Grub On the Go

Where to eat right now: 10 Houston food trucks you need to find

H-Town StrEATS offers an upscale take on street food.
Photo by Ruthie Johnson Miller
Quite simply, you won’t find a better or fresher crepe in town than at SeanCarroll’s captivating crepe cart.
Photo by Ruthie Johnson Miller
Premium dawgs with creative toppings from Good Dog Hot Dogs
Photo by Ruthie Johnson Miller
Class is in session at Bernie's Burger Bus, where they’re making straight A’s inburgerology.
Photo by Ruthie Johnson Miller
At H-Town StrEATS, you'l find a rotating list of crème brulees.
Photo by Ruthie Johnson Miller
Good Dog Hot Dogs does a brisk business.
Photo by Ruthie Johnson Miller
Three Houston natives are behind the Eatsie Boys food truck.
Photo by Ruthie Johnson Miller
Eatsie Boys' Pork Snuggies, steamed Asian buns stuffed with pork belly, cilantroand hoisin
Photo by Ruthie Johnson Miller
Try Bernie's Homeroom, a beautiful burger topped with Cheddar, bacon, tipsyonions, chipotle aioli and a drippy fried egg.
Photo by Ruthie Johnson Miller

Houston’s food truck business is growing faster than the rising price of gas. Thankfully. And with these new mobile gems comes an influx of creative culinary inspiration.

Check out some of the amazing things happening these days at our favorite trucks. Then follow them on Twitter (linked below) for their daily menus and locations.

Bernie’s Burger Bus
Class is in session at this big yellow school bus, where they’re making straight A’s in burgerology. At Bernie’s, you’ll find classic, old-fashioned burgers made completely from scratch.

Try the Homeroom, a beautiful burger topped with cheddar, bacon, tipsy onions, chipotle aioli and a drippy fried egg.

Eatsie Boys
Three Houston natives are behind this popular truck, which offers an eclectic array of gourmet sandwiches. We like the Pork Snuggies (steamed Asian buns stuffed with pork belly, cilantro and hoisin) and the Eggman (a two-hander of eggs, maple-smoked bacon and cheese on a Challah roll).

Good Dog Hot Dogs
Houston’s hot dog truck does a brisk business, offering premium dawgs with creative toppings. The house favorite is the Ol’ Zapata, a dog loaded with bacon, onions, Muenster cheese, tomatoes, jalapeño relish and ketchup. But we like the Sloppy Slaw with its horseradish-apple slaw, Swiss cheese and mustard.

Htown StrEATS
This new mobile vendor offers an upscale take on street food — fried oyster tacos, falafel wraps and creamy risotto balls. More impressive than the range of savories, though, is the list of rotating crème brulees, like the recent chocolate-popcorn flavor, or another featuring Golden Grahams.

Melange Creperie
Quite simply, you won’t find a better or fresher crepe in town than at Sean Carroll’s captivating crepe cart. Follow him on Twitter for his daily locations and the ever-changing menu of creative crepes. Recent specials include local strawberries with Meyer lemon curd, BLT and ham and egg with Gruyere.

Oh My Gogi
Great news: Oh My Gogi just launched, offering a creative new take on Korean-Mexican fusion. Gogi means meat in Korean — and they do meat right. You’ll find daily specials like Korean BBQ tacos, Korean pork sliders and beef short ribs. Don’t forget to add a side of fries with their signature spicy mayo.

Oh My Pocket Pies
One of Houston’s earliest food trucks is still one of our favorites. Oh My Pocket Pies offers golden, pocket-sized bundles of comfort foods — like Salisbury steak, chili rellenos and twice-baked potato. Crisp-flaky on the outside, warm-tender on the inside.

Got a sweet tooth? Try the s’mores pocket pie.

Phamily Bites
Hooray for ethnic mobile eateries ... Phamily Bites offers Vietnamese food on the go — like nice banh mi sandwiches, bowls of steaming pho and other such munchies. This one usually roams during the nighttime hours near the Drinkery, The Boneyard or Glitter Karaoke.

3 Cajun Pigs
Houston’s not the only area feeding the food truck explosion. The 3 Cajun Pigs truck roams outside the Loop — Tomball, Katy and Cinco Ranch — offering BBQ with a Cajun flair.

They say they’re putting the “bayou” in Bayou City with flaky meat pies, Cajun corndogs, gumbo and savory boudin balls.

Zilla Street Eats
Zilla is anchored by two chefs who elected to leave their stable kitchens to follow their passions for street food. Here it’s comfort food with a kick — a hearty, spicy one.

We like the Srirachi Sloppy Joes, chicken 'n' waffles, and amazing quesadillas. Need dessert? Try the new fried Nutter Butters.

What are your favorite food trucks? Got any new ones to spotlight? Make your food voice heard in the comments section below.

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What's Eric Eating Episodes 518 and 519

Meet the men behind River Oaks' new destination for bowls and broth

Photo by Becca Wright

Find Honest Mary's in the River Oaks Shopping Center.

On this week’s episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” Honest Mary’s founder Nelson Monteith and COO Andrew Wiseheart joined CultureMap editor Eric Sandler to discuss the Austin-based restaurant that just opened its first Houston location in the River Oaks Shopping Center (2047-A West Gray St).

Monteith shares that he started the restaurant in 2017 in order to fulfill his vision of a restaurant which could serve food that’s fast, fresh, and affordable. A trained chef who operated pioneering Austin restaurant Contigo, Wiseheart joined the group to bring both culinary expertise and operational acumen to the grouping company.

Part of what sets Honest Mary’s apart is that diners can add cooked vegetables to the rice and proteins at the heart of every bowl. The “Market Sides” section includes an array of roasted vegetables — including sweet potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, beets, and Brussels sprouts — as well as black beans, maple-glazed carrots, and green lentils. Bowls can be further enhanced with toppings such as Texas pecans, crispy chickpeas, goat cheese, avocado, and apples as well as sauces such as creamy poblano, cashew lime crema, sesame vinaigrette, spicy peanut, chimichurri and apple cider vinaigrette

Monteith explains that looking at the ingredients on display usually inspires him when he’s deciding what to eat at Honest Mary’s.

“I will almost always look at the line and see what looks fresh and good,” Monteith says. “Today, I got the salted kale with white rice. Then, I got garlic-pepper steak. I added on lentils — they’re my go-to in the winter. They blend everything together, and I love it Then Brussels sprouts looked green. I got some jalapenos. Avocados, cause that’s healthy. Then I got the chimichurri sauce.”

Honest Mary’s is also known for its hearty broths, a classic chicken and a vegetarian option made with seaweed and mushroom. Sandler raves about the chicken broth to Wiseheart, who shares how it’s made.

“We spent six or seven months testing recipes and drinking it ourselves to see if it’s a good idea,” Wiseheart says. “I talk about it as a great complement to the menu. It’s healthy. It’s really simple. Most of the kitchens I came up with were rooted in French cuisine. This is just chicken stock with salt in it.”

Listen to the full episode to hear more about Honest Mary’s plans for additional locations in Houston and Dallas. Then Monteith asks a Sandler a few questions about the Houston dining scene.

In this week’s other episode, Sandler and co-host Mary Clarkson discuss the news of the week. Their topics include Home Slice Pizza opening a new location in the Heights; the closures of Brett’s BBQ Shop in Katy and Killen’s Barbecue in The Woodlands; and Esquire including ChòpnBlok on its list of America’s best new restaurants.

In the restaurant of the week segment, the two friends discuss their recent meal at Hypsi, the Italian restaurant in the newly-opened Hotel Daphne. Listen to the episode to hear their favorite dishes and other thoughts on the meal.

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Subscribe to "What's Eric Eating" on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hear it Sunday at 9 am on ESPN 97.5.

Photo by Becca Wright

Find Honest Mary's in the River Oaks Shopping Center.

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