The food-truck extravaganza Curbside Cookoff–also known as Trucko de Mayo–is back this Saturday at the RFK Stadium Festival Grounds from 11:30 AM to 9 PM. There will be 40-plus trucks (plus beer and live entertainment) to navigate, but don’t let that intimidate you. Here’s a sneak peek of who’s going to be there, what they serve, and some favorite dishes among those we’ve sampled.
Azn Eats
This truck doles out hearty Asian barbecue– kalbi, Korean short ribs, and teriyaki chicken–served over rice.
BBQ Bus
We’re fans of the pulled pork, meaty ribs, and vinegary slaw–available all together in a sampler dish.
Big Cheese
A classic DC truck serving not-so-classic grilled cheese. You can’t go wrong with a Mt. Fuji–Brie and apples–or the artichoke-laden St. Pat.
Borinquen Lunchbox
The only Puerto Rican truck in the lot dishes up items like a classic Cuban or a churrasco sandwich with marinated skirt steak.
Cajunators
This colorful truck delivers N’awlins-style fare–po’ boys, jambalaya, and andouille gumbo.
Carnivore BBQ
We’re fans of Carnivore’s hefty combo of tender brisket and pulled pork topped with hot mustard sauce and a side of porky beans.
Chef Driven
One of the many new trucks on the scene, this truck’s menu is subject to what’s in season–past dishes include fish tacos and shrimp risotto.
Chupacabra
Named for the goat-sucking monster of Puerto Rican and Mexican lore, this truck doles outs some of the tastiest Mexican tacos around. Versions we’ve enjoyed: beef short rib with guacamole, and veggie tacos with eggplant and pickled jalapeño.
Curbside Cupcakes
Washington’s first cupcake truck is still going strong with a fleet of flavors such as red velvet, classic vanilla, and lemon.
Dangerously Delicious Pies
You’ll find both sweet and savory samplings from the H Street pie shop that range from pork barbecue and chicken pot pie to seasonal berry and chocolate chess.
DC Empanadas
The classic street food gets creative fillings here, like Buffalo-style chicken with blue cheese and Indian samosa-esque potatoes and peas.
DC Slices
Hit this vendor when you’re in the mood for a fresh slice topped with Buffalo chicken or bacon and pineapple. Tater tots are a possible side item.
Dorothy Moon’s Gourmet Burgers
Burger fans can order a single, double, or triple stack of patties with unlimited toppings such as mushrooms, bacon, and a fried egg.
Doug the Food Dude
One of the few Virginia-based trucks participating, the Dude has been making inroads into DC with the likes of lobster rolls and Cajun shrimp wraps.
El Floridano
Stop here for tasty, filling sandwiches such as Vietnamese bánh mì and a chopped-pork Cuban.
Feelin’ Crabby
You’ll probably be feeling the opposite after digging into the fresh lump-crab salad, over greens or piled on a kaiser roll.
Fojol Bros.
All three Fojol Bros. trucks are making an appearance, including Indian-themed Merlindia, Benethiopia, and Volathai, plus special guest “Rolling Silence,” which dolls out lassi pops.
Goodies Frozen Custard
This attention-grabbing vehicle churns out rich vanilla frozen custard.
Halal Grill
This sister to the Halal Gyro Plus truck offers platters of marinated chicken and meats served over rice or wrapped in pita.
Hula Girl
Get in the island groove with Hawaiian eats like sticky rice with Kalua pork, teriyaki chicken sandwiches, and Spam musubi (Hawaiian sushi–it’s good, just eat it).
Kabob Bites
You’ll find a mix of Indian and Brazilian barbecue kabobs, like chicken tikka, lamb curry wrap, and beef churrasco.
Mojo Truck
Hefty chivito sandwiches are the bill of fare here. Fillings include steak or chicken combined with mozzarella, ham, avocado, and a fried egg.
Orange Cow
Look to the truck with the fetching eyelashes on her headlights for single, double, and triple helpings of ice cream in flavors like mint chocolate chip and banana cream pie.
Pepe
We’ve tried all Pepe’s Spanish flautas, or baguette sandwiches, many of which are delicious. Go simple with serrano ham and Manchego cheese, or for a more decadent experience, opt for seared tenderloin, piquillo peppers, and blue cheese.
Pleasant Pops
This pop provider is taking a break from building its storefront to served up frozen favorites like the strawberry-rhubarb, honey-lavender-cream, and cucumber-mint popsicles.
Popped! Republic
Like a lot of alliteration? DC-themed flavors of popcorn are what’s on offer here, including K Street Kettle Korn and Congressional Cheddar.
Porc Mobile
It’s not all meat at Porc (though there’s plenty of sausage and pastrami). Try the rich Gorgonzola mac as a main or side.
Red Hook Lobster Pound
Still
some of the best lobster rolls in town, period, and always worth a
wait–besides, the line will buy you time to decide whether you want it
Maine-style (chilled with mayo) or the warm Connecticut version with
butter.
Rolling
Ficelle
We’ve
found many of the baguette-like sandwiches here tasty, but one of our
favorites is the De Kooning, with roast beef, cherry-pepper relish, and
horseradish mayo.
Rolls on Rolls
Kathi rolls–kinda like pita bread–are filled with Indian ingredients such as chicken masala or curried mixed vegetables.
Sang on Wheels
The
only Laotian food truck at the fiesta serves items like drunken
noodles, barbecue lamb, and fried fish with spicy basil sauce.
Sâuçá
The globally influenced cooks inside this mobile eatery are making everything from fish tacos to butter-chicken flatbreads.
Sinplicity
This
Falls Church-based operation scoops ice creams both classic (butter
pecan, Madagascar vanilla) and avant garde (strawberry biscotti,
cantaloup-sea salt sorbet).
Sol Mexican Grill
There
are many ways to load up the tacos and burritos at Sol, but we like
keeping it simple by ordering chicken tacos with guacamole, pico de
gallo, and salsa verde.
Stella’s PopKern
Because
one popcorn truck is never enough: More munchies can be found at
Stella’s, where unusual flavors include basil-ginger-sea salt and Old
Bay-cheddar.
Stix
Kids
love food on a stick–of which there is plenty at Stix. Think skewers
of barbecue chicken, tomato Caprese salad, or grilled pineapple.
Sweetbites
This little truck has lots of treats, including eleven flavors of cupcakes, lemon bars, cookies, and cheesecake.
TaKorean
DC’s
original Korean taco truck is still one of our favorites. Try one of
each filling (bulgogi beef, chicken, and tofu) topped with spicy kimchi
slaw.
Tapas Truck
This new truck serves Spanish tapas such as bacon croquettes and spicy sautéed shrimp.
Tasty Kabob
This well-known fleet of trucks doles out marinated chicken, lamb, and veggies over rice or salad, or in gyros.
That Cheesecake Truck
Individual cheesecakes run in flavors including classic plain, key lime, and Italian hazelnut.
Tops American Food Company
It
doesn’t get more American than chili-cheese dogs, fries, or a sausage
topped with fried egg, cheese, and maple syrup on a roll.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
