Many visitors had heard of the event through online social networks, while others chanced upon the event. Most found long waits when they arrived, which dictated choices for some.
“It had the shortest line when we got here,” said Glendale resident Meagan Grimley, who was eating a baguette sandwich.
Grimley had seen excitement about the event on Twitter, where she and other Los Angeles-area truck-food enthusiasts frequently chat about their favorite trucks, she said.
Although she hadn’t planned on trying the Vietnamese food truck, she was satisfied with her default choice.
“It’s the best truck food I’ve had,” Grimley said of her sandwich, from Mandoline Grill. “It’s not as greasy or as heavy.”
Other visitors didn’t shy away from the heavier choices, which included food from trucks featuring French fries, breakfast food and baked goods, grilled cheese sandwiches, Indian food, Korean barbecue, dim sum and ice cream sandwiches.
Reseda residents Debbi and Andy Plat made a 30-minute drive and planned to arrive long before the trucks opened at 6 p.m. just so they could order from Frysmith, a truck featuring an array of French fry options, including one that incorporated marinated steak, onions and cilantro.
“Ever since they’ve opened up, I’ve been reading about them and I’ve been wanting to go,” said Debbi Plat, who had waited in line for an hour before ordering.
The event was a good opportunity to enjoy different offerings from the gourmet food trucks, which have grown in popularity because of their mobility and unique offerings, said Chris Moore, of Los Angeles, who was sitting on a curb finishing a duck taco from the Dim Sum Truck.
“It’s just something different and interesting,” Moore said of the allure of the food trucks, which he eats at frequently, often while sitting on street corners. “It’s not the same thing all the time.”
For others, the intrigue that any of the visitors found in the trucks was confusing.
“I think it’s bizarre,” said Michael Tucker, of Pasadena, whose wife persuaded him to wait in line at the Grilled Cheese Sandwich Truck. “Usually I’m used to going to a restaurant and sitting down and eating.”
Tucker was near the back of a line that extended around two street corners at the Americana. His wife had previously waited 90 minutes for a sandwich from the truck, like many of the other truck-food enthusiasts at the event who didn’t mind waiting, he said.
“They have a following like it’s nobody’s business,” Tucker said.
