Itty-Bitty Burgers

Dea Zazula

Customers line up to order their sliders on a hot day in Burbank, CA.

It's the third week of visiting food trucks and today has been all about burgers. Today I visited Slammin' Sliders while it was in Burbank. 

Dea Zazula

Slammin' Sliders menu.

Slider choices were not restricted to only beef burgers; instead, there were shrimp and lobster cake sliders plus pulled pork sandwiches  All of the beef sliders were made with Kobe beef, which is considered to be top-notch.

Dea Zazula

Mushroom swiss sliders.

                                                                                   I was really hoping that the menu would offer a sampler of some sort (because I wanted to try it all) but it didn't. I decided to order the mushroom Kobe sliders while my friend ordered the "original" cheeseburger sliders. Slider orders came with two mini-burgers and sliced pickles on the side. Side orders were not included but we still ordered jalapeno croquets (Croquets are also known as poppers). 

The sliders were really flavorful and filling, and the beef was really tender. The sauteed mushrooms on my burgers were to die for, seriously. If you are a huge mushroom fan I would strongly recommend ordering the sliders that are topped with them.

Dea Zazula

Mushroom and bacon cheese sliders and jalapeno croquets.

Other than that, the only downfall were the slider buns. They are not a deal breaker but I think that toasting, or at least heating, the buns would have improved the texture and taste of the slider as a whole. 

Dea Zazula

Dipped jalapeno Croquet.

The jalapeno croquets were awesome! Crispy on the outside and soft and spicy on the inside. The dipping sauce also had a bit of a bite to it. They may have been too spicy for people with sensitive taste buds but, in my opinion, they were prepared just right. Another side note: If you are worried about calories or grease then I would not suggest getting these as a snack because they are pretty oily, but delish! Slammin' Sliders portions were overall generous and decently priced. 

Dea Zazula

Coolers full of different soda.

There were no fountain drinks. Instead, the guys running the truck set up a couple of coolers directly in front of the parked truck and allowed customers to help themselves. 

We were particularly hungry today so we scarfed our food quickly on the sidewalk, washed it down with two Pepsis and took off.

Side note: A unique fact about Slammin' Sliders is that they are associated with a catering company called California Crazy Chef's Catering. The company is available to service your home, office, corporate, or fund-raising event. The phone number, e-mail and address are imprinted on the truck and can also be found on their website. 

The Real Hoagie

Dea Zazula

Fresh rolls of bread, condiments and sodas on ice.

So, apparently you do not have to physically be in Philadelphia to have a "real" Philly hoagie. In case you were wondering, hoagies are just another way of saying sandwich. Apparently different states have different names for these delish subs.

Dea Zazula

Deano's Deli Menu.

Deano's Deli sandwiches follow the traditional Philadelphia theme. Evidently, this Northeastern state knows how to do a sub sandwich the right way! There were only two girls running the truck. Just like last week, I went during lunch hour so there were a lot of people on their lunch breaks at work which meant a busy lunch rush!

The menu was really simple consisting of only six sandwich types and a few side choices. The fresh bread was on glass display. The menu, to the left over here, is pretty self-explanatory but to brief those of you who don't feel like squinting to read the small font...

The subs: Turkey, Italian, roast beef, prosciutto, veggie and hot pastrami. The sides: Tortellini salad, potato salad, fresh potato chips and the no-bake chocolate cookie for dessert! 

Dea Zazula

Deano's Deli hoagie.

Since the line was fairly long, the sandwiches took a few minutes to be ready but once I got mine I didn't really care about the wait anymore. I was instantly glad that I had chosen to go with the half sub rather than the full. Unless you are sharing or absolutely starving, I would recommend going with the smaller sandwich; I couldn't even finish mine and it felt like it weighed a pound!


The pastrami swiss hoagie was a warm sub up and meat was really tender. The mustard and pickles added good flavor. Sometimes pastrami gets a little chewy and stringy so I was relieved that I didn't have that problem. One thing I did notice was that the bread was a bit soggy (from the pickles I'm assuming) but that was the only small downfall of the hoagie.

Dea Zazula

Thick pastrami sub.

The girls made fresh chips in the truck by throwing potato pieces into boiling grease. It looked like a quick and easy process and honestly it made the chips taste so good. I hardly had any room left in my stomach to finish them or even think about dessert though.

I was intrigued by the "no-bake chocolate chip cookies" on the menu so I just had to find out what all of that was about. One of the girls briefly explained the recipe to me when I asked her before leaving. She was busy so she gave me a quick run-through but basically the cookies are made with chocolate that is melted in a pan with sugar, milk and butter. Once the chocolate becomes a fudge-like consistency it is put in a bowl and oats are added. Apparently the oats solidify the fudge and there you go! The cookies stay soft and they require no baking. Next time I'll save room for dessert!

Germany's Famous Bratwurst

Dea Zazula

Brats; The good kind! www.germanysfamousbratwurst.com

My first food truck stop was to get some bratwursts with my roommate. I had known about this truck for a while from a few friends raving and decided I would need to test it out myself.

Dea Zazula

Famous Bratwurst's menu.

Today they were located in North Hollywood. $12 for a bratwurst, fries and a coke. This particular truck runs a bit pricier than others but the brats are a good size.

There were only two people working: A lady taking orders and a cook. The menu had many options. I went with the jalapeño cheddar brat with garlic fries and my friend ordered the original with sour kraut.

Dea Zazula

Jalapeño cheddar brat with mustard. 

Both of our orders were amazing. First of all, I am not a huge fan of regular all-American hot dogs (not that brats are even the same thing), but generally when I have ordered brats at restaurants before they still didn't taste like anything special. Everuything tasted really fresh.

Moving on to the garlic fries. Holy crap! Talk about garlic infusion. Delicious but I wouldn't recommend ordering these if you are planning to go to work in an hour or planting a kiss on your loved one. My entire meal cost me $12 which wasn't the cheapest food truck experience I've had but it was, in my opinion, well worth it.

A small, yet expected, downfall in our lunch experience was the location because the truck was parked near an industrial area that had absolutely no where to sit. Not a table, not a bench. We still enjoyed our food sitting on a curb though.
Side note: Looking for comfortable areas to eat your lunch or whatever should probably never be a concern. These trucks are probably not searching for cozy parks to set up shop next to, therefore you shouldn't be searching for those commodities.

If you live nearby, take it to go, who cares! Germany's famous Bratwursts are a go in my book!

Food Food Food Food!!

L.A. County is full of thousands of restaurants and bars, big and small, all accommodating to the large population of foodies out there.

Of course there are the fancy-shmancy places and then the cheaper hole-in the wall spots but there are also awesome things called food trucks. Yes, grub on wheels; no reservations needed.

Whether you're on your lunch break at work and the food truck is parked outside your door or you're trying something new (like awesome authentic Mexican tacos, for example), Los Angeles is full of all different kinds trucks and treats.

This blog will take a dive into various and delicious food trucks, mainly in the Los Angeles area. This way readers may be more inclined to go out and try something 'em.

Food truck experiences are mainly on a right place, right time basis, but there is a food truck tracker site that allows you to follow your faves wherever they go... so check it out!

Nothing's beats an awesome meal that doesn't require a dress code.