“Food Truck Frenzy!” A Review of Food Truck Fridays
By Elizabeth Groubert ’21 and Ethan Kalishman ’24, Contributing Writers
The fervor for food trucks has recently percolated around campus — a result of Student Activities’ hard work in creating “Food Truck Fridays.” This event welcomes local restaurants to campus for students to enjoy on Fridays from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. The food trucks are extremely popular, with many students waiting over two hours just to get a meal. This initiative is not only lucrative for the trucks, but also satisfies student cravings for delicious, authentic and multicultural cuisine.
Last Friday, we sampled meals from each of the trucks and chatted with food truck-goers to hear about their experiences. The food trucks are first-come first-serve, and the competition to secure the takeout bag is fierce. We arrived at our first food truck of the night, Rio Grande Tex Mex, at 5:44 p.m. Despite being 16 minutes early, the line in Dunham Parking Lot already had over 100 students. We spoke with several groups of students in line. Some had arrived as early as 5:20 p.m. At the front of the line, Whitney Hintz ’23 reported that the “timing on when to arrive and how to pass the time is a science.”
These long lines increase the hype about the event. As students make their way to their truck of choice, they prepare to camp out in anticipation of long waits. Some bring along blankets and towels for comfort. Others even had the foresight to bring Spikeball for added entertainment. But for many students, waiting in line is an integral part of food truck culture at Hamilton. “Waiting in line with friends is a social activity and part of the fun,” said Sam Wilkerson ’22. With big boom speakers blasting Bad Bunny lyrics from the Rio Grande Tex Mex, the line did seem like a vibe.
Rio Grande Tex Mex was by far the most popular food truck of the night and, coincidentally, our favorite truck. The loaded nachos and fiesta taco were delicious. The nachos were piled high with an ample portion of tender, slow-cooked chicken, topped with fresh guacamole, homemade salsa, sour cream and spicy jalapeño peppers. The taco was also mouth-wateringly delicious, as the juicy beef was seasoned to perfection and complemented by homemade salsa, shredded sharp cheddar cheese and romaine lettuce, all wrapped in a warm soft tortilla.
K-Dogs BBQ was another popular truck. It served American fare down the hill next to Bundy Dining Hall Parking Lot. We tried their pulled pork and chicken leg, which left us both full. The Original Kitty’s, who was serving at the Library Terrace, had the shortest line of any truck, making it the ideal grab-and-go option. There, we ran into Aaron Kraus ’21 while waiting in line. He said that OG Kitty’s was “a satisfying break from the monotony of Commons and McEwen.”
The final stop of the night was The Cremeria, whose cart was based at Sadove Terrace outside of Sadove Student Center. The Cremeria’s gelato was a sweet delight. Our favorite flavors were Dark Chocolate with sea salt, Any Chocolate Lover’s dream, the irresistibly creamy Peanut Butter, and Stracciatella, a light vanilla ice cream packed with slivers of chocolate.
After our food truck crawl, we concluded the night by lounging in sweatpants and clutching our food babies. Make sure to show up early next Friday to get an ideal spot in line! We will definitely go back to the trucks, hungry for more.
