hoping to get out there and try Perogy Boyz and Holy Crepe this weekend!

[fundmark19]

skip out on perogy boys their portions will leave you disappointed

[johnnyrocket03]

skip out on perogy boys their portions will leave you disappointed

Ive heard that, but the overwhelming desire to try a carrot cake perogy is just too much for me. Im going into it knowing its gonna be more of a snack than a meal and dont mind shelling out an extra couple of bucks to try something different.

[northcrunk]

I've been doing the food truck thing at lunch for a couple weeks and this is what I have tried so far:

The Crank chef - Very good beingiet, amazing. Also the chef really sint cranky but is just an old school french chef. The service was great and the prices were good for what you get. Try the roast beef and the gnocci for sure. 7/10


Fries and Dolls - Good operation, really good fries. The sweet potato with cajun is meh, you cant really taste the spice. The garlic and parmasean were really strong with garlic so I wouldnt do this truck on a date. But the service was great and the organization kept fries coming out quick. 7/10


Los Compadres - What can I say about this truck other than authentic street tacos. A little pricy for 3 tacos ($10) and the wait time is loooong but it is well worth the wait if you have time. Eat them right there for the tacos to taste the best. 8/10


Shogun - Meh, tariyaki chicken. Not spectacular or anything really that different but not terrible. 5/10


Holy Crepe - Ingredients are very good, the only problem is eating one of these crepes on the street without ending up with chipoltle aeoili all over yourself as they leak a lot. Looks like a father and son business. 6/10


The Happy Truck - Always something different on the menu, from south asian to north american. Small truck. Definatly something where you have to check out the menu daily. The samosas are almost always on the menu though, very good but a little greasy. The mango and hot sauce here is probably the highlight for myself. 7/10

That's it so far, haven't tried perogy boyz since they never seem to be downtown.

[SebC]

Alley Burger creator Connie DaSousa was named Calgary's 3rd sexiest woman!

http://www.ffwdweekly.com/article/life-style/best-calgary/best-of-calgary-2012-results-9278/

[Hockeyguy15]

Smoked meat isn't always thick. Traditional style is usually thicker but it depends on the part of the brisket.

You can buy Dunn's smoked meat from the freezer section at Costco btw. It comes in little packages with some brine so you can steam it in the microwave. It'll be the closest you can get to Montreal here in Calgary.

I once brought a brisket from Reuben's and 3 dozen bagels back in a suitcase and was lucky enough to get one last sandwich at Ben's right before it closed.

Alberta King of Subs is your friend.

[Knalus]

My favorite - to my surprise - is Blamwich. Just really good sandwiches.

[secol]

i had the meatloaf sandwich and it was good but not mind blowing......the red diner truck with the montreal smoked meat on the other hand.....drool

[Tron_fdc]

Tried that Cheezy business truck a few weeks back. It was really good, but not $9 good. Grilled cheese sandwiches should never be that expensive....I don't care what kind of fancy ingredients are in it. I still smother it in ketchup, so for that price I'll make my own.

Alley burger is still one of my favs, but if it's busy don't bother. The burgers are cold, and usually undercooked. The last time I had one it was pretty underwhelming. If you can get there when there's no line it's pretty damn tasty though.

[jammies]

Had Blamwich and it was all right, but considering I waited 8 minutes for my sandwich, you'd think at least the melted cheese would be warm. It was also pretty small for $9 - I don't want American-style portions the size of a rhino's head, but I also don't want to still feel hungry after finishing my sandwich.

[fotze]

and blamwich seems to be one of the best values of the food trucks.

[crazy_eoj]

I had the smoked meat hash from the Red Wagon Diner for lunch today and it was fantastic! Really fresh tasting, still smoking hot, and good value for 9 bucks. I couldn't finish it.

Definately the best food truck food I have tried yet!

Red Wagon Diner - 9/10 looking forward to next time I can try it.
Fries and Dolls - 7/10 - good fries... nothing amazing
Perogy Boyz - 6/10 - decent perogies but expensive and can't beat my Grandma's
Shogun - 3/10 - dont even bother, find your closest Edo it's better

[JerzeeGirl]

Thinking about heading out to try Alley Burger tomorrow - has anyone been? Would you recommend the Whole Truck Burger or the Original Alley Burger? Is the poutine any good?

[secol]

I had the smoked meat hash from the Red Wagon Diner for lunch today and it was fantastic! Really fresh tasting, still smoking hot, and good value for 9 bucks. I couldn't finish it.

Definately the best food truck food I have tried yet!

Red Wagon Diner - 9/10 looking forward to next time I can try it.
Fries and Dolls - 7/10 - good fries... nothing amazing
Perogy Boyz - 6/10 - decent perogies but expensive and can't beat my Grandma's
Shogun - 3/10 - dont even bother, find your closest Edo it's better
where were they today? i keep looking for them where i found them (close to nexen building) but haven't seen them there again :(

[MRCboicgy]

I like Alley Burger's Whole Truck burger, but I'd only get one if I didn't have to wait 30+ minutes. For under 7 bucks, it's not a bad value (especially considering some other trucks' prices)

[Knalus]

The alley burger is so much faster if you do not order fries. Orders of magnitude faster. If you do order fries, go for the poutine, it's amazing. One of the best poutines in the city.

In my opinion, go for the burger the truck is named for, skip "the whole truck". The alley burger is a great unique burger, while the whole truck is merely a great burger, which you can get without the line at a place like buchanans.

[Gundo]

Thinking about heading out to try Alley Burger tomorrow - has anyone been? Would you recommend the Whole Truck Burger or the Original Alley Burger? Is the poutine any good?

Skip the whole truck, I mean it's good and all but the Alley Burgar kicks its ass. I'd put the Original Alley Burgar against any in town. And yes get the poutine, the fries are cooked in duck fat which adds another dimension of delicious.

[crazy_eoj]

where were they today? i keep looking for them where i found them (close to nexen building) but haven't seen them there again :(

They were in front of the TCPL bulding on 1st st between 4th and 5th ave.... quite a ways from Nexen.

Good for me, bad for you!

[darklord700]

Shogun is an abomination. Avoid.

[tete]

Jelly Modern Doughnuts is coming out with a food truck, they announced it this morning. Are we reaching the saturation point for food trucks in the city?

[SebC]

Jelly Modern Doughnuts is coming out with a food truck, they announced it this morning. Are we reaching the saturation point for food trucks in the city?I say no, but I don't own an existing food truck. Some of these trucks seem to need a bit of competition to improve their value propositions (looking at you, Perogy Boyz).

[Komskies]

I say no, but I don't own an existing food truck. Some of these trucks seem to need a bit of competition to improve their value propositions (looking at you, Perogy Boyz).

JoJo's BBQ too. $15 for a pulled pork sandwich and fries. Give me a break.

[darklord700]

Jelly Modern Doughnuts is coming out with a food truck, they announced it this morning. Are we reaching the saturation point for food trucks in the city?

I would like to see the prices going down. I just tried the Cranky Chef Spolumbo Sausage bun. Not bad but it's $8.50. I think in general, they should come do to Mickey D prices because that's what they serve, fast food.

All these trucks are like $10 without fries or drink and that's just too expensive. The only truck that is reasonably priced is the Vietnamese noodle truck.

[fotze]

JoJo's BBQ too. $15 for a pulled pork sandwich and fries. Give me a break.
I had to spit mine out. Something must have went wrong. It wasn't smoked it was burnt. Tried another bite thinking I bit a burnt piece of meat. It was awful, yet I read rave reviews so it must have been a bad day. Or people on twitter are totally full of crap and like blow smoke up people's arses.

Had the mighty skillet eggs benedict. Not very good. On top of some sort of hash brown...I don't even feel like trying to dexcribe it. just not good for many many reasons. Tasted like the cooks are very heavy smokers, so over salty.

I'm all for variations on things and doing something a new way, but it still has to taste good, does it not. I know that when I try something new, my success rate is going to be less than 50%.

and to not sound like a cheapskate. $15 for a smallish meal would be fine if it was really good, but they tend to not be.

Its barely above fast food quality
French restaurant portions
Restaurant speed
Restaurant prices
Eating on the street out of a truck ease of eating

I watch Eat Street and they all look so good, are they just blowing moke at those places?

[jaydorn]

Jelly Modern Doughnuts is coming out with a food truck, they announced it this morning. Are we reaching the saturation point for food trucks in the city?

I wouldn't say we're at the saturation point, but we are past the early adapters stage now and into the "me too" stage.

Not speaking to Jelly Modern specifically but I'm starting to see a few trucks (Shawarma YYC comes to mind) that appear to be nothing more than attempts to hop on a trend. "People like buying from trucks now, I'll get a truck and sell food, I'll even include that twitter thing everyone is into."

It seemed like the first wave (Ally Burger, Perogy Boyz, Los Compadres etc) were all trying to offer something unique, something that you can't get in every neighbourhood of the city. Where as now it seems like hopping on the trend is a bigger priority than the food itself.

But I suspect it'll reach an equilibrium stage where the better trucks survive and we reach a happy point in a few years. 15 months ago we didn't have a single food trucks, so it's still a very young industry in this city.

[secol]

i just hope more competition gets in so we'll get better value as we should instead of them pocketing the savings in rent/maintenance

[_Q_]

Everyone needs to try the H.appy Truck. It's awesome! Not sure why nobody talks about that food truck.

On a side note, YYC Shawarma truck is probably the worst meal you can have in Calgary. I'm not sure if the guy that owns that truck has ever eaten a good shawarma in his life, but his shawarma is an embarrassment.

[fotze]

Everyone needs to try the H.appy Truck. It's awesome! Not sure why nobody talks about that food truck.

On a side note, YYC Shawarma truck is probably the worst meal you can have in Calgary. I'm not sure if the guy that owns that truck has ever eaten a good shawarma in his life, but his shawarma is an embarrassment.
The shawarma truck looks sketchy as well.

What does the happy truck sell?

[Bunk]

There are currently 21 trucks on the road, expected to have 30 licenced by the end of summer.

Almost exactly a year ago, the Mayor asked if we could help make food trucks a reality. It took exactly 20 days to sort out the regulatory hurdles, launch the pilot and have the first wave of food trucks on the road. We had 7 businesses eager to go, so the timing was very fortunate.

[Bunk]

What does the happy truck sell?

It's Indonesian. Tapas style servings I think. I've been eager to try this one.

The most recent one I had was Cheezy Bizness. I had the Aloha, which is pulled pork, pinneapple, some sort of nice cheese. Excellent!

[JerzeeGirl]

I had lunch at the Happy Truck a couple weeks ago - it was pretty good! I had the curried beef meal which had a bit of everything & especially enjoyed the Indonesian Slaw (pickled pineapple & cucumbers).
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v710/Tavie/FoodTrucks.jpg

[red sky]

I had the Kimchekaze at the Cheezy Bizness truck today. It was tasty but as others have pointed out, the prices are about 2-3 bucks too high. They should just rename them the Bouwmeester or something.

[KelVarnsen]

Has anyone tried the Greek food truck?

[secol]

having cranky chef gnocchi right now....not that special imo and $10 for just the gnocchi

[darklord700]

Just had the Aloha Grill Cheese sandwich from the Cheesy Bizness truck. Not bad but not worth $9. $5-$6 maybe.

[You Need a Thneed]

Alleyburger. Yum.

[jaydorn]

Gave Naaco Truck a whirl today, pretty damn tasty, really fresh. Price wasn't too bad (although they seem eager to up sell ya $4 for kettle chips) for just the nan bread/taco thing. Only real complaint is the speed of the service, very friendly staff, but standing on the street waiting for your order gets old pretty quick.

But the quality/taste is top notch, much better than some of the little hole in the wall places near the office that I hit up regularly.

[Wormius]

I am jealous of everybody who works downtown where the trucks congregate.

[darklord700]

Tried Red Wagon Dinner, the Montreal Smoke Meat Truck. The sandwich is OK, better than your food court variety. And at about $7-$8 a sandwich, it's not grossly overpriced by food truck standard. However, I'm not a smoke meat fan so I'm not sure if I will go back or not.

[bagofpucks]

I've had the chance to try three trucks thus far, so I'll do a quick review...

Naaco Truck - It was definitely different than anything else I have tried, but it was delicious. I had the butter chicken and although there wasn't as much chicken as I expected it was fairly filling. I also had the mogo fries and thought they were good, I would order them again. Next time I would order the chutney for the mogo fries as I found them a bit bland without anything else. I will definitely try the Naaco Truck again and would give it an overall 8/10. The only draw back was I found it a bit expensive at around $11 or $12 for a Naaco and fries. We were about 10th in line when it opened, so the wait wasn't too long, probably about 10-15 minutes.

Viasilli's (not sure if that is right, it is the Greek truck) - I had the twisted pig which was a pork souvlaki in a pita with veggies and a delicious tzatziki sauce. The veggies and tzatziki were awesome and the pork was good, but sometimes was a bit chewy. The portion size was ok, but I would have liked a side of rice or potatoes or something else. Overall, the value for $9.50 wasn't great, but the wrap was very good. The girls in the truck were also very cute and friendly, so that didn't hurt their score. I would give this truck a 7/10 with high potential for a higher score if they added a side to their meals and I would definitely try it again. This was the shortest wait, we were about 4th in line and had food within 10 minutes.

Red Wagon - I will premise my review by saying I have never had Montreal smoked meat before, so I don't really have anything to compare it to. I ordered the special which is Montreal smoked meat, lettuce, onions, tomato, and mustard. The sandwich was good, but I can't say I really enjoy Montreal smoked meat that much, so not sure if I would order another one. I was excited that they had hash browns as a side, but I found them slightly disappointing; they were fairly bland. I did feel the price was good at $9.50 for the sandwich and hash browns. I would give it a 6/10 and would not go back just because I don't really like Montreal smoked meat. If they had another sandwich to try, I would probably because the food quality was there. This was the longest wait, it took me about 30 minutes to order and get food.

All in all, I will be interested to see if the food trucks are just a trend or if they will stay around for a long time. As previously stated, the food has been very good, but expensive and the wait times are high. I will definitely try some of the other food truck options, but I'm not sure I will be as interested next summer.

[Top Shelf]

Was down at Paddlefest at Carburn Park over the weekend and there were three food trucks there: Steakout, Spud Mobeel and Naaco

Tried the steak bites and dip from Steakout, very tasty and hot, i think there were about 8 of them? Kinda pricey at 7 bucks though.

Tried the poutine and salt and vinegar spiral potato from Spud Mobeel. Better value here as the poutine was massive and very good. The spiral potato thing was also very good.

[secol]

noodle bus today.....wasn't that great, maybe i'm used to the ridiculously large pho in restaurants but thought the portion was small. also no lime, basil, beansprouts though the soup still had decent flavor without it (would probably taste pretty damned good with the lime/basil)

[JerzeeGirl]

Tried a couple of different trucks last week: JoJo's BBQ, Vasili's (Greek) & Jelly Modern Doughnut.

JoJo's was a bit disappointing - ate with 3 friends so we all shared and had a good sampling of what they had to offer. We all agreed that the pulled pork was dry & needed more sauce as did the ribs (which weren't fall off the bone tender so not done right according to all the BBQ shows on TV...). The brisket was juicy but needed sauce as well. We also tried JoJo's BBQ-tine and I was not impressed....fries were kind of cold and soggy while the bacon gravy was bland. Overall, we all thought the value was there as the pulled pork & brisket sammies were quite large and the ribs were a fairly decent price (altho the poutine was quite small for what you got). Perhaps my expectations were too high but it wasn't something I'd go out of my way for again.

Vasili's tho was far from disappointing! Probably my fave food truck so far and I'll happily stroll to find them if they are anywhere near me in the future. I tried their Twisted Pig pita & it was delicious. The pork was well cooked and nicely seasoned - very juicy and tender. The pita was a wonderfully light Greek pita filled with lots of feta, shaved cucumber, tomatoes & tzatziki sauce. The portion was a good size for me (altho I imagine some guys might find themselves still slightly hungry at the end).

Jelly Modern Doughnut was just ok - they had a couple of their store faves in the truck and while my lemon doughnut was good, it wasn't up to their usual standard that day, imho.

[tete]

Stopped by the SpudMobeel on the way home from the fireworks on Canada Day - the poutine was very tasty. Not as good as Alley Burger's, but still quite good. I'd like to give Vassili's a try now after hearing JG's review. We saw it on the Riverwalk but had just eaten down at Olympic Plaza on Canada Day.

[secol]

tried aglio e olio today....had the italian sausage penne for $10. for $10 portion was a little small, only a few thin medallions of sausage and cold garlic toast. they did have some pasta options from $7 though so maybe next time i'll get one of those + salad

[darklord700]

Tried the Curbside grill today. The burger bun was not toasted and so wasn't the cheese. Very average quality.

[mykalberta]

Tried holy crepe the other day, got BLT and it was very very tasty. Like all other food trucks, more expensive than food court fare, slow, but very good. They also have a dessert crepe which I would like to try.

[octothorp]

Had pizza from Avatara today, and it was pretty good. Decent value for a full-sized when split between two people. Tasty, decent thin-crust, and pretty fast for a oven-cooked pizza.

[northcrunk]

Went to Carne street meats today in Olympic Plaza. The immovable "food truck" that is set up inside one of the kiosks in Olympic Plaza. Getting the ribs is a MUST. AMAZING ribs, and not bad at $7 for 1/2 lb and $13 for a full pound. The sauce is handmade and the ribs are braised perfectly.

I would also get the maple bacon creme broule for $3, definatly worth the trip down there.

They also have some hand made chips for $2 and sandwiches and chile con carne. One of the best street food places I've been to.

[fundmark19]

Finally go to try the signature ally burger. Was very good and a great value at 5 bucks.

[Robotic]

Just decided to check out this thread today as I had my first food truck experience. I went to Vasili's and had the Twisted Pig. It was really good, and service was extremely fast. If you go around 11:30 when the trucks open you'll get your food within minutes. It was $8.50 for the wrap alone and I was still hungry afterwards. I'd probably get 2, or as Bagofpucks mentioned they should serve it with a side of rice or potato. I wouldn’t mind spending another $5 if I felt full afterwards. Overall I'd recommend it to others.

[MissTeeks]

I stopped at the Food Fighter truck yesterday and had the chicken parm sandwich, it was massive! I couldn't finished it. Well worth the $7.50.

[taffeyb]

Alley burger is over-rated. I was 5th in line and it still took 20 minutes to get my burger. That actually confused me as I could see them inside the truck stacking up wrapped Alley Burgers. About a dozen...which explains why it was just barely warm and the bun was soggy as it was steamed from being wrapped up for 20 minutes. If the burger was ready, just give it to me...the others in front were together and had whole trucks which are made to order. Won't try another Alley Burger, but may have a go at the whole truck (made to my specs)

[SebC]

Yeah, Food Fighter is good stuff.

[Bunk]

I am jealous of everybody who works downtown where the trucks congregate.

If you work in a suburban office area or something like that it's pretty easy to call up one or two trucks and convince them to stop by your building for a lunch. Captive market and often in areas with few other good food options.

[MissTeeks]

I'm on a food truck bender this week it seems. I tried the SteakOut truck at MEC today. Their steak bites and parmesan fries were awesome!

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Alley burger is over-rated. I was 5th in line and it still took 20 minutes to get my burger. That actually confused me as I could see them inside the truck stacking up wrapped Alley Burgers. About a dozen...which explains why it was just barely warm and the bun was soggy as it was steamed from being wrapped up for 20 minutes. If the burger was ready, just give it to me...the others in front were together and had whole trucks which are made to order. Won't try another Alley Burger, but may have a go at the whole truck (made to my specs)

Yeah the Whole Truck is significantly better IMO. I had one with all the fixings and it was pretty good, probably among the best burgers I've had.

If you want the pork sausage burger try it at Charcut instead. Super filling and pretty tasty.

[taffeyb]

skip out on perogy boys their portions will leave you disappointed

Just saw them on a repeat of Eat Street...the perogies look quite large and filling. That being said...those Baconators look fantastic during the commercial break...:whistle:

[SebC]

Just tried Curbside Grill. It was disappointing. Fries were kind of cold and the burger wasn't anything special either. I wouldn't repeat.

[Otsy]

Eat Street filming the Naaco Truck at Kingsland Market Sat Aug 11th

[darklord700]

Just tried Curbside Grill. It was disappointing. Fries were kind of cold and the burger wasn't anything special either. I wouldn't repeat.

Should've read my review above, then you won't go near Curbside Grill. Now don't make the same mistake and try the Blue Japanese truck. They give Curbside a run for their money.

[secol]

tried holy crepe.....wasn't bad, was definitely too small but tasted good. holy cluck, buffalo chicken bits were a bit dry

[showtime]

For all you food truck enthusiasts Eat St will be filming the 7th through to the 9th in Edmonton and 10th to 12th in Calgary.

The 10th is like a one year anniversary for food trucks in Calgary and from what i was told almost all the trucks should be at the Riverwalk in the east village.

If your a big eat st fan, and wanted to be on the show send me a PM and ill see if I can get some CP representation during the interviews.

[SebC]

Should've read my review above, then you won't go near Curbside Grill. Now don't make the same mistake and try the Blue Japanese truck. They give Curbside a run for their money.I probably did, but forgot it. :bag:

[Otsy]

This is the list of confirmed trucks at the Riverwalk East Village on Friday. From the YYCFoodtrucks page on facebook.

The Perogy Boyz
Los Compadres
Fiasco Gelato
Mighty Skillet
Cheezy Bizness
Red Wagon Diner
Fries & Dolls
The Purple Pastry Chef (http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Purple-Pastry-Chef/192209490815720)
Braizen Food Truck (http://www.facebook.com/braizenfoodtruck)
Blues Mobile
Food Fighter
AVATARA (http://www.facebook.com/AVATARAPAGE)
Vasili's (http://www.facebook.com/vasilisfoodtruckyyc)
The noodle bus (http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-noodle-bus/237211039647319)
Holy Crepe (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Holy-Crepe/275299125848293)
Jelly Modern Doughnuts (http://www.facebook.com/jellymoderndoughnuts)
The Naaco Truck (http://www.facebook.com/TheNaacoTruck)
Steakout Truck (http://www.facebook.com/steakouttruck)
Jojo's BBQ (http://www.facebook.com/JojoBBQ)
Soup in a Bun

[secol]

never heard of soup in a bun, must be new? :D

[Bigtime]

Why heck does the "Taste the Trucks" event tomorrow only go until 6pm? We were planning to go down when I got home, but chances are we wouldn't make it until almost 6.

[jammies]

never heard of soup in a bun, must be new? :D

I had it, it was decent. Reasonably sized portion, which you definitely can't say for all the trucks.

[darklord700]

Tried Soup in a bun today. A cute little concoction that they put soup inside a sour dought bun. The soup is better than your food court fair but for $8, I think it is at least $2-$3 overpriced.

[Komskies]

And then did you eat the bowl?!

[red sky]

So what is the best truck out there? I have had Cheesy Bizness, Perogy Boyz, and Alley Burger. Is Naaco better than Red Diner?

[The Yen Man]

Is Alley Burger really that good? I had it the other day, and it tastes about the same as any other burger. Not sure why it's worth the $5. Their poutine was pretty good though.

[Tyler]

East Village was super busy but a lot of fun today.

Great getting everyone out to the Riverwalk from downtown who probably never venture any further than Macleod.

[secol]

Is Alley Burger really that good? I had it the other day, and it tastes about the same as any other burger. Not sure why it's worth the $5. Their poutine was pretty good though.
did you have the whole truck or the alley burger? i hear whole truck is fresher and actually made to order (because it's customizable) compared to the alley burger

[jaydorn]

Got to try blamwich this weekend, had the Mississippi Fish Boy, which was piece of cod covered in coleslaw and some kinda sauce.

The quality was pretty good, it was definitely a solid sandwich and great to try something unique to the city.

But $9 for a just the sandwich (no side, no drink) is a little on the steep side. I dunno maybe even if they'd thrown in a pickle or a handful of chips or something along with it I'd feel a little better. But when your floating that close to $10 and I'm not being served at a table you need to provide just a bit more.

[Mccree]

But $9 for a just the sandwich (no side, no drink) is a little on the steep side. I dunno maybe even if they'd thrown in a pickle or a handful of chips or something along with it I'd feel a little better. But when your floating that close to $10 and I'm not being served at a table you need to provide just a bit more.


I think this is a problem with most food trucks. Small, expensive portions. I would have thought that without the overhead of "true restaurant" that the prices would be lower or larger portion. I still enjoy them thou.

[jaydorn]

I think this is a problem with most food trucks. Small, expensive portions. I would have thought that without the overhead of "true restaurant" that the prices would be lower or larger portion. I still enjoy them thou.

Yeah it does seem to be a reoccurring theme. Honestly I get the basic "we're offering something unique with different ingredients, so the prices are a little higher." which is fine, but the portions need to be filling either way.

They've basically gotta find the sweet spot for price/portion between fastfood/take out fare and casual dining (EG: moxies/chili's etc) stuff. I have no problem paying $10-$15 for something good and unique, but I should feel full afterwards.

[red sky]

I agree 100%. I was hoping more competition would result in lower prices but they seem to be all over priced. Ironically, the first food truck (Alley Burger) is still the chepeast with a $5 burger option.

I tried the Red Wagon Diner truck last Friday. Had the ruban. While it was tasty, the portion was on the small side.

[secol]

red wagpn is one of the better deals in terms of food/price/taste IMO

[blah blah]

I think this is a problem with most food trucks. Small, expensive portions. I would have thought that without the overhead of "true restaurant" that the prices would be lower or larger portion. I still enjoy them thou.

Their lower overhead also comes with a far lower amount of customers they can serve out of a small kitchen in a very shorter window of time. I really don't think the prices are as such because they're greedy or overcharging. Of course I'd love to pay less but don't see it as a problem. It's just simply what we have to pay for street gourmet.

[You Need a Thneed]

I agree 100%. I was hoping more competition would result in lower prices but they seem to be all over priced. Ironically, the first food truck (Alley Burger) is still the chepeast with a $5 burger option.

Yesterday, it was $5+ GST, so effectively, Alleyburger has increased their prices by 5%.

[showtime]

lower overhead, sure. But the people who run these trucks work their asses off. Its not just jump on the truck and go. Hours and hours of prep happen before they generally even make it to the truck.

[fundmark19]

Yesterday, it was $5+ GST, so effectively, Alleyburger has increased their prices by 5%.

I for one do not support this GST business. I will no longer support them!

[You Need a Thneed]

I for one do not support this GST business. I will no longer support them!

before, the $5 listed price had the tax included.

[fundmark19]

Damnit! I have been bamboozled

[Bunk]

The trucks aren't cheap either - generally about $100k to get one and put in a full service kitchen. These aren't rinky dink operations.

[secol]

finally got to try soup in a bun today....thought i'd be hungry afterwards but the chowder with the bread was actually pretty filling. decent chowder, real pieces of whole shrimp.....they only give you a spoon but you really need a knife as well since you can't dig the bread out with the plastic spoon

[fotze]

Had a sub today from the bahn mi truck. Really good. $8 is just a hair expensive.

I wouldn't think you would need much for a Vietnam sub truck. Bunch of crock pots for the sate stuff and that's it. No $100k there.

[jaydorn]

Looks like our friends at the Flamew are hopping in on the trend of 2012:

The Flames Food Truck is a coming this fall.
http://flames.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=83253

Yup, put a fork in it, this trend has jumped the shark. Although it did give us the tasty Naaco Truck, so some good came of it.

[undercoverbrother]

Looks like our friends at the Flamew are hopping in on the trend of 2012:

The Flames Food Truck is a coming this fall.
http://flames.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=83253

Yup, put a fork in it, this trend has jumped the shark. Although it did give us the tasty Naaco Truck, so some good came of it.

Awesome, so the league is locked out, the public is pissed at either the players or owners, but happy with neither, and they start this up.....nice play.

[Misterpants]

Great, now I can buy $6 popcorn outside the Saddledome!

[fotze]

I wonder if its the high quality Flames Central food.

[Puppet Guy]

maybe it'll be like the Flames roster: expensive, uninspiring and occasionally nausea-inducing.

[Komskies]

If they serve 'Dome nachos, they can do no wrong.

[Kybosh]

I think I remember that the Naaco truck operator is a CPer. You need to come in and around Nexen much more often. I enjoy your food but don't get it enough. I have spoken.

[Ducay]

The fact its come from the Flames is the most gut wrenching idea I've heard all day.

The food at the Saddledome from the in-house concessions is one step above microwavable dinners. Or even below in certain cases

[Hack&Lube]

Lately, I've discovered a few stores are using food trucks to attract/keep customers/families around the stores on weekends which is a good idea.

Some of them have vouchers/coupons so if you buy such-and-such or X amount of $ in the store, that you get $10 voucher or food coupon at the food truck which they have paid for to have parked in the parking lot with tables and benches.

[nik-]

The Flames doing a mobile Flames Central would suck. However, if they did a mobile heroin beer and nacho truck, it might be awesome.

[taco.vidal]

Haven't seen this yet. Care to share with us where you have seen this?

Lately, I've discovered a few stores are using food trucks to attract/keep customers/families around the stores on weekends which is a good idea.

Some of them have vouchers/coupons so if you buy such-and-such or X amount of $ in the store, that you get $10 voucher or food coupon at the food truck which they have paid for to have parked in the parking lot with tables and benches.

[MRCboicgy]

The Family Fry Guy truck's "squeaky" poutine is dynamite. 7 bucks for a regular, but worth it for good poutine

[csnarpy]

I still go to Alley Burger and the Greek truck all the time.

Tried Los Compadres (sp) and their $10 quesidilla - it was no more than a some melted processed cheese with a slice of deli ham... it may have cost them 60 cents to make.... i tossed it on their counter and walked. That was the most insulting thing I had ever seen from a food truck to date.

[Hemi-Cuda]

i find every food truck in this city ridiculously overpriced and the quality is subpar compared to a standard restaurant. the last one i tried was that soup in a breadbowl one, and it was terrible (i really miss the Tim Horton's chili-in-a-breadbowl). i don't understand the mindset that as long as you serve your food out of a truck with nowhere to sit, you can charge 2 or 3 bucks more than if you were to go to a regular restaurant

[fotze]

I still go to Alley Burger and the Greek truck all the time.

Tried Los Compadres (sp) and their $10 quesidilla - it was no more than a some melted processed cheese with a slice of deli ham... it may have cost them 60 cents to make.... i tossed it on their counter and walked. That was the most insulting thing I had ever seen from a food truck to date.

You tossed the quesadilla back?

This is my one pet peeve with twitter, especially local content. Everything is awesome. All the food trucks are 'fantastic', its such a load of horsecrap, the fellatio of all things local.

Soup in a bread bowl truck, I saw that and thought what the fata? Who invests in a business with that as the premise.

[Jing]

The Family Fry Guy truck's "squeaky" poutine is dynamite. 7 bucks for a regular, but worth it for good poutine

Thanks for the tip, tried them out today and it was pretty good (both quality and quantity for the price).

[csnarpy]

You tossed the quesadilla back?

This is my one pet peeve with twitter, especially local content. Everything is awesome. All the food trucks are 'fantastic', its such a load of horsecrap, the fellatio of all things local.

Soup in a bread bowl truck, I saw that and thought what the fata? Who invests in a business with that as the premise.

Yep, threw it back. I'll never go to them again.

[FlamesKickAss]

Steakout is pretty awesome, love the steak fries!

[Ziggy Lidstrom]

Steakout is pretty awesome, love the steak fries!

I like them as well. The prime rib is quite good. I was talking with one of the owners, He remembered me and sought me out. He told me that their food cost is 42 percent for the type of beef they use. IT's, apparently from the same source as the Keg and their "butcher's block prime rib".

He even hooked me up with the steak bites, they were tight. The parm fries are quite good too, I love the slices of parm. MMMMmmmm. One of the better trucks for sure. Los Compadres are ok. Their tacos are all i like but find them to be overpriced compared to my new fav : El Charrito. try it before it becomes too busy.

I tried stick rickeys today. The poutine was awesome. Some of the best chicken gravy i have ever had. The gumbalaya was good. My girl didn't like it but it tasted very close to what people have called authentic. It was a darker gumbo but real good. Take a chance, next i'm gonna try the red beans and rice.

[Red Ice Player]

I got stuck in traffic behind that perogy truck a while back, forced to endure the blue oily smoke from its totally bagged engine. I hear they are overpriced too. Somehow I doubt they will be spending their profits on an engine overhaul...

[Gondi Stylez]

Read through this entire thread and have a few "market research" questions to pose:

a) Define "street food culture"
b) What is your opinion of value for money based on your experiences of food trucks.
c) Smaller portion for $5 (ie. 6" sub) or meal size for $8 (ie. 12" sub)? The mind set would be to give variety and try multiple items vs. a couple.

[taco.vidal]

Comments in the quote below.Read through this entire thread and have a few "market research" questions to pose:

a) Define "street food culture"
Seems different here in Calgary than US cities Ive travelled to. In the US, food trucks always meant cheap food with a local flavour. In Calgary, food trucks have been a nice alternative to the typical food you get in a downtown food court.
b) What is your opinion of value for money based on your experiences of food trucks.Poor value. To generalize, low quality and small portion size equals poor value.
c) Smaller portion for $5 (ie. 6" sub) or meal size for $8 (ie. 12" sub)? The mind set would be to give variety and try multiple items vs. a couple.Not sure what your question is. But Id say when trying a new food truck it is nice to have the option of smaller portions at a lower price or a sampler type item.

[nik-]

I haven't really eaten at the trucks, but what I've gathered from people's anecdotes is that these trucks for the most part have completely missed the point of a food truck. They seem to be no cheaper than anything in a food court and often smaller portions. It's too bad, but it's Calgary style to milk a trend I guess.

Granted they seem to have done good short term business, so what do I know I guess.

[Gondi Stylez]

Added to yours,

Comments in the quote below.

Originally Posted by Gondi Stylez http://forumcdn.calgarypuck.com/images/calpuck/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?p=3904208#post3904208)
Read through this entire thread and have a few "market research" questions to pose:

a) Define "street food culture"
Seems different here in Calgary than US cities Ive travelled to. In the US, food trucks always meant cheap food with a local flavour. In Calgary, food trucks have been a nice alternative to the typical food you get in a downtown food court.
If trucks offered more services than lunch DT (ie. dinner in the suburbs) would that give you more incentive to try some of them or become a more frequent buyer
b) What is your opinion of value for money based on your experiences of food trucks.Poor value. To generalize, low quality and small portion size equals poor value.
Expand further. Would combos help increase value? Say 6" sub, chips and drink $10? Or does it not matter. What entails quality. Do you care about local/organic or is it mostly based on portion size.
c) Smaller portion for $5 (ie. 6" sub) or meal size for $8 (ie. 12" sub)? The mind set would be to give variety and try multiple items vs. a couple.Not sure what your question is. But Id say when trying a new food truck it is nice to have the option of smaller portions at a lower price or a sampler type item.
What I meant was most trucks offer one size for x amount. Why not take a page from the US trucks in that they give a smaller portion but for a reduced cost. This allows the customer to try 2 flavors for say the same price as one larger item. (ie. 1 12" tuna sub for $10 vs. 1 6" meatball & 6" tuna for $10 or $5 each).

[Gondi Stylez]

I haven't really eaten at the trucks, but what I've gathered from people's anecdotes is that these trucks for the most part have completely missed the point of a food truck. They seem to be no cheaper than anything in a food court and often smaller portions. It's too bad, but it's Calgary style to milk a trend I guess.

Granted they seem to have done good short term business, so what do I know I guess.

That is actually not how some of the top US food trucks define the industry. They produce restaurant quality food for the same price as a food court but with the same conveniences.

That being said, the trucks in the US also benefit from multiple services throughout the say (lunch, dinner and late night). Due to current regulations, the trucks have found it difficult to earn a dollar because they only have 2 hours in which to make a living. There is hope that 2013 will bring about some regulation shifts and open the door for food trucks to modify their model.

[Telgip33]

A bunch of trucks are in the East Village today. I got to tried 3.

1) The Perogy Boyz, which was good....little over priced for perogies but good....lots of bacon. ($9 for 8 perogies) I had the Traditional - potato, cottage cheese.
Also tried the desert perogy Carrot Cake – dessert perogy with raisin, carrot, cream cheese, cinnamon-carmel, icing sugar ($6 for 4) this was a good turn on carret cake, again little pricy for 4 small perogies but tasty.

http://perogyboyz.com/

2) The Naaco Truck, Had their butterchicken nachos. A good dish and a big serving (not the norm from the other food trucks I've been to). also $10.

http://thenaacotruck.com/

3) Cheezy Bizness, basically fancy grilled cheese sandwiches. This was my fave, $10 seem ($9.50) like a lot for a grilled cheese but damn it was YUMMY. It was pulled pork, pineapple, and lots of cheese. Would get again!

http://www.cheezybizness.com/ it was the Aloha Arkansas

[Gondi Stylez]

Glad you enjoyed your Nachos Telgip33

[Bigtime]

We're all gonna die from eating at YYC food trucks!

http://www.calgarysun.com/2012/10/30/majority-of-calgary-food-trucks-fail-to-make-the-food-safety-grade

Actually a pretty interesting and balanced article from the Sun (I'm shocked).

[Telgip33]

Glad you enjoyed your Nachos Telgip33

Was actually so much food that I had leftovers, enough for lunch the next day!!!

It was good warmed up too.

[jaydorn]

Gave the Without Papers Pizza truck a try today, really tasty stuff and it actually nails the price to portion ratio. $13 for a pie, 3/4 of which I ate and stuck the last piece in the office fridge for later. This is one I'd hit up again, possibly over typical takeout places.

[Gondi Stylez]

We're all gonna die from eating at YYC food trucks!

http://www.calgarysun.com/2012/10/30/majority-of-calgary-food-trucks-fail-to-make-the-food-safety-grade

Actually a pretty interesting and balanced article from the Sun (I'm shocked).

That is the most BS article I've ever read. Anything related to AHS is considered a violation (ie. 60'C holding temperature but 59'C recorded = critical). These issues are corrected on the spot without any hassle.

If AHS found something that was critical regarding public safety that truck/establishment would be shut down on the spot, no questions asked.

No food truck in the city has ever FAILED an AHS inspection and we are held to the same or higher standards (due to logistical items) than stationary restaurants.

[Kiran403]

3) Cheezy Bizness, basically fancy grilled cheese sandwiches. This was my fave, $10 seem ($9.50) like a lot for a grilled cheese but damn it was YUMMY. It was pulled pork, pineapple, and lots of cheese. Would get again!

http://www.cheezybizness.com/ it was the Aloha Arkansas

I just had this for lunch today and it was amazing! Way better than I thought it was going to be. Probably my best food truck experience so far.

[wpgflamesfan]

The Naaco truck made it on to Gallivant: The Travel Guide for Guys.

http://gallivant.com/scarf/the-naaco-truck/