Dine at the only Irish Pub on wheels with Gastro Bomber food truck

by Terry Eddington of Food Truck Connection

You'll be back for more, guaranteed.

Photo by Terry Eddington

Chef KT takes a moment to ‘pose’ for our camera!

“You’ll be back. I know you’ll be back.” If you’ve ever walked past Gastro Bomber, you know you’ve heard Robert Robbins call this phrase out to you. And you know he’s talking to you, no matter how many other people may be walking by at the same time. That’s just how engaging Robert is.

And, if you are like me, you probably walked on past to check out the other truck menus, but ended up coming back, Robert is always quick to greet you with, “I knew you’d be back! What can I get ya?” And I have been back – more than once.

The menu is never long but the choices are varied and interesting: Shepherd’s Pie Croquettes, Fish & Chips, Irish Nachos, Picanha sandwich, Mushroom Sliders and with fall weather coming, soups will soon be added to the selection. Robert describes the menu as traditional pub grub with a Texas twist. If so, then I’ve got to start going to a better class of pubs! Chef KT, Robert’s brother-in-law, puts his own twist on things.

Photo by Terry Eddington

Shepherd’s Pie (Croquette style!) from The Gastro Bomber

Robert and Chef KT drew me in the first visit with their Shepherd’s Pie Croquettes ($8). These lightly breaded balls of garlic mash potatoes are deep fried and set in a pool of gravy simply garnished with some chopped scallions. Bite into the crunchy seasoned outer crust and then you hit the smooth, creamy potatoes and your taste buds scream out, “Oh yeah!” These gourmet delicacies are like no other pub grub I’ve had and the cardboard container really doesn’t do them justice. It’s OK though, ‘cause these are truck food, where you pay for the food and not the fancy dinnerware.

Using extreme self-control, I limited my first impression to the croquettes. That didn’t last very long and I hooked up with Gastro Bomber again. The Picanha sandwich ($8) is a grilled beef steak marinated in garlic sauce served on toasted ciabatta bread and Chef KT dresses his up with roasted tomatoes, a little onion and chimichurri sauce. KT loads it up and when you bite into it, the medley of flavors explode into the far reaches of your mouth. Is this really that good, you ask? Let’s just say the photo is the second one I bought since the first one disappeared before we got a photo.

Photo by Terry Eddington

Gastro Bomber's Irish Nachos, served with french fries instead of chips.

Sometimes I read the name of a dish and forget to go further. Fortunately, Janice read the description on the Irish Nachos ($7) and added them to the order. I tell you that only so you understand my surprise when the ‘nachos’ were French Fries. (Duh, Irish = potatoes) This is a huge container loaded with fries that are topped with Mexican cheeses, bacon bits, chopped green onions and a chipotle sour cream sauce. The sauce provides a pleasant little kick and the experience is different, but reminiscent, of kimchee. It actually took three of us (my son got the leftovers) to clean this platter.

The Gastro Bomber Truck reflects Robert’s military experience with a fighter bomber design. The Tip ‘boot’ out front reflects Robert’s commitment to the men and women who serve in our military with all tips going to charities that support our veterans. If you’ve not been ‘back’ to Gastro Bomber, you might want to put them on your list. Robert is looking for YOU! You can find the Gastro Bomber Truck by following them on Facebook or Twitter.