+
|
![]() |
Given our unique position on the internets as a lunch blog that talks about basketball, we thought it would be fitting to combine our love for food, booze, and hoops in one casual monster event. Due to the massive showing at the last casual game watch, Iron Horse has agreed to extend happy hour prices to Georgetown fans for tomorrow night's game against Missouri, and through the help of loveshack99, the fine gents at Eat Wonky, the world's greatest food truck, will be serving folks their famous wonky dogs and fries outside the bar before the game.
When: Eat Wonky 7-9pm, Game 9pm-11pm
Where: Iron Horse, 507 7th St. NW
What: $3 Miller Lite, Bud Light, Craft Lager of the month; $5 Maker's Mark drinks; Delicious Poutine and Dogs
As always, we here at the THE GLOBAL PHENOMENON are bringing you everything there is to know about the food we are recommending you stuff your face with. Special thanks to Jeff from Eat Wonky for taking the time to provide entertaining and informative answers to our always interesting questions. Jeff & the rest of the Eat Wonky crew, these $3 Miller Lites are for you.
(More after the DaJump)
If you've seen our most recent Awards, you know that we prize unhealthy food. But Jesus, gravy and cheese on top of fried food? This is a new high (or low). What's the backstory on the origin of poutine? How did you get the idea to start a poutine food truck?
The origination of our concept was a trip to visit friends in Canada. They introduced us to poutine, which originated in Quebec, and we loved it! It was strange to us that we couldn't find it readily in the states and decided to see if we could develop an authentic recipe that was just as delicious as what we had up north. The result was Wonky Fries. Once we had the Wonky Fries, we thought that the best way to eat them would be on top of an all-beef jumbo dog on a hoagie roll, otherwise known as the Wonky Dog. We were right!
Though our menu consists of a lot of fun indulgences, we focused very much on quality when searching for the best combination of ingredients. We are stoked about of the resulting combination of delicious food. (And don't tell anyone, but it's healthier than you might think).
Talk to us about the dogs you're serving. All beef? Kosher? How do they stack up with the much ballyhooed (though generally overrated) Ben's half smoke.
Stated simply, our dogs kick ass. They are all-beef quarter pounders straight out of the Bronx, NY. It doesn't get any more authentic than that.
CasualHoya's bachelor party in Montreal (where we saw things that can never be unseen and did things that can never be undone), likely set back US-Canada relations at least 20 years and we understand that many passports are now blacklisted to prevent travel to Canada. How Canadian is your food truck? Will you speak with annoying French accents?
We are an American food truck through and through. With that said, we give mucho props to Canada for introducing us to poutine and for showing us how to do it right. We also love all of our loyal Canadian fans! You'll find them, us, and a bunch of other crazies out tailgating with the Wonky Truck before home Caps games. Hockey and Wonky Food was made for each other!
Canada's also known for the smoked meat sandwich. Any chance you all branch out into some other regional fare?
I think we'll stick with the current menu for now, but don't be surprised if we add some special treats here and there.
Like most things hipster, some contend that these food carts are the latest in an ever changing line of food fads (froyo begat cupcakes begat burgers begat food trucks). Are food trucks a craze? What is next for Eat Wonky?
We see the current incarnation of food trucks as an innovative way to get high quality food concepts to people in a fun and engaging way. So long as juristictions are flexible with how they regulate the trucks, I do not see them going anywhere anytime soon. If anything, I think that many will evolve into brick and mortar locations with the food truck as a supplement to use for events and to activate spaces with their presence and energy throughout the city. Keep an eye out for Eat Wonky to pop up in other juristictions and other formats soon.
How does the whole food cart thing work? Are you in a competition to see who gets the best parking spaces or do you conspire with the other trucks in DC as to who gets what territory?
As with most forms of business, there is a certain ethic to how you handle yourself relative to other businesses. In the world of DC food trucks, the ethic is by and large one of cooperation.
We assume that you've sampled some of the other lunch truck fare - which is your favorite (after yours, of course) in DC? Which is your least favorite?
I really love me some Rebel Heroes! I truly cannot say that I have a least favorite.
What's the craziest thing a customer has ever asked you? Do you have favorite customers/regulars?
Some guy asked me what Avogadro's number was and I was like "uh, we don't do guacamole here dude."
We have a ton of awesome regulars and we love 'em all!
How did you come up with your price points and have you had to adjust them in accordance with demand? Also, what is your general stance on the economy and the job Ben Bernanke has done?
We base our pricing on a combination of factors, including the price of comparable products, our cost, and market demand. Our demand has been phenomenal and the vast majority of the feedback we receive is that our pricing is right in the ballpark.
We are cautiously optimistic about the economy and hope that the regulatory environment and stimulus plans provide an appropriate balance between flexibility and oversight.
Earlier this summer we interviewed a competitive eater and we were astonished at the amount of food he could handle in a single sitting. What is the most a single person has ordered at once? Did you do a double take? At this point how can one shock you with his or her order?
Not much can shock us at this point. We've seen a guy down two Wonky Dogs, two Wonky Fries, and a grilled cheese after a night of partying. That's about as much as we've seen one person order for themselves. Of course, we get catering/special orders for groups that are huge.
How are the food truck groupies? I can only assume that the ladies are flocking to men who crank out pound after pound of fried potatoes and grease.
Yes, it wasn't until recently that we truly understood the life of a rock star. Maybe a VH-1 special about food truck love is in our future.
When is the best time to attack the food truck if I want a bigger portion? Am I more likely to get more fries of I hit it before the lunch craze? After? Right before you're about to shut down?
We keep our portion sizes consistent and generous regardless of when you come by.
How many gallons of gas does your truck take?
About 25 gallons and it is a very fuel efficient diesel engine that produces much fewer emissions per mile than a gas engine. Eat Wonky has a strong commitment to environmental sustainability and takes steps to minimize our environmental impact in every aspect of the business.
Have you ever slept in your truck? Thought about it?
No way. Even though it's the cleanest and neat truck ever, we spend enough time in there as it is.
If you could have a food truck to provide any food in any city what would be the food you served and in what city and why?
We are doing it now! DC is such and eclectic mix of demographics that it is a perfect jumping off point for a concept like ours.
How has twitter helped your business?
Twitter is the tool that we use for the vast majority of our communication with customers. It, along with Facebook and our website keep our fans informed of our location, hours, and general happenings. Our business model would be very different if Twitter or its equivalent did not exist.
As you likely know, the CasualHoya readership numbers in the THOUSANDS and SPANS THE GLOBE. With that as a backdrop, is there a secret menu (a la In N Out) readers should know about for tomorrow?
We could tell you, but we'd have to have you sign a confidentiality agreement, cross your heart, pinky swear, and take a blood oath.
What are your thoughts on tomorrow's game vs. Missouri. Final score prediction?
Georgetown FTW, 80-76!
Find out more about Eat Wonky below: