Food

If you haven’t already, it’s time to throw away the perception that food trucks are lesser than restaurants. The P.B.L.T. at The Bleu Rooster at the On Tap food truck lot is a prime example.

The truck’s tag line is “Family inspired global cuisine” and the P.B.L.T. (crispy pork belly, sriracha aioli, tomato jam and pickled red onion) was a better sandwich than I’ve had at many restaurants.

The P.B.L.T. is The Bleu Rooster’s take on the classic BLT It reminded me nothing of a BLT in the best possible way.

The highlight of a classic BLT is always the bacon. But with the P.B.L.T., there was no singular flavor as all of the ingredients hung together in a complex dance. It was clear that whoever had orchestrated the sandwich had carefully considered each component.

On one half of a Big Ed’s toasted artisan bun was the sriracha aioli, tomato jam and tender pork belly. On the other side was crisp romaine, two slices of tomato, pickled onions and a little more aioli.

I wanted to bottle up the tomato jam and bring some home with me. It was the yin to the yang of the sriracha aioli, and the perfect canvas for the pork belly, tomato, lettuce and pickled onions to shine.

To round out my meal I ordered Pomme Frites ($6).

The fries were sprinkled with a garlic-herb-mushroom dust and advertised as being accompanied by a honey-truffle aioli, which in my case, didn’t make it inside the to-go box.

The fries were hot, crispy and the seasoning tasted akin to salt and pepper with a kick.

The Bleu Rooster also has gluten-free buns on hand and regularly offers specials.

Service

The food truck staff expertly answered my questions about the menu and handed me a buzzer, estimating the wait would be between 12 and 15 minutes. The beeping sound of the buzzer surprised me when it went off only eight minutes later.

Atmosphere

The Bleu Rooster is one of six food trucks at On Tap, where there are options to dine outdoors next to the fire pits in the enclosed and heated tap house. It was windy, so I took shelter inside the tap house, which had a welcoming feel and industrial decor. There’s an impressive selection at the bar inside with 35 tap handles and a variety of craft beer, cider, wine and kombucha.

More info

Location: On Tap, 1424 NE Cushing Drive, Cart #3, Bend

Contact: 541-598-4849, @thebleurooster

Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday

Price Range: $13-$20

Cuisine: Food truck with sandwiches