Texas Trucklandia Fest 2017
I attended Austin’s annual Trucklandia “Food Truck Mashup & Taste-A-Thon” for the first time this year. Most people are aware of the love affair Austinites have with food trucks, and I am no exception! I have attended food truck fests in the past, but they all paled in comparison to Trucklandia. I purchased tickets early and was fortunate enough to procure “Judge” admission: includes general admission, complimentary “samples” from the 25 trucks that entered the competition, and a token to actually judge for your fav truck at the end.
Some of the “samples” were huge, so about half way through my foodie mate and I began sharing them. You certainly get your money’s worth in food. In addition, they was an interactive Dewar’s Whiskey emporium on-site complete with [fake] Chicken $hit Bingo (maybe it’s a Texas thing, but yes, it’s a thing!) for giveaways, tour of the Dewar’s “Tiny House,” a tasting of their spirit, and a perfectly cooked Scotch Egg to nosh on…and that was just at the the fest entrance.
Continuing on the u-shaped path of truck after truck in the Austin American-Statesman lot, I came across so many amazing bites. Jepp’s Southern Roots offered a delicious, creamy shrimp etouffe and a meat cake (admittedly went back for seconds on that one and they joyfully obliged). Happy Lobster’s take on what was slightly reminiscent of poutine included crispy fries, crunchy, slightly spicy peppers, and huge chunks of delicate lobster. So good! Hummus Among Us’ sample consisted of scratch hummus and a large piece of perfectly cooked brisket. Hummus good! Beef good! Crepe Crazy were befittingly somewhat insane offering a full sized crepe filled with cheese and the freshest strawberries. Yummy sweet. Goggle Gobble’s slogan is “The Best Burger of Any Kind” and I’m not arguing. I am picky burger fan (of all kinds) and GG’s Turkey Burger with fresh, peppery organic arugula, a huge slice of white cheddar (from Austin’s own Antonelli’s Cheese Shop), lemon pepper aoili on a toasted brioche got my (and my mate’s) vote in the end. Bravo!
What a great way to spend a Saturday! Tons of great food, nice people, live music, perfect weather, and Texas craft beer available for purchase for 5$ a can, and scored some swag. In addition, proceeds from the entire day go to charity. This year’s recipient was Keep Austin Fed. 🙂 One of the better events I have ever attended. In fact, I enjoyed it so much I have already purchased my tickets for next year (Trucklandia had a one day 50% off promo and I took advantage of it).
Congratulations to Trucklandia’s 2017 winner of the $10k purse: Cazamance!
Location:
Austin American-Statesman
305 S Congress Ave
Austin, TX 78704
Purchase tickets and more info here.
Media – trucks, organizers, and other Instagram pages: @trucklandia @keepaustinfed
@dewars @hummus_amongus_atx @crepecrazyatx @happylobsteratx @gobblegobble @antonellischz @crossroadsatx @cazamance_familyatx @thaifulrollsthai2u @ramonashummus
