Mesob on Wheels

I had to wait a litle longer than normal, about 7 minutes… but the result was a very fresh meal. I ordered the spicy version of a beef and lentil dish. Both were an ideal amount of spicy — plent of flavor, but no lingering burn on my tongue. 2 items for $ 7 is a good deal. Plenty of injeera bread comes with each order, as well as a couple of handy wet napkins.

Thank god for some variety in Bethesda. The actual daily menu on offer is extremely limited compared to their full menu, so don’t expect them to have anything specific. It would be nice if they had more of an internet presence, but luckily food truck fiesta is a great aggregator of such information.
The food is good, but not the most flavorful Ethiopian I’ve had. The heat (spice) is on the muted side, which is okay for something nommed on while working. Since the menu is so limited, I tend to just go with the daily special + whatever the tastiest /​spiciest sounding (available) side is. The portions are large and, as per Ethiopian food, protein-​heavy (lentils /​meat, mm!). The injera is moist, and they provide enough to carpet a small house. I haven’t run in to any under/​overcooked dishes.
Overall, it’s a very good value for the price and I look forward to continue eating here when they’re posted up nearby.

Cash only, no website besides a Facebook page and @mesobonwheels. $ 7 for two items, an extra $ 2 for a third. Wednesdays they’re by the Barnes & Noble on Bethesda Ave from 11:30 or noon, until 2 or sold out. Friendly service, though they don’t always tweet by the 11 am Food Truck Fiesta email deadline. The core meat/​vegetarian menu to the right of the ordering window, and a specials chalkboard right under the counter. Today’s specials were spicy lamb stew and beef tibs; no sign of sambusas or collards. Would like to see specials tweeted, and a fixed/​anticipated schedule announced in advance.
I ordered the spicy lamb stew special and yellow split pea stew. It emerged in a few minutes with two moist towelettes and a half dozen light napkins. Single-​ladle portioning, and enough injera to polish the styrofoam clean. Meat had an okay texture. Less forgivable were the lentils that should’ve been cooked just a bit longer, though this issue didn’t occur with the «spicy» helping. Don’t expect even a blip on the scoville radar. I want to rate them better, but flavor and spice were a notch or two under what I’m used to in the Virginia sit-​downs. I’ll probably give them another try, since Ethiopian’s pretty scarce by work.

Shhh, don’t tell my boss but my reoccurring 12:15 — 12:45 p.m. Outlook appointment on Tuesdays is with Mesob on Wheels and is officially the pinnacle of my work week. As much as I welcome the other food trucks on Fishers Lane, if I wanted a cupcake/​sandwich/​hot dog/​insert uninspiring food item here, I would just head to our office cafeteria. Mesob on Wheels offers a delectable alternative to the usual hum drum with rich, aromatic, and flavorful Ethiopian cuisine. This is hands down my favorite food truck, coming from a gal who rolled up at Truckertoberfest at 11am last Saturday to beat the lines to 7 different trucks following a meta-​analysis of food truck reviews on Unilocal.Somehow, despite their undeniable fabulousness, Mesob on Wheels has zero presence on Unilocal or FoodTruckFiesta for that matter. I’ve been there twice and have tried their beef tibbs, beet salad, and spicy chicken stew with a hardboiled egg and cottage cheese. Every dish was remarkable! I think they are fairly priced at $ 7 – 9 for two items, offer generous portions, and appear to have a good variety of 2 – 3 stews, a daily special (what I go with), and a couple vegetarian options. I didn’t catch their names but the young lady and gentleman who operate the truck are an absolute joy. ‘Til next Tuesday.