It was so convenient that this food truck stopped outside my work building. My co-worker and I got…read morethe BBQ panini ($9) & Buffalo chicken panini ($8). Overall, it was okay. The bread looks impressive with it's waves and herbs and it was nice and crunchy but it's ultimately just white bread. The BBQ panini is on the sweet side but liked that it has bacon. You get a crispy pickle with your sandwich. My other coworker got the vegetarian Mediterranean sandwich which has hummas and she really liked it. Mine wasn't bad but wasn't wow. I also asked about the food truck name and picture of the "pinup" woman on the side of it. Apparently the owner has a lot of people in his family who were in the military and this was was his way of honoring them...umm ok!

During the week, Panini Pinups can be found wandering Saint Paul's Lowertown. I've seen them near…read moreMears Park and Rice Park many times during lunch hours, but never when I had the chance to stop. Thankfully, I had the opportunity to try their sandwiches at the 'Tapped and Uncorked' beer tasting event in Rosemont. It was a dream come true to have them there -- and so many beers to sample along side. I ordered their Cuban Panini, with Ham, Chicken, Swiss, and pickle. It also includes your choice of mustards -- yellow mustard for their 'classic' Cuban, and Jalapeno mustard for their Atomic version. The owners were very accommodating and friendly when I asked for a "half and half" version for me with different mustards on each half. Unfortunately, when the sandwich arrived, both sides were slathered in their respective mustards making it difficult to taste the subtle flavors of chicken, swiss and ham. The chicken was over-portioned and pork was under-represented. I would have welcomed a slice of Genoa salami (making it a Tampa-style Cuban) for more dimension. As served, it wasn't close enough to an authentic Cuban experience to satisfy my craving. It was a sandwich 'out of balance.' I think Panini Pinups is capable of making good sandwiches -- and this is my first visit -- so I've given them three stars (great service) instead of two (disappointing Cuban). In part, this is because I still have HIGH HOPES for their SPAM Panini served with Siracha mayo, American cheese and pineapple.

This food truck is loved by my coworkers and me! Remarkably delicious mushroom melt! I'd for sure…read morerecommend!!

Tacos, sandwiches, hot dogs, soups - 4 stars!…read more I caught up with the Smug Pug food truck at the Elm Creek Brewing Company in Champlin. These folks are based out of Hugo so you can find them throughout the NW burbs. You can call them or find them on their Facebook page. My food was excellent. It was the perfect combo of munchies at a brewery. Of course, I grabbed some soup since they seem to be so proud of it. I ordered a cup of beer cheese & veggie soup. It was very good, obviously made from scratch. I also grabbed a small bag of "Better Made" brand chips (made in Michigan). It's nice to see them selling an interesting snack from old school company (since 1930) that you don't see around here every day. Cool! It was a hard choice but I went with a chili dog. Again, I'm pretty sure they made the chili themselves. Just like the rest of my food, it was great. Very satisfying! Finally, the 2 owners working in the truck were very friendly. It was fun chatting with them in a warm, sunny fall day. Thumbs up! -Maxx"

Great BBQ - 4 stars…read more Amos & Amos is a quirky place. And I have to admit, I love the weirdness. According to the owner, they've been around for 9 years. But the building itself is an old A&W drive-in fast food joint, built in 1953. Very cool! Most people seem to drive around the back of the building and pull into one of the parking spots that were "order from your car" spaces back in the day. Or you can just park on the street. Then you walk up to the window and place your order. Easy, right? This is where it starts to get weird. The sliding order window has 2 basement window well covers bolted over the sliding doors, like a big clam shell. The owners cut a flap in the bottom that only opens from the inside. Apparently, this is some sort of home-made do-it-yourself security thing. It seems to do the job...but you can't talk to them and they can't hear you until they slide open the door and then shout through the clam shell. And they don't seem to be in a hurry to do anything. I stood around like an idiot for a while, watching the lady, until she FINALLY slid the door open and talked to me. Kinda hard to hear through the big plastic clam shell. Speaking of shouting...you wait in your car or stand outside for 15 or 20 minutes and they yell when your food is ready. You can't hear what they're saying when they shout...but it all seems to workout okay. Like I said - quirky. LOW CARB: Okay, on to the most important thing: the food. I got the rib tip combo meal with a big hot link. Both were excellent. The rib tips were amazingly tender and lathered in generous amounts of a sweet sauce. Great taste. My hot link was huge and flavorful. For some reason, it reminded me of a big blood sausage. Good stuff. Unfortunately, you can't get any meat without sides. And all of the sides are plants. So in addition to my meats, I received and payed for unwanted carbohydrates of coleslaw, white bread toast, and a huge mountain starchy of fries. Those all came home with me to feed the Blue Jays and the Squirrels. That was kind of a waste of food but I had no choice about the high starch carbohydrate sides. I like this place. The meats are great. But it's a little frustrating if you eat low carb. It would be awesome if these guys sold meat by the pound, like many of the other BBQ joints. Oh, well. It was worth the stop. -Maxx

I've been here a couple of times and the food is good bbq. I love their rib tips. The big…read moredetractors are that 1) there's no online ordering, which is just absurd at this day and age. 2) Their listed phone number is disconnected, so forget about ordering in advance which leads to 3) their food prep is slow af. What prompted me to post my review at this moment is taking the time to come here during business hours and they're not open. Oops.

Overall Score: 3.5/5 Solid spot for a Chicago-style fast…read morefood fix. Messy, greasy, and flavor-forward in the way you want. Food [2.5/3] Let's talk flavor and execution. Philly Sandwich Steak - This was a well-built sandwich. The onions, peppers, steak, and cheese came together in a cohesive mix, so each bite included a little of everything rather than feeling uneven or scattered. The cheese melted into the filling nicely, acting almost like a binder that brought the flavors together. The roll looked oversized at first, but its soft, airy texture created an excellent meat-to-bread ratio. My only criticism is that the beef seemed slightly overcooked, which introduced a touch of dryness. That may vary from sandwich to sandwich, but it was noticeable here. The sandwich can feel a bit heavy bite-after-bite. Italian Beef Sandwich with The Works - "The Works" included hot peppers, dipped in broth, and American cheese. Presentation-wise, this sandwich did not make the best first impression. The pale roll and heavily soaked exterior were not especially appealing visually, and with the extra dip, this is absolutely a sandwich best eaten fresh on-site rather than taken to go. But the first bite changed everything. The jus soaked into the bread and delivered a rush of flavor, while the beef was sliced and portioned in a way that made every bite feel substantial and satisfying. The giardiniera brought welcome heat and acidity, cutting through the richness and keeping the sandwich from feeling too heavy. The American cheese stayed in the background, but that actually worked to the sandwich's advantage by allowing the broth and beef to remain the focal point. This was the standout item, and easily the reason I would return. Cheese Curd - These were lightly battered, which let the cheese take center stage. For a fast-food setting, they were quite good and better than expected. Breaded Mushrooms - These are good if you miss and crave breaded mushrooms. Biting into these, one would expect a hot oily broth to flow out adding to the mushroom flavor, but there was no broth and the mushroom flavor was light. The marinara type sauce didn't pair well, so I did get a side of ranch to dip these in. Would order these again only if I crave bread mushrooms. Service[1/1] Service was exactly what it needed to be for a fast-food restaurant: prompt, clear, and helpful. The cashier took my order efficiently, clarified the available add-ons for the Italian beef, and responded well when I asked for a water cup. When I came back for ranch, he accommodated that request without issue. It was not full-service dining, nor should it be judged as such, but it met the standard for good quick-service hospitality. Atmosphere/Ambiance[0/1] The dining area is functional but not inviting. Seating is limited to a handful of booths and a small round table, and while the tables had been cleared, they were not especially clean. Flickering menu boards added to the worn fast-food feel, and the steady presence of people coming in to use the ATM created a somewhat distracting atmosphere. It gets the job done, but ambiance is not part of the appeal here.

Great Chicago style food. The Gyro platter is the best and…read morethe Philly Cheesesteak is right on

Hamburguesas el Gordo is located in powderhorn and there is plenty of street parking available…read morearound. They are open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays and 11 pm all other days, so they are a good spot to check out if you're looking for a late dinner or snack! It is a relatively casual spot! You order at the counter and your food is brought to your table if you're doing dine in. They have burgers, hot dogs, tacos, burritos, and more, and they do have a couple of vegan and vegetarian items on their menu! I went with esquite and the vegan tacos! This was my first time having soy curls as my protein alternative for tacos, and I did enjoy the chewy texture! It came with 2 salsas on the side, which both have a little bit of a kick to them, although the salsa verde is the milder of the two. The salsas are both delicious! It is not my number 1 taco (as someone who prefers a mushroom taco), but I would definitely get it again! As for the esquite: this one had A LOT of queso cotija, but could have used a bit more chile de arbol! With that being said, esquite will always taste good, and I do love when places offer both elote and esquite! Overall takeaway is that this is a good spot open relatively late offering both Mexican and American foods and a few vegetarian/vegan options!

Easily the best tacos I've ever had and debatably the one of the best meals I've had. The loaded…read morefries were divine and a must have. The entire restaurant vibe was nice and relaxing. The food came out quickly and the server was very polite.

This food truck was parked at Gertens…read more I tried the Cuban sandwich for lunch and it was incredible! So delicious! Meat was so tender and flavor was great!!!! I hope they come back again so I can give their Buffalo chicken sandwich a try next time.

I know times are hard...but two pieces of ham on the bun with the slice of cheese for an original?…read more two pieces??? For $9. Come on, do better!

Quite honestly, there are very, very few places that serve a good roast beef sandwich in the North…read moreStar State. Granted, I grew up elsewhere, so my tastes were forged differently than most Minnesotans, but I have persisted on my quest for great RARE and thinly sliced roast beef for the last 40 plus years. In my opinion, only two places qualify as great: Wally's Roast Beef in Bloomington and Maverick's Real Roast Beef in Roseville. Morts in Golden Valley used to be good, but then it went downhill and closed in 2023. Wally's is a funny, little place. First of all, it's located inside the Southtown Office Park Building. Go to the back (south) side of the building, go inside the door and it's immediately on the right. It's only open for lunch and it's closed on Saturdays. You will find it off of 494 on Penn Avenue. Wally's does that 1950's vibe and they specialize not only in Roast Beef, but also ham, turkey and a variety of soups. They also have daily specials as well as Blue plate, Red plate, and Green plate specials. One is meat loaf, one is roast beef, and one is turkey. They explain which is which on their website, but not on their restaurant board, which is insane, but is one of their quirks. Most importantly, the food tastes home-made, is excellent in terms of quality and taste and the prices are reasonable. C'mon, what more do you want? They have good milkshakes and tasty fries too. I think this place is a gem and I highly recommend it.

Stopped in for lunch. My husband got a blue plate special(full order) and I got the French dip with…read moreau jus and onion rings. The onion rings were crispy and so good. The French dip was good too, especially with that horseradish sauce- that will clear your sinuses up! Not the weak stuff. Ambiance was charming as always (like going back in time) and the guy behind the counter was great- responsive, fast, charismatic, and gave special attention to my mother in law which made it even better.

Did I just get a top 5 smashy out of a gas station? Wonderful quality and a great burger sauce…read more Far exceeded my expectations but I knew the backstory on the place so I wasn't comparing it to a gas station grab and go. Will certainly consider this spot anytime I am in the area. A+

Good location and easy access. Great Chicago hotdog! Nice people and eating area. Will be back!read more