FoodStruck Cantina

I got a tip from a friend that this place was incredible — and he’s been around the block a few times, so when he says it’s good, get your stuff and get there asap.
I perused the menu online before heading down to Foodstruck, the plan was to get the Spy Boy with some fries, head home and have a good supper. That was the plan, but it didn’t go over like that at all… this is time where everything I thought I knew was right, was wrong.
Even though I knew what I wanted, I thought I send Foodstruck a tweet to see what they thought is good. Within minutes I get a response ‘Everything’s good, but we’re partial to the Dux Deluxe’. I go back to the menu, read the ingredients, doesn’t really intrigue me. I’m not a duxelle kinda guy unless I’m having Beef Wellington. Either way, time to go.
Doesn’t take me too long to find the food truck. Cozy area they picked out with a few lawn chairs around, a cute table with condiments, utensils, etc.; very quaint. I look over the menu one more time as I’m still really skeptical about ordering the Dux Deluxe. Before I go up, I notice that with fries you can add ‘Pockaway sauce’ for $ 0.50 extra. I read underneath for the main ingredients ‘Smoked oyster mayo’. I’ll pass on that bad boy, not a big fan of oysters, or seafood for that matter.
I get up to order, I go for the Dux Deluxe, still apprehensive; with fries. I chat with the cashier for a couple minutes; she apologizes for the lawn chairs, etc. I laugh it off, I liked it. Very homey-​feel. I sit on one of the lawn chairs anxiously wondering if I just ordered something I’m gonna hate. She calls me up and my heart sinks a bit.
I get my food to go and as I’m about to leave, the cashier asks if I tweeted not too long ago about the Dux Deluxe, sure did. She introduces herself and husband as the owners (Kim & Joe) and mentioned that they packed in a free Pockaway sauce in my meal. I thank her, and go on my way.
I get in my car and nervously open the container — at first, I thought I made huge mistake, but then after a couple of seconds, the aroma hit my nose and it was just so incredible; my car was filled with that delicious aroma. I inspect the burger and notice the provolone cheese oozing off the burger. Right then and there, I knew something that I didn’t want to admit — there’s no way I’m turning on my car without first devouring this masterpiece. And so I did. The perfect mix of spices on the burger along with the perfect mayo to go along with the shoe string fries was utterly divine. The bun was warm and fresh; there was a generous amount of cheese on the burger; the duxelle was prepared perfectly with just the right ratios of mushrooms, shallots, etc.; and the arugala was the icing on this burger, just so so much better than lettuce! And who doesn’t absolutely love shoe string hand cut fries?! I was dipping, double dipping into the sauce, the sauce I thought I’d hate. It was a great mixture of cream and oysters. With the oyster flavour being just right (not too overpowering but enough to let you know it’s there).
I was wrong about everything! the burger! the duxelle! the mayo! Everything I thought I knew was shattering with every bite I took!
After I was done inhaling everything I felt like I owed Kim & Joe an apology. So I marched back and did just that, they just laughed at me and thanked me. And with that, I drove home thinking about how it’s always great to try something new.

The latest meals on wheels in Halifax, FoodStruck Cantina, first opened just before the second food truck rally this year after wading through the regulatory and mechanical fray that bringing a food truck to fruition entails.
Based way out in Seaforth, FoodStruck seems to still be working on finding some regular haunts and more than willing to get feedback on their food to polish the menu as well. Although I was working when the food truck rally was going on, I wasn’t too broken up as I wouldn’t have to put up with the crowds and I knew that FoodStruck was going to be at Bishop’s Landing that following Sunday for the last Brunch @ Bishop’s event.
When my girlfriend and I made our way down to the waterfront, you could hear the tunes coming from the live band performing at Bishop’s and there was FSC, along with a few other food trucks. The first thing you notice is the size of the truck — it’s a tall one and you simply can’t order from the window, so they have someone taking orders from the passenger side door. The menu was compact, but had some interesting options nonetheless — a meatloaf po boy, gumbo, hot dog, muffuletta sandwich, and fries. While the gumbo was tempting, the presence of my seafood-​sensitive other half prevented me from getting this, so I went with the Cajun meatloaf po boy, and Cajun fries with cilantro crème dip. My girlfriend went with the muffuletta sandwich.
Being that there was no crazy line up, we soon had our food in hand and went to sit on one of the benches by the terraced area between Bishop’s and the boardwalk. It was a warm day and perfect for people watching and having a bite to eat. The meatloaf was fine, not dry at all, but wasn’t particularly Cajun-​y. No punch of spice or pepper, and no noticeable presence of Cajun mirepoix. Topped with a red cabbage and bacon slaw, this also came not as advertised, at least to my taste buds, as there was not a piece of bacon to be found, nor even the flavour. The remoulade did add a spicy kick though, and the bun was just hefty enough to support the meatloaf and toppings without being too heavy, and was toasted nicely. The Cajun fries were just normal, hand cut fries, albeit crunchy and good, and the cilantro crème tasted more like a mild dill than cilantro, although I’m not a big cilantro fan so this didn’t really faze me.
My girlfriend’s muffuletta (hehe, sounds kinda dirty), is an olive salad with deli meats, and although the veggie version was advertised as being out, it appears that that was what she got as the meat was conspicuously absent. Menu error? Kitchen error? Not sure. She liked it with just the cheese that was in it with the olives, but was another example of the refining that FSC needs to work out in their processes.
If they can step up the flavours and their attention to detail, FoodStruck Cantina should be able to find a nice little Cajun niche.