When I heard that Souvlaki Truck was going to be at this year’s Burger & Beer Blast, I knew it was time to hunt down their Central Avenue parking spot. Once you see the truck, it’s hard to believe you ever missed it, its blue-and-white presence bright against the underbrush of this time-forgotten spot across the street from Best Buy. Thank heavens there’s plenty of space to pull up and park. Specials are listed on a sandwich board: biftecki burger (which they’ll be bringing to the Blast), avocado and feta salad (“like a Greek guacamole,” says Chef/Owner George Kringas), spinach pie, and crispy Brussels sprouts, adding to their small menu of souvlaki, pita sandwiches, platters, and sides.
What you see of the biftecki burger (pictured top) is the tip of the iceberg, and I neglect to show you the unwrapped, dissected package only out of a (probably misguided) sense of decorum. But here’s why you should make a beeline to this burger at the Blast: two all-beef patties (here, flattened keftedes), onion laden, spiced, and charred to perfection, on pita with tzatziki and a dab of ketchup, bits of onion and tomato. It’s all tucked in with hand-cut, sea-salted oregano fries that make you question: what are these boring, non-oregano fries we’ve been eating everywhere?
Related: A Guide To Central Avenue’s Food Scene
But if you like your meat unadorned, cheap, and on a stick, the chicken souvlaki (also spiced and cooked beautifully) fill the bill at just $3.50 (the souvlaki also can be pork).
If you’re heeding the call of the falafel, look no further: it’s availabe here with great taste and texture, fresh green insides, and not too greasy. Spinach pie lovers, though, might be bummed that the warm, creamy filling is saddled with overly greasy phyllo. “Greek guacamole” is more of a win—avocado mixed with feta and cherry tomatoes sounds like an odd combination, until you taste it.
Did You Know? Truck-Based Businesses Are Actually Trending Right Now
Unfortunately, they were out of baklava. But Kringas says, with a twinkle in his eye, that they will soon be selling baklava cupcakes—a must-try if there ever was one. The truck is usually on Central Avenue until about 6 pm, but check their Twitter and Facebook pages for updates and additional locations (including Hudson Park in Yonkers).
It’s almost worth checking out their social media accounts just for the fun they have with hashtags (#mothertruckin, #meatpiemonday, #lessthan10, #ilovegreekfood…).
The Souvlaki Truck
2481 Central Ave
Yonkers
(914) 500-7580; thesouvlakitruck.com
