It's a spectacular day in San Francisco on a Saturday so why not head to SOMA (the South of Market Area) underneath the freeway near that Costco and get something to eat! I'm not kidding. San Francisco seems to be a ground zero (next to Seattle) for food trucks and some smart thinking folks came up with the idea to create a StrEat Food Park where food trucks can come and park in an area that is under served by restaurants and places for hipsters to just hang out--but don't let them scare you away. Me and the SO decided to hit this spot since it was near Bed, Bath and Beyond and we had to go there.
Parking was easy to find on the street right next to the place and basically in the whole area which is a plus. It's laid out in a triangular fenced in area with about seven to eight trucks spread around it depending on day and time. There is plenty of seating both shaded and in the bright sunshine if that is your kind of thing. There are also restrooms and an ATM if you need it. I must say I really liked the set up they have going on here and with about 50 or so people milling about there was plenty of room to find your own space, something that can't necessarily be said for the Off The Grid Friday at Fort Mason, but that is a totally different scene.
After a short walk around to peruse the offerings we decided to hit up Adam's Grub Truck which seemed to have to largest group lingering around it. It took us several minutes to pick something from the menu, not because it was a big list, but because everything actually looked and sounded really good. Finally I decided to get the Ultimate AGT Fries--waffle cut fries covered with drunken pulled pork, bits of pepper jack and muenster cheese, a little fusion BBQ sauce, some Asian slaw and 2 old school dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets. The SO went with the Madd Phoenix a garlic and five spice grilled chicken with pepper jack cheese, a jumbo fried egg, avocado wasabi, Asian slaw piled on a toasted brioche bun. And here's what it looked like.....
It looks a bit like a mess but it was definitely a tasty mess. The fries were thick, crisp and hearty. The pulled pork was tender and juicy (though could have put more on) and the Asian slaw was tangy crunchy and paired well with both the pork and potatoes. The bits of cheese didn't add much to the flavor as they were small--crumbled blue would have been better and a little more of the sauce would also be nice but I guess I quibble since I did enjoy what I had. The little dinosaur chicken pieces were a cute touch and just enough to remind you this isn't exactly healthy eating but hopefully you know that going in. And even at $8 a pop you get more than enough to satisfy your appetite.
The sandwich was also a handful and you will need several napkins. What makes this good is that you can taste each ingredient in the sandwich and that is the sign of a well made sandwich. The chicken was perfectly cooked, the egg over easy, the avocado wasabi creamy but not too hot overwhelm the whole thing, the crispy slaw and the slightly sweet bbq sauce somehow all came together on this buttered toasted brioche to create this flavorful mouthful of a sandwich. I'll even look past the fact that this cost $9.50 and didn't come with sides and folks know how I am about over $8 sandwiches with no sides--but there was a lot to this one so I'll let it slide....a little.
Overall the food was good and the park has a nice relaxed atmosphere. I would definitely like to make this a regular stop to check out the rotating food trucks they plan to have here. If it's a nice day it is a great place to hang. If it's typical San Francisco chilly they do have covered areas that look like they can be enclosed with heat lamps so don't let weather stop you from at least giving this place a shot when you have some free time...I know I will be back.