Coche del Escarcho – The Roach Coach – Good Eat’n
Posted on May 17, 2009 - 10:01pm by Marshall J. Gruskin in Trucking
Yes drivers, the “infamous roach coach” – aka – the lunch wagon, chuck wagon, taco truck, snack van, food, breakfast, lunch or break truck, field or mobile kitchen, caterer or cantina on wheels, etc. They call it the “chip wagon” up in Canada.
What better place to eat when you’re “stuck” waiting to load or unload in Philadelphia, LA, Miami, New York or Dallas. A couple weeks ago I had a awesome sausage and pepper hero with a Dr. Brown’s (soda) outside Chicago for $4.50. Wrapped in tin foil it was piping hot and fresher than anything I could have bought at Flying J, Pilot or Petro.
Down in Miami the food trucks have espresso and egg sandwiches with thick cheese and crispy bacon for breakfast. The burgers and fries on the lunch wagons in Southern California off I-5 are juicy and huge. After you buy one their daily “specials” you can sit on checker board cloth covered plastic tables and chairs. You’ll be under an umbrella tilted at just the right angle allowing you to soak up that California sunshine. In New York you can wait on line with forklift drivers, lawyers, secretaries and cops waiting for a (famous) Sabrett hot dog with mustard and onions. Top it off with a icy Snapple in a real glass bottle and experience the sights and sounds of the city.
Down in Laredo, Houston or LA order green chili stew made with chicken, cheese, onions and jalapenos. Made to order burritos, enchiladas, tamales, flautas, carnitas and chimichanga. In Denver, in the industrial parks, break trucks sell roast beef sandwiches with lettuce, tomato and Russian dressing with a hint of garlic on rye and pumpernickel. Order a tall mocha latte to drink. There are Chinese, Indian,Vietnamese, Italian, Jewish, Indonesian, Thai, Japanese and Polish food trucks making their way in and out of warehouses, distribution centers, construction sites and businesses all over the US two times or more a day.
In Florida, entrepreneurial women, who operated lunch trucks, started wearing bikini’s to increase their business. Unfortunately they – the bikinis – were outlawed. As a truck driver, the break truck always seems to show up when I’ve run out of food in my frig. I’m between Wal-Mart visits thirsty and hungry. And because the food and drinks are cheaper than a “typical” restaurant – being down to my last few dollars, I always seem to have enough to pay for a good meal.
My fav meal is breakfast. The junk they pawn off at truck stops calling it breakfast is terrible. And we all know how truly bad their coffee is despite offering 15 varieties that tastes all the same. I don’t think I’ve ever had something bad from a break van. And thank goodness, I never seen a roach – on the coach.
Photo credits: http://image.examiner.com/images/blog/wysiwyg/image/ny_sabrett_hotdog.jpg, http://porcupinespomegranates.blogspot.com/ and http://farm1.static.flickr.com/18/24160219_b187c589e0.jpg?v=0
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Tradeshow marshalling yards always have a coach coming by because of all the trucks sitting around. Usually great stuff.
Some trucks are better than others. I usually pass on the trucks that are a converted pick-up truck with pre-prepared stuff. Having a grill and a good cook and fresh food are great.
They seem to be getting better all the time, probably from all of the competition.