"Oh, what I wouldn't give for a plate of fried green tomatoes like we used to have at the cafe. Ooh!" -- Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)
Oh how I love a good food truck. While I enjoy being able to sit down and eat at a table and prefer to limit the opportunity to spill down the front of myself, the food you can get off a great food truck should be a unique dining experience and this makes me exceedingly happy. By the way, if it is something you can get anywhere else, then what the heck is the point, I ask you???
So I was really excited when we went to the Mumford & Sons concert at Centennial Olympic Park and there was a small lineup of food trucks for dinner. I was dancing on the inside when I saw Ibiza Bites and the long line - this just proved what I had heard about them and I had been dying to try them.
Unfortunately, I was limited in my choices of what I could eat off their menu at M&S - coconut (allergic), lobster (allergic), goat cheese (not a fan)... so I went with my only choice, the Beef Cheezy - braised brisket with a coca-cola BBQ sauce atop mac n cheese. Also, I was with Heidi P (check out her review) and she got the Fried Green Tomatoes (the goat cheese) and the Lemon Parmesan Waffle Fries. Okay, let's talk about the food...
The Beef Cheezy was delightful (I'm sorry, but I can't remember, but I think it was spelled with a Z). The brisket was tender, not overly sweet, with a nice zing to it. I love BBQ, but as long as the sauce is not too sweet. The Mac and Cheese was delicious, but I felt it needed more sharpness to it to help cut the sweetness of the BBQ sauce. It was a white cheese sauce (I believe a combo of cheeses) that just needed either white sharp cheddar (or more of it) or some Parmesan (or more of it) - or maybe both. It just got a bit lost against the strength of flavor from the brisket. Don't get me wrong, it was delicious, but I wish it could have stood up against the meat more.
The Fried Green Tomatoes were amazing - luckily the goat cheese was not too overpowering, and it was topped with a delicious Chipotle Aioli - it was definitely something I would order again and probably again. The Fries were yummy, but definitely the lesser of the 3 dishes of the night. There was a perfect cook on the fries and I loved the Parmesan on the top, but the gooey sweet sauce in the bottom was hard to place - I think this was supposed to be the lemon. I would have preferred maybe a zest on top versus the goo.
As Heidi P mentioned, prices were inflated for the M&S event, but also they were forced to only sell the COP drink choices (water and sodas) and since they had just gotten them, they were warm. I don't blame IB - you have to understand these things are dictated by the venue. I've gotten used to this kind of thing, so I will be sure to try them again at the food truck park, or one of the nightly food truck gatherings (I already follow them on Twitter).
One of the other things I liked is the ease of check out...well almost. Having visited a TON of food trucks, they should consider a couple of things: 1) Use numbers not names. With such a large crowd, I heard a similar name and almost took the wrong food (which was lobster, btw, which I am allergic to). Hearing someone holler from inside a food truck in a loud place without any amplification, I'm sure it happened to more than just me. 2) No receipt was offered. They DO use Square, which means credit cards are accepted. I did not have to sign for my card (odd), but I was also unable to add a tip to my bill (which I would have if I had been given the option as I treat them like any service folk). But I would have loved to have a receipt emailed or texted to me for record keeping. And since I have my email tied to my credit card, it should have popped up on Square to prompt to email it. I guess with the volume, they just skipped this option?
Overall, I loved everything. I'll eat there again and I cannot wait to try their other offerings (obviously without tree nuts or lobster). Thanks for a yummy dinner before a killer show. read more