Finding delicious, handcrafted fare while on the go can be a harrowing and unfulfilling experience. Running out for a 30-minute lunch all too often ends in the drive-through lane of a fast-food chain as an order-by-number meal gets scarfed down in our cars, away from prying eyes that might witness our shame.
Stop doing that.
Fresh, authentic fare is available from a variety of local food trucks that offer everything from Irish cheddar potato cakes to off-the-grill onion cheeseburgers, organic local juices and even Chicago-style tacos.
Note: As with all food trucks, hours and days vary. Check social media for locations.
Parking Lot Party (PLP)
Twitter: @PLPFoodTruck
Instagram: @plpfoodtruck
996-6426
The Parking Lot Party (PLP) truck offers tailgate food at its finest.
“I would describe our cuisine as American fare,” said Maggie Ketron, who owns the truck with her husband Kenny Ketron.
She said the 1/3-pound grilled onion cheeseburger ($7) topped with lettuce, tomato, pickle and mayo is always a crowd favorite.
The truck also features off-the-menu items like fresh grilled purple asparagus ($5) sourced from an Edmond farmers market when in season.
A BLT+A with bacon, lettuce, tomato and sliced avocado is $8. A Guinness beer brat sets you back only $5.
If it’s a morning meal you’re after, order the Texas-style breakfast taco topped with red onion, avocado and cilantro ($4.50).
Super Juice
Twitter: @SuperJuiceOkc
Instagram: @superjuiceokc
401-7511
The summer heat makes people thirsty. Rehydrate at Super Juice.
“We use all organic and local produce in our juices,” said Chadd Hook, Super Juice co-owner. “All of our recipes are original, with our own twist. ... We saw the food truck scene grow in OKC, saved as much money as we could, and got started.”
The Green ($8.50) is the No. 1 seller and is made with kale pressed with spinach, celery, cucumber, pineapple, ginger and parsley.
“Our juices and smoothies are a healthy lunch replacement rather than fast food,” Hook said.
Try the cooling Sweet Apple juice ($8.50) made with pineapple pressed with apple, cucumber, lemon, ginger and mint.
Klemm’s Smoke Haus
Twitter: @KlemmsSmokeHaus
Instagram: @klemmssmokehaus
562-8616
When a truck boasts, “A Little Bit of Germany, A Whole Lot of Barbecue!” on its side, you have found easy, fast German fare at Klemm’s Smoke Haus.
“We call our cuisine German-influenced barbecue, mixing Germany with our local style of barbecue. We are passionate about making sure everything we do is from scratch,” said Jan Clem, who co-owns the truck with husband John and son JJ. “We come up with our own recipes to create something that you cannot get anywhere else. It never gets old, hearing people make comments about how wonderful one of our dishes is.”
Sought-after menu items are the Smokehouse Combo ($11) and the Jowler Combo ($11). These are hefty, and both are served with hand-cut salt-and-pepper fries. The Smokehaus Combo is beef brisket, pork, jalapeños, onions, cheese sauce and barbecue sauce served between two slices of toasted bread.
“Klemm’s is one of my favorite food trucks,” customer Lexi Piper said during a recent visit. “My favorite part is the cheese sauce they use. Paired with the jalapeños and barbecue sauce, the combination is delicious.”
Lalo’s I Love My Taco Chop & Grill
Twitter: @LalosTacoChop
Instagram: @lalostacochop
535-7532
“Our Chicago-style tacos and burritos are different,” said Lalo’s I Love My Taco Chop & Grill owner Lalo Hernandez. “The tortillas are made fresh … the recipes are authentic, passed down from my mother and grandmother, and use top-grade steak, not shredded.”
Marinated beef or chicken tacos are $4 each and come topped with family-recipe salsa. The marinated beef steak burrito is $8 and includes home-cooked pinto beans. Optional toppings include lettuce, cheese, sour cream and homemade salsa.
Hernandez is a busy man. In addition to creating and selling scrumptious tacos and burritos, he is Oklahoma Independent Food Truck Association president.
“This is an association where food truck owners can come for information about licenses, food innovations and community outreach,” he said.
Learn more at foodtrucksokc.com.
St. Paddy Cakes
Twitter: @StPaddyCakes
Instagram: @st.paddycakes
226-3152
The whimsical design of a leprechaun and dirigible outside the St. Paddy Cakes food truck is indicative of the creativity inside.
“I told my artist I wanted to mix the old and the new,” owner Doug Riddles said during a recent stop, “with Irish and steampunk.”
Easy enough.
The signature Irish Paddy Cake ($9, or $6.50 for a half portion) is an Irish white cheddar potato cake topped with smoked corn beef, warm cabbage slaw flavored with Irish whiskey and house-made whole grain smoky Guinness mustard.
“Most people either love or hate cabbage, and when we get people to try it, they say this is the best they have ever had,” Riddles said.
The Poke ($8, or $5.50 for a half portion) is a white cheddar potato cake topped with Murphy’s Red Ale & Spice-rubbed smoked pulled pork, and it comes with your choice of Dr Pepper or slow-burn Guinness barbecue sauces.
“I really enjoy seeing customers’ faces when they taste their food as others say, ‘I want what they’re having,’” he said.
Print headline: Easy kill, Your lunch (or breakfast or dinner) just got a whole lot better thanks to these original and offbeat food trucks.
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