On The Fly

Anyone that has a tip jar that reads «hello, my name is Tips» is alright in my book.
We stopped off here before going on our multi-​museum tour along the mall in DC.
I’m a fan of street food (w/​caution, mind you), and this one looked fairly harmless to me. Plus we were starving and it was mid-​morning, almost lunch, and both of us had had a strong cup of coffee… and that was it.
So we ordered — turkey chili for me, hot dog for him. C dropped his hot dog into the rubbish bin on accident and the guy running the truck was so nice he gave him another one free of charge. These weren’t crappy hot dogs either. Organic and TASTY. No greasy funky aftertaste.
Then he offered chili mac to me — after I was about halfway done w/​my turkey chili.
Chili mac = chili plus mac’n’cheese. Who am I to turn down mac’n’cheese? FOR FREE?
And it was good. DAMN GOOD.
Bargain price too! Around $ 11 for the chili, a hot dog, and a bottled water. Plus a free dog, and free chili mac and free humour from the guy running the truck.
I can’t complain.
Please bring your goodness to the northwest!

Delicious vegetarian empanada, friendly service, Honest tea and reasonably priced. What more could I ask for?
The normal cart experience is either tacos or hot dogs, neither of which are acceptable for my new healthwise ways… and neither appealing in the hot D.C. humidity.
My little On the Fly lunch hit the spot, was filling and left me with no dietary remorsefullness.
Wish they had these empanada carts on the West coast near my SF home office…

An amazingly, uncompromisingly, solidly middle-​of-​the-​road experience on this one.
There are extremely few instances where I walk away going… wow, that was mind-​blowingly just okay. You know… where it’s so amazingly average that it actually stands out? This was it.
The speed of service was just average.
The cost was as expected (I had the $ 8 «deal» for an entrée, a bag of chips, and a drink).
My empanada (reportedly from Julia’s?) was filling and tasted okay.
My pre-​packaged bag of chips and Honest Tea were no different from any other bag of chips or Honest Tea I’ve had (don’t get me wrong, I love me some Honest Tea).
… get the message?
Is it at all possible that I’m getting food cart apathy? I surely hope note, and that this really was just a fine-​but-​not-​exciting-​or-​disappointing experience. If I quit being passionate about food carts in general, I might as well just off myself now.

The final stop in my recent triumvirate of food stands was the Boltbus and Megabus location of On the Fly, Diego, a select date food stand servicing not only the denizens of downtown DC, but also individuals attempting to grab a final snack before boarding a bus out of town.
I’m assuming the price points mentioned in the reviews of the Portrait Gallery location are no longer accurate. Tacos are now $ 2.50/each (from $ 2) and are sold in pairs. Empanadas, Turkey Chili, and Mac N Cheese are all $ 5. While these prices appear to be slightly overpriced, I give them the benefit of the doubt given their higher inventory costs (based on eco-​friendly materials).
Given my recent bout with a nasty case of acid reflux, I knew I had to go with the veggie tacos. Unfortunately, they were out. My stomach grumbled for me to leave, but I threw caution in the wind by ordering the Turkey Chili. The proprietor mentioned that I could combine the Mac-​n-​Cheese with the Turkey Chili, and he said he would mix them based on my obvious desire to have eaten tacos that day. I thanked him and proceeded with the mix. I would strongly suggest asking nicely to have the proprietor do this because the creamy mac-​n-​cheese gently assuaged the spices in the chili. The chili consisted of ground turkey complemented by a medley of spices that focused on providing excellent flavor (as opposed to a hypertension inducing stream of salt). Again, the mix was incredible. I was fine paying $ 5 for the combination.
While On the Fly, Diego lacks the acute, tightly packed focus that governs a major competitor (Fojol Bros.), it absolutely provides a healthy, favorably priced alternative to the garbage one generally finds in downtown DC. If you can get over any biases you might hold against food stands, I would strongly recommend stopping by any of the On the Fly, Diego locations.

Very clean truck and driver. What an innovative concept. For $ 5 you get a small portion of food or a sandwich but it is healthy, tasty and good. I wish the best for this business to thrive.

I just visited this cart for the first time and had a pork taco and a chicken taco — 2 for $ 5. The chicken was in a spicy, sweet sauce and tasted good with the special cole slaw and cilantro. The pork was roasted so no sauce. I could really taste the flavors of the toppings. The service was quick considering it’s just one person running the show and there were 6 people ahead of me. It was cold out there but worth the wait. I’m at 12^th and Pennsylvania so it’s a bit of a hike, but nice on a sunny day. Enjoy! I like this place much better than Tacqueria Nacionale which, to me, had very little flavor in its tacos.

The Diego Cart (a.k.a. Taconator) was last seen at 7^th & F St NW.
Thank goodness for taco trucks because the Mayor Fenty knows we have enough hot dog vendors around the District. [A little known fact about DC: everyone’s either a lawyer, a tourist, or a hot dog vendor.] According to Mikkela T.‘s review, the tacos and empanadas supposedly come from different restaurants around town. The empanadas come from Julia’s (see
). At $ 4 a piece (tax included), you pay a mere $ 0.25 premium for the convenience. That’s cheaper than taking a Metro transfer.
I’m not sure who supplies the tacos but, as a snack, its a rather generous portion. By itself, the tacos don’t shatter reality but WHAT A BARGAIN. At the corner of 7^th & F St, the closest eateries include the likes of Rosa Mexicano, Zola, District Chophouse & Brewery, Jaleo, Poste, Clyde’s La Tasca, Zengo, Legal Sea Foods, and Gordon Biersch, Zaytinya, Austin Grill, and Indebleu. You can’t walk away from these restaurants without paying at least $ 10 for just an appetizer (including tax and tip). Although, I suppose there is a McDonald’s and a Chipotle nearby. But what if you only had $ 2? Where could you go? Well, my friend, that’s the beauty of the Taco Truck. For $ 2 (and not a penny more) you could have your very own taco (either chicken estofado, pork carnitas, or vegetarian). And, for $ 4 you can get two tacos. But if you order the pork carnitas, make sure they drain the excess juice before assembling your taco. Also, grab a several pieces of napkins in case you’re a messy eater (there are no public restrooms nearby). There may exist better tacos but not anywhere near Gallery Place/​Chinatown at these prices.
3 Stars — If I was nearby, I wouldn’t grab a Snickers bar. I would get a taco. For my thoughts on why DC needs more food cart vendors, see L Street Vending (
).

I don’t know if this is the Diego cart anymore… According to the website, it’s SUPPOSED to be Miyagi but the entire site seems out of date.
Anyway, no tacos at this stand, now it’s pulled pork, seasonal pasta, and other stuff. I tried the mac & cheese, with truffle oil and whatnot and it was really gross. It was a huge portion, but literally, there was a pool of oil on the bottom. I had to throw it out because it was so oily and gross. Will definitely not get that again. minus 1 star for the super gross mac & cheese.
(note, the mac & cheese I got is DIFFERENT from their standard mac & cheese side… it was one of the pasta specials. i’ll stick with the regular mac & cheese from now on)

These places are sponsored by well known restaurants. They have two stalls in Chinatown/​Gallery place. These places know how to rock the marketing with their dragonfly wing flags and sandwich boards. I had a long chat with the guy manning the stall (they are staff so they move around) after he asked me what I was in the mood for… Korean… then he asked me, «what are the top three food items and name the top Korean restaurants in the area?» as they are planning to open up stalls in Virginia… Please, more K-​food on the streets!

2.5
I really really want to like this place. I mean, eco vending, crazy bug shaped neon green smart car, focusing on local suppliers, etc. etc. What’s not to like?
I’ve never been to Rocklands, so perhaps it is a reflection of their food. Maybe it was an off day. I dunno what it was, but my BBQ pork sandwich was super dry, and kind of tough and stringy. The BBQ sauce helped the dry part, but not the tough part. The mac and cheese was okay… it was whole wheat pasta with cheese sauce. I mean it wasn’t bad, it was just aight. The person working the cart was really friendly though.
Maybe I need to go back and try again, but as of now I’m not that impressed. I personally prefer the tacos at the Diego cart on H & 8^th.

The concept great. The food just okay.
So every Tuesday I go to volunteer at a church. Today I go there a little early and there was this green think on the corner. It was a food cart but not your typical halfsmoke and chips kind of place. I asked the guy how long they had been there and he said 4 months. We argued back and forth about it since I come every Tuesday on my bike and I’ve never seen it. Come to find they have been there for a while but they usually close up shop by 4pm. This cart has tacos and Julia’s Empanadas along with other snacks and desserts.
I was thrilled that the had tacos as operation taco is still in full effect. I ordered a chicken and a carnitas taco. He got two flour tortillas ready. First mistake, I don’t think a real taco is made on a flour tortilla. The chicken taco was very spicy and flavorful with a pepper sauce and picked onion and carrot mix on top. While in no way authentic was very tasty. The carnitas taco was a little on the dry side and not as flavorful as the chicken taco.

The green zipcar-​esque cart caught my eye a couple weeks ago. (I think one of the founders used to work for zipcar). After seeing the YouTube video on it, I decided to give it a try. I’m not one who stops at a street vendor (or as my coworker coins it, «roach coach»)for a hot dog, because I’m afraid of what I may get. I apologize, I just tend to be leary of street vendors and buffets. As I strolled down the street during lunch, I stopped at On the Fly. With all the rave, I was expecting a line, but there was none. The two guys on site were very friendly. I ordered the Jamaican empanada, which was delicious. I didn’t think it would be filling, but it’s an hour and half since I ate it, and I’m still full. I was thrilled to see Honest Tea. That is the best drink, ever! $ 6 wasn’t too bad… but, healthy food does come with a price. On a nice spring day, I may stroll back for something else or another empanada.

I am such a lucky duck for two of the citys newest food cart vedors to be walkable from my office. Today I braved chilly winds to try out the Smokin’ Joes cart by Dc On the Fly. Just like their H & 8^th location, they «eco vend» out of a cute modified GM electric smart car. This location serves tasty chicken and pork BBQ sandwiches from Rocklands BBQ, along with your typical side orders of baked beans, mac and cheese, etc. I went for the pork bbq and the mac and cheese.
Note: They serve their sandwiches SANS bbq sauce, you have to add your own from their condiment line up. I didn’t know this and came back to the office with a naked meat on bun sandwich, even without the sauce it was outstanding, moist and delish.
The mac and cheese was seriously cheesy and great. I went with a co-​worker, and upon seeing we knew each other asked if it was ok to put everything into the same biodegradable, compostable corn starch derived bag, double kudos for not only using all environmentally friendly supplies, but for being troopers in actually acting on being green.