A Must Try Food Truck: Turf N Surf Po' Boy in Austin

om nom notes rating: 5 stars

This food truck served what ended up being my favorite meal in Austin, TX this last trip. In a sea of food trucks - Turf N Surf Po' Boy stands out from the rest because of it's unique local, fresh food menu and intentionally dilapidated but charming "truck". They had quite the selection of responsibly sourced seafood, beef, pork and veggies - but po' boys are truly the star. This truck is not to be missed.

I have to add that the folks here are the NICEST people. They took the time to recommend selections, and made it a point to tell me that I could order anything exactly the way I wanted. So of course I did. :) They were also very apologetic when they didn't have some menu items like the guacamole or etouffee.

While their blackened or fried shrimp po boys are the crowd favorite, I chose to do the grilled crawfish po-boy with extra tomatoes and coleslaw on the side. 

It was AMAZING. Between the crusty and just right grilled multi-grain bread (different from your standard french-style baguette), the seasoned just right crawfish, the fresh tomatoes & mesclun greens, and the addition of thick sliced pickles - every bite's mingle of flavors made me so happy. 

While you would think might be a heavy, greasy sandwich - the greens, pickles, and squeeze of line added the unexpected freshness that made this monstrosity of a sandwich seem almost delicate. It was so good that I must have eaten the entire thing in 5 minutes. The coleslaw is very creamy (courtesy of Mr. Mayo), so I'm glad I got it on the side. 

You can also get any of the Po' Boys in the form of 2 tacos, or a salad (but really - who would want to do that?). I got to try a bit of the blackened shrimp taco, but I have to say that the po-boy with the amazing bread is better and significantly more memorable. Blackened shrimp was very good though.

The cilantro fries on their own are worth getting, just note that it's a huge portion and enough to share between at least 4 people. Curiously enough, they reminded me of the fries from "The O" (The Original Hot Dog Shop) in Pittsburgh - about a medium cut, but fried till crispy.  I had heard that you can get etouffee fries, but sadly they were out of gravy. Next time…

See more pictures at: http://on.fb.me/NIkzeh

Quick Notes:

1. Love that the truck/trailer was built out of 90% recycled/reclaimed material - it started as a shipping container!
2. There is a shaded seating area, but it's open so still hot!
3. They take credit cards.
4. Learn more about the history of the po' boy.
5. They sometimes are open outside of their normal hours, just check their Facebook page for updates
• Normal Hours:
  Mon-Thu 11 am - 3 pm

  Fri 11 am - 3 am

  Sat 12 pm - 3 am

Grilled Crawfish Po' Boy - $10

Grilled Crawfish Po' Boy: grilled crawfish, mesclun greens, pickles, red onion, tomatoes, and coleslaw (on the side)

Cilantro Fries - $3

Cilantro Fries: fresh cut potatoes, salt, cilantro, ketchup

Turf N Surf Po' Boy Trailer Truck

Turf N Surf Po Boy Food Truck: at 4th and Congress

Turf N' Surf Po Boy

177 Yelp reviews as of 7/13/12

Bagels that are Worth the Calories

om nom notes rating: 5 stars


Ever since I found out that bagels are easily 300-400 calories for a bagel itself, I generally stopped eating bagels. However, I recently discovered House of Bagels in San Carlos. These traditional New York style bagels are amazing and I have to use my utmost control to limit my intake to only 1 bagel per week. These bagels are worth it.


House of Bagels is a franchise in the SF Bay area, but every store controls their own menu. What is consistent is how they make their bagels. Made fresh daily, HOB bagels are boiled first, and then baked on brick. This creates the soft, moist but chewy interior, and a tougher, flavorful crust exterior - just the way a bagel should be. The right texture for both the inside and outside of these bagels is what makes the difference. Note: these bagels aren't as large as Panera or Noah's/Einstein Bro's, but more than make up for it in taste and quality.


While I can easily eat any of these bagels on their own, they taste even better with HOB's large selection of schmears (in between normal and whipped and usually available in lite) or bagel sandwiches (available with your preferred bagel). My favorite bagel go-tos are either egg or jalapeno which I get with lite cream cheese on the side. Or, if I'm feeling particularly indulgent, I go for the "Hamlet" bagel omelet (#3) on jalapeno. Ham, fluffy egg, and american cheese on a bagel with a little bit of kick, it's the best way to start a weekend.


This family owned franchise store cranks out an amazing number of orders every day (including perfecting a method to cook the egg exactly as needed for the bagel breakfast sandwiches!). They're incredibly efficient to help meet the needs of the customers who just want to stop in, pick up, and get on with their day. Don't take this efficiency as poor service please. They work hard and are totally pleasant if you are!


Tip: They only make specific quantities of bagels each day and will close early (before 2pm) if they totally run out! I usually go around 10am on a weekend and have all my choices still. 


See more pictures at http://on.fb.me/PlX3r5


Hamlet Bagel Omelet - $3.85

Hamlet: jalapeno bagel, ham, egg & cheese

Bagel Varieties - $0.95/each or $9.25/dozen, Premium $1.10/each

Bagels: chocolate chip, cranberry, cinnamon raisin, blueberry, garlic, egg, jalapeno, sourdough, pumpernickel, whole wheat, sun dried tomato, salt, rye, onion, all in one, poppy, sesame, plain
Premium Bagels: cinnamon sugar, cheddar & jack cheese, jalapeno cheddar & jack, asiago

House of Bagels - San Carlos

60 yelp reviews as of 7/5/12

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