support your local food trucks (Pittsburgh, Braddock: 2013, price, law)

[FreightTrainRunning]

Good news: There's a Pittsburgh food truck
Bad new: It's in Los Angeles, CA

[Bert Peters]

India on Wheels in Oakland is very tasty, pretty popular. The lady who runs it is very nice too.

[amd115]

Originally Posted by Jimrob1

I spent some time in Portland and saw all thier Food Trucks. They were literally all over. I never ate in one but saw many people eating there. I questioned the cleanliness and the hygiene of these operations, when I would walk by and see them in operation. First of all where do these employees wash up. Where do they relieve themself. In Portland there were homeless hanging around these trucks looking for scraps. You could see the rat traps on some of these trucks, or the dead rats underneath them. ( Portland has a serios rat problem to begin with.) I just didn't find it an appealing atmosphere to eat at.

I understand its people trying to make a living but it just doesn't look very clean to me.

Pittsburgh has so many places to eat that I just don't think its needed there at all. I think these food trucks are not appealing to look at. Especially when a large number of them come in. Looks like a gypsy carnival. I would much rather eat at one of the many restaurants, in a Pittsburgh neighborhood than a food truck.

These food trucks are all over the west now. Probably because local restaurants don't exist as much out here. Its all chains.

It is quite expensive for a brick and mortar restaurant in the same way it isn't for a food truck. Every truck I've seen has been quite hygienic. And I do not think Pittsburgh has enough places to eat at all. Everything is super crowded.

I suggest to Portland that they do a trap-spay/neuter-return program for feral cats. There are two feral cats on our street who take care of that for us.

[Q-tip motha]

Originally Posted by bradjl2009

I don't get what the big deal about food trucks is. There are plenty of restaurants already. I don't mind a few but I don't want one on every corner.

There's a significant demand in the downtown area for lunch options that are of better quality than the local fast food places, yet that can alsobe accessed in a quicker manner than one can eat at a restaurant....say..within a 30 minute lunch break window.

I want food trucks on every corner. I want them out in the burbs especially where all that you can find are corporate chains, fastfood, or pizza for the most part.

[Q-tip motha]

Originally Posted by Jimrob1

I spent some time in Portland and saw all thier Food Trucks. They were literally all over. I never ate in one but saw many people eating there. I questioned the cleanliness and the hygiene of these operations, when I would walk by and see them in operation. First of all where do these employees wash up. Where do they relieve themself. In Portland there were homeless hanging around these trucks looking for scraps. You could see the rat traps on some of these trucks, or the dead rats underneath them. ( Portland has a serios rat problem to begin with.) I just didn't find it an appealing atmosphere to eat at.

I understand its people trying to make a living but it just doesn't look very clean to me.

Pittsburgh has so many places to eat that I just don't think its needed there at all. I think these food trucks are not appealing to look at. Especially when a large number of them come in. Looks like a gypsy carnival. I would much rather eat at one of the many restaurants, in a Pittsburgh neighborhood than a food truck.

These food trucks are all over the west now. Probably because local restaurants don't exist as much out here. Its all chains.

I question whether you've seen the inside of many restaurant kitchens. Food trucks would likely be the cleaner option just due to the fact that you can see the people cooking the food and where they're doing it. Food service employees almost universally work when sick either out of economic necessity or because they are required to. Of those that have an understanding of how to prevent foodbourne illness (and I say that because I've worked at places where they didn't wash their hands and would chop greens for salad on half of a cutting board while using the other half to cut up raw chicken...not kidding) too few have the time or incentive to practice it.

You're safer eating from the skeevy looking food truck than you are Applebees, because everything is under greater scrutiny.

[groar]

Originally Posted by Q-tip motha

There's a significant demand in the downtown area for lunch options that are of better quality than the local fast food places, yet that can alsobe accessed in a quicker manner than one can eat at a restaurant....say..within a 30 minute lunch break window.

I want food trucks on every corner. I want them out in the burbs especially where all that you can find are corporate chains, fastfood, or pizza for the most part.

yeah, when i worked downtown my options for a quick, cheap lunch were, somewhat surprisingly, not that great. there were mostly places that were a haul to get to, places that were expensive, or places that were boring and/or not that good. i would have patronized the hell out of some food trucks!

[greg42]

Originally Posted by groar

yeah, when i worked downtown my options for a quick, cheap lunch were, somewhat surprisingly, not that great. there were mostly places that were a haul to get to, places that were expensive, or places that were boring and/or not that good. i would have patronized the hell out of some food trucks!

I still work downtown in the Gateway Center vicinity and while it has improved a little I still often feel like this, getting to 11:30 and thinking geez what am I going to go get for lunch and not liking my choices. Some is because I pretty much need to take it back to the office. We're a 3-person office now and while I can sit away and take some time for lunch I can't make a habit (and never have been in the habit, really) of actually eating away from the office. So I'm always looking for things that work as take out, and very few places are not one of those things listed in the quote.

Half the time I'm bringing in a lunch from home so even with only half the days (I usually get the takeout every other day) I still feel bored by the choices. Even though some of them are good choices I don't want them enough to go there all the time.

Definitely could use some food trucks. Please, bring on the trucks! You know where they should be able to park food trucks? Right in front of Point State Park. It's really not that close to any restaurants except the hotel, and, well, who is choosing food truck vs the hotel? Okay, the new Stone pizza place is within sight of that I suppose, but you can't do wood fired pizza in a food truck so they should be safe. Of course, in the winter they won't get so much traffic walking over that way I guess, but in the summer lots of people walk over to the park at lunch.

[greg42]

So there are some cool things happening in food truck land.

BTW, if you like food truck enough to influence your vote for mayor, Peduto is your guy. He's on record for supporting changing the city laws.

Meantime, some of the interesting things are happening outside the city. A couple weeks ago 4 trucks converged on Coffee Buddha in Ross (the Perrysville area on Rt 19/Perry Highway) Coffee Buddha - Coffee Shop in the North Hills of Pittsburgh It drew a huge crowd all afternoon and they've planned a second larger gathering for March 30. Disclaimer: I attended the earlier gathering, plan to attend the next one, and while at the coffee shop took a photo with my iPhone that everyone liked and are sometimes using in promotion. I do NOT however have any business relationship with the shop or trucks. Just a fan.

The Pgh Taco Truck has emerged as the most prevalent it seems. The food is good and popular (no, still not "authentic" tacos but it is good!) and he works the social media (Twitter/Facebook) effectively thus he's been invited various places. Trucks can set up on private lots in the city so that gets around some of the movement and distance restrictions sometimes. PGH Taco Truck

These guys do grilled cheese-based sandwiches. Calling them just grilled cheese is kind of odd because invariably they have additional ingredients, but it's good stuff, interesting tasty combinations: Oh My Grill

It's Pittsburgh, so there has to be a pierogi truck. I think that's in the laws too. It's part of an established business rather than being a standalone truck business. The Pierogi Truck | Polish Pierogi

And there is the aforementioned BRGR truck. I don't yet know how it compares to the restaurants, but I've liked their burgers when eating at the physical spaces. It's a little weird to have an established restaurant be involved in the food truck biz, but maybe the point is that it shouldn't be seen as weird at all. http://www.brgrpgh.com/foodtruck.php

The Steer and Wheel is a new one I haven't seen yet but should be ready to roll: http://www.thesteerandwheel.com/

The new incarnation of Dozen has a dessert truck. Not sure how much cred that gets because are they making desserts on there? Probably not if baked. But still cool. Dozen Bake Shop

Apparently Fukuda is readying a truck that is supposed to be at the March 30 gathering. Fukuda. | Presenting the talents of Executive Chef Matt Kemp & entrepreneur Hoon K., exploring Japanese traditions and experiments in culinary arts

And we shouldn't forget Franktuary, which has had a truck for a year or two I think. Franktuary | Redeeming fast food, one frank at a time

So yes, already we have two gourmet burger trucks. I don't think that's bad though. Gourmet burgers are good and every one can be a little different. I don't think we're too far into the only doing diner food or Polish food or whatever territory. Franktuary is not exactly a hot dog cart and BRGR is not McDonalds. There's room for all of that. As long as there aren't half a dozen pierogi trucks and the others aren't doing plain burgers or hotdogs I think we're in good shape. The Taco Truck is damn good though definitely.

TODAY: Taco Truck and Oh My Grill will be at Coffee Buddha from 12-3 (12-6 for Taco). Expect lines. It's nice aht n'at.

[Goinback2011]

They need food trucks downtown to get some price competition going.

[Goodjules]

greg42, thanks for the detailed update. Excellent info.