The Great Food Truck Race - General Discussion

[biakbiak]

All those wasted avocados! Most of them were so unripe that they had to hack out the pit or in some cases part of the pit was stil inside!

[LittleIggy]

The Lunch Ladies could have added some humor by wearing hairnets a la Chris Farley on SNL. Hoagies and grinders! Hoagies and grinders! 😆

[seacliffsal]

I liked the Super Sopa ladies and thought their food looked really good.  I am sorry they left but think that they may be able to parlay this into their own food truck or food business.

I'm not that enthralled with Mystique Marsala.  When Mystique is out trying to get business, I find her more aggressive than clever.  I'm not clear on her persona and I am usually very entertained by drag queens.  However, I'm not really that enthralled by Lunch Ladies either.  I am so over their "every kid can eat like this."  Um, no.  They stated that their school in Martha's Vineyard only has 500 students.  Well, those circumstances are far different from those in most school districts.

I think both trucks have good food and whoever wins will be worthy, but I am very neutral on who I think should win.

[Fostersmom]

On 3/20/2020 at 10:55 PM, Maverick said:

 Having some greasy, shirtless buffoon wearing Mr. T gold chains is about as unappetizing as it gets.    And that's without seeing what a pig sty they made of the truck.   And let's not forget the stuffed animal he carried around like some douche bro kangaroo.  That thing was dangling on the counter and in the food when he leaned out the window.   Would you like dirty fuzz with your champagne? Supposedly the local food inspectors check these trucks but if so theirs should have been shut down in a hot minute.   

Douche bro kangaroo is my new favorite term ever! LOL! And it's just so fitting for him. He was the walking epitome of every Greek stereo type out there. 

On 3/27/2020 at 12:48 AM, LittleIggy said:

I’m nosy so I want to know why the guy had to leave.

Personally I was guessing his probation officer found out he left the state. 

On 3/27/2020 at 9:43 PM, Maverick said:

 Why would they sit out Stefanos?   He has to drive away at least as many people as he brings and if if they took out the chef it wouldn't matter if they pulled in customers.    

But didn't you see the stupid little girl talking about how cool his chains were? Children in braces were their demo audience. 

On 4/17/2020 at 11:24 AM, xaxat said:

Are we really going to make it through an entire season without someone running into a lamp pole?

Or having to move since they were parked in a illegal area. 

7 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

I'm not that enthralled with Mystique Marsala.  When Mystique is out trying to get business, I find her more aggressive than clever.  I'm not clear on her persona and I am usually very entertained by drag queens.  However, I'm not really that enthralled by Lunch Ladies either.  I am so over their "every kid can eat like this."  Um, no.  They stated that their school in Martha's Vineyard only has 500 students.  Well, those circumstances are far different from those in most school districts.

Yep. 500 kids in the Vineyard versus a couple thousand in an intercity school doesn't really play apples to apples. I mean yes, it's well know American school lunches are basically crap compared to the rest of the world, but there's very few schools in this country that will ever be able to serve what they are claiming they serve up on a daily basis. 

[NYGirl]

I am in shock...no actually I'm not.

I see a pattern here now.

There's a team that keeps winning and dominating the whole race.  They get to the finale and the competition wins.  It happens every.single.year

I'm happy for the winners though.  I was rooting for both teams.

[Gramto6]

Yeah, I was happy with both the final teams. As far as I cared either could win and I'd be OK. But there was just something a bit too PC about the last competitions that just rubbed me wrong somehow.  The winner's food was good , but so was the losers...

[LittleIggy]

Yay for Mystikka Masala! The two best teams were in the finale. 
$15 for a dessert? No thanks!

[LexieLily]

Tyler said it was a neck-and-neck race when each team won the $200 bonus on Day 2. Um, no, Mystikka Masala won both challenges on Day 1 and so had a $400 head start, so MM ended up with a $600 head-start in challenge-wins money. So unless Lunch Ladies made up $600 in regular food sales...

[Stardancer Supreme]

I'm happy for Mystikka Masala!  While the Lunch Ladies put out restaurant quality food, MM's food looked like something I would actually eat. Plus that head LL is just too pushy for my taste.  

I cackled when Tyler came to the trucks. He talked to Navin about his inspirations and family.  He told the Lunch Ladies to move their truck.

[mlp]

I was very happy with the outcome.  The editing made it look like the Lunch Ladies were doing less well all through the episode so I was braced for the usual switch where the team that appears to be losing pulls out the win.  I liked the Mystikka crew and their food looked like things I'd want to eat.  I'd love to know if the LL sold more than one of those crepes.  Who on earth would pay $15 for a sad looking crepe with a couple slices of strawberry?  Besides someone who wanted to be on TV that is.

The lead LL annoyed me with her crusading in the THs and screeching on the street.  Her aspiration of taking a food truck across the country to motivate schools to change their lunch menus was naive and totally unrealistic. 

[Andyourlittledog2]

I am in favor of both healthy tasty school lunches and LGBTQ rights but I am beyond over the constant references to how each truck is there to represent and serve a higher purpose etc. It's a food truck competition, not a 'hurray for my cause!' competition. The one with the best food who sells the most wins. Period. I was rooting for Mystika but I balk at them trying to get customers based solely on their being a drag queen truck and playing on customers that way. The LL talking heads were about the school lunches but I don't remember them luring customers to them based on that.  I'm glad it's over and I won't have to hear either of their PSAs regarding their thing any more.  And as so many have said, Martha's Vineyard is not 99.99% of the school districts in this country. These women are sooo out of touch with the reality of the rest of us.

Frankly, the reason I tune for this show each season is the intro shout of 'Food Truck Road Trip!'. That cracks me up every time and I shout it with them. Then I just watch the show because it's there. That intro gets me watching every time. If they stopped using it I would probably skip the show.

[seacliffsal]

Prior to the episode I was neutral about who won-but during this episode I really resented when the main lunch lady stated that they would travel across the country to share how important it is to have healthy lunches.  Really?  Do they really think that most school cafeteria workers don't know that it would be better to have healthier school lunches?  Do they think they're the first ones to come up with this idea?  Do they not know that the majority of school cafeterias depend on government supplied/subsidized foods and have incredibly small budgets that are paid for by taxpayers?  This statement and attitude really turned me off from that team (although I thought the halibut at the winery looked fabulous...)

However, I think Mystikka Masala overestimated the uniqueness of having a drag queen in Hollywood.  

Overall I enjoy this show and look forward to it.  Wonder what region of the country they'll visit next season... 

[Chyromaniac]

On 4/24/2020 at 1:59 PM, mlp said:

Her aspiration of taking a food truck across the country to motivate schools to change their lunch menus was naive and totally unrealistic. 

With $50,000 pre-tax, no less.  Good luck, lady.

6 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

However, I think Mystikka Masala overestimated the uniqueness of having a drag queen in Hollywood.  

Realistically, if you show up on Hollywood Blvd in any kind of costume, many if not most people are probably going to assume you're out to hustle tourists for photo ops.  Which, hey - it's a living.  But still, I imagine it's going to be difficult to attract attention at a place where a lot of your potential clients are getting inundated with similar pitches.

[TeenMom69]

Had all the ingredients in my pantry so I finally made that masala sauce out of canned tomato sauce, canned green chilis, chili powder, heavy cream, garlic, butter and mexican cheese. Poured it over cooked chicken, black beans and canned mexicorn and let it all simmer. Not bad at all. In fact it was a big hit with the boys. That's probably the first recipe from this show that I've added to my own book.

[LexieLily]

I just saw the lead guy from Mystikka Masala on a 2018 episode of Guy's Grocery Games. He was so toned down from how he appeared on Food Truck that I almost didn't recognize him until he started talking about Indian-Tex-Mex fusion. He made chicken tikka masala for his "spicy chicken dish" and got eliminated in the first round for it not being spicy enough.

[biakbiak]

New season just started filming in SF. I might have to do some light stalking. 

Edited to add: a quick google search indicates they already wrapped! It’s an All Star Season.

Teams: 

Spoiler

The Lime Truck @thelimetruck, Seoul Sausage @seoulsausage, Aloha Plate @alohaplate, Waffle Love @wafflelovesocal, The Middle Feast @themiddlefeast, NOLA Creations @nolacreations504, — Mystikka Masala @mystikkamasalafoodtruck.

 

 

Edited October 14, 2020 by biakbiak

[Maverick]

 Interesting.  I wouldn't have pegged this show as one filming anytime soon.  Yet they're still doing Zoom for GGG.  

 I wonder if they did another holiday season.  The last one filmed in Jan/Feb so maybe they got a season in before things shut down. 

[biakbiak]

6 minutes ago, Maverick said:

 

 Interesting.  I wouldn't have pegged this show as one filming anytime soon.  Yet they're still doing Zoom for GGG.  

 

Well there is still post production so I imagine this won’t be on the air for months. Guy is also currently filming one of his shows with competitors in an outdoor kitchen studio. 

Edited October 14, 2020 by biakbiak

[mlp]

I actually remember all the teams in the All-Star season.  Sounds good.  I'm looking forward to it.

[biakbiak]

1 hour ago, mlp said:

I actually remember all the teams in the All-Star season.  Sounds good.  I'm looking forward to it.

Me too! Which is saying something given that I mostly watch this show while doing something else! I would say that I am sad I missed them but given it was filmed a few weeks ago, I am still not going to seek out crowds even if they’re masked and outside. 

Edited October 14, 2020 by biakbiak

[Christina]

They are filming in Alaska and Tyler is posting photos and videos to his Instagram account. It's mostly scenery and not anything spoilery. You do not have to have an IG account to see the posts.

[RealityCheck]

New Six-Episode Season of THE GREAT FOOD TRUCK RACE Begins March 7th at 10PM ET/PT In Alaska

Quote

 

The teams are:

BFD - Saint James, New York (Kate Wurtzel, Harry Poole, April Nothdurft)
Meatball Mamas - Danville, California (Aly Romero, Flora Londre, Jocelyn Denson)
Metro Chili - Staten Island, New York (Anthony Cucurullo, John Sullivan, David Consiglio)
Querencia Mia - Albuquerque, New Mexico (Marie Yniguez, Queneesha Meyers, Michael Neu)
Some Like It Tot - Tecumseh, Oklahoma (Nela Edwards, Drew Cowen, Kali Honey Cowen)
Tasty Balls - Houston, Texas (Misti Buard, D’Ambria Jacobs, Nadia Ahmed)
The Oink Mobile - Georgetown, Texas (Heather Clauser, Tyler Clauser, Emily Clauser

The premiere episode begins in Anchorage. The route then hits Palmer, home to some of the largest vegetables in the world; deep sea fishing in Homer; panning for gold and Alaskan crab challenge in Seward and a scavenger hunt in the arctic remote village of Talkeetna.

 

 

[Maverick]

 Wow, this season got zero promotion. I didn't see a single commercial for it. 

 A lot of teams from warm climates. But I'm sure FN wouldn't favor those teams in casting to drum up the fish out of water element. 

 Sorry to see the mom/kids team go.  Tyler was throwing shade at them for starting the fire but I wonder if they really messed up the grill that quickly.  They also had the truck with the oven that wouldn't heat properly. 

 Waiting 45 minutes for $12 tater tots?  I wouldn't do that for a really good huge burger on a sunny 70 degree spring day, much less for tots on a below freezing Alaskan afternoon in December. 

Edited March 8, 2021 by Maverick

[Kathy]

How could the mom/kids team have gotten that grill so messy when it was their very first time using it?   The show gave them a dirty old truck from last season without cleaning and inspecting it or any of the trucks.   Probably thought it would add more drama to the show.

What if someone had gotten hurt?   I can't believe Tyler was telling them it was their fault and then eliminated them.   

[Catfi9ht]

4 hours ago, Kathy said:

How could the mom/kids team have gotten that grill so messy when it was their very first time using it?   The show gave them a dirty old truck from last season without cleaning and inspecting it or any of the trucks.   Probably thought it would add more drama to the show.

What if someone had gotten hurt?   I can't believe Tyler was telling them it was their fault and then eliminated them.   

I completely agree. It seems like half the contestants have never worked in a restaurant let alone a food truck because they're constantly struggling with basic functions. Seems like a serious liability.

[mlp]

I didn't like that elimination either for the same reasons stated above.  I was hoping to get rid of Tasty Balls partly for choosing to name their truck that and partly for giggling knowingly about it.  No class there.  

I felt cold just watching them all out in the snow with the wind blowing.  That must have been miserable during filming.  I wanted to reach in and pull Tyler's hood up.

[MerBearHou]

If you get a crappy truck from the get-go, you should NOT get eliminated.  

[Koalagirl]

I live on Long Island so of course I’m routing for them. April works for a restaurant I’ve been to in my town, though I’ve never seen her and I know the restaurant the couple work for. My cousin knows the couple - they live next door to her best friends.  I’m not sure if I want to be spoiled or maybe just get a little inside info.

[xaxat]

2 hours ago, MerBearHou said:

If you get a crappy truck from the get-go, you should NOT get eliminated.  

Agreed. And it was really weird to see Tyler lecture them when I'm sure he knew they were not at fault. There's no way you can build up that amount of grease in a day.

[MerBearHou]

Just now, xaxat said:

Agreed. And it was really weird to see Tyler lecture them when I'm sure he knew they were not at fault. There's no way you can build up that amount of grease in a day.

My thought exactly -- no way was that grease buildup there in just one day.  And they couldn't even get the oven to heat up at the beginning.  They lost significant time through no fault of their own.  I get that the Food Truck producers want to ensure that the cooks don't try to blame their truck for delays and problems, but everyone should get a very clean, fully-functioning truck and maintenance issues need to be factored in.  

[seacliffsal]

I enjoyed this episode and LOVED the scenery!  I thought for sure the tater tot truck would be going home.  So much of the food looked really good.  However, waiting for food for 45-60 minutes in any type of weather would be too long but especially in that cold.  Not sure about the cause of the fire, but wish they would keep all teams for the first episode and allow them to move their money totals forward so they would have incentive to do well from the very beginning, but allow them time to really become familiar with their trucks and the competition.

[Whimsy]

I don’t know. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t really feel like watching people get frost-bite, etc. Also, the lack of consistency in mask wearing was driving me crazy. If you’re handing a customer food, you should wear your mask. 

[LittleIggy]

I thought Tyler said the trucks were “new.” No way that grill could have been dirty enough to catch on fire if the truck were new. The preview for next week showed a truck breaking down. New my arse! 🙄

[LittleIggy]

On 3/8/2021 at 3:15 PM, mlp said:

I didn't like that elimination either for the same reasons stated above.  I was hoping to get rid of Tasty Balls partly for choosing to name their truck that and partly for giggling knowingly about it.  No class there.  

I felt cold just watching them all out in the snow with the wind blowing.  That must have been miserable during filming.  I wanted to reach in and pull Tyler's hood up.

I kept thinking about the classic SNL “Shweddy Balls” skit...

[Stardancer Supreme]

I definitely wouldn't do this season. I am not a fan of winter like conditions at all.  Trying to cook in extreme cold? Heh, no.

This show has enough drama and nonsense already built into the premise; why are they using recycled trucks that haven't been cleaned for the new season contestants? Only the winning team keeps the truck and car?  Nothing should be catching fire or breaking down in the first episode.  Also why weren't these trucks fitted with chains for the icy roads? Was production going to leave that truck on the road sliding about?  This doesn't make sense.

Edited March 10, 2021 by Stardancer Supreme

[Maya]

I’m surprised they didn’t have to dump all the food in the bloody hand truck. That was really gross. 

Edited March 11, 2021 by Maya

[Fostersmom]

On 3/8/2021 at 8:09 AM, Kathy said:

How could the mom/kids team have gotten that grill so messy when it was their very first time using it?   The show gave them a dirty old truck from last season without cleaning and inspecting it or any of the trucks.   Probably thought it would add more drama to the show.

What if someone had gotten hurt?   I can't believe Tyler was telling them it was their fault and then eliminated them.   

 

On 3/9/2021 at 10:40 PM, LittleIggy said:

I thought Tyler said the trucks were “new.” No way that grill could have been dirty enough to catch on fire if the truck were new. The preview for next week showed a truck breaking down. New my arse! 🙄

Tyler very specifically said all the trucks were BRAND NEW in the very beginning of the episode when they digging out their keys from the ice blocks. I'm feeling like that segment was added to cover FN's asses after they obviously gave them a filthy/faulty truck. They were on day 2, like 6 hours into cooking. NO WAY was that truck clean when given to them unless there was an obvious mechanical issue that was responsible for the fire. Especially since we saw the oven wouldn't heat up either. Actually, I just rewatched the oven part. You can see crap in the bottom of the oven when they are saying the oven won't get hot enough to bake. It's an obviously dirty oven, there's all sorts of crud by the door. So unless they actually had been cooking in there before, it was dirty when given to them.

I get that FN had limited choices to film in with Covid going on, but Alaska in winter couldn't have been their only choice. You can't tell me they couldn't have filmed in any of the other lower 48 states where frostbite wasn't a instant concern for the teams or the people waiting in a paring lot for an hour for tater tots. This shit was filmed mostly in November. I'd have to believe that some of the lower states would have let them film by then. This is supposed to be about cooking, not frostbite and people busting their asses falling on ice when they are encouraged to run down icy hills. I'm going with Tyler really wanted FN to basically pay for him and his side gig team to have a month and half long trip to Alaska. Look at his Insta and all the #wolfitdown pics. That's his non FN side gig. 

[Maya]

Driving on icy/snowy roads is also really dangerous, particularly for people who aren’t used to it like some of these teams from the south. 

[Starry-Eyed]

Yeah, I usually find this show super fun even when I roll my eyes at the drama, but this episode just made me so upset for the contestants. Does FN REALLY think viewers are going to believe anyone could build up enough grease in two days to start a fire like that? The harsh way they handled it, plus the dangerously cold conditions and icy roads, (not to mention unclear COVID protocols)  just made me feel like they don't care about their contestants at all

[MerBearHou]

I would love to go to Alaska someday but this round of the Food Truck Road Race is not enticing me at all.  These freezing cooks must REALLY want the money and thought the exposure (no pun intended) would be helpful to their businesses.  I think this looks absolutely miserable for the trucks and those waiting for food and for me, it's just not entertaining to watch so far.  I'll stick with it but I'm not enjoying this season.  Also way too much drama with the blasted trucks.  

[tinkerbell]

I'm not sure why, but this season isn't doing it for me.  The teams don't seem very engaging, I don't have a favorite or least favorite, I don't feel like I know anything about the teams to care.  The editors are showing very little of the actual food that the teams come up with in challenges, like those are irrelevant parts of the show.  It's a FOOD CHALLENGE!  I want to know each kind of S'more every team made, and what was good or bad about them - not just the votes.  The equipment/truck breakdowns are annoying - how can this be a competition, when it's not a level playing field?  

Past seasons have been fun, I've rooted for teams, I've hated teams.  This season, I'm annoyed by the "tasty balls" team name, so much that I want them gone no matter what they cook, and why have tasty balls and meatballs teams on the same season?  this season is just not fun to watch, for many reasons. 

[Stardancer Supreme]

This season isn't fun to watch at all.  All I see is the ice everywhere and the issues it's causing the teams.

Tyler is being extra masochistic, too. Was it really necessary to make folks cook outside when it is 9 degrees?!?!?  You have to have S'Mores over an open fire? Then have the teams decide who is the winner instead of you simply saying which one you liked best? Outside. In 9 degree weather.

I'm putting on extra clothes just to watch this show!

[Leeds]

On 3/9/2021 at 7:49 PM, Stardancer Supreme said:

I definitely wouldn't do this season. I am not a fan of winter like conditions at all.  Trying to cook in extreme cold? Heh, no.

This show has enough drama and nonsense already built into the premise; why are they using recycled trucks that haven't been cleaned for the new season contestants? Only the winning team keeps the truck and car?  Nothing should be catching fire or breaking down in the first episode.  Also why weren't these trucks fitted with chains for the icy roads? Was production going to leave that truck on the road sliding about?  This doesn't make sense.

I'm pretty sure they don't get to keep the so-called "brand new" truck and car.  They get a cash prize of I think, $50,000.  After taxes, it's not going to go far in buying and running a food truck.  When you factor in all the costs in addition to a truck, such as rent, insurance, food costs, licenses, etc, not to mention paying three people a living wage, if the contestants believe that if they win they'll be able to set up and run a food truck, they're delusional.

[xaxat]

5 hours ago, tinkerbell said:

I'm not sure why, but this season isn't doing it for me. 

You're not the only one. I almost checked out when the contestants had to start a fire using flint. 

Querencia's truck developed a nasty crack in their front windshield. They really should fix it. I wonder if it happened when someone used water to try and defrost it at near zero temps. And even the FN truck guy couldn't get the pilot light started on the fryer in their "brand new truck". And their hood fan wasn't working. The condition of the trucks should not play a role in the outcome.

I'm glad people have been able to walk off the slip and falls. I hope we don't get a serious injury.

[Chyromaniac]

I don’t get the timing for this.  Like, I know that FN must still be fairly thin on content, but it’s still fricken winter, man.  And we just got done with an uncharacteristically brutal stretch of it at that.  Couldn’t they have held this until, like, July?  Maybe then I could appreciate the vast landscapes of snowy Alaska.  Now, it just feels like the crap I had to deal with all last month.

Otherwise, I agree that the teams aren’t really pulling me in either.  For instance, I know they have different flavor profiles, but having two trucks with “balls” in their title doesn’t help.  And in general, the trucks all kind of feel like stuff we’ve seen before.  Not every concept needs to be “Mystikka Masala” level clever, but can we please show a little more variety than another season of tots and balls?

[Fostersmom]

1 hour ago, xaxat said:

Querencia's truck developed a nasty crack in their front windshield. They really should fix it. I wonder if it happened when someone used water to try and defrost it at near zero temps. And even the FN truck guy couldn't get the pilot light started on the fryer in their "brand new truck". And their hood fan wasn't working. The condition of the trucks should not play a role in the outcome.

I knew I saw a giant crack in a window, but for some reason I was thinking it was the Tasty Balls truck. It was probably both!

[SevenCostanza]

14 hours ago, xaxat said:

I'm glad people have been able to walk off the slip and falls. I hope we don't get a serious injury.

Just watching them trying to function in that weather is giving me stress. That one guy from the team that went home slipped  and hit his head on the ground that's no joke.  This season seems to be more about "how difficult can we make this" rather than the quality of the food.  

 

[lh25]

14 hours ago, Fostersmom said:

I knew I saw a giant crack in a window, but for some reason I was thinking it was the Tasty Balls truck. It was probably both!

I think it was both.  The condition of these truck is shameful.

I don't like eating hot food outside because it gets cold too fast most of the time.  So this is so not appealing to me.  In Hawaii maybe.  🙂

[xaxat]

4 hours ago, SevenCostanza said:

Just watching them trying to function in that weather is giving me stress. That one guy from the team that went home slipped  and hit his head on the ground that's no joke.  This season seems to be more about "how difficult can we make this" rather than the quality of the food.  

 

I think the producers may have underestimated Alaska and this season is more difficult than they expected. In comparison to the winter season they filmed in New England, it's colder, the trucks break down more, the roads and sidewalks are icier and the days are a lot shorter.

For example, in the s'mores challenge, I'm pretty sure the didn't consider the possibility that eggs left outside would freeze that quickly.

Edited March 16, 2021 by xaxat

[GaT]

3 hours ago, SevenCostanza said:

Just watching them trying to function in that weather is giving me stress. That one guy from the team that went home slipped  and hit his head on the ground that's no joke.  This season seems to be more about "how difficult can we make this" rather than the quality of the food.  

Plus, right now we've got enough misery in our real lives, who decided that making this show even more miserable than usual is a good idea?