A (sometimes) hidden gem appeared on MSU's campus this fall... Check out the brand-spankin' new…read morefood truck rolling around campus during the lunch hours or at special events and games.
My friends and I have been pleasantly surprised by the quick eats served up here. The best part is that they feature local stuff - for example the awesome cheeseburger with MSU's own beef (yep!), Dairy Store cheddar, and baked goods from the MSU Bakers. Plus it's run by hospitality students so I presume the money goes to a great cause. The truck itself is definitely one of the nicest I've ever seen (complete with LCD screen, speakers, etc.), but when you're not 1) paying for it or 2) a struggling bunch of foodies trying to carve out a special slice of food truck heaven, who cares? That's just icing on the cake!
I've only been a couple of times, but am impressed with early efforts. As to the food, the burger is the bomb. There's a rotating feature menu with salads and more sandwiches, plus you can get a combo option for $1 added to any entree. I also tried the Grilled Chicken sandwich and the Turkey Cuban special. Both were quite tasty, but portions were a bit on the small side. I'll happily shell out $6-7 for a 'which, but it needs more than one piece of ham and turkey. Make it the combo (i.e., chips and a small pop) and you have a fairly filling lunch. Some students are likely to disagree, but they do take the Combo-Exchange so some may not notice/care.
Perhaps they need to express how the money is used; that is, if it's supporting scholarships or something, I'm more than willing to shell out a few extra bones. Yet, I would expect food cost on some items (such as the Cuban) to be about half industry average. There's a lesson for budding "culinarians" there, though. I'd say cut the excessive/expensive packaging (tray), beef up the stuffins, and sell us on your story.
The only other issue was the apparent need for training on one visit. I'm not sure if the truck needs to be running (or can just run the LP tanks to cook), but it was near impossible to communicate with the cashier. It's a high set-up, noisy, and she couldn't hear any of our questions, let alone order. We didn't think she even knew the small menu. However, the manager (Kelly?) and the cooks were rock stars and always demonstrate awesome service and attention to detail. Also wish the Twitter page had better updates on the daily menu, hours, and locations. A couple minor bugs, but I expect smooth sailing in another month or so.
Oh, they take credit cards, too.
