Food truck review: The Bomb Fried Pies are a blast from the past

by Terry Eddington of Food Truck Connection

The retro trailer and down-home desserts remind us of a simpler time.

Photo by Terry Eddington

A visit to The Bomb Fried Pies is like stepping into the Happy Days set.

The Bomb Fried Pies is a bit of an enigma. The Mary Kay pink trailer towed by a classic Ford convertible sets up with fun schtick like artificial turf and pink flamingos. It’s a mystery how this trailer, operated part-time, fits in so comfortably with the unique food stylings and flashy wraps of today’s gourmet food trucks. The mystery ends with the first bite. Good food, done with fresh ingredients at a level most people cannot attain, is good food. And the down-home friendliness you experience when visiting The Bomb is just as comfortable and satisfying as the food.

Photo by Terry Eddington

The Bomb Fried Pies: Just like Momma used to make … if you were really lucky!

The Bomb is a 1966 Shasta trailer painted Mary Kay pink and towed by a classic 1960 Ford Sunliner convertible. I’d have loved to see the prior tow vehicle. It was an early '60s T-bird. Pat is the wheel man, and, you guessed, it, he’s a car guy!

Brenda, on the other hand, is the creative one in the kitchen that comes up with the perfect recipe for an American classic — the fried pie. I’m no stranger to fried pies. When I was dating my wife, she would entice me to come over with a grilled steak and there was often a fried pie that her Momma had made as well. Seems as though fried pies have quite a history of their own on her side of the family.

Photo by Terry Eddington

Deep fried guacamole pie from The Bomb Fried Pies

I’ve stopped into lots of places claiming to have “The Best Fried Pies in …” and I’ve had some good ones. At other times … if you’ve got nothin’ nice to say, then don’t say nothin’ at all. Brenda doesn’t make any claims to be the best fried pies anywhere. I’m thinkin’ that maybe she should!

The menu at The Bomb is simple – you can get a fried pie or you can get a fried pie. Well, I take that back. You can get a fried bologna sandwich.

Photo by Terry Eddington

Fried apple pie from The Bomb Fried Pies

You usually get fried pies that are fruit or meat pies. At The Bomb, you can get a fried guacamole pie! This surprising treat is filled with guacamole (that’s Miss Brenda’s own guacamole recipe hand crafted in small batches), wrapped in dough, and deep fried to a light golden color and a light, flaky crust. The guacamole is so smooth and creamy it almost tastes buttery. It comes with a side of salsa that provides the perfect complementary flavor and just enough hotness that you notice. I tried it with and without salsa and it’s fabulous either way. I’ve never had fried guacamole pie before, and I can’t imagine I’ll ever find one that’s any better. You can rest assured, I have this every time I visit The Bomb!

Keeping it traditional, The Bomb offers several fruit options. The apple pie has the same flaky crust: so light and never greasy. The apple filling has to be made from scratch. The apple chunks are big and bold while the sauce is light, sweet, and tart at the same time. You just don’t get pie filling like this from a can! Look at that. Don’t you wish you had one right now?

Photo by Terry Eddington

Fried cherry pie from The Bomb Fried Pies

The cherry pie? Let’s just leave it at “see above” and substitute fresh, bright red cherries for the golden yellow apples. Red or yellow, both are mellow. Not many people can make good fillings. But Brenda has this down pat!

The standard recipe includes peach and apricot, but depending on the time of year, you might get a special treat made up with a seasonal fruit that is sure to be a treat.

And I see a showdown coming the next time I get The Bomb and Jack’s Chowhound together. It’ll be dueling fried bologna sandwiches heads up!

The Bomb is not a regular on the food truck circuit, limiting participation to special events and private bookings. Don’t even think about looking for The Bomb on Twitter. The only way to find The Bomb is by going to their Facebook page. You’ll want to check it regularly so you don’t miss the chance for another fried pie (or two … or more) from Miss Brenda.

And when you stop by, tell her that Food Truck Connection says hello. It won’t get you anything special … she treats everyone special. But don’t be surprised if you run into us while you’re there. It’s time for another visit to our friends at The Bomb!