Ed. Note: Michael Butler continues his exploration of the Memphis food truck scene with a tasting at one of the freshest in town: Chomp food truck. In the past, he's tried Gourmade, Quasi Halal, Soi Number 9, that one Mexican BBQ shack, plus the Wing Guru (not a food truck). What. Will. He. Eat. Neeeexxt?? Have a little-known or favorite food truck Michael should find? Email me at [email protected] or Tweet to him at @_one901. 

Seems like there’s a food truck at every event, festival or brewery in Memphis. Food trucks in Memphis are here to stay, and I’m so glad because I prefer their fresh-cooked foods when I'm out and about. One of the newer trucks on the scene is Chomp. The creation of Anthony and Mallary Vanelli, Chomp has been on the road for six months serving up innovative cuisine. Take the shrimp and pepperoni pizza loaded seasoned fries for instance...who else is doing anything that crazy? Who thinks of this stuff?

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by CHOMP! Food Truck (@901chomp) on Aug 20, 2018 at 4:32pm PDT

The diabolical mastermind behind the radical combinations is Chef Tony, who has been cooking since he learned to walk and talk. He’s also a University of Memphis alumni so you know he’s legit. "Chomp" is actually an onomatopoeia Mallary used as a kid. She and Anthony wanted something that stood out and wasn’t plain like Good Food Truck. I also love that the decal looks like the words that would pop up on the screen during the Batman TV series like ZAP, BAM and POW! Yes, I know I have revealed my age with that reference.  I tried the buffalo chicken sandwich with bacon loaded fries, and both were big enough to for two people to share. The sandwich came with cheese, red onion, tomatoes, lettuce and a side of ranch dressing. The chicken wasn’t overly spicy, but had a good flavor. (And thanks Chomp for not charging extra for the ranch dressing like some chicken places.) The bacon fries took me by surprise. I was expecting fries covered in cheese and bacon bits, but this was real bacon! It’s a bacon lovers paradise...just look at all that bacon. I love the fact that it was seasoned fries and not the regular fries. Pro tip: Get a side of ranch for the fries, too.  Chomp is definitely a food truck you should try out. They have options for everyone including picky-eating kids. The menu changes frequently, but they will accommodate pretty much anything you want if they have it available on the truck. I’m most definitely going back to try the shrimp sandwich with fried egg and sriracha. You can find their location on their social media pages, which is @901Chomp on all platforms including Instagram.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by CHOMP! Food Truck (@901chomp) on Jun 16, 2018 at 6:23pm PDT