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Street Eats Magazine

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A magazine about Austin food trailers
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SHORT BUS SUBS GOURGHDOUGH’S DONUTS YUM! PAGE 29 AUSTIN’S COOLEST TRAILER PARKS PAGE 11 HIGH SCHOOLERS LOVE TRAILERS PAGE 39 AUSTIN’S SANDWICH-SERVING SCHOOLBUS brings back memories of days in the schoolyard with their whimsical baked subs. for foodies on the run
Transcript

SHORT BUS SUBS

GOURGHDOUGH’S DONUTS YUM!

PAGE 29

AUSTIN’S COOLEST TRAILER PARKS

PAGE 11

HIGH SCHOOLERSLOVE TRAILERS

PAGE 39

AUSTIN’S SANDWICH-SERVING SCHOOLBUS brings back memories of days in the schoolyard with their whimsical baked subs.

for foodies on the run

CONTENTSSTREET EATS MAGAZINE SUMMER 2012

5 PLANNING YOUR DAYTHE FOOD TRAILER WAY

Featuring a itinerary for visiting food trailers through-out the day, including maps of each trailer and spe-cialty foods to try.

29 NOT YOUR GRANDMA’S DONUT SHOP

The story behind the donuts that are changing Austinites one calorie at a time

17 THE ODD TALE OF THE ODD DUCK TRAILER

Why the Odd Duck Farm to Trailer closing brings great sorrow

19 NOW OPEN FOR BUSINESS

News and information about Austin’s newest trailers

27 SHOULD SANITATION IN FOOD TRAILERS BE IMPROVED?

How food trailers becoming cleaner might be a necessity and possibly a requirement in the near future

39 TRAILER FOOD AS WE KNOW IT; A HIGH SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE

How high school students feel towards the food trailer environment

11 SOMEWHERE IN THE TRAILER PARK

The truth behind food trailer parks and their influence on the food trailer culture

38 THANK YOU FOOD TRAILERS

An espression of gratitide about the vegentarian options food trailers are beginning to offer

2 STREET EATS

CONTRIBUTORS

Name: Mazie HyamsFavorite Trailer: East Side KingsMazie, a member of both the LBJ volleyball and softball teams and an ardent and passionate film-maker, has been a foodie since birth. Previously nicknamed “Belly” for her love of food, Mazie is deifinitely still a chubby eight-year-old at heart.

Name: Zia LyleFavorite Trailer: Holy CacaoZia, an avid soccer player, violinist, and culinary mastermind who enjoys making new kinds of cookies, loves all trailer food. From BBQ to snow cones she enjoys it all. Her personal favorite food is chocolate, which she consumes dailly if not hourly.

Name: Sara StashlukFavorite Trailer: Hey CupcakeSara is a freshman at LASA high school, 3rd chair alto saxophone in the LBJ Concert Band, and a com-petitive horse rider competing with her horse, Go-diva, in horse shows around Texas in the jumpers.

Name: Sahithi TupuriFavorite Trailer: Gourghdough’sSahithi is an Indian classical dancer and singer, who also plays violin in the LBJ Orchestra and enjoys reading books and eating out. She loves the de-lights of trailer food while still being a vegetarian.

3 STREET EATS

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

It’s safe to say that the staff members of Street Eats Magazine gained a total of 20 pounds while making this magazine for you. They slaved for hours designing layouts, writing pieces, and, most importantly, eating a crap-ton of trailer food, all the while sacrificing their precious hourglass figures. While this may not be entirely true, it’s much closer than anyone would hope. They were driven for hours by various family members in order to scope out trailers to write about. These girls have sacrificed a lot to make this publication, but they all agree it was most definitely worth it. Through all this hard work, Street Eats Magazine was created. Enjoy!

Mazie Hyams, Sahithi Tupuri, Sara Stashluk, and Zia Lyle

4STREET EATS

PLANNING YOUR DAY THE FOOD TRAILER WAY

BREAKFAST

LUNCH

TORCHY’S TACOS:Living up to their motto, Torchy’s Tacos (located on South First Street) are in fact “Damn Good.” Featuring signature tacos such as the Trailer Park and Fried Advoca-do, Torchy’s has become an Austin favorite for starting off your day.

LEMBAS BAKERY AND BREAKFAST: Including Green Eggs and Ham, Lembas’s menu contains many grain and gluten free items, as well as other healthy but deli-cious baked goods. Located on Burnet Road, this bakery should be a destination for everyone.

BISCUITS AND GROOVY:Located in Hyde Park, Biscuits and Groovy offers soft, flufffy biscuits covered in warm flowing gravy, and topped with anything you can imagine. Full of Vegan and Veg-etarian options, Biscuits and Groovy is changing breakfast meals. all over Austin.

MIGHTY CONE:The first thought you come to when you hear the word cone is the creamy dessert of ice cream, but Mighty Cone changes this. They serve everything, including fries, in a tortilla cone. Located on South Congress, everyone should try the food from here.

MAN BITES DOG:Who knew someone could serve so many different types of hot dogs? Man Bites Dog proves that hotdogs are no longer a BBQ meal, but rather a tasty treat. Located on Burnet Road and South Lamar, Man Bites Dog is making its impact on Austin.

FLIP HAPPY CREPES:Featuring sweet and savory vari-eties of the delicate French food, FLip Happy crepes is located on Jessie Street. This trailer servs up the perfect combnation of carmalized onions and meats, as well as Nutella and fruit, all on their homemade crepes.

5 STREET EATS

WORDS AND PHOTOS: ZIA LYLE

DINNER

DESSERT

BOSS HOGS KITCHEN:The best part about Texas? The BBQ. And BBQ is what Boss Hogs Kitchen specializes in. From sandwitches to plates of smoked brisket or chicken, this food trailer shares this delicious aspect of Texas with th e rest of Austin. They are located on West 5th Street and are a must for any and all Austinites.

COAT AND THAI:Located on South Lamar, Coat and Thai serves an extensive va-riety of thai food, including rice and noodle dishes, soups, and a few curry dishes. Their special-ties are Pad Thai and eggrolls, both of which put all other Thai food in Austin to shame. While the wait can be long, it is definitely worth it!

MMMPANADAS:With an enormous variety of Empa-nadas (from the Asparagus Prosciut-to to the Soy Chorizo) covering their menu, Mmmpanadas has energed as a popular destination for food-ies all through Austin. Their empa-nadas are being baked fresh and made from scratch everyday at their food trailer at the Mueller Hanger.

HOLY CACOA:While they primarily serve cake balls (including Red Velvet, Chocolate, Wedding Cake, and specialty flavor Diablo), this original food trailer also features Frozen Hot Chocolate and homemade Smores. Order a dozen cake balls to go or enjoy a chocolate shake at the South Austin Trailer Park and Eatery, where they are located.

ICE QUEENS: Wish you could go back to those carnival days filled with cotton candy and snow cones? Ice Queens makes it possible. They feature hand-spun cotton candy, shaved ice, and frozen yogurt., all of which is made by two Roller Derby Queens. Lo-cated in East Austin, this food trailer is a must try for all sweet tooths out there.

POWDERED SUGAR:Powdered Sugar is Austin’s trailer dedicated to making funnel cakes not just a caarnival food. With top-pings ranging from powdered sugar (of course) and cinnamon sugar to local toppings like Round Rock honey and gourmet toppings such as wild Australian hibiscus syrup with edible hibiscus flowers.

6STREET EATS

MAP FOR YOUR PLAN FOR THE DAYWORDS AND PICTURES: SAHITHI TUPURI

7 STREET EATS

North AustinEast Austin

Near South CongressNear South Lamar

8STREET EATS

North Austin Biscuits and Groovy 5015 Duval St, Austin, TX 78751 (512) 804-8285 - http://iwantbiscuits.com/ Lembas Bakery and Breakfast 6701 Burnet Rd, Austin, TX 78757 (469) 323-4936 - http://www.lembasaustin.com

East Austin Ice Queens 1210 Rosewood Ave, Austin, TX 78702 (512) 771-5886 - http://www.austinicequeens.com

Near South Congress Short Bus Subs 1600 South Congress Avenue, Austin, TX 78704 (512) 686-7827 - http://ShortBusSubs.com Coat and Thai 1600 S Congress, Austin, TX 78701 http://coatandthai.com/ mmmpanadas 2nd and Congress, Austin, TX 78798 (512) 788-2228 - http://mmmpanadas.com Torchy’s Tacos 1311 S 1st St, Austin, TX 78704 (512) 366-0537 - http://torchystacos.com/ Holy Cacao 1311 S 1st St, Austin, TX 78704 (512) 851-2253 - http://www.theholycacao.com Gourdough’s 1503 S 1st St, Austin, TX 78704 (512) 707-1050 - http://www.gourdoughs.com/

Near South Lamar Man Bites Dog 3005 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704 http://manbitesdogaustin.com Flip Happy Crepes 400 Josephine St, Austin, TX 78704 (512) 552-9034 - http://fliphappycrepes.blogspot.com/ Boss Hogs Kitchen 1120 W 5th St, Austin, TX 78703 (512) 698-9818 - http://bosshogskitchen.com/

FOOD TRAILERS: THE MORE THE BETTERWORDS AND PHOTOS BY: ZIA LYLE

Six years ago the idea of eating food that was cooked inside

Airstream trailers seemed unreasonable and unheard of

to many Austinites. Today, by simply walking down Congress

Avenue, you find many food trailers and food trailer parks, all

with flavorful aromas, catchy names, and multifarious types of

food. This short span of time has been enough for trailers such

as Flip Happy Crepes and Hey Cupcake to receive national

recognition and completely alter the Austin food scene.

However, while there are many food trailers, all of which

are popular attractions, the majority remain concentrated

downtown and together do not match the number of

restaurants Austin has to offer. Because of this, it seems there

is a growing need for more food trailers, all around the city.

Austinites have an endless need

for cheap, multifarious food, a need

that can be better satisfied with food

trailers than restaurants. A 2009 report

completed by Bundle (a resource to

find how much Americans spend and

on what) reports that, Austin residents

spend more money eating out than

any other household residents in the

United States. If this large amount of

money is already being spent, why not

chose to spend it on cheaper items.

Food trailers pride themselves in being

an affordable alternative to crowded

9 STREET EATS

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restaurants. A crepe from Flip Happy Crepes (a

popular food trailer) costs on average $6.80,

while a crepe from Café Crepe of Austin (a brick

and mortar café) costs an average of $8.50. This

small difference can add up, especially when in

relation to the amount of food being consumed

in Austin. Wells Dunbar, of the Austin Chronicle,

sais in 2010 “[food trailers] are setting up quickly

and inexpensively bringing eats to the masses”

The more food trailers, the more opportunities

people have to eat (and spend) at them, making

it wise to create more food trailers.

Another aspect is the positive and healthy

environment food trailer parks portray. These

food trailer parks have 3-4 different trailers in

one area, with picnic tables and restrooms –the

comforts of a restaurant— but all in a relaxed

outside setting. According to an article from

Health on a Budget, “sunlight helps our body

produce Vitamin D, which functions as a powerful

prohormone.” Vitamin D helps especially during

eating by improving ones mood, which is positive,

of course. Food trailers are also environmentally

friendly, because they produce less waste and do

not need a cement base in order to be functional.

In addition to eating outside, food trailer parks

have the ability to offer different types of cuisines.

This is a positive because there is something for

each family member, without a family having to

travel to numerous locations. One trailer food

park, South Austin Trailer Park & Eatery includes

Man Bites Dog (featuring hot dogs), Holy Cocao

(specializing in cake pops), and Torchy’s Tacos

(serves many types of tacos) and shows this

variety in food types, all in one location. Food

trailers are then better than restaurants, based

on their environmental impact, the various types

of food, and the cultural contribution they have

on Austin.

However, food trailers do not measure up to

restaurants in some aspects. The problem of no

bathrooms inside food trailers can be solved by

the creation of more food trailer parks (which

have restrooms), but this can only be done if

more food trailers are actually created. There are

also weather elements that food trailers must

compete with, including extreme heats (it does

get pretty toasty inside an Airstream trailer) and

rain. These problems will always be a factor, but

customers can take their food to-go and eat

it somewhere else. But these are minor issues

when we consider what a relaxed setting they

provide clients with, how much cheaper they are,

and how important food trailers are at Austin.

As the amount of food trailers continues

to grow through the years, it is my hope that

more entrepreneurs take into consideration the

benefits that having a food trailer and create

many more.

10STREET EATS

Flip Happy Crepes, a world renowned crepe food trail-er that is know for its tasty french delicacies. Flip Happy Crepes is also much cheaper than other crepe restaurants.

Trailer parks have shaped Austin’s cultere with the help of several trailer owners and changed many customer’s lives.

WORDS AND PICTURES BY SAHITHI TUPURI

AA taco from Torchy’s Tacos, a smoothie from Conscious

Cravings, and a cake ball from Holy Cacao is a common

meal for customers at the South First Trailer Park and Eat-

ery. In a restaurant, this wide variety of food would not be

found, but in a trailer park, that’s common.

Trailers are an important part of Austin’s culture and

when there are a lot of trailers in one place, like a trailer

park, it changes Austinites according to customers. Each

trailer in a trailer park has a lot of advantages of being

located next to each other, but sometimes there can be

disadvantages to being located in a trailer park for trail-

ers, like competition when there is a new trailer, example

Conscious Cravings in the South First Trailer Park and

Eatery. Rishi Dhir, the owner of Conscious Cravings came

to Austin in mid-November last year to go into the food

industry, but had a change of opinion once he saw Austin.

“[I] came to Austin to put a vegetarian restaurant, but

saw the trailers and wanted to put a trailer,” Dhir said,

“[because] financially it is much less risky.”

Dhir wanted to put a food trailer because he wanted to

share an experience that he “always wanted, but never got

to have.” He put his first Conscious Cravings near the Uni-

versity of Texas student campus to give students a chance

to try his vegetarian trailer. Soon after, he added another

location at the South First Trailer Park and Eatery, next to

Torchy’s Tacos and Holy Cacao. Dhir wanted to come to

Austin to start his food industry because Austinites are

“very friendly toward local, healthy, vegetarian food” and

“appreciate healthier, organic places.” Dhir liked the con-

cept of food trailers and Austin is the one place where

eating at a trailer is common, but Dhir also had other in-

tentions.

“[I] wanted to show people that vegetarian/vegan food

can be tasty.”

Not only is Dhir a driven man to spread vegetarian/veg-

an food, but he is also an environmentalist. The primary

factors that were driving Dhir to making vegetarian/vegan

food, was that it is “great for the environment, for global

warming, and for animal welfare.” He wanted to make this

environment-friendly trailer because it is “fast, affordable,

tasty, and healthy.”

Dhir explained how sometimes the trailers, Holy Cacao

and Torchy’s Tacos, would trade food to get a taste of

the different choices of food near them. “Torchy’s Tacos

actually tweeted about us,” Dhir said laughingly as he

describes how Torchy’s Tacos spread the word of a new

vegan/vegetarian trailer in the same trailer park as them.

Being in the same trailer park can sometimes bring com-

petition to all the trailers, but Dhir did not seem to think

that was a problem.

“We appeal to different crowds,” Dhir said, “[and we sell]

different types of food.”

The board at the entrence of the South Austin Trailer Park and Eatery.

The relationship between the trailers at the South First

Trailer Park and Eatery, according to Dhir, is “comrade-

ly” and “friendly.” When three trailers are located at the

same place, all the trailers affect each other’s business.

Dhir business was affected by the trailers at the South First

trailer park through “exposure from other trailers.”

“[Exposure] allows us to create a variety for customers

so that customers who are eating at a Mexican trailer next

door, for example, can the next day eat at our trailer. Pro-

viding this kind of variety allows large groups of people

to visit the trailer park and all have something they can

enjoy.”

This helps all the trailers in getting customers. Not only

do trailers contribute to the experience at a trailer park,

but so do customers. A couple came to the South First

Trailer Park for the first time. The couple lives nearby, but

never got a chance to stop by a trailer park. They loved

to be outside and they were surprised that there was “an

area to sit and eat.” The couple called the trailer park a

“casual and perfect” place. Regular customers also benefit

from food trailer parks. A regular customer enjoys trailers

because the food is “in between a fancy restaurant and

fast food.” The customer has been to this trailer “a 100

times,” but never seems to get bored. He seems to have

his own reasons.

“I like that their business model is not a lot about the

The indoor sitting area at the trailer park.

The decorated entrence at the entrence to the indoor sitting area.

The outdoor sitting area with benches and shade.

Picture Caption: Cestenimint dolut quias sum que ellesed et volorepudi

Customers having fun with friends at the trailer park.

food, but their passion. This makes for better food,” he

says.

A trailer park “promotes casual eating,” according to the

regular customer, and “enhances quality time.” The cus-

tomer comes by trailers, especially the South First Trailer

Park and Eatery, to get a quick bite with his dog. He ap-

preciates that trailer parks are dog friendly unlike most

restaurants. Larry Gundlach, a customer from Madison,

Wisconsin, and his wife enjoy the delectables of food trail-

ers in Austin. Gundlach came to Austin three to four days

before sitting on the benches at the South First Trailer

Park and Eatery.

“We can tell it’s part of Austin’s culture,” Gundlach said.

Gundlach describes how there are not many food trailers

in Madison and likes their concept of “a light meal” that is

“quick and convenient.” Many appreciate the concept of

trailer food, and trailer parks are the one way for the best

variety of trailer food all in one place. Trailer parks bring

together everyone for a fun, quick bite.

TRAILER PARK: SOUTH FIRST TRAILER PARK AND EATERYLOCATION: SOUTH 1ST STREET

The Concious Cravings trailer at the South First Trailer Park and Eatery.

For more information about the trailers men-

tioned, see page 7-8. For more information

about Concious Cravings see page 79.

THE ODD TALE OF THE ODD DUCK TRAILERWORDS: MAZIE HYAMSPICTURES: NILS GORE and LARS PLAUGMANN

Joann sinks her teeth into the slider. Warm, fatty, moist pork

floods her mouth with its rich smoky flavor inhabiting ev-

ery inch of her body. Peppers and onions add layers of flavor

so numerous she cannot describe the taste. Paprika aioli ex-

plodes in her mouth. The small sandwich melts in her mouth

as she chews. Joann tries to savor the small delight, but the

burger is gone within seconds. This is heaven on a bun. Thank

god there are two more. People may say that “sharing is car-

ing,” but sharing is not an option when it comes to the delica-

cies of the Odd Duck Farm to Trailer in Austin, Texas. I should

actually say sharing was not an option, for the trailer is now

closed. For how long? No one knows.

Because the loss of this trailer has been devastating for Aus-

tin’s food community, I believe the Odd

Duck Farm to Trailer should stay open.

Odd Duck began in 2009, when a young

man named Bryce Gilmore moved to

Austin from Wisconsin with his brother

on order to realize his dreams of becom-

ing a successful chef. Bryce purchased

a 1980 vintage Fleetwood Mallard on

eBay, and, according to Edible Austin

publications in their profile on the chef

in 2011, “spent the next three months

raising the ceiling, painting the exterior

burnt orange, installing a wood grill and

figuring out the smoke-exhaust sys-

tem.” For the next two years, the wood

17 STREET EATS

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grill fired up hundreds of delectable mini-burgers

and other popular dishes five nights a week.

In December of 2010, Bryce opened the restau-

rant Barley Swine, allowing Austinites who deemed

themselves too posh and sophisticated for food

trailers to discover his immense talent. Barley

Swine quickly became very popular and was given

rave reviews, making it a prominent restaurant in

the Austin food scene. Patricia Sharpe of the New

York Times, called Gilmore a “superstar chef” in her

review of the restauraunt.

I have to let you know that Barley Swine is not

the only one getting all the love. Odd Duck had

also become very prominent in the trailer scene

and was given enthusiastic positive reviews, mak-

ing its closing all the more tragic. Kate Thornberry

of the Austin Chronicle said in her 2011 review of

Barley Swine, “At Odd Duck Farm to Trailer, Gilm-

ore achieved something really quite poetic: an ex-

istence where one person could cook the food he

loves, sell it to people, develop a following, and

more or less live as an artist.” Fans like the ones

Kate described are very numerous and passionate

about the ambrosial food that once came out of

that old trailer. They have been devastated by the

loss of this pillar of the Austin food community. As

Joann said, “I always enjoyed eating at Odd Duck,

and I will miss the opportunity to try new foods

there in the future.”

Other people, like myself, are simply disappoint-

ed because we may never have the opportunity to

become fans like this. I should tell you that I’ve

never actually been to Odd Duck Food to Trailer,

something I am actually quite ashamed to say. As a

foodie and trailer enthusiast, Odd Duck has been at

the top my ever-growing list of airstreams to visit

for quite a while now. While writing this article, it’s

safe to say that my mouth was constantly watering,

and my stomach constantly grumbling, asking me

for one of those sliders. It makes me sad to say

that I may never get the opportunity to have that

pork melt in my mouth.

I understand Odd Duck closed so Bryce could

focus on his new restaurant Barley Swine, but I be-

lieve that with a bit of jumping around, he could

make it work. Bryce could hire someone else he

trusts and believes has the right skills to operate

Odd Duck when he is not around. Just because

Austin gained a new exciting restaurant does not

mean it necessarily has to lose another. In the end,

it’s not just that Odd Duck should stay open, but

it has to stay open. With such a large following of

avid fans, and a never-ending abundance of excit-

ed new costumers, Odd Duck has become a staple

of the Austin food community. If Odd Duck were

to re-open, it could return to its status of an Aus-

tin classic. Needless to say, no one is happy at the

loss of the Odd Duck Farm to Trailer. Well, maybe

the pigs are.

TRAILER: ODD DUCK FARM TO TRAILERLOCATION: SOUTH LAMAR BLVD.

18STREET EATS

Odd Duck’s famous pork belly sliders. Photo by Nils Gore

19 STREET EATS

Hill Country PierogiStyle: Polish Dumplings AKA PierogisLocation: Dowtown and East SideOpened Fall 2011PICTURES: A MIKE’S LIFE

Regal RavioliStyle: Many varieties of deli-cious organic ravioli and saucesLocation: East AustinOpened Fall 2011PICTURES: TIFFANY HARELIK (TRAILER FOOD DIARIES)

Wasota African CuisineStyle: African with numerous vegan and vegetarian optionsLocation: South FirstOpened Fall 2011PICTURES: STACEY (VEGAN BLOGGER)

Fresh off the TruckStyle: Fresh Authentic Asian Street FoodLocation: DowntownOpened Fall 2011PICTURES: TIFFANY HARELIK (TRAILER FOOD DIARIES)

NOW OPEN FOR BUSINESS

WORDS: SARA STASHLUK

20STREET EATS

NOW OPEN FOR BUSINESS

Thunder Heart BisonStyle: Burgers, tacos, ribs, and more. All meat is bisonLocation: DowntownOpened Winter 2011PICTURES: AUSTIN URBAN GARDENS

Nomad DosaStyle: Organic Indian Crepes AKA DosasLocation: Downtown Opened Spring 2011PICTURES: MOLLYJADE FROM FLICKR

Yumé BurgerSyle: Japanese Hamburgers and Hot DogsLocation: DowntownOpened Winter 2011PICTURES: JACKIE STONE (AUSTIN POST)

Via 313Style: Detroit Syle PizzaLocation: East AustinOpened Winter 2011PICTURES: ROAMING HUNGER

For three years, Short Bus Subs on South Congress, has been serving baked sandwiches to Austinites all over from their trademark yellow school bus.

WORDS AND PICTURES BY ZIA LYLE

IIn the midst of South Congress, nestled in between glis-

tening silver Airstream trailers and colorful food carts, de-

tailed painted picnic tables sit in front of a unique char-

acter in the Austin food trailer business, a bright yellow

school bus. This bus, evoking images of past school days

through its use of chalkboards, sack lunches, and sand-

wiches, is Short Bus Subs.

Functioning not as average sandwich shop but rather

as a food trailer focused on spreading the joy of the sack

lunch to Austinites, Short Bus Subs, which opened in 2009,

attracts customers from all over. The brothers responsible

for these tasty sandwiches are Eric and Dane Klusman,

who both grew up in the sandwich environment, a result

of their family owning a chain of sandwich shops. This

previous family experience is seen through hectic music

events and festivals to business lunches, when Short Bus

Subs is always ready for anything. The prime idea for the

yellow school bus that has become a symbol of all things

sandwiches in Austin came from Eric Klusman.

“One night I had a dream that I was on a bus, making

sandwiches on it, I woke up and wrote it all down and

that’s how it happened,” he says, “It just happened.”

This is how Eric Klusman describes the development of

Short Bus Subs, of which the root literally lies at a dream.

This dream led to three total locations, a huge fan base,

and a multitude of sandwiches. While he had always

imagined himself starting a business, it was not until af-

ter college when Eric decided to actually make this fan-

tasy a reality. After moving from the Midwest to Austin,

purchasing an old school bus and furnishing it, he began

to make sandwiches.

While the idea came to Eric quite quickly and fluidly,

the rest of the process of creating and managing a food

trailer didn’t flow as smoothly.

“There are always challenges, because it’s the kind of

business that doesn’t have a manual, you have to figure

out what works for you,” says Eric.

Challenges come from customers, from environmen-

tal factors, and even from working with your family. The

major problem food trailer owners’ face is out of town

customers that don’t understand that food trailers don’t

offer every convenience of a restaurant.

“[the customers] don’t understand why you don’t have

things like ice,” says Eric.

The lack of small extras like this is what makes food

trailers stand out, and customers must just learn to deal

with some shortcomings. But most customers have dealt

with these shortcomings and return again and again to

taste the delicious sandwiches coming from the Short

Bus. Some of this success must be credited to the city

of Austin, and the multiple music and other events held

here every year.

One of Short Bus’ many hand-painted colorful picnic tables.

“Austin events are the year-makers,” says Eric, “we have as

much business in one week of SXSW as one month another

time of the year.”

Austin events include SXSW, Austin City Limits, and so many

others. These festivals offer a chance for people all over the

country and world to sample Short Bus Subs. During these

festivals Short Bus Subs also does promotions for other com-

panies, which includes giving away free sandwiches. Short Bus

Subs is rarely alone during these venues, music events are a

hot spot for many trailers, and it is through these that Eric has

met and become friends with other food trailer owners, spe-

cifically the owners of Peach Tortilla and Mmmpanadas. These

friendships and Austin trailer food culture evokes a strong

sense of “community.” Working together through different

settings has given way to possible future collaborations.

“I would love to do a combo with Hey Cupcake, a sandwich

and cupcake kinda thing together, says Eric.

Combinations such as these not only show the togetherness

Austin food trailer owners feel towards one another, but also

how they each differ from one another in their cuisines. Short

Bus Subs still manages to stand out, through its different de-

sign and theme.

The school bus theme sprouted from the image of a school

bus, and from there the brothers imagined featuring things

such as juice boxes, pudding cups, and homemade cookies, all

part of a “sack lunch.”

The Short Bus Subs menu

A customer orders a sandwich at Short Bus.

A further expression of the school theme is seen through the names

of the sandwiches, which Eric himself came up with on a road trip.

From “The Bully” to “The Mascot” to “The Cheerleader” every aspect

of the school day is expressed. Eric’s favorite is “The Principle”, which

has Swiss, bacon, ham, turkey, roast beef, Dijon, lettuce and tomato.

“It’s a club sandwich,” he says, describing his favorite, “and those nev-

er get old.”

The rest of the sandwiches vary from deli to chicken to veggie, and

all contain a wide variety of flavors, all tied perfectly together with

their witty names.

“Once you know the ingredients, combining them randomly and

creating new things is easy,” says Eric.

This act of creating things randomly is seen through the Sandwich of

the Month, which changes every month and is created by the owners

as well as the workers. Favorites such as “The Janitor” were created

this way and have become a part of the general menu. Changes such

as this have influenced the progress of Short Bus Subs, and through

challenges the brothers have adapted to create the successful busi-

ness that is seen today. However, they are always looking ahead.

“Opening a restaurant [brick and mortar type] has always been a

possibility,” says Eric.

And maybe the two brothers will expand their chain from the three

busses they have now to an actual sandwich shop. But for now, they

continue to make sandwiches all over Austin, spreading memories of

old school days, all in a bright yellow school bus.TRAILER: SHORT BUS SUBSLOCATION: SOUTH CONGRESS AVENUE, AIRPORT BLVD,

The Short Bus

25 STREET EATS

The Short Bus

Picture Caption: Cestenimint dolut quias sum que ellesed et volorepudi The seating area at Short Bus.

NOT CLEAN ENOUGH?WORDS: SARA STASHLUKPICTURES: DIGIMEG PHOTOGRAPHY and SAHITHI TUPURI

Seated at a picnic table nearby your favorite food trailer, you

take a bite out of that delicious burger you order every time.

Meanwhile, the one health department inspector in Austin dedicat-

ed to trailer food is performing a surprise inspection on the trailer

and finds filthy cooking conditions and meat lockers that are not at

an appropriate temperature. The regulations on the 1,620 mobile

vendors in Austin are scanty compared to regulations for restau-

rant food which is often a reason why consumers choose restau-

rants over trailers. To ensure trailer foods’ success, Austin needs

to add more health inspectors solely dedicated to trailer food to

crack down on violators and add more regulations to ensure that

trailer food is as safe as restaurant food, giving customers a good

piece-of-mind.

According to an Austin American Statesman writer, Juan Castillo,

food trailer owners have been noticing their competitors selling

cheap food prepared from home- which is

against regulation. Not only are these viola-

tors breaking the law, they are taking cus-

tomers away from the “good guys”. But with

only one health inspector how can these vio-

lators be kept under control?

Numerous other sanitation violations are

common in keeping trailers such as selling

food without a permit, not having available

washrooms and/or toilets on site, and hav-

ing dangerous apparatus attached to the

trucks such as a propane tank inches from

the bumper. If a food trailer like that were to

be hit from behind, it could explode instantly

says Tom Ramsey, owner of Snappy Snacks-

a popular Austin trailer chain. Ramsey also

illustrates that some trailers go through car

27 STREET EATS

The

Peac

hed T

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ne o

f Sna

ppy

Snac

k’s c

hain

trai

lers

. The

Pea

ched

Tort

illa

serv

es

Asia

n, B

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ish.

washes without grease traps which leads to sewage issues.

I don’t know about you, but I think that these issues

need to be changed. I would not want to go to a food

trailer that didn’t prepare its food properly or didn’t have

a place for the employees to wash their hands. I’m not a

“germaphobe”, but I don’t want to get sick either. Some

trailer food owners explain that it is “too easy” to get a

permit to sell food.

To start, trailers should at least have monthly health

inspections to make sure that everything is clean and

regulations are being followed. This will influence trailer

owners to at least clean things up once a month. They

could also have surprise inspections every once in a while

to ensure that they really do keep everything clean. Next,

permits should be stricter to obtain because trailer own-

ers should need a health check on their trailer, what their

regular schedule is like, and where they can wash their

trucks. Finally, food trailers should display their permit to

sell food and their recent health checks outside their truck

so that customers are aware that they are legal and have

good health practices.

Some people argue that, because food trailers are part

of what makes Austin, Austin, the regulations should stay

the same because otherwise they will place a cap on the

exotic foods around the city. But honestly, if you aren’t

preparing food for sale safely, you shouldn’t be prepar-

ing food at all. Would you rather eat at that exotic food

trailer that doesn’t have a permit and get sick or eat at

another exotic food trailer that does have a permit and

not get sick? There are plenty of crazy trailers in Austin for

people to explore and cutting a few down because they

can’t comply with regulations won’t hurt the industry. In

fact, it might even make it stronger.

To go along with the previous argument, people argue

that nothing bad has happened yet so why should any-

thing be changed? Well, when someone gets sick from

eating at a food trailer, it usually doesn’t impact them

enough to call the authorities. If you got sick from food

poisoning from a restaurant would you report it? Besides,

nothing bad has happened YET. Should we wait UNTIL

something bad happens then? Like 9/11? Obviously

the two are very different in comparison but if we had

regulated something so small as what people could take

onto airplanes would we have had such a huge incident?

I don’t think anything major will happen with trailer food

anytime soon but I believe that people would be way

more willing to eat trailer food if the regulations were

just a little bit stricter.

TRAILER: SNAPPY SNACKSLOCATION: AUSTIN METRO AREA

28STREET EATS

Example of dangerous propane tank on the back of a trailer. The trailer is Concious Cravings.

Since its opening in 2008, Gourghdough’s Donuts has been serving up over-the-top delicacies that have destroyed the New Year’s resolutions of many Austinites.

WORDS AND PICTURES BY MAZIE HYAMS

S

Lina Fisher takes a bite of the “Son of a Peach.”

She is a thing of beauty. Smooth, shiny, gleaming in the

afternoon sun. Smells good, too. Like home, only better.

More like butter. In a few agonizing minutes, in the fan-

tastical world that sits inside this airstream, a donut will

be made. It won’t be just any donut; it will be momentous.

Another customer will fall in love.

Since their opening in 2008, Gourghdough’s Donuts,

a food trailer located on South 1st Street in Austin Tex-

as, has been serving up donuts that fully live up to the

trailer’s tagline: Big. Fat. Donuts. If anything, this is an

understatement. Gourghdough’s quickly became one of

the city’s most popular food trailers. People from all over

flooded into line, not caring that they were about to de-

stroy any chance of fulfilling their New Year’s Resolutions.

The airstream escalated into an Austin staple after be-

ing featured on various Food Network programs, as well

as the famous television show “Anthony Bourdain: No

Reservations.” With so much widespread success, it’s hard

to believe that Gourghdough’s was started by an aver-

age couple working in the Austin real estate business, but

that’s just one of the things that makes this Austin trailer

just a little bit different.

Four years ago, Ryan Palmer and Paula Samford, eventu-

al co-owners of Gourghdough’s Donuts, were just another

couple living in Austin. A lot has changed since then.

“We would work until like, ten at night,” recalls Ryan

of working in the real estate industry, laughing, “and we

would realize, ‘Oh, we haven’t really eaten today.’... and

my girlfriend [Paula] would be like, ‘I’m gonna make like

something really bad for me when I get home’... and we

ended up making donuts.”

Ryan and Paula didn’t stop there. “It started out with a

lot of recipes that [Paula’s] grandmother used to make,

and [Paula] adapted them into a donut,” Ryan fondly re-

members. “Some different pies and that kind of thing.

And after that, we started coming up with whatever we

wanted, and gave it a shot.”

This mentality gave birth to the famous whimsical donuts

that have made Gourdough’s a household name in Aus-

tin’s food trailer community. Their menu ranges from the

simple, such as the “Naughty & Nice,” a donut just topped

with cinnamon and sugar, to the elaborate, like the “Boss

Hog” which has barbeque pulled pork or chopped brisket,

potato salad, and sweet BBQ sauce on top

Out of all of Gourdough’s delicacies, Ryan’s favorite is

the “Funky Monkey,” a crowd pleaser topped with cream

cheese icing, brown sugar, and grilled banana slices. Like

everyone else, this owner of the trailer became a bit of a

donut addict, too.

“I used to eat [donuts] all the time,” Ryan admits, “I actu-

ally gained, like, 25 pounds coming up with [the menu],

and working there at the beginning. Luckily I lost it.”

Zia Lyle orders a “Dirty Berry” donut.

Surya Milner diving into the “Baby Rattler.”

In the beginning, the co-owners had many difficulties

with simple things such as storage. Ryan remembers, “If

you were busy, you run out of stuff just so quickly.” He

also cites how difficult the space was, “especially in the

airstream... the walls were so curved, and nothing really

fits in there.”

Ryan’s little culinary experience did not help, either. “I

had never worked in a restaurant ever, in my life, so it

was kind of weird. But my girlfriend had, her mom had a

burger joint in Wimberley growing up, so she had a little

bit more of a background.”

Ryan’s previous work was from a very different end of

the spectrum. “I have a law degree, I was a lawyer. But

then I got into real estate, and [Paula] has been in real

estate a long time.”

Ryan cites that his law degree was helpful in starting the

business, but one of the main things that appealed to him

about Gourdough’s is that it is “a good release, as far as

having to do paperwork or arguing with someone about

something. You just go in, and everybody’s happy over a

five dollar donut.”

Ryan and Paula adapted to the new field quickly, and the

customers started rolling in. These customers, who came

from far and wide, all across the country, began to gener-

ate a sufficient amount of buzz to get Gourdough’s on

those popular food television shows.

TRAILER: GOURGHDOUGH’S DONUTSLOCATION: SOUTH 1ST STREET

The back of the Gourdough’s Donuts airstream trailer on South First St.

“It’s helped [business] a lot. I don’t know how much it

costs for basically a national TV commercial, but yeah, it

helps a lot,” Ryan said. “It’s weird to be on [TV] because

some of them are [here] for like 8 or 9 hours, and then

the clips are like half an hour... It was not the most natural

thing for me.”

The increase in customers has inspired the team at

Gourdough’s to expand their business. “I’m wrapping up a

lease right now on a building, on a actual restaurant loca-

tion,” Ryan reveals, “So we’ll probably see a Gourdough’s

in South Austin.”

“It’s definitely hard to do it out of the trailer for a long

period of time,” explains Ryan. “We’d like to open more

trailers to get out to people all around Austin, but it’s

kind of nice to be able to have like a home base basically,

where you can do a lot of the prep and stuff beforehand.”

But through all of the new leases at his real estate firm

and visits from overly brash television shows, Ryan’s fa-

vorite part of owning Gourdough’s Donuts is really quite

simple. “Just watching the people when they get their do-

nuts... especially if they haven’t been there yet... because a

lot of time they’re really surprised. They start laughing or,

you know... they’re just like, ‘Woah.’”

Woah is right. The donuts at Gourghdough’s are noth-

ing short of superb in their largely massive state. This is

why the donut trailer has become a restaurant Austin is

proud to call its own.

For more information on the Gourdough’s

Donuts Trailer, see our review of their entire

menu along with descriptions of each donut

on page 35 or visit their website at:

www.gourghdoughs.com

A table for customers to eat on at the Gourdough’s trailer.

AUSTIN’S MOST WANTED: GOURDOUGH’S MENU UNLEASHED

BABY RATTLER: fudge icing, double choclate oreoes, and a gummy rattle snake A

BLACK OUT: fudge icing, choclate-covered brownie bites, and brownie batter A+

BLUE BALLS: delectable do-nut holes with blueberry filling and blueberry icing

PHO

TO B

Y A

UST

IN P

OST

BOSS HOG: pulled pork or chopped brisket barbeque and potato salad topped with sweet BBQ sauce

BRING THE HEATH: cream cheese icing with a massive mound of heath bar chips A+

CHERRY BOMBS: cherry-glazed donut holes topped with cinnamon sugar, sug-ar, and cake mix topping

THE DIRTY BERRY: a donut topped with rich fudge icing and grilled strawberries A-

FLYING PIG: topped by an abundance of bacon and sweet maple syrup icing A-

FUNKY MONKEY: cream cheese icing, brown sugar, and grilled banana slices B+

WORDS AND PICTURES: MAZIE HYAMS (UNLESS NOTED OTHERWISE)

35 STREET EATS

PHO

TO B

Y ST

AR

JON

ES

PHO

TO B

Y M

ARY

N N

ELSO

N

36STREET EATS

GRANNY’S PIE: sweet ic-ing, bananas, pecans, cara-mel, and graham crackers

HEAVENLY HASH: marsh-mallow fluff, chocolate ic-ing, with fudge on top: A+

MAMA’S CAKE: a rich yel-low cake batter filling, with chocolate fudge icing and sweet white icing A-

MISS SHORTCAKE: cream cheese icing, topped with fresh sliced strawberries: A

MOTHER CLUCKER: a cut up chicken strip, with hon-ey butter drizzled on top

NAUGHTY & NICE: the menu’s most simple donut- just cinnamon and sugar A

PHO

TO R

AC

HEL

LEA

H B

LUM

ENTH

AL

PHO

TO B

Y C

ARO

LIN

E H

ATC

HET

T

37 STREET EATS

ODB: luscious cream filled donut holes covered in icing and rolled in coconut A+

PB & J: grape jelly filling, peanut butter icing, topped with peanut butter morsels

PORKEY’S: a donut covered in cream cheese, canadian bacon, and jalapeno jelly

STAFF PICK: HEAVENLY HASH

RAZZLE DAZZLE: a rasp-berry filled donut with fudge icing, raspberry top-ping and chocolate chips

SAILOR JERRY: a cake donut smothered in rum sugar glaze, with cinnamon and toasted sugared walnuts

SLOW BURN: cream cheese topping, generous drizzle of habanero pepper jelly

SON OF A PEACH: peach filling, sugar and cinnamon, and cake batter topping: B+

THE PUDDIN’: cream filling, cream cheese icing, banana slices, and vanilla wafers: A-

MAKE YOUR OWN: Gour-dough’s also allows customers to build their own donut using any combo of indredients from the items on the menu includ-ing one filling and two toppings.

PHO

TO B

Y M

ARC

IA G

AG

LIA

RDI

PHO

TO B

Y M

ARZ

IPA

N M

OXL

EY

PHO

TO B

Y SO

UTH

AU

STIN

FO

OD

IE

PHO

TO B

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ECES

SARY

IND

ULG

ENC

ES

PHO

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Y G

OU

RDO

UG

H’S

EAST SIDE FEASTAUSTIN’S BEST EAST OF CONGRESS

THREE LITTLE PIGS: Started by Chef Raymond Tatum, Three Little Pigs food trailer, which fea-tures pork-centered dishes is located on Rose-wood Avenue. The menu changes every day, varrying with the seasons and what Tatum chooses to serve. Photo by Mike Vann.

THAT’S AMORE: Created by Angela Melia, this signiture Italian food trailer is located on East Riverside. That’s Amore’s menu includes de-licious Panini sandwiches, salads, soups and homemade cannolis, all of which are made by an Italian chef. Photo by Tiffany Harelik.

VIA 313: Opened by brothers Brandon and Zane Hunt, Via 313 features Detroit-style pizza with extra cheese on the crust. Their menu includes everything from a Classic Cheese to the Detroi-ter, cheese and double pepperoni. Find them on East 6th Street. Photo by Tiffany Harelik.

SUN FARM KITCHEN CO-OP: As a cooperatively owned food trailer, Sun Farm’s goal is to manage solar-power mobile kitchens. The trailer, which is located on East 11th Street, serves natural foods like an advocado milkshake and many others. Photo courtesy of roaminghunger.com.

38STREET EATS

WORDS: ZIA LYLE AND MAZIE HYAMS

(left top) A picture of Conscious Cravings, a vegetarian trailer.

(left bottom) A delicious healthy quencher called Mango.

(top) A light sprinkle of rosemary on french fries.

Are you vegetarian? I am. And when a group of

friends go to a food trailer, there is a strong

chance at least one of them is a vegetarian. In most

restaurants, there is never a wide variety of veg-

etarian options. Whenever I go to a restaurant that

I have been to before, it feels that I never have any-

thing new to eat. Many people say that you could

always ask for food without meat products, but the

result never lives up to its counterpart. Sometimes

the chef will use precooked items that have chicken

broth or beef stew and serve it without realizing

it. This creates a problem for vegetarians every-

where; we don’t have an assortment of dishes. To

serve vegetarians, chefs need to start from scratch

to make all the ingredients for a dish, and make

sure that any precooked items that are used don’t

contain meat in them. Because of this issue I, along

with many other vegetarians, have been striving

for a variety in food options. I have been a veg-

etarian since birth and have always thought that I

could never eat food served from a trailer, because

there would never be any vegetarian choices. I was

proved wrong when I started to work on this article.

I found out that I am not alone in being a vegetar-

ian. A 2008 survey done by the Harris Interactive

Service Bureau on behalf of the Vegetarian Times,

showed that in the US 3.2% or 7.3 million people

followed a vegetarian diet. Of the 5,050 respon-

dents “57.1 percent have followed a vegetarian diet

for more than 10 years.” I realized that because of

this food trailers have included vegetarians in their

community.

There are many vegetarian trailers and trailers

that originally sell meat have added vegetarian

choices to their menu. For example, the Torchy’s

Tacos website states that they have there are two

vegetarian dishes, Fried Avacado and Dirty San-

chez. Torchy’s Tacos is a very famous food trailer

that has turned into a restaurant and for them to

add vegetarian dishes to their menu means a lot

to us. There have also been new vegetarian trailers

that have become popular. Conscious Cravings is a

vegetarian food trailer that has “meatless wraps in-

fused with a proprietary blend of herbs and spices

from around the world” according to their website.

Just writing this is making my mouth water. Imag-

ine how delicious they taste in person. Mmmpana-

das is another trailer that has a nice mix between

vegetarian and meat. Out of their eight choices

for breakfast, 4 of them are vegetarian and they

also have a great variety of sweet items that are, of

course, vegetarian. Half their menu is vegetarian!

One of their vegetarian items is Soy Chorizo with

Brie. Their website describes this dish as a “zippy

and smooth creation [that] is vegetarian friendly

but ssshhh, the meat eaters will never know.”

Vegetarian food sold in a restaurant tends to be

expensive and I don’t eat out that often, but now

that I have found vegetarian dishes in food trailers,

I will be on the road a lot more. I am now going to

be on Congress Ave. and Lamar visiting these food

trailers and eating this mouthwatering food. I am

glad that I live in Austin, with such a variation of

food, starting from restaurants to food trailers on

the side of the road, everyone has included veg-

etarians in this community, and vegetarians never

have to feel left out again. Thank you.

THANK YOU FOOD TRAILERSWORDS AND PICTURES: SAHITHI TUPURI

40STREET EATS

17 STREET EATS

People ordering at The Peached Tortilla. This is among many of the popular food trailers known to high school students.

TRAILER

FOOD AS

WE KNOW

IT: A HIGH

SCHOOL

PERSPECTIVEWORDS: SARA STASHLUKCOVER PICTURE: LYNN FREEHILL

42STREET EATS

AA group of students are gathered at the picnic table near

Holy Cacao donuts (deleted). Textbooks in one hand,

cake balls in the other, the students are studying for their

next test at their favorite food trailer. So what makes trail-

ers like Holy Cacao so popular among high schoolers?

Weekends before their group project or even their mag-

azine’s feature story are due, students gather to study in

groups because they say it’s more fun that way. Many high

schoolers that have been stuck inside all week say that they

need a place to enjoy the outdoors while still getting their

homework done in a “fun and relaxing” environment. While

everyone has a favorite food trailer, high schoolers seem to

prefer the ones that serve high-fat, unhealthy foods with

picnic tables on warm, sunny days surrounded by friends.

“I almost never go to food trailers because I can never find the

time,” Nikki Krebs, a LASA student, said, “But when I do go to

one, I want to treat myself to something fatty and delicious.”

High schoolers (especially boys) are constantly grow-

ing and need to eat everything in sight just to keep their

stomachs full, especially the unhealthy stuff. When they

decide on places to study together they don’t choose the

health-nut organic places, rather they choose the most deli-

cious (and most likely unhealthy) places they can think of

which generally are places that serve dessert foods. Not

only do high school students love dessert trailers as plac-

es to hang out, they also gather at lunch and dinner op-

tions when they aren’t hanging around for just a snack.

“Torchy’s Tacos serves delicious blends of spicy

and savory flavors to create mouth watering com-

binations,” exclaimed Jack Behal, a LASA student.

This taco trailer is well known throughout Austin for their

“Damn Good” tacos and their numerous locations around the

city. It started as a food trailer which is located at the South

Congress trailer park along with many other well-known food

stands. It seems that the trailer is one of their most popular

establishments among high school students because the va-

riety of food at the trailer park is appealing, especially when

there is a large group with varying appetites. For example,

one student might want to get something from every trailer

while another will just want a smoothie or a cake ball. Once

they get their food, there are plenty of picnic tables for these

students to sit and eat, talk about the latest gossip, or study.

“I once went to a trailer with friends to study and

the picnic table was a great place to hang out with

my friends in the sun instead of being stuck inside all

day,” said Lula Villegas, another high school student.

The schedule of a normal high school student consists of go-

ing to school, going home, doing homework, sleeping, repeat.

They almost never go outside for long periods of time (with

43 STREET EATS

the exception of the ones that play sports) and on the

weekends they spend their time watching TV, shop-

ping, playing video games, and more. They say that

spending time outside is refreshing and rejuvenating

when they’ve been at school all week. Plus, it seems to

makes their parents happy because they are getting out

of the house, studying, and spending time with their

friends all at once without having to drive them around everywhere.

“When I ask my mom if I can go somewhere to study with my

friends she always says yes because she’s sure that I will be study-

ing and I get to spend time with my friends. I especially love go-

ing to food trailers with my friends to study... when the weath-

er’s good,” explained Erin Newman-Mitchell, a student at LASA.

The only problem people encounter with food trailers is that

when it is raining or cold, they tend to avoid them because they are

outdoor-food. Getting out of your car into the pouring rain, order-

ing food, and running back to your car to eat is not exactly ideal for

most people. Although, this is about Austin food trailers and Austin

only gets rain a few times a year which is really advantageous to its

citizens that love trailer food. The summers are scorching hot and

Austinites are constantly looking for ways to beat the heat. For ex-

ample, after a long day marching in the sun with metal instruments,

marching band students retreat to their favorite snow cone trailer,

Sno-Beach, to cool off before a nice dive in their swimming pool.

“I love Sno-Beach because the texture of the snow cone makes me think

of snow on summer days,” said Jack Behal, “I overall just love going to food

trailers because they are everywhere. Sno-Beach is right by my house.”

When it comes to actually getting themselves to places far

away without a driver’s license, these high school students often

just ask their parents to take them but sometimes that isn’t pos-

sible. Students find that being located close to a food trailer isn’t

hard if you live down south or downtown. Many find that they live

within walking distance of at least five trailers. However, if they live

up north, finding a trailer close to home is a little more challeng-

Torchy’s Tacos. A popular high school retreat. Photo by Gourmet Memoirs.

A student looking at the menu of the menu of one of Austin’s newest food trailers, Genuine Joe On The Go. Photo taken by Sara.

ing. Some have never even been to a food trailer because

they are almost nonexistent in the north part of the city.

“I have only ever been to one food trailer once be-

cause it is the only one that is close to where I

live,” said Jacob Voss, a high school student.

Overall, high school students like to hang out at trailers

when the weather’s nice and there are picnic tables to spend

some time at, especially if they are going to be studying for a

major test or working on a big project. They also tend to go

to the trailers that are close to their house because they don’t

all have access to cars or driver’s licenses. If at all possible

though, they seem to gather at trailer parks for the variety

of options and just to get out of the house on a nice day.

Food trailers are popular places for high school students to

just hang out, have a good time, and eat lots of great food.

A group of people lined up at Sno-Beach trailer on a hot summer day. Photo taken by Austin: Keeping It Foodie.

La Casa Del Fueago. A taco trailer in the Downtown Aus-tin Area. Photo by Splorp on Flickr.

La Casa Del Fueago. A taco trailer in the Downtown Aus-tin Area. Photo by Splorp on Flickr.


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