The Great Food Truck Race - General Discussion

[tinkerbell]

I guess there was an episode my DVR didn't record. Oh well, no great loss. Who went home?

[CrazyInAlabama]

Summary of this week:  Empanada kept arguing, Fishnet skipped the challenges again, and Plates on Deck went home.    

 

Next week Episode 5 "Attack of the Tag Teams" at the usual time. 

From Food Network: Tyler Florence brings in All Elite Wrestling tag teams The Acclaimed and The Gunns to join the food trucks in Pascagoula, Mississippi, for an all-out brawl. One team thinks they're being clever by sitting out on Tyler's challenge, but they soon come to regret their choices.

 

Teams will be: 

Stripes Squad- Wally's Waffles,  Argentina Empanada, Fishnet.

Stars Squad-Sola Po'Boys,  Bao Bei.

This show is one of the few appearing on schedule during the Olympics.   

Programming Note: Your DVR may not record for Episode 5, most guides show reruns, not Food Truck next Sunday.   It's one of the few new episodes of any show next week, it's competiting with the prime time showing of Women's Gymnastics at the Olympics.

Edited July 23 by CrazyInAlabama

[chessiegal]

2 hours ago, MartyQui said:

I noticed that the empanada truck was using premade wrappers…no more dough drama, I guess, so there had to be relationship drama again.

One long loose hair offender is gone, can’t wait for the others.  I can’t believe Tyler never says anything about that!  But he was right to call them out on prices this week…they should just put a $15 top limit on prices. I’m in Boston, and that’s the most I’ve ever paid at a food truck.  

We have a Tex-Mex truck that charges $19 for a shrimp burrito bowl and is worth every penny.

[Colorado David]

23 hours ago, GiandujaPie said:

All Fishnet had to do was whip up a sauce and then drizzle it over their fish tacos. It was something they were selling anyway. Was their regular sauce that great or something? 

Agreed, comeback sauce is not rocket science (neither is fry sauce, he says proudly from Utah.)  It doesn't have to be spellbinding, just whip up a quick easy sauce and drizzle on the tacos like GiandujaPie said previously.

[HappyDancex2]

The worst part of this episode was….

”SAY you’re SORRY!”

cue. Eye. Roll.

[mlp]

The wife on the empanada truck has been a PIA since the beginning.  I keep hoping they'll lose and leave so I was dismayed when they came out on top this week especially when they were charging $10 for one empanada.

Tyler was right about the high prices but he came across rather hypocritical because food trucks on this show have been charging ridiculously high prices for many seasons now.  I wonder why it suddenly became a plot point.

[bluepiano]

11 hours ago, mlp said:

Tyler was right about the high prices but he came across rather hypocritical because food trucks on this show have been charging ridiculously high prices for many seasons now.  I wonder why it suddenly became a plot point.

Exactly. The prices on this show have always been crazy high, and people only pay them because they want to be part of a TV show. The trucks charge high prices because standings are determined by total sales, not number of units sold. And until now the show has let them get away with that.

For whatever reason, the producers decided to make it a point this week to call out the ridiculously low value to price ratio. And to encourage the customers to complain about that. It will be interesting to see if pricing gets brought up in the next show, with the truck owners talking about pricing more reasonably after Tyler's diatribe. My guess is that won't happen. This was just a one-time thing and it will be business as usual going forward.

[GiandujaPie]

The problem with judging by units sold is that the trucks will then price low (even if they lose money) to get as many sales as possible. You can see that happening when there is a challenge that is being judged by units sold or by how quickly the units sell. The middle ground is obviously to judge by net revenue and is more realistic as that is how you ultimately run and stay in business. But then we would have to see the trucks price out the cost of their ingredients, do their shopping and make those calculations. From what I understand, old seasons of the show did do that but I've only been watching since 2021 and I only started because the season was completely filmed in San Francisco and I live in Northern California and wanted to see how they did what with the pandemic and so many people still working from home in the city. 

[HappyDancex2]

They could definitely cap the challenge item price at $10.  The people waiting in line for hours are the ones that get screwed.  They are just trying to be supportive of the TV show that has come through their city and to get price gouged on top of it is just rude.  Like Tyler.  LOL

The empanada lady is exhausting.  
The Bao truck should be eliminated for false advertising.  😂

I still think the Say You’re Sorry reprimand to a TV camera when they’ve been gouging people for years was disingenuous to the nth degree.  I would have been like “what about me??  What about that crappy taco I paid $25 for in 2018???”

[Salacious Kitty]

1 hour ago, HappyDancex2 said:

They could definitely cap the challenge item price at $10.  The people waiting in line for hours are the ones that get screwed.  They are just trying to be supportive of the TV show that has come through their city and to get price gouged on top of it is just rude.  Like Tyler.  LOL

The empanada lady is exhausting.  
The Bao truck should be eliminated for false advertising.  😂

I still think the Say You’re Sorry reprimand to a TV camera when they’ve been gouging people for years was disingenuous to the nth degree.  I would have been like “what about me??  What about that crappy taco I paid $25 for in 2018???”

Regarding Bao's false advertising, does anyone else remember Seoul Sausage? They went an entire season without making sausage, although I 💬 think they might have sold patties at one point. And they won! 

Edited July 24 by Salacious Kitty

[mlp]

1 hour ago, HappyDancex2 said:

The Bao truck should be eliminated for false advertising.

I'm not sure it's false advertising as much as a result of not being able to fit their product into the challenges because they don't have the time needed to process the dough.  They probably weren't a good fit for this kind of competition which is more on the producers than on them IMO.  I think they'd make their bao happily if they had time to let the yeast work.  

I was more annoyed with the moo shu truck a couple years ago because they never made anything even close and they could have.

[Starry-Eyed]

4 hours ago, mlp said:

I'm not sure it's false advertising as much as a result of not being able to fit their product into the challenges because they don't have the time needed to process the dough.  They probably weren't a good fit for this kind of competition which is more on the producers than on them IMO.  I think they'd make their bao happily if they had time to let the yeast work. 

 Yeah, exactly. It's frustrating, because it seems like a normal food truck would be fine for their concept - just do overnight prep. Honestly, I don't understand why the trucks can't have designated prep hours outside of selling hours. As long as they all have the same chance, why would it be unfair? We'd get to see a better variety of food sold, and probably some better food too.

[tinkerbell]

Just found the most recent episode was rerun in my area!

One team has a member having a tantrum, sitting down in silence. Another team decides not to do a challenge. All the teams are selling at outrageous prices.

The guy with the allergy - why didn't they tell Tyler about the allergy, maybe they could substitute something. Was this disclosed ahead of time?

[Salacious Kitty]

13 minutes ago, tinkerbell said:

Just found the most recent episode was rerun in my area!

One team has a member having a tantrum, sitting down in silence. Another team decides not to do a challenge. All the teams are selling at outrageous prices.

The guy with the allergy - why didn't they tell Tyler about the allergy, maybe they could substitute something. Was this disclosed ahead of time?

That's 100% on production. They know the challenges. A shellfish allergy would have certainly been known. 

[Colorado David]

15 hours ago, Salacious Kitty said:

That's 100% on production. They know the challenges. A shellfish allergy would have certainly been known. 

and really not fair to that team if it was known. they should have allowed him to substitute something at the very least.

rewatching Season 1 of TGFTR. What a completely different tone - no drama between or on teams, good sportsmanship, decent challenges. It is very refreshing.

[Gramto6]

49 minutes ago, Colorado David said:

rewatching Season 1 of TGFTR. What a completely different tone - no drama between or on teams, good sportsmanship, decent challenges. It is very refreshing.

Totally agree! This show has devolved into something that for me is no longer must see TV. Given this season so far, this will probably be the last one I watch. I'll read here to see what is going on, but I'm not in for these cheesy games and "phony" personality conflicts. It is too bad because this show used to be fun to watch. 

[Colorado David]

Agreed, it is a shame it has gone down this road. I am guessing ratings must be down so they are desperate? I think the only show that hasn't gone down this road is Kitchen Nightmares, and I don't even know if that is still on. I don't watch the British Baking Show but I am doubting it has gone down this road either, they seem too classy for shenanigans (minus adding Noel Fielding, whom I love. His comedy kills me.)

[tinkerbell]

Yes, so many "reality" shows do this. Not just cooking, but Bachelor/ette ,Big brother, I'm sure there are others . They add "drama" by instigating conflict, casting actors to play a role. The result is that the audience sees the show devolve into a parody of what it used to be. The audience is getting jaded because it's obvious when shows are not being genuine, and it ends up being more like a scripted comedy/drama than a reality show.

[Maverick]

I feel like the price thing has come up before.  I think it's when they're in smaller cities or rural areas they've gotten on them for not adjusting their prices to the market.  I'm pretty sure they've gotten on them for underpricing the market a time or two.   Giving them feedback on pricing is one thing but Tyler acting like Miss Landers chastising the Beaver and Gilbert was bs. I probably would get kicked off the show because if Tyler told me to say I'm sorry in that to e, it wouldn't be sorry I was saying. 

 WTF was up with the elimination?   Why did the team get booted off and then the standings were revealed?   It was very strange.  

 

[bluepiano]

On 7/24/2024 at 10:18 AM, GiandujaPie said:

The problem with judging by units sold is that the trucks will then price low (even if they lose money) to get as many sales as possible. You can see that happening when there is a challenge that is being judged by units sold or by how quickly the units sell. The middle ground is obviously to judge by net revenue and is more realistic as that is how you ultimately run and stay in business. 

That's an interesting point. Obviously, the cost of ingredients is going to vary depending on the type of food each truck is cooking. And yes, in the real world, it's not about your gross sales revenue, it's about your profit margin. The only real rationale for inflating your prices is to cover higher food costs, not because it's a TV show and people will pay whatever ridiculous price you arbitrarily come up.

As others have noted, in the early seasons of this show we did see the teams shopping, and there was often discussion about pricing based on cost. But now it's become largely a game show. The thing I'm still trying to figure out why the sudden out of the blue focus on price gouging, including Tyler's idiotic demand for apologies for something the competing food trucks have done for years.

Edited July 26 by bluepiano

[zenten]

11 hours ago, Maverick said:

 

 WTF was up with the elimination?   Why did the team get booted off and then the standings were revealed?   It was very strange.  

 

I also found that kind of strange. I’d love to know why I was done that way. 

[Colorado David]

15 hours ago, Maverick said:

I feel like the price thing has come up before.  I think it's when they're in smaller cities or rural areas they've gotten on them for not adjusting their prices to the market.  I'm pretty sure they've gotten on them for underpricing the market a time or two.   Giving them feedback on pricing is one thing but Tyler acting like Miss Landers chastising the Beaver and Gilbert was bs. I probably would get kicked off the show because if Tyler told me to say I'm sorry in that to e, it wouldn't be sorry I was saying. 

 WTF was up with the elimination?   Why did the team get booted off and then the standings were revealed?   It was very strange.  

 

lol love the Leave it to Beaver reference. Tyler is Lumpy?

[Maverick]

No, Tyler is Fred Rutherford.  Pompous and telling everyone else what they did wrong. 

[HappyDancex2]

1 hour ago, Maverick said:

No, Tyler is Fred Rutherford.  Pompous and telling everyone else what they did wrong. 

SAY YOU’RE SORRY!!!!

[Madding crowd]

Either the editing is off or Tyler is going off the rails this season. My husband and I noticed Tyler just sending the losing team off without the usual bottom two announcement. And there have been high prices many times and Tyler never got upset like this time. Are some of the contestants so obnoxious he doesn’t want to deal with them anymore? I don’t get some of the people sulking and having an attitude-you applied to be on the show. 

[MerBearHou]

I used to enjoy this show but no more.  I’m out.  Too much drama, Tyler acting off the rails, the empanada diva, I could go on and on.  I’m not spending another minute with any of these people.  

[Colorado David]

1 hour ago, MerBearHou said:

I used to enjoy this show but no more.  I’m out.  Too much drama, Tyler acting off the rails, the empanada diva, I could go on and on.  I’m not spending another minute with any of these people.  

i so hear you. icontinue for the train wreck bu yes so god awful now

[CrazyInAlabama]

 Episode 5 "Attack of the Tag Teams"  New, 7/28/2024

From Food Network: Tyler Florence brings in All Elite Wrestling tag teams The Acclaimed and The Gunns to join the food trucks in Pascagoula, Mississippi, for an all-out brawl. One team thinks they're being clever by sitting out on Tyler's challenge, but they soon come to regret their choices.

Teams will be: 

Stripes Squad- Wally's Waffles,  Argentina Empanada, Fishnet.

Stars Squad-Sola Po'Boys,  Bao Bei.

They have to do a Delta Hot Tamale.  (I admit I watched some of the Olympics over this snoozefest of a show).    Will Bao Bei ever do their advertised food theme?   Fishnet can't make a tamale at all.  Sola is doing the challenge, but picked the wrong selling location.  Wally's doesn't do the tamale because it didn't turn out.   Empanada can't get their overpriced Mac and Cheese hot enough, and isn't doing the tamales yet. Fishnet finally produces an object resembling a tamale.   Now they all have to change to the fairgrounds, and sell with local food trucks in a good location.    Empanadas 'tamale' looks like a Hush Puppy.  Bao Bei didn't even try the challenge.  Tyler congratulates the teams for not ripping off customers.  

(I honestly don't care who wins any more, so you just see who got the boot). 

 Sent Home: Sola Po'Boys

 

Next Week: 

(This show is one of the few new episodes of any show next week, it's competiting with the prime time showing of Women's Gymnastics at the Olympics on NBC)

Next week, New, Episode 6, 8/4/2024  "Mardi Gras Moola"

Four teams meet up with Tyler Florence in Mobile, AL., hoping to sell to the massive Mardi Gras crowds, but they soon find it's not that; while there, one team accuses another of cheating and their accusation backfires in unexpected ways.

No more squads.   

Bao Bei, Wally's Waffles,  Argentina Empanada, Fishnet.

(There is gymnastics showing against this, on NBC.)

[LexieLily]

What exactly was the point of the squads if they didn't impact the competition in any meaningful way and are disbanded by the top four?

[HappyDancex2]

So much cringe.  And shouting.  The tag teams segment was awkward.

and now the empanadas are reheating food to get ahead.  And winning.

 

[cameron]

Actually sorry to see the Sola truck leave.  Liked them.  Noticed that even though the prices are still in the mid $20 mark, Tyler let that slide.  He was after the teams that didn't do the challenge.  So over the foolishness of these team challenges; especially this one with the wrestlers.

[Pepper the Cat]

Did not like the wrestlers. Or the yelling. Thank goodness for the mute button!

[bluepiano]

5 hours ago, Pepper the Cat said:

Did not like the wrestlers. Or the yelling. Thank goodness for the mute button!

It's like the producers know this show has become snoozeville and are desperate to generate any excitement.

 

7 hours ago, cameron said:

Actually sorry to see the Sola truck leave.  Liked them.  Noticed that even though the prices are still in the mid $20 mark, Tyler let that slide.  He was after the teams that didn't do the challenge.  

Tyler actually thanked the teams for heeding his warning from last episode and providing better value for the money. But the prices still seemed crazy high. The empanada truck patted themselves on the back for throwing a side order of mac and cheese next to two empanadas and saying that made it a full meal worth $25. I've eaten at a lot of food trucks, and have never and would never pay $25. 

Edited July 29 by bluepiano

[Mondrianyone]

I watched the last episode for maybe five minutes before I checked out for the rest of the season. And possibly forever. If I want to be subjected by a bunch of cretins hollering at each other, I'll show up at family Thanksgiving.

[eel2178]

1 hour ago, bluepiano said:

The empanada truck patted themselves on the back for throwing a side order of mac and cheese 

Does macaroni and cheese with corn in it sound appealing to anyone? I think that sounds grotesque.

Maybe sell the macaroni and cheese and the corn separately and let the people mix it together themselves if that's what they think is good? At least give people a choice since once it's mixed together it can't be undone. It also increases sales to 2 sides instead of one.

[Colorado David]

9 minutes ago, eel2178 said:

Does macaroni and cheese with corn in it sound appealing to anyone? I think that sounds grotesque.

Maybe sell the macaroni and cheese and the corn separately and let the people mix it together themselves if that's what they think is good? At least give people a choice since once it's mixed together it can't be undone. It also increases sales to 2 sides instead of one.

i laughed so hard at the outrage for someone else making mac and cheese. watch out, someone might steal your taco recipe....or even the pizza!!

[Starry-Eyed]

1 minute ago, Colorado David said:

i laughed so hard at the outrage for someone else making mac and cheese. watch out, someone might steal your taco recipe....or even the pizza!!

Yes! I have to believe that was producer-motivated. Even the teams seemed to have a hard time drumming up believable outrage.

Honestly, this show has gotten so BORING and to me that is the worst sin.

[Colorado David]

9 minutes ago, Starry-Eyed said:

Yes! I have to believe that was producer-motivated. Even the teams seemed to have a hard time drumming up believable outrage.

Honestly, this show has gotten so BORING and to me that is the worst sin.

the phony drama is the worst. i will gladly watch teams shop at the groc store for half an hour trying to find ingredients, but spare me scripted tv drama and bickering.

[jcbrown]

The tag team with the professional "wrestlers" shrieking at them was a new low of stupid and unwatchable. I have seen tag teams done in other cooking shows but making them switch every five minutes is just idiotic. But the whole thing was idiotic so I guess it tracks.

I liked Sola and cannot get rid of the obnoxious empanada crew soon enough so the ending of this one was a big disappointment.

[HappyDancex2]

I actually stumbled back into this show and now I’m trying to stumble back out with flair lol.  I feel pot committed to the season since I’m watching it with a friend, who equally was giving me the side eye of eeky cringe during the yelling wrestlers and awkward tag team.  I felt shame that I ever suggested it in the first place but in my defense this show wasn’t like this in the beginning!!!!

I thought Tyler commending the trucks for giving people what they want in portion size was awful.  How about just lower the price to $12 which is still too much for corn Mac n cheese?   
 

HOW DARE YOU STEAL MY PROPRIETARY RECIPE FOR MY PERSONAL INVENTION OF THE DRINK….LEMONADE!!!!!

SAY YOU’RE SORRY!!!!

[HappyDancex2]

Another thing I thought was odd was that the Baos threw away their batch of undercooked rice.  They didn’t even try to fix it while they were making another batch for their bowls.  They could have put it in a pot and tried to get it back to a cooked state.  They could have mixed it with cheese and made arancini style balls to fry later.  Or mix it with some furikake and make omusubi style minis to fry off.  Or if they really overshot it then make a congee.  No person who really cooks would throw away that much rice if they cared about food costing.

also why are they using a cheap proctor silex rice cooker???  I’ll bet all three of them have zojis at home LOL!

[Colorado David]

11 hours ago, HappyDancex2 said:

Another thing I thought was odd was that the Baos threw away their batch of undercooked rice.  They didn’t even try to fix it while they were making another batch for their bowls.  They could have put it in a pot and tried to get it back to a cooked state.  They could have mixed it with cheese and made arancini style balls to fry later.  Or mix it with some furikake and make omusubi style minis to fry off.  Or if they really overshot it then make a congee.  No person who really cooks would throw away that much rice if they cared about food costing.

also why are they using a cheap proctor silex rice cooker???  I’ll bet all three of them have zojis at home LOL!

I wondered about this as well- rice seems like one of the more forgiving ingredients one could adapt to another dish pretty easily. I would think burnt rice would be the only thing worthy of tossing, like any other burnt ingredient.  Happydance, are you a cook? You sound like one.

[HappyDancex2]

On 7/30/2024 at 7:32 PM, Colorado David said:

I wondered about this as well- rice seems like one of the more forgiving ingredients one could adapt to another dish pretty easily. I would think burnt rice would be the only thing worthy of tossing, like any other burnt ingredient.  Happydance, are you a cook? You sound like one.

Aw what a sweet comment!  I was just a private party “chef” at one point to exercise that creative brain, went thru the “I want to visit schmancy restaurants and do tasting menus” phase and now I spend a lot of time eating clean and fasting 🤣🤣🤣.  My actual skills are so rusty now but I’d love to compete on chopped or GGG.  Or maybe just be a judge on GGG.  That looks like some tasty food!  I do not want Tyler Florence’s job because I get car sick.  LOL

Edited August 2 by HappyDancex2
Autocorrect makes less sense than I do

[Colorado David]

rewatching season 14 (Welcome back Winners). Lime Truck is charging $26 for a bread bowl special. Aloha Plate is charging $75 for their bread bowl special.  No sides on those specials. ZERO outrage from Tyler for those prices. This show is so dang hypocritical at times. 

[cameron]

1 hour ago, Colorado David said:

rewatching season 14 (Welcome back Winners). Lime Truck is charging $26 for a bread bowl special. Aloha Plate is charging $75 for their bread bowl special.  No sides on those specials. ZERO outrage from Tyler for those prices. This show is so dang hypocritical at times. 

He has even encouraged them in previous seasons to raise their prices.

 

[HappyDancex2]

On 8/2/2024 at 2:49 PM, Colorado David said:

rewatching season 14 (Welcome back Winners). Lime Truck is charging $26 for a bread bowl special. Aloha Plate is charging $75 for their bread bowl special.  No sides on those specials. ZERO outrage from Tyler for those prices. This show is so dang hypocritical at times. 

75 dollars??????????  Was this a charity thing?  Did Aloha plate serve this bread bowl in a carved volcanic rock bowl foraged from the base of mt. Kilauea?!

[CrazyInAlabama]

New, Episode 6, 8/4/2024  "Mardi Gras Moola"

Four teams meet up with Tyler Florence in Mobile, AL., hoping to sell to the massive Mardi Gras crowds, but they soon find it's not that; while there, one team accuses another of cheating and their accusation backfires in unexpected ways.

No more squads.   Trucks left are: Bao Bei, Wally's Waffles,  Argentina Empanada, Fishnet.

Panini Pete, a legend in Alabama is on the show.   Challenge is crawfish special, biggest seller in one hour gets a personal shopper to do the winning team's grocery runs for today and tomorrow.  Best dish in Tyler and Panini Pete's opinion gets $500.   Empanadas want to do crawfish etouffe empanada, Wally's do a crawfish beignet with sauce (raw in the middle), Bao Bei crawfish, Fishnet crawfish risotto (very slow to get selling, undercooked rice).   After the Mardi Gras parade no one is buying anything from the trucks.   

Winner of personal shopper is:  Argentina's Empanadas,

Tomorrow they pick their own spot, sell their regular menu. Tyler sends King Cakes, one has a medal in it good for $300.  King Cake Reboot turned into a special, biggest winner gets $200.  Medal was in Bao Bei's cake, made into dumplings, and they get $300  . Empanadas make pudding and king cake parfaits, with help from their personal shopper.  Wally's do King Cake waffle with vanilla cream. Fishnet make King Cake Beignets. 

Fishnet and Wally's get a text from Empanadas claiming Bao Bei is paying people to shop at their truck.  Totally cheating.  Wallys and Fishnet don't think Bao Bei is cheating, and say Empanada is trying to cause trouble.  Bao Bei, and Wally's partner up, and Fishnet cooperate, start slamming Empanadas food.  Tyler finds out about the allegations, and the producers will investigate.   As the Bao Bei guy says, if they're cheating, how come they end up in the bottom so often?   

Tyler talks about Empanada's allegations that Bao Bei is paying customers.  Tyler says they have cameras inside and outside of the trucks, and found zero evidence of cheating. 

$200 winner for King Cake challenge is Wally's Waffles.  Coin challenge winner of $300 is Bao Bei. 

$500 winner for best crawfish dish is: Bao Bei

Sellers: 1. Bao Bei because of their challenge wins. 2. Empanadas 3. Wally's Waffles and Fishnet goes home.  

(I think Empanadas should have gone home for their cheating allegations). 

Next Week: 8/11/2024, New, "Beach Battle Royale"

Three teams pounce on Panama City, Florida, in an effort to scrap their way into the finale. Tyler Florence launches a secret challenge that earns one truck a jaw-dropping advantage against a team of their choosing, and hard feelings from the past may come to play in the present.

Three trucks will be: Bao Bei, Wally's Waffles, and Argentina Empanada. 

Edited August 5 by CrazyInAlabama

[Gramto6]

Was this the first time they actually mentioned "food shopping trips"? It has seemed up to  now that their food just magically appeared. I still wish they would show the initial shopping trips. 

[Maya]

That was weird. So the customer just made it up?

[Gramto6]

7 minutes ago, Maya said:

That was weird. So the customer just made it up?

Could be some weirdo looking for his 5 mins of fame.... Maybe Empanada just flat out made it up...  or they misinterpreted something they overheard?  We'll probably never know for sure.

Whichever, they went about it in the wrong way, they should hav gone to production, not tried to stir up something with the other trucks.

Edited August 5 by Gramto6