Santa Monica Food Truck Lot

UPDATE: The truck lot was shut down just as fast as it opened. More about the closure here on LAist

Hey everyone, FRANK here. And I’m reporting from the heart of sunny Santa Monica, California. On my good days I find myself constrained to the city limits.

I’ve also picked up a habit of eating lunch almost exclusively at food trucks lately.  For lunch time grub they are perfect for being equal parts cheap, quick, light, and undeniably delicious.

If you aren’t familiar with the Twitter launched phenomenon you still may have seen traditional taco trucks cruising the city with some bizarre paint jobs.  Beyond the flashy aesthetics and web 2.0 mindset the people behind the grill of these food trucks are wholly concerned with the food.  And don’t let the traditional food truck menu fool you – these trucks are all about gourmet and experimentation.

Whether you are looking for hamburgers made with rice buns (Marked5) or burritos filled with Asian cuisine (Kogi and Calbi) you will find it on these trucks.

For the past month I’ve been making trips to some of the popular squatting spots for these trucks; T Lofts off Olympic, Wilshire and Granville, or my favorite, Pennsylvania behind the Water Gardens.  The lot on Pennsylvania has been particularly rewarding for the ample parking and prime real estate for the likes of Barbie’s, India Jones, and Fish Lips.

Outside of the SaMo city limits, from what I’ve heard, the popular 5700 block of Wilshire in downtown has been experiencing some problems with the city and their place in the sun.  And with growing concerns from local businesses and residents people started to see the writing on the wall – these trucks needed a place to park, in peace.

Enter Steve Taub who had previously run an Infiniti dealership at the corner of Santa Monica Blvd. and 14th Street.  With the lot sitting empty and presuming a lack of interest in future dealerships in the wake of a recession, Steve turned to Twitter.  And it was here that he found a problem that needed a solution.

Today marked the start of that solution, the Santa Monica Food Truck Lot.

I took my inaugural visit down to the lot along with a gross amount of other media outlets (there was even a news van, which from what I hear broadcasts on something called the local television).

The lot was set up with the trucks hugging the Santa Monica Blvd. side of the lot, leaving the remaining space open to parking for hungry patrons.  The trucks in attendance when I stopped by were: India Jones, Border Grill, Barbie’s Q, and Fish Lips.  The mood was festive and happy foodies were milling about sharing stories.

I went with fellow blogger, Bootsy, and we choose to eat India Jones and Border Grill.  I was trying Border Grill for the first time, and although delicious, I was a bit disappointed I didn’t go for one of my favorites – the pulled pork at Barbie’s.  Bootsy had nothing but glowing comments for her Curry dish from India Jones and a specialty drink.

We also chatted a bit with Nick Taborek from the Santa Monica Daily Press who was sharing in the festivities and masking it as an assignment (just like us!).

I’m happy to see a new home to the food trucks as they slowly transition from a mobile operation to a traditional restaurant set-up (yeah I said it).  But I won’t be mad if we still see some spillover at the Pennsylvania lot, which still holds a place in my heart for the secret atmosphere it conveys.

P.S. If you are looking for a great list of all the food trucks in Los Angeles, check out my Twitter list which seems to be one of the more complete lists I’ve seen.