Rolling Ficelle

I love this truck!
This was the FIRST food truck that I tried and stuck with, 3 years ago, when the wave of trucks started popping up in the DC area.
I must admit, I’ve been a bad ficellenian.
I haven’t had a gourmet sub in a very long time (over 8 months). I could not break myself away from my desk to get to you in time! I think the bread has changed.
Even with the bread change, the folks on the truck are always happy to see you AND they work fast at getting your food to you.

Excellent sandwiches, some of the best in the area. The bread they use is outstanding (crusty outside but not too hard, and a soft inside). It’s excellent value for the price (both in quality and quantity).
Everything I have had there was good, and favorites include the Newman (turkey, bacon, avacado), and the Pollock (pulled pork).

Had to try this truck after my friend raves about it. Great sandwich. I got the beef one — beef was moist and delicious. Adorned with peppers and a smooth spread, I was very happy. Bread is super tasty and doesn’t flake off and rip apart your mouth (Taylor bread I am looking at you!) Minus one star for price — $ 8.50 for the sandwich — but will defo be going back to try this famous chicken/​Newman sandwich.
Fast service and sweet employees!

I was standing in line at Chop’t when I saw this truck, and it immediately caught my eye over the others parked around it because I did not know what «ficelle» meant and it was written all over the truck. I looked it up, and the first google search result for ficelle came up with Unilocal reviews for this food truck. It sounded delicious! After some internal debate I actually left the Chop’t line after I had been waiting there a good five minutes — I don’t think I’ve ever done that before.
I will agree with other reviewers that the Newman sandwich was FANTASTIC. Fresh slices of avocado, the bacon was juicy and large, not one of those flimsy little craps that you get at Subway. And there were TWO large slices of bacon on the sandwich. Yes! And then there was the juicy and generously portioned roast turkey that came in chunks, not in slices.
The best element of the sandwich in my opinion was the «caramelized onion balsamic marmalade.» I was very nervous about this part of the sandwich and was picturing some kind of gloppy and thick brown jam. It is not like this at all — rather, it is just caramelized onion strips with some sweet taste — they went very well with the juicy bacon. OH, and last the special «ficelle» bread — crispy and fresh long thin baguette!
I was fully prepared to complain about the $ 9+ price for sandwich and a small bag of chips while walking back to the office with my food. Yet, the sandwich was surprisingly large and had high-​quality ingredients. Though its not cheap, I think the price is appropriate for such a ice sandwich.
Highly recommend the Newman, and for picky eaters like me the guy had no problems removing the mayo. There is also a pork sandwich I want to try if I can get them to remove the cilantro. I am overall very pleased with my lunch choice today.

Absolutely most wonderful sandwiches. If I see this truck at any truck festival I MUST get a Newman ficelle.
My only regret with an order here is when I forget to get the lemonade/​chips combo!

I’m impressed by Rolling Ficelle. I initially thought to myself that this would be just another sandwich, so I attempted to go to another food truck… but they ran out of food. That’s what I get for going to lunch after 1 pm. Anyway, I went back to the Rolling Ficelle truck and ordered the Gorky. Ham, mozzarella, pesto, olives, and tomato sandwich (I probably forgot something). This gourmet sandwich was delicious from the first bite. The ingredients were fresh and I ate every last drop of the bread. Yummy! The only thing I didn’t like was the Onion soup. It was too greasy and had too much bread in it. Other than that, Rolling Ficelle is a winner in my eyes.

Very, very tasty. The bread is top notch. Crusty, flavorful, fresh and all that good stuff. I grabbed one of the Pollock Ficelles (with pork, some cilantro, jalapeño, caramelized onions and other goodies), and it was delicious. Somewhat Banh Mi like in it’s ingredients, but definitely different. I would consider the pricing to be totally worth it also. It was very tasty and the portions were just about right (I’m full!). Glad I tried a new food truck and haven’t gotten to set in my ways. I’ll be keeping my eyes open in the future for this bad boy.

The Rolling Ficelle hits the spot everytime… Juan, the owner, is the man and possibly one of the nicest people on earth. If you want a savory and unique sandwich, this is the spot. A lot of food trucks TRY to do sandwiches, but these guys nail it with their skinny baguettes (called «ficelles»), banging meats, veggies and spreads. You can never go wrong with this truck.
PEACE

3.5 stars
The bread was fantastic, but I found the pirelli sandwich to be a bit lacking. First, I didn’t really enjoy the large chunks of eggplant, I would have preferred slices. The tomatoes were rather chunky as well which didn’t make it an easy sandwich to eat.
Also, I was not wowed by the flavor of the pirelli, but I think they are on the right path to a solid vegetarian option. The mozzarella was good quality and was perfectly warmed onto the bread.
Reasonable prices, and well thought out offerings — just think there is room for improvement on the veggie. I would definitely be willing to try this truck again.

I have become a bit of an expert on DC food trucks. By expert, I mean that I have visited enough of them to know whether they are good or not. This one is good. Nothing to go crazy about but good.
Here, you have some interesting options of sandwiches. A bunch of meats you are familiar with like turkey, chicken, etc. Others, you have only heard about on an episode of The Sopranos. All of them come on a really skinny baguette with some sort of mayonnaise, dressing, or spread.
I had the Rothko Ficelle which is prosciutto, lettuce, tomato, and garlic herb butter. It was a tasty sandwich although the butter spread was the primary flavor. I ordered the combo option and was not allowed to substitute a Coke for the standard sour cherry lemonade. Sour cherry lemonade is normally listed as $ 2.00 and Coke is $ 1.50. In theory, I was only hurting myself, but I guess these guys don’t bend rules.

I like the description «the Holy Grail of Food Trucks». I had their italian sandwich and it was yummy, spicy, deliciousness. The crusty hard baguette was the perfect compliment to the delicious filling (salami, ham, fresh provolone). All for $ 6.95. Can’t be beat.
They had a vegetarian option and some other options (it seems that the Newman is quite popular), and their «box lunch deal» for $ 8.95 which includes a sour lemonade, chips, and a sandwich seemed like a good deal.

Closer to 3.5 stars. Rolling Ficelle was a solid lunch for me, albiet I felt a little cheapened by the amount of meat in my sandwich.
I had the Rothko, and while the ingredients were quite tasty, I’d have liked to see more of them. It tasted like a lettuce sandwich with a small sprinkling of prosciutto. Additionally, they pack the meat in the crack of the sandwich, and the toppings on top (like you’re making a hotdog). This is sad, as I end up having to take a double bite (one from the opening side and one from the connected side) to get a «proper mouthful» of both toppings and meat — otherwise I’m just eating bread with meat then bread with lettuce as I work my way through it.
That last one is a pretty minor critique, but 20% more meat and I’d be sold on you guys more often! That said the flavor is great and the bread is perfect. I’d come back… when I want a lighter lunch :)
UPDATE: I’ve been back a few times. They tend to run out of ingredients quickly (half the time I’ve gone, they’ve had «Sold Out» next to one sandwich). I branched out and tried the Gorky and was a little underwhelmed. The flavors seemed to contrast too much instead of complementing each other — lots of strong tastes here that distract from what a sandwich should be. I’ll definitely be sticking with the Rothko from now on, quantity of meat aside.
Additionally, the Sour Cherry Lemonade is not bad, though I’d like to see a bit more sour or tartness in it. Probably not worth getting, as they are HEAVY on the ice and LIGHT on the drink. You’ll be left with a cup ¾ filled with ice before you get back to the office!

I’m lucky enough to work in spitting distance of some prime food truck real estate come lunch time. Nothing makes me run for the door faster than see that
reports the Rolling Ficelle is in the neighborhood. (If you’re not getting there daily email, you should be.)
I’ve only ever gotten the Davis which is super yum. The bread is a fantastic french baguette. Tastes just like the ones I’d get for dejeuner when I was studying in Paris.
The prices are reasonable considering the portion size and the service is fast! There’s usually a line but it moves fast enough not to trigger my ansty pants to go elsewhere.

I’ve been wanting to try their sandwiches for a while now so I was geeked to see they were at MC today. I got the Davis, which is chicken in a lemon aioli with almond slivers, avocado & romaine, but I asked them to hold the lettuce as I’m not a fan of romaine.
The bread feels hard, but when you take your first bite you realize the outside is firm, but the inside is not. The sandwich had a nice flavor & I enjoyed it. It was almost too much for me to finish.
I will be back to try some of their other offerings!

Holy Moly. It isn’t too often that I race to Unilocal after finishing a meal. In between dr appts, i found myself in Farragut square with time to spare around lunch time.
The Rolling Ficelle had been an elusive beast to me thus far in my short, delicious food truck travels across DC.
The sandwich itself is huge. At least 12 inches I’d say. Yes, it’s a narrow strip of deliciousness, but easily makes a lunch + snack.
The bread deserves it’s own paragraph. There’s a sign saying it’s provided by Lyon Bakery in Arlington. It has a perfectly crusty outside without scratching the top of the mouth (i freakin’ hate that) or causing excess gnawing to bite. The inside of the ficelle is moist and delicious. I enjoyed the sammie shortly after dental work which i think speaks volumes to the quality of the bread.
I ordered the newman ficelle, and wow, was I impressed with the quality of the ingredients that RF uses. It’s a roast turkey sammie with bacon, avacado, onion marmalade and mayo. It was listed as a regular mayo but I’m pretty sure it was an herbed mayo, and those herbs bring the sandwich together really well.
Usually, lettuce and tomatoes are a must for me, but this sandwich totally works without them.
I was probably most impressed by the quality of the roast turkey. There was a generous portion of thickly cut turkey. I’m so used to roasted cold cuts being falsely advertised as roast turkey, and was pleasantly surprised with what I found.
The bacon was good quality, and the avocado was perfectly ripe. I loved the marmalade onion spread which along the herbed mayo really brought the entire thing together.
I’ll certainly be tracking down RF again soon.

My first DC food truck and I was very impressed!
The menu is pretty varied and it all sounded great but I ended up with the Pollock (pulled pork, swiss cheese, cilanto, onions, jalapenos and lemon aoli) and some French Onion soup. Despite a reasonable sized line (about 8 people ahead of me), my food was ready to go in just a few minutes. In fact, I think I may have waited longer to order than I did for my food.
The sandwich was a nice size for $ 7 — maybe a little smaller in amount than those chain places — but a much better quality. The flavor of my sandwich was awesome, though I would have liked it to have a bit more of the aoli sauce. Overall, it was just a bit dry.
The French Onion soup was a nice flavor, but there’s just something odd about eating French Onion and not having melted cheese to pull off the crock. If I was to go again (and I’m sure I will), I wouldn’t get the soup again.
I’ll try the Pirelli next time.

These sandwiches are amazing. The ingredients always taste fresh, and I’ve yet to have a meal from here that wasn’t delicious.
If this truck is in your area, I definitely recommend giving it a try. You won’t regret it.

Maybe I got lucky, however my sandwich was stellar. I’m talking Pret a Manger meets Taylor. Fresh french style subs — healthier and without Taylor price tags. I feel like they were 10 inchers rather than footlongs.
I ordered the chicken avocado, which I can’t remember the name of. The bread was good (thanks Lyon Bakery). The chicken was great pieces of breast and the aioli had a nice lemon flavor. Maybe a touch too mayoish. I would have preferred more lemon. I will certainly be back.

I almost walked past the Rolling Ficelle without giving it much notice but I noticed someone eating their ficelle and it reminded me so much of banh mi that I just had to try it. The wait was really long but I knew that meant there was deliciousness to be had.
I had the Rothko which is prosciutto, provolone, romaine, tomatoes with a light garlic butter spread. It was a light, yet filling sandwich with a great ratio of meat/​cheese/​veggies to bread. And the bread… oh my carbs. the bread. Crisp on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside. I can’t wait to try it again!

It is a commentary on the sad state of DC’s embryonic food cart scene that Rolling Ficelle gets (and deserves) such good reviews.
Their product is pretty simple: relatively light sandwiches on a long loaf of decent french bread. I have some complaints– the fillings are meager, and too many of the sandwiches rely on mayonnaise– but at bottom, Rolling Ficelle is still a pretty good deal. You get a decent-​sized decent-​tasting sandwich (even if most of it is bread), for just under six dollars. I wouldn’t go out of my way for it, but I don’t regret giving it a shot.