Fifth String Food Truck is first rate

The chili cook-off may have been taking place at Jackson Field last Saturday, but it seemed a little warm to me for a piping hot bowl of beans and beef. I opted instead for Fifth String Food Truck, parked across the street at American Fifth Spirits. I had been wanting to give the truck a try since it began operations about a year ago, and I’m so glad I finally got around to it.

The menu may only have had four options, but it still would have been hard to choose! Thankfully, that wasn’t an issue, since my dining companion and I decided to just get one of everything to share. Pictured here is the jalapeño popper poutine, which I found the most photogenic, but it was far from the only delicious dish I sampled.

Starting with the poutine, a bed of golden, hand-cut fries lay beneath a generous helping of peppery cheese sauce, house-made ranch, cheese curds, crispy pork belly, jalapeños and red onions. It tasted like the famous bar snack, made even better by the fresh peppers and velvety cheese sauce. For vegetarians, there is also a tasty mushroom poutine with a mushroom-miso gravy, a fried egg and those irresistible cheese curds.

The star of the show was the braised beef sandwich, which had horseradish sauce, sauerkraut, sour apple, roasted red onions, arugula and white cheddar on a ciabatta roll. The beef was tender, juicy and bursting with a savory and caramelized flavor that paired perfectly with the apple and sauerkraut. The pork sandwich was delicious as well, topped with a squash-apple chutney, but by the time I had a bite, the beef one had already knocked my socks off and stolen my heart.

The food is fresh, with interesting combinations and big, shareable portions. It’s reasonably priced and served by friendly folks. In operation for about a year now, Fifth String is the brainchild of chef Matt Jones, who works a day job at Allen Neighborhood Center as the kitchens and facilities coordinator. Through his connections with farmers and food producers, he tries to source as many ingredients as he can locally. You can follow Fifth String on Instagram and/or Facebook to stay current on its upcoming locations.