At the end of last week, downtown’s sidewalks were pretty well empty, but there was a small gathering outside of Curbside food truck. In the COVID-19 era, a lineup of four or five people feels almost like a party.
The Curbside truck offers sandwiches and sides with a distinctly North American flair — from fish tacos to Montreal smoked meat to barbecue, Texas-style.
I ordered the Austin brisket with a side of brussels sprouts. I like brussels sprouts, especially when they’ve kissed a grill. These definitely had little bits of char on them and that shot of bitterness is so, so good. But you don’t read food reviews to find out about the side dishes. I lured you in with a couple of mentions of the brisket, and you want to know more about the brisket. It’s why you’ve made it this far into the review.
First off, it’s pretty brazen to reference your brisket sandwich as an “Austin” brisket sandwich. Austin is one of true holy sites for barbecue, and you don’t reference it lightly. But, on, first glance, it holds up. There’s a nice filling of meat inside a soft Portuguese bun, and marinated onions that come off almost like a coleslaw as a topping. There’s no extra sauces or cheeses that would dull the smokiness of the meat. And that’s a good thing, because the smoke is what hits you. The brisket spent 12 hours on the smoker, and that essence comes through really nicely. It’s a substantial, enjoyable lunch offering — and it proves that simple is often best.
