A fun concept and good experience all around. The "Bald Monday" concept worked well for Neptune Subs down in Seabrook so of course celebrating the fashion statement for Britney Spears and others works up here too.
While the taps can change over time (someone recently took issue with a yelp review I wrote in 2009 so obviously things can change over time) and the food trucks can change over time, here is a snapshot of a sample Friday lunch experience shortly after winning in court down in Conroe at the Montgomery County courthouse.
There were four food trucks present pulled around the perimeter of the food truck portion of the venue to the left, opposite the bar portion of the venue: (1) Cousins Maine Lobster of the Shark Tank fame with all of the extensive branding obvious on the truck and the lobster trap flair on the ground; (2) a Greek place housed in a plain blue truck with only a menu on the window and no other flair; (3) a Viet fusion place with slightly more flair than the Greek place and at least a sandwich board ground sign set up with the menu outside the truck; and (4) a burger place with a friendly man hanging out the window welcoming us to Deacon Baldy's.
The food trucks are out in the elements so there is just a little overhang at best. Meanwhile the bar is under the roofing fixture so there is shade, the breeze blows through since there are no walls (just the ceiling fixture) and there are many fans blowing trying to keep things cool as this time of the year everything is getting predictably summery.
There is a huge chalkboard menu above and behind the bar that you can review. There are some nonalcoholic drinks and some mixed drinks with liquor in addition to the more beer-centric focus the menu and venue seem to take. The beers are extensively local and small brewery options, not the ones that ABi and other megacorps have acquired in an effort to declare war on the small family owned ones. The gentlesir preferred the Warimono Cherry Belgian Tripel from New Republic since it was the highest ABV at the lowest price, speaking truth to the gentlesir's preferences when selecting the Uncle's cough syrup at a local saloon. New Republic is a small brewery out of College Station. Besides Bobby Brooks it is one of the only good things to come out of College Station. (There are only three things my kids could do that would disappoint me and one of them is attend college at TAMU.)
The Cousins Maine Lobster was a mixed bag of a treat to be able to experience. I earned the ROTD for Maine-ly Sandwiches on Shepherd shortly after it opened that second location. I am a reliable customer for a lobster roll there. I feel like I am cheating on them. But sometimes you gotta stray and see what the mysterious neighbor let you do with that mouth. As a New Englander in exile (no more snow shoveling) it is my sworn duty to investigate lobster and lobster accessories available in my new part of the country. This includes checking out Cousins Maine Lobster even though it is a national chain; while Maine-ly is a local chain with two locations and one truck.
The flair set-up outside the truck was cute. The kawaii lobster caught up in the trap is all of us. [Muffled trap music plays off in the distance]
The lobster roll itself can be prepared one of two ways - the wrong way (Connecticut) served warm with lemon and butter - or the right way (Maine) chilled with a Shania Twain-sized helping of mayo. Both options on a flaky New England style roll, both ringing up around $15.75. You need the tots if you have ever seen Napoleon Dynamite so that's about another fiver.
You pay at the window and they give you a buzzer. If you are smart you make your food order first then go get your first round of beers. There is enough time to get deep in your first round of beer to enjoy it before the food will come out. If you intend to drink like the Bukowski angel on your shoulder tells you to, get two beers so you don't need to leave your food alone and go back to order again. They buzz you on the buzzer when the food is ready so you go back to the truck and git it.
Regarding the gentlesir's tots: there seemed to be only one ketchup bottle in rotation since we were given one when we picked up our food and shortly after the girl from the food truck sauntered over and asked for it back, then walked it over to another person who just got their food. Tots need the elixir of ye gods, ketchup as you know it, so this situation might be managed better since some of us own t-shirts that say "I put ketchup on my ketchup" to announce to the world we are not filthy casuals when it comes to that kind of stuff.
This is a place that is desitively worth the drive whether you are coming over from just Conroe or further out. You got your foods, your beers, dogs are welcome, and it's all in a nice environment to hang out whether it's just a beer as you drink your lunch or you are getting the full spread from one (or all) of the four food trucks. read more