MIT Trucks

Don’t be afraid to walk past Momogoose and check out the other trucks! All of the trucks are around $ 5 – 6 for lunch and are parked from 11:30am to 2pm or so.
Momogoose is decent. Vaguely asian food. Sometimes there’s a long line, but it moves quickly. I’ve had pretty much all the tofu dishes with rice noodles — they’re okay /​passable. I do love the vegetarian phở — hot and spicy and full of noodles and vegetables. Perfect for a cold /​dreary day. 2.5 stars
Never tried the Middle Eastern truck — I’ve also never seen anyone order from there.
Clover is Clover. Personally, I am not a fan, but I’ll save that for a Clover review.
Jose’s is the best! I get the nopales (cactus) and ask for some veggies as well. Large portions, good quality, great pico, and their green salsa is nice and spicy. Everything you get (that’s not a platter, at least) comes with beans, rice, and some chips — and the chips are really good. I’ve gotten the soft tacos (2 tacos), the enchiladas (I asked for all of the sauces because I couldn’t decide and they laughed), the tostada, the quesadilla. They’re all good! 4 stars

Jose’s Mexican truck is horrible — sick for 2 days from eating there. Yuck!!!

repeat visitor… I’m there at least 3X/​week as it’s 5mins from my office. It is excellent for what it is, reasonably-​priced, solid, healthy Asian food. I stick to the tofu special/​salad. Usually spicy. For $ 5 in Cambridge? I’m definitely in. Thumbs up for Momogooooose! A plus is the friendly folks that work the truck, quality people, working hard to make their customers happy.

The Lamb shawarma is the worst shawarma I have ever had. The pita bread was thick and tough, they used iceberg lettuce, there were no tomatoes and a pathetic amount of onions.
Only good thing I have to say is that at least it was only 4 bucks.

Keep this in mind — the quality of the food trucks increases as the distance from Main street increases.
Momogoose is the worst. Avoid the noodles, the sandwiches are passable. Don’t let the line scare you off (the food does that enough), the service is actually quite fast. Almost too fast…
Jerusalem is decent. I get the falafel and hummus sandwich. It’s greatly improved if you can pop it in the microwave, but I’d recommend Aceituna a few megablocks north of here instead.
Clover is great food and a great business. They’re very transparent and experimental. It’s slightly more expensive and significantly slower than the other trucks. As far as I can tell everything on the menu is vegetarian. There are a few staples such as the BBQ Seitan and they’re usually rotating various other items in and out. Expect to spend $ 6 on sandwiches, $ 3 on sides and $ 3 on drinks. They’re also open the latest in case you ever need a quick snack or drink before heading out of Kendall.
The food at Jose’s isn’t as good as Clover’s, but it’s a great deal and still very tasty. $ 4 gets you a veggie burrito with sour cream and guac, chips, salsa, rice and beans. Service is very friendly and seems to be much quicker than it has been in the past. It’s the farthest truck from my office, but definitely the best overall.
My biggest disappointment with the Kendall food trucks is there is no reason they need to be trucks. It’s the same four restaurants since I started working here in summer 2011. The whole point of food trucks is that they can move around to various places. The City of Boston does it properly, with a fleet of licensed food trucks that move around the city to several different locations.

I have tried all the Mexican food truck I ordered a veggie fajita and it had chicken in it what the heck?

Clover is great — fresh food, delicious pickled vegetables and also open to tailoring your order to cater to your allergies.
Jose’s Mexican Truck has great mole enchiladas and extremely reasonable portion sizes.
Thai/​Vietnamese Food truck is not fantastic (heavy sauces) but your $ 4.00 can go a long way, and the Vietnamese BBQ plate is decent.

Clover is holy-​shit awesome! They’re open weekdays (read: NOT weekends!) from 8am till 7pm, and their egg-​eggplant sandwiches are the greatest thing since sliced bread – or make that since pita bread, the tasty bready stuff they’re served in. Some other trucks might be good, but Clover’s the gold standard.
…and then some trucks wage holy war against your intestines. For example, save for evisceration, no greater havoc may be wreaked upon your bowels than that caused by the food from Jerusalem Palace. To be fair, I’m a veteran vegetarian, so perhaps it makes a difference if you’re not accustomed to flavorless mystery meat that you can barely even identify as such until it’s far, far too late, especially when you order a «Greeksalad sandwich.» Whereas Greek salad is comprised of tomatoes, feta, olives, and cukes drizzled in olive oil and delicious, «Greeksalad» somewhat forgivably introduces iceberg lettuce to the mix, less forgivably contains NONE of the above ingredients (save for old tomato skins), and unforgivably sneaks in some F-​grade MEAT that not even Taco Bell could sell, as it’s sourced from Satan’s ass. Also, pretty sure that shitty meat pervades throughout the rest of the sandwich lineup, as a friend who tried the «falafel sandwich» also reported a mysterious vague, mushy fleshiness and smell. Fellow vegetarians beware, and everyone else… well, go somewhere else. Your tummy will thank you.

I have eaten at these trucks for years, and keep going back regularly. I only rate a three since I think they vary in quality. As of this review there are four trucks (sadly Yona’s sub and pizza truck is gone). I’ll break them down individually:
Jose’s Mexican Truck: 4 stars — I really like this truck. Their burritos are great. Value wise it is unbeatable. $ 5 for a fully decked out burrito with chips, beans and rice on the side. Not recommended if you don’t want much food unless you are splitting with a friend. I have eaten a burrito here probably fifty times and I plan to continue. The only bad thing I would say is that if you go during peak time (12:30ish) on a nice day you may have to wait a while. If you go before noon though you’ll get your burrito very quickly.
Clover Food Project: 4 stars — I also like this truck. Their food is great. I’ve tried all the sandwiches and liked them all (although the eggplant and egg I didn’t like as much). Their rosemary seasoned fries are awesome. The only reason I don’t eat here more is that usually it isn’t enough food for me unless I spend $ 7 or more.(I am a large portions guy I admit) Folks who like a reasonably sized meal though it is probably just right. It is all vegetarian with a focus on local and/​or organic ingredients. It is super popular though, so despite their increasingly streamlined operation there can be a bit of a wait to get through the mob.
Middle Eastern Truck: 3 stars — This truck is ok but I wouldn’t call it exemplary in any way. The only thing it has going for it is that it is extremely cheap. You can get a falafel wrap for $ 2.75. I ate here almost every day for many months a few summers ago and like it, but at some point the food just lost its appeal.
Gooseberry’s Chinese/​Everything Truck: 2 stars — I’ve tried most of the things on the menu here, but generally I don’t eat here anymore. I’ve had a few things here that I thought were downright bad, and a few things that I would call mediocre. This and the ridiculous line every day (which I find amazing considering that their food isn’t that good) have stopped me from eating here for years. They have recently overhauled their look and menu, so it is possible that things have improved, but when I make the haul out to the trucks in the spring I doubt I will risk my lunch on this place.

I would like to boast that I’ve given all these trucks a try, but once a place disappoints me, I rarely venture back.
Here’s the DL:
1. CLOVER FOOD TRUCK is the home of all miracles, good health, and deliciousness. Read my unbiased and completely objective review by searching for «Clover»
2. Jose’s Mexican place ranks second in the lunch truck lineup, for two reasons: first, the lady who takes your order is very nice, and gives good recommendations on the best sauces. Second, because they serve real black beans, tasty salsa, and restaurant-​quality corn chips with your meal. They lose points for not using enough spices/​seasoning though, as I unfortunately experienced last week when I ordered a chicken quesadilla that turned out to be a flour tortilla containing shredded chicken (no seasoning, unless you count salt as a spice), chopped tomatoes, and bland cheese. Tip: order enchiladas with sauce.
3. Jerusalem falawful truck. Don’t know what it’s actually called, because I never plan on going back! We’re scraping the bottom of the barrel here, folks. I don’t know why they even bother. Falafel was terrible– tasted like it had been cooked the week before. The bread was not fresh. The only redeeming quality was that it cost $ 4, which saved me from the self-​loathing that would have come with spending a ton of money on bad food.
4. Thai/​Vietnamese truck: My «Pad Thai» was a lump of cold tasteless egg noodles with lime juice on top, shredded lettuce, and stringy tofu. I gave them a second chance and ordered dumplings, which either humorously or embarassingly (whichever you prefer), caused me to miss a significant portion of my mid-​afternoon meeting.
If we take all of Kendall Sq’s eateries into consideration, I suggest the following ranking:
Best:
1. Clover Food Truck
2. Black Sheep @ Kendall Hotel
3. Za (for pizza and salad)
4. Cosi
5. Microsoft’s café
Benignly mediocre:
–Jose’s, Mexican food truck
–Rebecca’s
–Legal Seafoods
–Au Bön Pain
Only if you hate yourself:
–Jerusalem falawful truck
–Zigo
–Thai/​Vietnamese lunch truck, or pretty much anything in the MIT-​adjacent food court

Nice. Clover Food is now open late for dinner. So in addition to their new downtown location, they have added dinner time food for the MIT crowd. Very sweet news indeed.

Gooseberry’s Vietnamese & Thai Review
When compared to Chinese fast food at the MIT food court and what it gets you for $ 4.5, Gooseberry’s blows it away! It’s not gourmet, but the Bun Ga Nuong (shredded chicken thighs with a hint of lemongrass over a bed of cool vermicelli noodles, lettuce, and topped with the saucy sauce) was a Vietnamese treat boasting a flavor that was tangy and satisfying. The sauce was very … wet, but I was able to eat while standing up and waiting for my co-​workers who had to wait a PAINFUL 25 minutes for their soy-​based saitan (sedan, satan, whatever…) from Clover.

In general, the trucks are just downright awesome. Quick, cheap food that’s (if you order correctly) is flavorful, delicious, and somewhat healthy. Plus, all of them serve huge huge portions. Why pay $ 10 across the street at the food court for something you can get for $ 4 at the trucks!
That said, I’m going to focus my review on the MIT food trucks that don’t seem to have their own page. And since I haven’t tried the Mexican truck, I guess that leaves me with the flafel truck! So on the plus side, the food is insanely cheap (you can actually get a hummus wrap for $ 2.50!) and it’s relatively healthy. However, on the negative side, a lot of what I’ve gotten there is pretty bland or meh.
Don’t be discouraged by the lines, they move fast. And if nothing else, going to the trucks is a fun activity and something slightly different then your every day lunch

This review is for the trucks that don’t have their own page. They should all have their own page.
Mexican (Maria’s): I like how they give you beans and homemade tortilla chips on the side. The food is a little bland for mexican, but that’s what hot sauce is for. Very competent tacos and burritos, especially the adobo, which has a tomato sauce on top. I usually get two meals out of this. So, if 4 or 5 bucks gives you two lunches then that might be as cheap as making your own sandwich at home.
Jerusalem Café: Definitely the cheapest on the block. Three dollars gives you enough food for 2 meals. The chicken and rice plates are interesting. Not sure if the veggies are the freshest, but it’s not the place to go if you’re looking for the freshest.

i spent 4 years of my life with you MIT food trucks! There are about 3, but the one at the bio café has the longest line. The one with the best Chinese food is on 77 Mass Ave…
Every day it’s the same pattern, starve during lunch, eat at food trucks, massive food coma, attend class, fall asleep, wake up, don’t know where i am… class is over, arms feel a bit numb from sleeping for 2 hrs. go home… and do it again tomorrow because the food is cheap and good, and I was a POOR college student!

With apologies to Keith Olbermann:
Worse: Goosebeary’s, for your edible but tasteless «pan-​Asian» (read:easy excuse for indeterminate flavor) slop. You will do in a pinch, but I really don’t like being pinched.
Worser: Jose’s. What kind of magic web of blandness do you weave, that you’ve convinced me that you are worse even than Anna’s?
Worst: Jerusalem Café: What kind of fuckery is this? This is not lamb, this is not falafel, not even falawful. Indeterminate and terrifying. Next time you send me to the hospital, I send you to the morgue (apologies now to Sean Connery in the Untouchables)
Cogratulations Jerusalem Café! You are today’s
WORST
PERSON
INTHEWORLD!!!

$ 3.25 for a shwarma wrap? Intriguing.. .
I work about two blocks from the trucks, but hadn’t gone there until the other day when my co-​workers convinced me it was a better value than Café Main. True. The wrap was highly decent. Could have more fillings, but you get what you pay for.
I did not get sick from this experience, which makes it one of the best values in town (along with the Muddy Charles nearby).

It was one of those days when I just had to go to the trucks. At this point, I knew nothing of the trucks and their mystical allure.
I was a virgin. Was «going to the trucks» like getting in a van with no windows? It was a risk I was willing to take.
Is there a place left in town where lunch is UNDER 5 bucks? The trucks
Who can create 30 items on a chinese menu with only 4 ingredients? The trucks
Who will fill you up, and not give you diarrhea? The trucks
Go to the trucks. At least once. You might regret it, but you wont forget it.

I’ve only been to the trucks a few times, as for the first year that I worked at the Institute, there was a closer truck, a Chinese place called «Delicious Lunch Box». I miss you, Delicious Lunch Box, and your chicken covered in sauces food that made me le tired. Now I have to have sandwiches that give me energy!
The biggest plus side of the Trucks is the price of food: it’s cheaper than some of the MIT food (though Refresher Course’s sandwiches, if you go the DIY route rather than the specials/​menu, are decently priced), and if you really want chicken covered in random sauces, Gooseberry’s has that.
Also, as the parking lot next to the Stata Center is now under reconstruction of some form (as of April 1), I think they’ve moved over to the section next to the Medical Center and the Kendall/​MIT T stop on the non-​Marriott side of the street (the one that looks like a house).

Yes they are cheap, but is it worth being stuck at MIT Medical for several days with food poisoning? Do you really want to eat gross meat out of a truck? At Gooseberry’s, you can get chicken, fried, with about 15 different sauces — corn syrup, lard, msg, and some artificial flavorings. Rememeber, you ARE what you eat, in the most literal sense possible!
ps — Food from all over the world? I hope not …