District residents are opening up their wallets to help the owner of a food truck that caught fire in Foggy Bottom yesterday afternoon.
A fire broke out in The House Of Falafel’s Falafel Bus near 21st and H streets NW around 2 p.m. yesterday. Flames and a large plume of smoke were seen shooting from the vehicle.
One man and two women were injured in the blaze, at least one of them critically, according to D.C. Fire and EMS.
Now, George Washington University students and other locals are raising money for the man known as the “falafel guy” throughout the neighborhood.
“We see this food truck every day, and GW students are raising money for this business and those who were injured,” reads a GoFundMe page that was launched yesterday. “The food truck is part of our great community, and I believe it is right for us to help.”
As of noon today, donors had contributed more than $7,350 to the cause. A representative for the food truck was not immediately available to comment on the outpouring of support.
Photo via D.C. Fire and EMS
District residents will be able to have their face emblazoned onto a pancake as part of a promotion from a national hotel chain next week.
A “pancake selfie” truck is slated to roll through Adams Morgan on Aug. 25 and 26, Holiday Inn Express said in a press release.
The truck will stop at Columbia Road and 18th St. NW from 2-6 p.m. on Thursday and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Friday, organizers said.
What’s a “pancake selfie” truck? Holiday Inn describes it thusly:
The rolling pancake station is outfitted with five pancake machines, each producing one pancake per minute – all at the push of a button. One-of-a-kind laser printers then transfer selfies from smartphone to pancake. From batter to platter, the entire process takes mere minutes. This delicious piece of breakfast technology was created and perfected exclusively for IHG and is a first for any hotel brand.
The truck’s appearance is part of a national tour to promote the hotel’s new “Snoozapalooza” promotion that extends breakfast and checkout times to noon.
Still confused? Here’s comedian and actor Rob Riggle to help explain the campaign:
Photo courtesy Holiday Inn Express; h/t Washingtonian’s Jessica Sidman for sharing
https://twitter.com/donburidc/status/710637539783282688
Adams Morgan’s Japanese rice bowl eatery is set to hit the road within a few days.
Donburi at 2438 18th St. NW is scheduled to debut its food truck Monday at a yet-to-be-determined D.C. location, owner James Jang told Borderstan today. He plans to run it from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays in the District, he noted.
“We’re trying to expand,” Jang said.
The food truck will have a slightly limited and slightly cheaper menu than the brick-and-mortar Donburi, with most dishes costing less than $10, Jang said.
Donburi in Adams Morgan is preparing to enter the food truck business.
The Japanese rice bowl purveyor put on Facebook this month photos and a video of a truck it acquired. The eatery’s most recent post includes shots of the vehicle parked inside a building. The Facebook entry notes that the truck is a “work in progress.”
The food truck is expected to begin operations in February, an employee of the restaurant said today. But further details about it weren’t immediately available.
From Katie Andriulli. Email her at katie[AT]borderstan.com and follow her on Twitter @kandriulli.
This week we fell in falafelove with the DC Ballers truck.
DC Ballers: Get it soon. (Katie Andriulli)
Food Selection
The “balls” in DC Ballers’ namesake are falafel patties (my third favorite type of ball following meatballs and arancini… I’m Italian, deal with it) but the truck also specializes in hummus, French fries (regular or Greek style with feta, oregano and olive oil) and other Middle Eastern delights including Tabouli (tomato, onion, parsley, mint, and bulgur wheat in a lemon mint dressing) and Israeli salad (tomato, cucumber and parsley in a lemon mint dressing). Carnivores take heed: DC Ballers is meat-free, but the falafels are so hearty you really won’t miss it.
Price Range
Platters (hummus, with or without a falafel, plus Tabouli, Israeli salad and pita) range from $7.50 to $9.50 and sandwiches range from $5.50 to $7. You can also get a side of fries with dipping sauce for $3.50, Greek fries for $5 (well worth the extra $1.50), and hummus, falafel, Israeli salad and Tabouli are all available a la carte for $4 to $5.50. Fresh ginger-mint lemonade, on special, was $2.50.
The Verdict!
- Wait time: 5/5. There was no line when I arrived promptly at noon, and my food was handed to me (hot!) in less than 60 seconds.
- Service: 5/5. Efficient and friendly. And they take cards. What more do you need?
- Bang for your buck: 4.5/5. My order of hummus with falafel came with a sizeable pita, four falafel balls and a TON of hummus, and was filling enough to stretch to two meals, turning my $7.50 lunch turn into two $3.75 lunches, which is pretty magical. The extra $2.50 I paid for their homemade lemonade seemed a little steep, although not inconsistent with what other trucks charge for similar beverages, so I’ll allow it.
- Deliciousness: 5/5. As a self-described hummus connoisseur, I have probably tried every brand I can get my hands on, but DC Ballers’ puts all of the others to shame. It’s seriously stellar… smooth and creamy with just the right amount of garlic (i.e., lots) and tahini. Game over Sabra. Pack up your individual hummus n’ pretzel cups and saunter on out of here. Thanks for playing.
A really good pita. (Katie Andriulli)
I have had many a falafel in my day as well and I can say with moderate authority that DC Ballers’ are right up there with the best I’ve had… crunchy and flavorful and they didn’t instantly disintegrate once cut into. The tahini sauce drizzled on top (and in an extra container on the side) provided a lovely dipping sauce and compliment to the hummus.
Now, this whole operation could have fallen apart if the pita was second rate, but luckily, the Ballers have that locked down as well. The pita was obviously freshly baked since it was handed to me piping hot in tin foil. It was thick enough to support the weight of my self-made falafel sandwich without being too bready, and I also I loved the za’atar spices sprinkled top, which gave it a little extra zest.
I also sprung for the homemade ginger-mint lemonade, which was quite pleasant, but could have benefitted from a bit more ice, and/or the addition of gin.
Admittedly, after a weekend of eating badly (re: basically an entire 3-pound calzone in one sitting on Sunday… whoops) I could not muster the courage to order the truck’s other signature dish, the French fries, at lunchtime. However, an acquaintance of mine mentioned that she had tried the Greek fries before and that they were pretty stellar and she is generally pretty reliable, so just take her word for it, okay?
- Overall: 5/5. Assuming your co-workers aren’t vampires, they won’t mind a bit of a garlic smell in the air (or on your breath) so go get Ballin’.
Follow DC Ballers on Twitter @DCBallers and check out their full menu here.
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Start your weekend early and get ready to enjoy all of your favorite food trucks. Truckeroo is this Friday at the corner of Half and M Streets SE — one block north of Nationals Stadium. There will be plenty of shade and picnic tables to listen to the live music, play games and enjoy the Bullpen Bar from 11 am to 11 pm.
The monthly festival is organized April through October, and there will be more than 20 tasty food trucks. Navy Yard is the Metro stop will get you closest to the action.
Truckeroo is this Friday. (Courtesy Turckeroo)
The Food Truck List
BBQ Bus, Bon Mi, Borinquen Lunch Box, Cap Mac, Curbside Cupcakes, DC Empanadas, DC Slices, Doug the Food Dude, El Faralito, El Floridano, Feelin Crabby, Goodies Frozen Custard, Halal Grille, Mojo, Pleasant Pops, Popped! Republic, Red Hook Lobster Pound -DC, Rocklands, Sang, Sinplicity Ice Cream, Surfside, TaKorean, Tapas, The Randy Radish, Neat Meat and Mighty Dog and Acai.
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From Katie Andriulli. Email her at katie[AT]borderstan.com and follow her on Twitter @kandriulli.
This week we get high on pie from the Dangerously Delicious pie truck.
Food Selection
The menu at Dangerously Delicious’ brick-and-mortar restaurants boasts dozens of sweet and savory pies and quiches, ranging from the classic apple and chicken pot varieties to zanier selections like pancake batter and tofu curry. The truck features a selection of about six to seven sweet and savory options daily, as well as two quiches (here’s a screenshot of the menu on the day I went).
Because they are indeed so delicious, I would advise you to stalk the truck on Twitter and hightail it outside as soon as they park so you can be sure to get your pick of that day’s offerings… sadly, almost two-thirds of the savory pies and both quiches were already sold out by the time I got to the truck around 12:45 pm.
Price range: Sweet pies are $6.50, quiche is $7, and savory pies are $7.50. A side salad is also included with all savory pies and quiches.
The Verdict!
- Wait time: 5/5. I was still signing my receipt when the guy handed me my pies, so wait time was pretty non-existent.
- Service: 5/5. A kindly man with awesome tattoos was on duty the day that I went, and was more than happy to explain the various pie acronyms to me. He also didn’t seem to mind that I called the S.M.O.G. pie “smog” pie, which I’m pretty sure is gross and not correct.
- Bang for your buck: 5/5. Considering you basically need to sell your firstborn child to afford a salad or sandwich in DC, spending $7.50 for a monster slice of pie with copious amounts of filling – AND a salad – is pretty good. The $6 slices of sweet pie are also large enough to share if you’re so inclined.
(Katie Andriulli)
- Deliciousness: 5/5. As mentioned above, there were limited options left by the time I arrived, but luckily they still had the savory S.M.O.G (steak, mushroom, onion and Gruyere cheese) and the sweet Baltimore Bomb on board, which is what I opted for. Being a relative newcomer to the world of savory pies, I was slightly concerned that it would look like this horror show from the nursery rhyme, but when I opened up my box o’ pie I was pleasantly surprised to find this:
Let’s get a close-up on the filling…
-
(Katie Andriulli)
Heck. Yes. The crust was perfectly flaky, and the steak was tender, blending seamlessly with the onions, mushrooms, Gruyere and just enough cream to add a touch of richness without weighing down the other ingredients.
Once I plowed through my S.M.O.G. I turned my sights to the Baltimore Bomb, their signature vanilla chess pie topped with Berger Cookies (a chocolate-topped shortbread):
(Katie Andriulli)
The cookies not only melt into the filling itself they also caramelize on top of the pie, adding a lovely crispy texture to each bite. Because I am a generous individual (and because I like to have leverage with my co-workers) I cut the pie up into pieces and shared it with them.
Everyone was either rendered speechless by how awesome it was, or used creative expletives to describe their pie-induced bliss. There was a major debate about whether or not the pie should be heated up, prompting me to pop it in the microwave for comparison purposes. The pie filling held up better in the cold version, IMHO, but it tasted delicious warm too, so, ya know, do what you want (YOLO).
The only issue I found was that the salad became a bit warm whilst trapped inside the container with the hot pie rendering it a bit wilted and unappetizing by the time I turned my attention to it. Honestly, though, it was nice to have it there since it made me feel slightly less like a fat kid and more like someone eating a balanced lunch.
- Overall: 4.5/5. If you think all pies should be sweet by definition, you need to seriously re-think your life choices…and track down Dangerously Delicious ASAP.
Follow Dangerously Delicious on Twitter @ThePieTruckDC and check out their website for their full menu.
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From Katie Andriulli. Email her at katie[AT]borderstan.com and follow her on Twitter @kandriulli.
BBQ Bus. (Katie Andriulli)
This week’s truck of choice is the BBQ Bus!
Food Selection and Price
I know it’s super hard to glean from the truck’s name, but the BBQ Bus does, in fact, sell BBQ… freshly smoked BBQ to be exact. You can get it in a few forms: pulled pork, beef brisket, and pulled chicken (in sandwiches or platters), or, if you prefer to give the finger (symbolically) to your salad-eating coworkers, spring for the full-on plate of pork ribs.
Although the meats are obviously the main event here, the sides are, dare I say it, even better than the headliner. Baked beans, slaw, black bean salad and roasted corn are featured daily, along with rotating specials. The day I went they were offering mashed potatoes with bacon, which… yes, please, always.
And, bonus! You can buy all of their meats by the pound, as well as larger portions of their sides if you want to take some home for dinner (or if you just have a lunch death wish).
Price range: Sandwiches are $9 to $9.50 plus tax, and combo plates range from $10 to $15 plus tax.
The Verdict!
How did BBQ Bus! do on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 the best?
- Wait time: 5/5. We arrived at peak lunch hour, and there was a handful of people ahead of us in line. We only waited about a minute to place our order, and then only another 5 minutes after that to have the food in hand. A total wait time of less than 6 minutes was greatly appreciated by this starving carnivore and her friends.
- Service: 5/5. Friendly and patient enough to answer dumb questions from me about their BBQ sauce (they put some on the sandwich, but have extra on the side if you like it sloppy). And, they take credit cards, so nothing to complain about here.
- Bang for your buck: 4/5. Combo plates (choice of meat(s), slaw, beans and bread) will run you from $10 to 15 dollars depending on how many meats you choose, and sandwich plates, which include your choice of side, are $9 for pork or chicken, and $9.50 for beef brisket. Possibly a bit pricier than some trucks, but make no mistake: these dudes give you a LOT of meat. Like, full two sandwiches worth… which means that you could easily split one with a friend and get away with spending 4 to 6 bucks on an filling lunch. Not too shabby
- Deliciousness: 5/5. I ordered the pulled pork BBQ sandwich with a side of baked beans, and my friends both went for the brisket sandwich with mashed potatoes and corn. Now, I am from New England and not by any means a BBQ expert y’all but let me just say… holy moly, it was good. The meat was tender and seasoned perfectly, the bun was soft, and the sauce itself (also homemade) was fantastic… I just wish I’d added more of it to my sandwich (check yours before you walk away to make sure it’s sauced enough for your liking). The sides I sampled, including the beans and potatoes, were insane in the brain. Huge… I mean HUGE pieces of delicious bacon in the potatoes and a zingy baked bean sauce left nothing to be desired. In all honestly, it was pretty disturbing/impressive how quickly my coworkers and I dispatched with our sandwiches. My only complaint (and I really had to dig deep to find something to complain about here) is that the crispy slaw on the sandwich was not really as coleslaw-ish as I had hoped, but rather more of a pickled veggie kind of thing. Still good, but if you’re looking for a creamier version, prepare yourself accordingly.
- Overall: 5/5. BBQ Bus is quickly becoming one of my favorite trucks, much to the dismay of my waistline.
BBQ Bus offerings. (Katie Andriulli)
Follow the BBQ Bus on Twitter @bbqbusdc and check out their website for their full menu and weekly schedule.
Truck you’re too scared to try? E-mail me at katie[AT]borderstan.com and and let me know!
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From Katie Andriulli. Email her at katie[AT]borderstan.com and follow her on Twitter @kandriulli.
Perilli from Rolling Ficelle. (Katie Andriulli)
So, dear readers, DC has a lot of food trucks (like, over 100, somehow). Some of them are out-of-control good, others… meh. But how does one know what to pick when the hunger pangs come calling? Do longer lines necessarily translate into better food?
Or are the better trucks just more efficient? Which truck gives you the most bang for your buck? Why do you drive on a parkway and park in a driveway? Did anything about The Following make sense? These are just a few of the questions I’ll be attempting to answer for you each week.
This week, we road-tested the Rolling Ficelle, purveyors of fine sandwiches.
Food Selection and Price
The Ficelle specializes in sandwiches served on mini french baguettes (ficelles) from DC’s own Lyon Bakery. They offer eight options, all named after famous artists (see the full menu here). The Davis (roasted chicken, lemon aioli, avocado, romaine and slivered almonds) and the Rothko (prosciutto, provolone, romaine, tomatoes and herb butter) are just two of the standouts.
There’s also one veggie option, the Perilli (eggplant, red peppers, mozzarella and roasted garlic aioli). And don’t forget to ask them about their specials when you go…their french onion soup is better than it probably has a right to be.
All sandwiches are $7.75 plus tax. Chips are $1 and soda and lemonade are $2.
The Verdict!
- Wait time: 5/5. The line was pretty short (2-3 people ahead of us) but it was straight up gross outside during lunch hour on the day we went, so the crowds may have been thinner than usual. That being said, it took less than three minutes from the time we ordered to the time our sandwiches were handed to us, which is almost implausible.
- Service: 5/5. The guy who took our order was very friendly and had a nice hat on. Plus, they take credit cards, which is a must.
- Bang for your buck: 4/5. The Ficelle is probably not the cheapest food truck around – sandwiches will run you about $8 bucks each – but the combo deal, which includes a sandwich, chips and a fresh lemonade (amazeballs!) for about $10 is a pretty sweet deal. Also, the sandwiches are BIG y’all (see below) and the ingredients are fresh and high quality, so you won’t feel swindled in the least.
- Deliciousness: 4.5/5. I ordered the Perilli and my friend chose the Bluhm (roast beef, green peppers, giardiniera, herb butter and beef jus). We devoured them like ravenous bears at a Boy Scout Jamboree, and both raved about the taste. The roasted garlic aioli on the Perilli was especially indulgent, and all the ingredients complimented each other nicely. The actual ficelle is served warm and toasty, but not in a gross Quiznos kinda way. I took off 1/2 a point because my sandwich got a little soggy at the bottom under the weight of its ingredients, making it a bit less appetizing to finish (but I did anyway, obviously).
- Overall: 4.5/5. If you want a kick-ass sandwich for a pretty good value and aren’t one of those jerks who seems to have a spare 3 hours to wait in line for your lunch, then the Ficelle is the truck for you.
Follow the Rolling Ficelle on Twitter @TheFicelle.
Truck you’re too scared to try? E-mail me at katie[AT]borderstan.com and and let me know! (I mean, I’m not saying I’ll try it either you weirdo, but who knows!)
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From Sarah Lipman. You can email her at sarah[AT]@borderstan.com.
Hank’s Oyster Bar at 1624 Q Street NW.(Luis Gomez Photos)
On Saturday, August 4, Hank’s Oyster Bar and Hula Girl Truck are joining forces to host a Hawaiian Luau. From 11 am to 3 pm, the Dupont Circle location of Hank’s will be offering Hawaiian treats such as volcano bowls, all-you-can-eat roasted suckling pigs, grilled shrimp and chicken skewers, ambrosia salad, and Hawaiian macaroni salad at 1624 Q Street NW.
Everyone will also receive a Tiki mug to fill with drinks like Maitai, Hurricane, and The Martinique.
Tickets are available for purchase online for $75 and include food, six drink tickets, and a Tiki mug. Luau attendees must be 21 or older.
The Details
- What? Hank’s Oyster Bar & Hula Girl Truck Hawaiian Luau
- When? Saturday, August 4, 11 am to 3 pm
- Where? 1624 Q Street NW
