Vegans, we have exciting news for you! King Street BBQ food truck is opening soon and we had a tasting of their new vegan bbq menu a few weeks ago. It is definitely worth getting excited about! King Street BBQ will also be offering meat options, but with a healthier twist. All ingredients used in their menu items will be all natural meats and vegetables and everything will be made from scratch. With one owner being pescetarian and one owner being a meat eater, the menu will feature rotating specials to satisfy any dietary needs. All meats, seafoods, and vegetables will be prepared and cooked separately as well to keep it 100% vegetarian friendly. We were invited out for their Flavors of Fall Festival to sample their menu prior to the food truck opening and we tried both vegan and meat options. Our tasting had two salad options, two entree options, and a dessert.
King Street BBQ – Pear Salad
Sweet and Spicy Fall Salad: (V) Juicy sliced red pear, vegan candied pecans, and vegan (or traditional) parmesan on baby arugula, frisee, radicchio greens, and dressed in a maple balsamic vinaigrette. This salad was delicious and beautifully seasonal. The candied pecans mixed with the maple balsamic gave a perfect sweet and salty combination. The texture of the tender pear versus the crisp greens also made for an excellent salad. We loved all the combinations present here.
Butternut Squash Salad: (V) Sweet roasted butternut squash, dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, vegan or traditional parmesan on arugula and dressed in a warm cider vinaigrette. This salad was not as impressive as the Sweet and Spicy salad. The butternut squash was tender and well cooked but needed something to amplify its mild flavor. We felt there was also a lack with the warm cider vinaigrette too – we couldn’t really taste the cider flavors. All together it was a bit too mild. This salad would be excellent with just a touch more flavor throughout.
King Street BBQ – Vegan Soup
Chickpea and Winter Veggie Stew: (V) organic chickpeas, chunked butternut squash, carrots, potatoes, turnips, couscous, and vegetable base with a hint of spice. Wow, this soup was incredible. The couscous was presented in the center of the bowl and surrounded by the herbal and spicy vegetable broth and loaded with fresh vegetables. The broth was so rich with the vegetable base that there was no yearning for a meat addition to this soup – it was hearty enough as it was. I loved the couscous in the center. It made it comforting and reminiscent of childhood soups, just presented in a sophisticated manner.
Smoked Rabbit Stew: cherry wood smoked rabbit, slow cooked in celery, carrots, onions, potatoes, red wine, and fresh sage with a hint of spice. Shortly after serving us this soup, the owner came by to let us know she had forgotten some seasoning, so we don’t feel like we can properly evaluate this one. The broth needed salt and pepper and potentially other seasonings as well. If the finished product on this is similar to the base on the vegan soup offering then we have no doubt it will be a winner. The duck was well smoked and the sage gave it a nice, herbal, wintery flavor.
Sloppy Joe Sandwich: (V) boca ground crumbles smoked in cherrywood and doused in a made from scratch vegan sloppy joe sauce and topped with corn coleslaw. My friend that dined with us this evening is a former vegan and she testified that this is the best bbq vegan option she had ever been presented. It perfectly mimicked the flavors and textures of a traditional sloppy joe with the boca crumbles. Their corn coleslaw that topped this sandwich and the pulled pork sandwich was so unique. I will always add corn to homemade coleslaws from now on; it adds another level of sweetness to an otherwise traditional coleslaw. The sloppy joe sauce was heavy and rich and coated the boca crumbles well to give them added flavor.
King Street BBQ – Pulled Pork Sandwich with Applesauce
Signature Pulled Pork Sandwich: Savory cherry wood smoked pulled pork tossed in sweet and spicy bbq sauce, topped with fresh made corn coleslaw. The minute I tasted the pulled pork I could actually taste the cherry wood flavor in it. This is an indication of smoked meat done right. It had been cooked slowly until the pulled pork just fell apart in each bite. The sweet and spicy bbq sauce was lighter than I expected and coated the pork just enough to give it extra moisture. Again, the corn coleslaw was perfection. I loved the crispy texture over the pork.
Slow Cooked Spiced Applesauce: (V) a mix of organic golden delicious and gala apples, slow cooked in a spiced orange and lemon juice blend. This applesauce will change your life. It has every rich and seasonal flavor of apple cider except in solid form instead of liquid. Not one grain of applesauce was left in our bowls with this one, it is a can’t miss item and I hope they have this all year and not just seasonally because we think it’s the best applesauce around.
King Street BBQ is worth the short wait for them to finish funding their food truck. It will have a semi-permanent location at the gas station near Kickbacks. The attention to detail to provide a fully secure vegan menu is unique and exceptional for a food truck, considering the limited space. We look forward to the grand opening of King Street BBQ and can’t wait to see what other seasonal fare they have in the works.