This article has taken me awhile to finish. Not because of the short review at the end, but I’ve been putting it off while I figured out how to share the “why” and “how” of what these reviews are intended to be without sounding too arrogant. I finally gave up on the latter part, at which point it moved much quicker.
While I love food, sometimes I feel like Long Beach is the purgatory of the Southern California food scene…enough good food to get you enthusiastic if you take the time to find it, but not enough of it, or enough refinement to satiate you–a special kind of torture. And although I have a profound love of the hoity-toity and the arrogance of so-called culinary artists, it’s impossible to disregard greasy food, quick-and-dirty meals and any variety of food you know you shouldn’t love, but do. After all, a taco at the corner stand can be ten times as rewarding as a fine restaurant if the taco tastes good and the expensive meal only looks like it should taste good.
I have a movie on in the background as I try to encapsulate the “why and how,” so forgive me as I paraphrase Crash Davis to tell you what I believe about food: “I believe in the soul of food, properly prepared chicken and the beauty of raw fish, that small portions are good, hanging almost anything over a fire can make it better, fiber is our friend, good scotch and that what most view as clever plate arrangements are often self-indulgent, overrated crap. I believe there ought to be a constitutional amendment outlawing well-done meat and not one banning foie gras. I believe in pasta cooked to the al dente sweet spot, soft core Camembert, opening your wine with a corkscrew rather than a new-fangled contraption from Sharper Image. And I believe in long, slow, deep, soft, wet sips of a good Port that lingers in the back of your mouth for three days.” Food and baseball in the same article? I might plotz.
My food pet peeves: 1) scented candles or other perfumed items in a restaurant. I want to smell and taste food, not “Honeysuckle Cucumber Breeze.” 2) If you’re going to pour my wine, don’t spill it. 3) Cocktails with no discernible evidence of alcohol. 4) Don’t bring a new course before I finish the previous one. I may strangle you. 5) If you are a server, know your menu. If you haven’t eaten something, ask a comrade for their input so you can at least fake it.
I hope to be straightforward with my reviews, but a poor score will not prevent me from making a second visit, particularly if I’ve heard good things. I will not be responding to the anonymous comments. If you have something to say to me, e-mail me. Every once in awhile I’ll answer e-mails in an article. If you disagree with me, tell me in detail, why: “Because you’re a prick”, while likely correct, will not earn a response. If you have ideas about places I need to eat, or about dishes that I should have eaten instead, let me know.
I’ve taken up too much space talking about myself, so I’ll do a very quick review of the Lime Truck, which I had for lunch last week. If you want to know how my rating system works, you can read it on my author page.
Photo taken by @Msdoximom.
I’ve eaten at the Lime Truck several times before. Though I’ve not had a bad experience, my experience with food trucks is that the food varies greatly from one visit to the next. My most recent visit was one of the best experiences I’ve had, though they did not have their full menu and there was one disappointment. The Lime Truck always shines when it comes to service. Unlike other trucks, which can keep you waiting and waiting, the food comes out quick, but you never feel like the food was rushed (I was tempted to give them an 8, but couldn’t bring myself to do it). The subtle lime flavor to everything is very nice on a hot day. FYI, I’m told the lemonades are good, but I’m not much for sugary drinks, so I passed.
Adobo Pork Belly Taco: The best item of the day. The pork belly was a nice cut, with a good amount of fat. There was a slight crunch around the edges, a near perfect finish. The adobo flavor came across nicely, but was not overwhelming. The pork took center stage. There was nothing spectacular about the accompanying flavors; they didn’t distract, but they didn’t enhance either: cilantro, onions, and a few other vegetables.The taco was quite large, but not overly so. It’s hard to impress with presentation on a food truck, but with big chunks of pork belly, I was impressed.
| Taste | Preparation | Presentation | Service | Guy Score | Portion Size |
| 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 70 | Good |
Carnitas Fries: In past visits, I had been wanting to get the fries, but kept getting distracted by other dishes. Not this time, thank goodness. The fries were large, mounded high with pulled pork, chipotle honey slaw, crema, and guacamole. If you’re getting a taco, you might want to share these. This dish is slightly negatively impacted by being served in a small cardboard bowl. The small dish does not allow you to spread the fries out so that you get a good mix of ingredients with each bite. The pork, said to be roasted for 12 hours, was very juicy and soft.The honey slaw was flavorful, though kind of soupy and the honey does not stand out enough. The guacamole was average at best; I don’t remember thinking about it one way or another.
| Taste | Preparation | Presentation | Service | Guy Score | Portion Size |
| 7 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 66 | Large |
Blue Crab, Scallop, and Shrimp Ceviche: This dish has been featured on TV and is one that people rave about. I don’t get it. I love ceviche; it’s a dish I’d choose from nearly every menu. This one, however, falls flat. I’m convinced that the presentation of this dish severely hampers it. Because it’s served in the same type of dish as the taco and fries, it’s hard for the ceviche to be a ceviche. The crab and scallops, which were quite good, didn’t seem to have much of the lime flavor because the sauce, what little of it there was, spread out at the bottom of the dish. The seafood is not well balanced, meaning that my ceviche was mainly shrimp. On top of that, the shrimp were lacking in character. They were small and mushy. The homemade chips were good, but it didn’t much matter.For the price, the serving size was also on the small side. I’m pretty sure the flavor would be saved by a more appropriate serving arrangement, but as it was…average.
| Taste | Preparation | Presentation | Service | Guy Score | Portion Size |
| 6 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 56 | Small |
OVERALL
| Taste | Preparation | Presentation | Service | Guy Score |
| 6.7 | 6 | 4.7 | 7 | 63 |
The Lime Truck can be found throughout the area (it’s on wheels, after all). For details and locations, visit www.thelimetruck.com.
Cuisine: Mexican-Fusion
Notes: Food Truck. Quick Service.