# 19

It appears that the #19 is closed. The bus is gone and their FB/​Twitter page hasn’t been updated in almost four months. Sad. :(

The best cheeseburger I’ve ever eaten, ever! It’s inconsistent tho. When it’s dripping with juice, I’m happy. I also love their root beer (Maine Root). These two things are all I need to have a great night. I love the trailer park too. The holiday decorations made it even cuter at night… sigh.

OK, I get it, I missed the boat, er, uh, bus by not getting the cheesesteak, but we had been pounding BBQ at six different places over the last day and a half, and I needed some veggies. So, I went with the veggie sammich, served on a big, fresh roll, with good cheese and a ton of fantastic peppers and onions. The sandwich was really tasty, with good proportion of cheese to veggies.
Next time, I’ll try the cheesesteak, but if you’re wanting that veggie fix, #19 will fill the bill for that, too.

Maybe they just had an off day because of the stress of feeding 8 million people during SXSW. I mean, actual people from Philadelphia liked their cheese-​steak sandwiches. So that’s my disclaimer.
My sandwich was a salty cheeseless mess and I’ve never paid so much for so little at a trailer in Austin. We walked away feeling regretful about how we had wasted our hungry.

Well, I visited this wonderful little trailer park eatery on the East side today as I was not only brutally dehydrated from the night before’s shenanigans (if you catch my drift), but also hot from walking a few blocks to get there (in jeans, not realizing my phone telling me it was 77 degrees outside was a lie). There were definitely a few options to choose from, but the big red bus had just what I needed: a big, juicy cheeseburger, with a slightly sweet bun, and just the right amount of lettuce, tomoato, ketchup and mustard.
Nothing hits the hangover cure quite like a delicious burger… success was had here at #19. I also had my friend try my burger v his cheesesteak, while his was good, he claims mine was better. Always stick with a burger for lunch after a night of heavy drinking.
Cons: The courtyard «dining area» aka dirty picnic tables where everyone gathers, needs more umbrellas (especially since summer is approaching). I was melting.
Pros: Everything else :)

During SXSW, I often went straight to shows without eating any food prior. so I stumbled upon this group of vendors right next to the East Side Drive In. Only one vendor was open when I arrived (the taco truck) but I had tacos two days in a row and didn’t really feel like going in for the third day. so I hovered around by #19 for almost an hour waiting for them to get organized and open (on Unilocal it says they open at 11am, they didn’t open til around 12:45pm). Finally, they did, and luckily I was one of the first few people in line so I didn’t have to wait to place an order (there were only 4 or 5 people working so I knew it would take a little while). I ordered a cheeseburger ($ 8). I waited for quite some time for it. More people ordered. People before me AND after me got their orders. I thought I saw my cheeseburger sitting on the ledge and right as I went to ask if it was mine, one of the workers took it and put it under the grill. I was confused, but I waited it out to see if they completely discarded my order or if I had just been wrong. I guess I had been wrong (or maybe they just decided they were going to save that one for themselves) because I finally got my burger after waiting what seemed like an eternity.
Overall, the burger was big, juicy and it satisfied my hunger pains. Although I’m pretty positive I would have inhaled any thing that was placed in front of me at that point.

Best burgers in town. Forealdo.

I moved here from Philadelphia, so yes, I am totally biased and horribly judgemental when it comes to cheesesteaks. I’ve eaten at Pat’s and Gino’s and think they both suck. A good cheesteak doesn’t have «wiz», it has provolone, mozzarella, or american cheese. It should always have a toasted bun. The meat should always have a good flavor and texture (too many places cook it till it’s chewy and tastes like dog food, which they try to mask with five tons of soggy mushrooms, onions, and other miscellaneous toppings), and it should always be served piping hot.
When I rode my bike over to #19 last night I was feeling tentative and ready to be disappointed. Being the loud mouth that I am, I immediately informed the adorable guy at the counter that I was from Philly, and asked him if I should even bother wasting my money. He assured me that even if it wasn’t close to the fond cheesteaks of my memory, it would still be a delicious dinner. So I threw him the reasonable $ 7ish bucks, and waited to see his skills.
What he presented me brought me right down memory lane. It was everything I always want in a cheesteak. It was even super juicy from the fresh ingredients (and perfectly sauteed mushrooms and onions… woot!)…a major plus in my book. It was by far the closest anyone’s come to replicating a delicious Philly cheesteak I’ve seen since I moved to this side of the country, and I was both surprised and thrilled to have finally found what appears to be a truly authentic place.
I haven’t gotten the chance to try anything else on their menu yet, but a few close friends of mine said that the burgers are also unreal, and better than most of the other burger joints around that area.
I’m giving them five stars for proving me wrong about Texans being able to master Philly cuisine, for filling my belly with deliciousness, and for having a gorgeous counter guy. I will certainly be back, and soon!

I don’t generally write reviews — when I do it’s to bitch about something after I’ve been drinking — but I have to give some props to this place. I’ve stopped by the big red bus on a few occasions and I always leave feeling good about my decision. They’ve moved across the street (basically) to the lot adjacent to the new East Side Drive-​In, and I made another stop by the bus tonight after the Guides By Voices show to grab a bite.
These guys know how to make a cheesesteak. It was cooked perfectly and the bread seemed like it came straight from Philly. (Actually, after reading some over reviews of this place, apparently it does.) The bus is a spectacle in itself and is hard to miss. They have some tables out front and a large seating area on the top of the bus. Good spot for some general people watching.
I stuck around for a while with some friends and we talked to the owner a bit. Super nice guy. He said that they plan to do some fun events like Sunday brunch and movie nights. As we were leaving, Robert Pollard from Guided By Voices meandered down from the top of the bus and autographed the stairway with a incomprehensible message.
I’ll be back for sure.

As a native of Philadelphia I probably should have ordered the cheesesteak. Will do next time. As for the chzburger– this might actually be worth the high price of $ 7.50. At least it’s close. I’ll let you be the judge. The bun resisted sogginess, the burger blend had the right spices and it held together very well. My only complaint is that for $ 7+, they should throw in a bag of chips.

Megan L. and I didn’t intend to go here, but I am so glad we did…
I hear from a semi-​to-​non-​reliable source that they have fresh bread sent to them from Philly to truly capture the essence of the perfect Philadelphia cheese steak. Personally, I have a hard time understanding how a city can lay claim to bread+cheese+meat but they managed to do it, so kudos to them.
More importantly, kudos to #19 who must magically drive there double-​decker bright red bus to Seasoning City where they get handed the key to the place from Mayor Black Pepper (D). Translation: their sandwiches are well seasoned and they are liberal with the black pepper.
I will be back, but probably in the fall, cuz eating a cheese steak outside in the summer in Austin for lunch makes the rest of your day semi-​to-​non-​productive.

Apparently I am determined to gain 21 342 pounds this week. With my Lucky J’s groupon expiring this week, Jason G. and I adventured down to this collection of trailers only to find that everyone else was also trying to use their groupons.
Fail…or win? We decided to try #19 instead and there were words like «best cheesesteak I’ve ever had» spoken. I mean, those are some big words but they were definitely warranted. Those kiddos in that bus really know what they’re doing.

I went here when it first opened, good but nothing to write home about. I went again last night and OH MY SWASS. I don’t know what they’ve done, but it worked. The cheesesteak is DEVINE. The burgers are amazing to boot. Great location. Super chill, open late. So so freaking good. I literally had cheesesteak dreams last nigh. Hands down, best I’ve ever had.

#19 has it down! I lived the first 22 years of my life in S. Jersey, 10 min. from Philly and I know what I’m talking about. Trust me.
I am a cheesesteak fanatic. F-​A-​N-​A-​T-​I-​C. I never went a week without one growing up and it’s the first thing I get on the way home from the airport. (no, I do not stop at Geno’s or Pat’s. There’s no contest since they are equally overrated crap)
Anyhoo…if you think you know anything about Philly cheesesteaks, and you don’t like this place, then you don’t really know anything about Philly cheesesteaks. You know Texadelphia cheesesteak like product.
That’s okay, there’s no shame in that. Until now. Now #19 is open and you have no excuse to not know what a cheesesteak is.
Oh, and he has queso if you insist on going Texan. Just don’t do it in front of me. Okay. Thanks.

Yipes — reading all the 4 and 5 star reviews, I pulled up to the trailer expecting great things. It may of been just a bad night, but the sandwich I got was a mess. Meat tasted like it’d been sitting (cooked) since lunch and the mushrooms were completely soggy. Both the meat & mushrooms were the same black (and I mean black) in color which I can only guess meant they were over cooked or old. Took about 3 bites and didn’t want to chance it. What made matters worst (or comical) was though the guy in the trailer was very pleasant, when handing me my sandwich he was dripping sweat all over the foiled sandwich and on my hand as I reached for it. Guessing a hat might be in order. I usually give most places a 2^nd try knowing anyone can have a bad night — but the looks and taste of the meat will keep me away.

Tim, the owner of #19, will not help you lose weight.
He will instead provide you with large portions of delicious street food — a mouth watering philly cheese steak, a ginormous Chicago dog complete with their special nuclear green colored peppers, and a huge ass burger.
The best part though is the vehicle in which he peddles his food — as you can see by the picture, this is no ordinary trailer — it is an authentic double decker bus! Probably the only one in Texas and maybe, for all you know, the entire US of A. And yes, you can now eat your food on top of the bus, looking at star constellations you can’t remember the names of, or shooting spit wads at unsuspecting hipsters walking by.

I didn’t think it was possible to top Texadelphia, but the guy in the bus managed to do it. Tender beef, dripping with cheese and accompanied by delicious sweet red peppers. This was some good stuff. I’d go there again. And again.

I don’t give a crap about cheesesteaks, but the hotdogs are amazing. The buns? The best. And the chicago style relish is delish. The boys working there are really sweet also.$ 4.50 is a touch pricey for an original, but whatevs. When you want a hotdog, and the badass hotdog cart that used to be outside of Shangri-​La is gone, head to #19.

I don’t really consider myself a cheesesteak person, which is funny because I always love them when I do get them – which is rare. (I read Jeromy D’s review before starting mine. He obviously knows what’s up in the world of cheesesteaks. I however, do not.)
The guys at Number 19 go one step beyond the typical airstream trailer and have a bus set up. Yes! A bus! And not just a little school bus or something. This is a red double-​decker bus, oh yes! There’s a line of chairs up there where you can sit and actually get a bit of a breeze (well, at least late at night there was).
Like I said, I’m no connoisseur of cheesesteaks, but this one was pretty damn good. The bread was just about perfect. Kinda toasted, but just to the right amount, to allow for proper soaking. The veggies on top were sauteed to perfect deliciousness. And it was the right amount of cheese, too.
I know there was a «veggiesteak» and a Chicago dog as well as a few other items, but why bother, when the cheesesteak is so good?

Ok, lets talk cheesesteak. or steak sandwich as they call it in philly. There are a few factor to consider when purchasing a «proper» samich to be called a cheese steak.
1. bread
2. steak to cheese to bread ratio
3.topings
lets start with the obvious… bread, you cant have a samich with out bread. furthermore you cant have a proper cheesesteak with out a certain type of bread. it has to be dense enough to stand up to wet ingredients yet soft enough crust to not loose a tooth on or feel like your gonna rip those crown out of the front of your mouth taking a bite. not only have they achieved both of these, they import there bread from PHILLY. there it is… the pentacle of steak sandwich bread. thats 50% of my issues with other cheesesteak «style» sandwiches in town.
now the bread to cheese to meat ratio is important also. too much bread equates to chewy, flavor lacking dry sandwich. too much meat and your left with a soggy second half. too much cheese and you have constipation. they got it right here. Just the right ratio of all so that in the beginning its supper tasty, and a firm enough ending with just enough sauce laden bread to force me to eat the whole damn thing.
now last but prolly my favorite and the most subjective… toppings.
everyone is a little different here so its really your call. I prefer peppers and onions. they sauté them here. really nice touch. most places throw jalapenoes or sweet peppers out of a jar. not a fan of either on a cheese steak. done. done and done. everything was point on.
so there it is… oh wait… did i tell you your seating is on top of a double decker bus? great people watching and great ambiance for casual lunch. I think im gonna grab a couple of tall boys and head over one night and watch the emo kids parade up and down east 6^th in there skinny jeans and swoopy hair. i’ll try one of there dogs next time.
I’ll be back
cheers for great cheese steaks!