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Cousins isn't the only lobster player in town - check out Mason's in North Hills!
Assuming a 3% average inflation rate (long term US average), a $10 plate 10 years ago is now going to be $13.44 so that's not uncommon.
Harris Teeter sells lobster rolls for $7.99 each ($6.99 this week for VIC special). They are not great, but are pretty good, and at about 40% of the price of Cousins, I'd say worth it.
I've always wanted to try Cousins, but never could justify the insane price.
About "why they didn't show up" (the OP, not related to Cousins), any number of things can happen. I know a lot of these trucks run on thin margins, so they do break down often, due to lack of maintenance. we had one do an event at my work, they were a bit late due to mechanical issues, and then broke down in our lot (which validated their excuse for being late). Another time I was getting LP tanks filled at costco, and their service was down for one reason or another. A truck pulled up, and needed the "hose attachment" that apparently only Costco, and some other company 30 miles away has. The truck had to back out of their commitments due to not having gas, even though they had an otherwise reliable source. It just goes to show, a lot can happen.
In general, I agree the rodeos are a cluster-F and a waste of time. I do like that the trucks park at breweries. On the weekends, we'll ride 50-70 miles, and then get a few beers when we're almost done. Having a sammich or dumplings, or whatever to go with is nice. They serve their purpose.
In general, I agree the rodeos are a cluster-F and a waste of time. I do like that the trucks park at breweries. On the weekends, we'll ride 50-70 miles, and then get a few beers when we're almost done. Having a sammich or dumplings, or whatever to go with is nice. They serve their purpose.
Yeah, the rodeos are often a mess. They aren't as bad as they used to be, now that the novelty is no longer there and some people have sworn off ever doing *that* again.
And, yeah, great for the breweries. We live within walking distance to several breweries and I'll often scope out the food truck situation and base our destination on who is serving where. Some of the more popular breweries could easily handle two food trucks on busy weekend nights or for run club nights in the spring and fall. (Bond Brothers, if you are listening)
Take my opinion with a grain of salt - I'm not a food critic
But hopefully that'll give people some idea of good food trucks that I've personally enjoyed. A few are taco trucks that are fairly stationary like El Rey del Taco so you might have to seek them out. I'm sure there's a bunch of taco trucks in Durham I haven't tried yet.
Maybe not but I've come to trust your opinions on pretty much everything you write about.
You make a good point - for Mexican food specifically, I see a lot of what look like authentic Mexican food trucks, and ones I never see at rodeos. I see them in various places, usually in a store parking lot just off a major road like Glenwood or Capital, and the patrons seem to be mostly Mexican. I've been meaning to try some of them.
I'm happy you've apparently never had a motor vehicle breakdown, a kitchen appliance that suddenly went on the fritz or an employee that missed a shift. In other words, stuff happens. Life.
Perhaps the ever unwavering dependability of McDonald's is more sympathetic to your culinary requirements (although true be told, I've been to more than a few Micky D's that had issues serving up a timely Coca-Cola)
Reposting in case anyone missed it the first time!
Its very easy to denigrate a business online... but lets face it, unless a food truck is abandoning one location last minute to take their truck to a different (more profitable) location that evening, then dragging their name thru the mud online seems a bit petty (not saying the OP named names.) Regardless of how you feel about the food truck craze, these people risk a lot and make huge sacrifices to do something that at the end of the day is more of a labor of love than it is profitable, and if they are missing a commitment for any reason other than a change of venue, its probably something pretty serious, or out of their control that is already hurting their business before anyone even takes to their keyboards to air their grievances. Also try not to rule out the possibility that whoever is booking the food trucks at bars/office parks/rodeos etc.. could have also very easily made scheduling errors and just not admitted it. again, stuff happens. its not the end of the world.
I'm also gonna go out on a limb here and assume that most people who complain about paying $16.25 for a lobster roll (actual price i have seen online for Cousins Maine Lobster) are either A)completely oblivious to the cost of running a restaurant/food truck. B)dont care about the quality of food they consume. or C)are just plain cheap...
Seafood is something that i have absolutely no problem paying top dollar for to ensure that i am consuming a good quality product. Lobster is expensive, period. Just because it is coming off of a mobile kitchen/food truck doesnt inherently mean it should be any less expensive than if i were ordering lobster at a fine dining restaurant. In fact, without going into the details of food/labor costs, $16.25 for a lobster roll is actually quite reasonable.
Quote:
Originally Posted by behappy1
Are food trucks that unreliable?
Whether this is legitimate or rhetorical... this is a pretty loaded question.
Last edited by craigslistweirdo; 07-29-2019 at 09:08 PM..
Seafood is something that i have absolutely no problem paying top dollar for to ensure that i am consuming a good quality product. Lobster is expensive, period. Just because it is coming off of a mobile kitchen/food truck doesnt inherently mean it should be any less expensive than if i were ordering lobster at a fine dining restaurant. In fact, without going into the details of food/labor costs, $16.25 for a lobster roll is actually quite reasonable.
I assume Cousins' lobster is frozen. I could be wrong but I can't find anything that says otherwise. If so, that's not comparable to lobster at a nice restaurant that is shipped in live.
And yes, food off a food truck should be less expensive because they have faaaaar less overhead. Isn't that the whole point?
Edit: I just looked up the credit card charge from my one Cousins purchase - $46.01 for two small lobster rolls and 2 cups of chowder. That's expensive for lobster out of a truck where I had to sit on a curb to eat it. That being said, you'll pay much more than that at a restaurant.
- If you simply must patronize and have a fave, contact them directly by phone the day of whatever event and ask them if they'll be there because you're really looking forward to seeing them. Don't just leave a social media post and hope for the best. Reach out directly and get to know who runs the truck. They have a name, they have a phone and will be happy to hear from a customer who *likes* them/their food.
People seem to like to complain about restaurants or other venues online in the Triangle for whatever reason. A lot of places I go (not just restaurants but bars and concert venues too) get absolutely slammed on Yelp with "they didn't cater to my every whim like it was 1955, 1 star". Yet on Google the same places get 4.5 stars and up.
Me personally I like being able to go to a food truck, get food, and leave without having to make a long ordeal out of it like at a sit down restaurant (not to mention don't have to do the American tipping song and dance). I guess it's just a generational thing where younger folks don't expect to be pampered like older generations and don't feel the need to get bent out of shape over it.
People seem to like to complain about restaurants or other venues online in the Triangle for whatever reason. A lot of places I go (not just restaurants but bars and concert venues too) get absolutely slammed on Yelp with "they didn't cater to my every whim like it was 1955, 1 star". Yet on Google the same places get 4.5 stars and up.
Me personally I like being able to go to a food truck, get food, and leave without having to make a long ordeal out of it like at a sit down restaurant (not to mention don't have to do the American tipping song and dance). I guess it's just a generational thing where younger folks don't expect to be pampered like older generations and don't feel the need to get bent out of shape over it.
Not familiar with the bolded song and dance, can you elaborate?
Are you simply anti tipping as a personal policy or is it one of those who take time to figure out what you're going to leave the person who just made $2 while you ate?
Not familiar with the bolded song and dance, can you elaborate?
Are you simply anti tipping as a personal policy or is it one of those who take time to figure out what you're going to leave the person who just made $2 while you ate?
Food trucks you can throw a buck or two in a jar and be on your way without tipping the expected 20% at a sit down place.
Also the $2 dollar thing is false. The state requires employers to pay minimum wage if a server doesn't make enough in tips for the day.
I tip really well but honestly hate our awful tipping system in the United States. With food trucks it cuts a lot of that song and dance out.
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