S06.E01: Route 66: All-American Road Trip

[cooksdelight]

 

Seven teams of food truck owners start The Great Food Truck Race selling their signature dishes on the Santa Monica Pier. They then embark down historic Route 66, stopping in Lake Havasu City, Ariz., for their first Truck Stop Cooking Challenge: The first team to sell 20 orders of their twist on Fish and Chips will get a bonus that might be enough to keep them safe from elimination.

 

[Maverick]

 So we're going back to actual food truck operators instead of wannabes?  I guess it got too expensive providing so many food trucks.

[mlp]

I'm not sure why but this is one of my favorite FN shows.  Can't wait. 

[cooksdelight]

It's Tyler, for me. Can't wait to hear his halting speechwork and the way he jerks his head from side to side. :) And to see what kind of jeans he's wearing.

[mlp]

I like Tyler but, after thinking about it, one thing I like is that, so far, they haven't spoiled the show with lots of sob stories and actors pretending they drive food trucks.  The contestants, like them or not, still seem to be who they say they are.

[GaT]

 So we're going back to actual food truck operators instead of wannabes?  I guess it got too expensive providing so many food trucks.

I hope so, I am really tired of people who don't have a clue screwing up the most basic things.

[Maverick]

It's Tyler, for me. Can't wait to hear his halting speechwork and the way he jerks his head from side to side. :) And to see what kind of jeans he's wearing.

 

 And whether he's decided to shower and shave for the day or just rolls out of bed and tapes his scene.

[cooksdelight]

Pulling for the N.C. girls to get their truck running again.

[HunterHunted]

Sunny from Pho-Nomenal Dumplings looks like an Asian Hillary Duff.

I'm also glad to have actual professionals again. Though the downside is that some of them have garbage trucks that need a ton of maintenance. I'll take that over generic trucks that don't have any of the equipment needed for the racers to execute their signature dishes. I just think back to how Seoul Sausage managed to never produce a sausage dish because they never had the equipment.

[Grandma Saracen]

I marathoned last season yesterday in preparation for today -gawd, it's so much better with the professionals!! A lot of the food looks and sounds amazing. The Spice Girls, Diso's, and Islands food all looked delicious, and many of the others sounded great, too. I felt okay with losing Onel and his truck, like it was edited in a way so that we knew not to care. I liked the fish 'n' chips challenge, as it allowed for flexibility and twists.... and the teams are capable enough to do that ;) 

[mlp]

This show is definitely better with experienced food truck operators.  I wish Tyler would shave.  He looks seedy.

 

I'm glad the brothers did well but I don't understand why a truck that normally makes waffles would have the equipment on board to make fried fish.  Also, if I had a truck dedicated to waffles and dessert things, I'd hate to smell it up by cooking fish.

 

I give the girls with the disabled truck credit for handling the situation as well as they did and not giving up.  However, I don't understand why a tow truck operator would agree to essentially put a truck out of service for two days for a couple hundred dollars.  I suppose the fact that a TV show was involved had a lot to do with it.

[GaT]

Well, it doesn’t seem that the pros aren’t any smarter than the newbies. Forget to start the rice? check, don’t bother to get your truck serviced before you have to drive cross country in a competition? check. I don’t even know how they convinced the tow truck to haul them around all day.

 

I do not like the waffle truck guys or the spice truck moms, they annoy me.

[candall]

I give the girls with the disabled truck credit for handling the situation as well as they did and not giving up.  However, I don't understand why a tow truck operator would agree to essentially put a truck out of service for two days for a couple hundred dollars.  I suppose the fact that a TV show was involved had a lot to do with it.

I thought the show was going to slice off the camera angle at the tow truck tongue in every shot. . .and then finally, CAMEL TOWING. 

 

It made me happy to think about all the Camel employee friends and families glued to Great American Food Truck Race and cheering.

[cooksdelight]

I'm glad the brothers did well but I don't understand why a truck that normally makes waffles would have the equipment on board to make fried fish. Also, if I had a truck dedicated to waffles and dessert things, I'd hate to smell it up by cooking fish.

Could they sometimes do chicken and waffles? It seems to be the hottest fad right now.

[xaxat]

I give the girls with the disabled truck credit for handling the situation as well as they did and not giving up.  However, I don't understand why a tow truck operator would agree to essentially put a truck out of service for two days for a couple hundred dollars.  I suppose the fact that a TV show was involved had a lot to do with it.

 

The total cost had to have been paid for by the show. I find it hard to believe that the operator would only charge a hundred per tow and that they would allow their truck to be tied up all day for that amount. I suspect that the hundred dollars was a penalty imposed by the show, and not the true cost.

 

It's nice to see this show featuring trucks I would actually want to eat at. 

 

When they announced the sales totals, I thought it was funny the way Tyler held his arms and the ledger book to hide the fact that he's getting a wee bit thicker around the middle.

[potatoradio]

 

I do not like the waffle truck guys or the spice truck moms, they annoy me.

 

The "spice girls" ( or at least, the one featured in so many talking heads last night) can drive their truck back to the 1950s. If I had to hear one more martyred comment about being "just" a mom or that "girls can run food trucks, too, because we're tough!", I was going to throw my stand mixer at the teevee.

 

Sweetie, the women who just completed Army ranger training? They're tough. I surmised from your talking heads that you are a rather pampered stay at home mom. I'm sorry, but your face (lips especially) looks like it's had a few go rounds under a plastic surgeon's knife and you don't mention working and you haven't trotted out a single mom sob story, so I'm presuming you could choose to be a stay at home mom. That is a highly privileged choice - please stop whining for sympathy about how nobody takes poor little you seriously.

 

The dumpling truck that turns everything into Bun Mi needs to drive to my area immediately, even if by tow truck. So, if "girls" need to win the GFTR, please let it be these women.

 

I like burgers, but I am beyond over the "bro" trucks.

Edited August 24, 2015 by potatoradio

[Maverick]

The tow truck was arranged by Production. Without a doubt. No way a business ties up a truck and cuts a deal like that, even to be on TV. The alternative was to send them home immediately and not have any suspense of elimination on the premiere. I'm also suspicious if the amount. I can see them not defining the amount until until they knew if/what could potentially keep them in the game. Even taking them to the end of the first episode and eliminating them would have been anti climatic.

I missed the end. What did Tyler say about getting their truck fixed? Even with production interference they're not going to be towed through the whole race.

[Totale]

They said the show would get them to Flagstaff and then it was up to them to figure out what to do about their blown engine.  I agree Production paid, probably quite heavily, to get the tow truck company to escort them around and to get them to Flagstaff.  But at that point either the miracle mechanic from hell figures out it was really just a $100 + 2 hour labor part or they're done for.  There's only so far the show can go to cover up for catastrophe striking.

 

What's with the weird little knot thing the Mommy tikka truck ladies do with knotting up their t-shirts in the middle of their backs?

Edited August 24, 2015 by Totale

[Kromm]

Millions of people of Indian descent find themselves shocked to hear that some dumb white "mommy" from the Southwest thinks Chicken Tikka Masala is "her roots".

 

Even if you buy the suspect origin of it being a British dish (this is widely debated), it was even then still a dish invented by an Indian restaurateur based on HIS own roots. So it's sort of the Chop Suey of Indian and British Culture (as opposed to Chinese and American). 

 

And this lady doesn't seem British in the least, even so.

 

Far more people now believe it's simply a Punjabi dish that has nothing to do with the British claims other than that it became popularized there. Even here the Chop Suey comparison holds up, since the popular idea that that dish was invented in the US is also now suspect.

Edited August 24, 2015 by Kromm

[Gbb]

They said the show would get them to Flagstaff and then it was up to them to figure out what to do about their blown engine.  I agree Production paid, probably quite heavily, to get the tow truck company to escort them around and to get them to Flagstaff.  But at that point either the miracle mechanic from hell figures out it was really just a $100 + 2 hour labor part or they're done for.  There's only so far the show can go to cover up for catastrophe striking.

 

My guess is that once they're in Flagstaff the cost of repairing the truck can come out of their own money (as in bank acct or credit card) and not their seed or sales money from the next task.

[Totale]

My guess is that once they're in Flagstaff the cost of repairing the truck can come out of their own money (as in bank acct or credit card) and not their seed or sales money from the next task.

 

Could be, but if they've really blown the engine on the thing it would take too much time to fix to keep them going on schedule with everybody else.

[cooksdelight]

I'm wondering if a rental company can rent them a truck to finish the race? You can rent just about anything nowadays, but it would be very costly.

[Totale]

Maybe FN still has some lying around from earlier seasons of the show and their various failed food truck giveaway shows.

[cooksdelight]

You're right, Totale, all they would have to do is change out what's on the sides and paint it Pepto Pink. :)

[Pallida]

I am so glad candall pointed out the tow truck company name!  Yes, I'm 12 years old *giggles*  The first day had a different towing company.

 

The waffle guys have 14 kids in their family.  I just can't imagine that.  I bet the siblings who weren't named are going to be mad!  I wonder if they're going to utilize a Mormon network to sell in various cities.  I can respect them going to church and delaying their sales, but I was surprised they didn't set up shop at the church afterwards.

 

I would like to eat at the Guava Tree, but this isn't the format for them, so I wasn't surprised they went first.

 

I really hope the Pho-nomenal team bounces back.  I can understand having a temperamental truck, especially as a new business.  Those suckers aren't cheap.

[gryphon]

This show is so much better with real food trucks and owners!

 

The waffle guys creep me out for some reason.  The Pho-Nominal women grew on me and kudos to them for not totally freaking out about the truck's engine...hope they get it fixed!  Made me wonder if any of the food trucks had Triple A.  They offer free towing (usually to a Triple A mechanic)  

 

Not sure about Postcards or the Bros yet.  Hopefully the people on the Italian truck aren't too Dom-like. 

[Writing Wrongs]

Random note: I wish they would not have their talking heads in front of a glaring white background. That kills my eyes.

 

 

The "spice girls" ( or at least, the one featured in so many talking heads last night) can drive their truck back to the 1950s. If I had to hear one more martyred comment about being "just" a mom or that "girls can run food trucks, too, because we're tough!", I was going to throw my stand mixer at the teevee.

 

Sweetie, the women who just completed Army ranger training? They're tough. I surmised from your talking heads that you are a rather pampered stay at home mom. I'm sorry, but your face (lips especially) looks like it's had a few go rounds under a plastic surgeon's knife and you don't mention working and you haven't trotted out a single mom sob story, so I'm presuming you could choose to be a stay at home mom. That is a highly privileged choice - please stop whining for sympathy about how nobody takes poor little you seriously.

She acted like someone forced her to get married and have kids and throw away her "dreams".

[mlp]

The "spice girls" ( or at least, the one featured in so many talking heads last night) can drive their truck back to the 1950s. If I had to hear one more martyred comment about being "just" a mom or that "girls can run food trucks, too, because we're tough!", I was going to throw my stand mixer at the teevee.

 

 

Me too.  Guava Tree did seem to be the weakest team but I was hoping the spice women would screw up badly enough to be eliminated.  They're really annoying. 

 

I read an interview with Tyler on the FN site.  He said they had the most "emergencies" this season.  I wonder what will happen next.

 

A few days ago I looked at the "fan favorite" poll on the FN site and the Italian truck was way ahead before the first episode even aired.  That backs up my theory that many of the votes these people get come from friends and relatives.  Of course, the poll shows percentages as opposed to the actual number of votes so a very small number of votes could generate a chart that looks just like a chart based upon thousands of votes.  Either way, people somewhere were voting before the season started.

Edited August 24, 2015 by mlp

[hjmugillecuty]

I have eaten at Waffle Love and they are amazing! The truck was so popular in Provo that they opened a brick and mortar location too.

Someone asked why they didn't set up at the chapel after church. Most Mormons don't believe in buying things on Sunday, except in emergencies. It's part of keeping the Sabbath Day holy.

[GaT]

Someone asked why they didn't set up at the chapel after church. Most Mormons don't believe in buying things on Sunday, except in emergencies. It's part of keeping the Sabbath Day holy.

But it's OK to sell?

[Pallida]

I have eaten at Waffle Love and they are amazing! The truck was so popular in Provo that they opened a brick and mortar location too.

Someone asked why they didn't set up at the chapel after church. Most Mormons don't believe in buying things on Sunday, except in emergencies. It's part of keeping the Sabbath Day holy.

 

That was me - thank you for the information!

 

Did Waffle Love open the brick and mortar before or after they would have appeared on the show?

[cooksdelight]

That was me - thank you for the information!

Did Waffle Love open the brick and mortar before or after they would have appeared on the show?

That's getting into spoiler territory, so please take discussion of what the truck teams did outside the show to that thread, please. Thanks!

[hjmugillecuty]

GaT--The selling thing gets into more personal choice territory. Some people would say no work at all, others would say there are exceptions.

 

My main point was that it wouldn't have been productive to set up at the LDS chapel to sell, because they probably wouldn't have gotten sales from the churchgoers.

[windfall]

If I heard the amounts correctly, that was a pretty big gap between first and second. Kind of surprised me that they sold that much more. The price points all appeared to be about the same at around the $10 mark.

[backformore]

I only watched the first half of the episode, but I have a quesitn.  During part of it, one of the contestants said that people were waiting in line for over an hour.   Is there any way that people would do that?  There are restaurants around -  if I'm going to wait an hour to eat, I would do it at a table, not standing in  line outside.  Is that a thing people do?  I have no clue, there are no food trucks anywhere near me. 

Edited August 26, 2015 by backformore

[hatchetgirl]

So was the Guava Tree the only group who got the $60 something in their seed money? I don't care if they only had $20, if I was in this competition, I'd want the same edge. It's almost the $100 for winning that pier challenge.

I can do without members of the lds church in this. I don't care what church you participate in or that you have so many siblings you can't remember all their names. Ick. Let's have the Duggars run a food truck.

[mlp]

During part of it, one of the contestants said that people were waiting in line for over an hour.   Is there are way that people would do that? 

 

 

People do that every season.  I think it has a lot more to do with them hoping to be on TV than the food.  I wouldn't be at all surprised to find out that the producers seed the crowds either. 

[cooksdelight]

Production DOES send in diners, they send out emails to people who are on a mailing list to be an extra in any TV show. Food Network currently is looking for extras for a show being shot in L.A. on Sept. 2. It's how they guarantee an audience or large group of people being there to taste food.

[windfall]

Production DOES send in diners, they send out emails to people who are on a mailing list to be an extra in any TV show. Food Network currently is looking for extras for a show being shot in L.A. on Sept. 2. It's how they guarantee an audience or large group of people being there to taste food.

 

I'm guessing this also helps with any waiver/release issues right?

[cooksdelight]

Yes, once you sign up to be on the show, you're all set.

[jcbrown]

I hope the waffle guys go home next. I find them beyond creepy and I could not care less that they go to church on Sundays instead of prepping their food, except inasmuch as I hope it bites them in their holier-than-though butts one of these days.

[bluepiano]

I can do without members of the lds church in this. I don't care what church you participate in or that you have so many siblings you can't remember all their names. Ick. Let's have the Duggars run a food truck.

 

I'm with you on this. I don't care what kind of religion people practice in their private life, but don't bring it into a dumb food competition show. I hope that if they are in a town with a sizeable Mormon population we don't see them trying to sell to Mormons as a tactic. (It was bad enough last season with the military wives thinking that all they had to do was park in front of a VFW hall).

 

I've seen some pretty sizeable lines during lunch hour at popular food trucks in downtown areas. But waiting one hour would only happen on TV. And if the producers are actually hiring extras and sending them in, wouldn't that skew the results and kind of make the whole show phony? Or are they only doing that in certain situations? Because a significant amount of time on each episode is given to the contestants trying to figure out where to park to get customers.

Edited August 26, 2015 by bluepiano

[cooksdelight]

Production hires extras to taste the food, they don't tell them how to vote. It's up to them to decide which food they like or don't like. It would be no different if they dragged people in off the street, as to what people will eat or not eat.

[Totale]

 

 Because a significant amount of time on each episode is given to the contestants trying to figure out where to park to get customers.

 

Every last spot they park in has to be permitted for both food sales and filming permits and set up way in advance.  It may be fun to imply they just Google up some interesting event and call up the locals and ask if they would mind if they parked out front, but that's not realistic.

[margol29]

I really hate it when the contestants abbreviate the names of the food. The  sandwhich guys were calling it parm, instad of parmesan. Last season it was avo this and avo that. Next they will be calling them apps and hand helds. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!

[bluepiano]

Production hires extras to taste the food, they don't tell them how to vote. It's up to them to decide which food they like or don't like. It would be no different if they dragged people in off the street, as to what people will eat or not eat.

 

There really isn't voting, except in the sense that people are voting by choosing the truck where they want to spend their money. Not to beat a dead horse, but the ability to attract the most customers (and make the most money) is presented as being largely about marketing and strategy. With those elements often as important, if not more so, than the food. Pricing is also a factor, but if the production is giving the extras money to spend, that element goes out the window too.

 

So if the production is supplying the diners, the food truck locations, the money that purchases the food (which determines the winner) etc, then this is really one of the more staged and phony competitions shows of all time. Say it ain't so!

Edited August 28, 2015 by bluepiano

[cooksdelight]

The extras are paid, usually $30-50, and it's almost always cash. So... there's your money for the food.

[NewDigs]

I'm with you on this. I don't care what kind of religion people practice in their private life, but don't bring it into a dumb food competition show. I hope that if they are in a town with a sizeable Mormon population we don't see them trying to sell to Mormons as a tactic. (It was bad enough last season with the military wives thinking that all they had to do was park in front of a VFW hall).

 

I've seen some pretty sizeable lines during lunch hour at popular food trucks in downtown areas. But waiting one hour would only happen on TV. And if the producers are actually hiring extras and sending them in, wouldn't that skew the results and kind of make the whole show phony? Or are they only doing that in certain situations? Because a significant amount of time on each episode is given to the contestants trying to figure out where to park to get customers.

And then the season with Team Hawaii. They were masterful at getting out their crowds.

Glad to see the pros back. Like watching a different show! Felt bad for the breakdown but, geesh, didn't they have a clue their vehicle is maybe too old or has too high mileage to go cross-country. But they did handle it well.

Agree with the, Tyler needs to shave, crowd. And he should maybe push away from the dinner table a little sooner.

[Skyfall]

The extras are paid, usually $30-50, and it's almost always cash. So... there's your money for the food.

I'm not sure, saw some blurred faces.

[Gbb]

The diners aren't always paid. When Food truck Race came to Mobile, AL last season there were articles in the paper and on bits on local news about the filming and people were encouraged to go down and order from the trucks, but (to my knowledge) no one was paid to be a diner.