Review: “A Bite of Newberg” Food Truck Pod
By Alyssa Derania and Elizabeth Hoyt
Photography by Ariana Volker
Located at 910 East First Street, A Bite of Newberg is offering some great eats during its third season. A short six-minute walk from George Fox University’s Stevens Center, this food truck pod is the perfect place for students to grab some great, flavorful food. Currently, there are six food trucks offering a wide selection of ethnic specialties.
The center of the pod hosts a spacious, tented seating area with clean, picnic-style benches, as well as space heaters to warm you as you enjoy your meal during the colder months. Motivated by delicious smells, hungry stomachs, and a welcoming environment, we set out to survey and sample some of Newberg’s famed food trucks. Here’s what we found:
Bangkok Noi Thai- No need to travel all the way to Bangkok; this food truck offers a variety of authentic Thai dishes, most of which are a standard $8. With a menu ranging from yellow curry and pad thai to fried rice and spring rolls, this is the perfect stop if you’re craving some great Thai flavors at an affordable price. We were particularly impressed by their healthy vegetarian and gluten-free options.
Bobablastic- Nothing beats cold boba tea after a long day of classes, but Bobablastic provides more than just their signature drink. Their menu includes salad and rice bowls, hot dogs, fries, smoothies, and lots of sweets dipped in chocolate. Their prices range from $3-$13, giving you plenty of options depending on how much you’re willing to spend.
La Gran Victoria- Craving some authentic Mexican food? This food truck features some delicious Mexican cuisine, including mole, burritos, enchiladas, and empanadas. The food smelled too amazing to not try, so we ordered their pollo, carne asada, and chorizo tacos. At only $2 each, this was a wonderful deal for broke college students. The flavors were on point, and the verde sauce gave the perfect spicy finish.
Hunnybeez: American Filipino Fusion- A wall of bright sauces, a flat screen TV streaming Netflix, and a delicious-smelling aroma beckoned us to check out this eatery. Hunnybeez offers a spread of sandwiches, burgers, slow-cooked meats, and finger foods with a Filipino twist. We tried their $13 Two Meat Plate, which included grilled chicken, smoked pork, rice, pancit (Filipino noodles with vegetables), a veggie lumpia, and their signature Hunnybeez sauce. Although on the spendier side compared to its pod mates, Hunnybeez provided us with a heaping serving large enough to fill two people.
G&W Caribbean Smoked BBQ- Signature smoked mac and cheese, fried plantains, and an entire half of a flavorful, Caribbean smoked barbeque chicken for $18? Worth it. The fun music and mouth-watering aroma coming from the truck make this stop stand out. The smoked half-chicken plate with one of the numerous, hard-to-pick-which-one sides is just $12, and there’ll still be plenty to save in the fridge for another meal. This food truck’s Caribbean style menu also features smoked baby back ribs, brisket, and griot (Caribbean style fried pork), as well as burgers and sandwiches.
Marisco’s Maggie- As the newest vendor of the food truck pod, this unique eatery is determined to bring the best dishes of two worlds. Marisco’s Maggie offers a variety of Mexican dishes, such as burritos and tacos, as well as some traditional American cuisine, such as burgers and loaded fries. Enticed by their “Two for $5” deal, we tried their fish and shrimp taco combo. The vendor saw that our group of three was eating family style and generously gave us an extra fish taco because she thought “it’ll be easier to share.” The meal came with freshly cut limes and homemade salsa. Impressed by their tasty offerings, affordable pricing, and fantastic customer service, we will definitely be visiting again.
George Fox students are lucky to have so many different flavors available only six minutes away from campus. Who needs Juniors Abroad when a roundtrip to Thailand, Mexico, the Philippines, and the Carribean is just around the corner?
Visit A Bite of Newberg’s website, http://bite-of-newberg.com/, for more details regarding hours, pricing, and dietary options.
Happy eating!