Clover Food Truck in Dewey Square (South Station)

[Suze123]

The yummy (and cheap!) Clover Food Truck is now at South Station. Went today and got a BBQ Seitan sandwich for $5. The hot item of the day seemed to be the chick pea sandwich.

http://www.cloverfoodlab.com/

Just FYI!

[FoodDabbler]

Has anyone else eaten at the South Station truck recently? I had their fries and chickpea sandwich today and was completely unblown away. The fries managed to achieve the impossible: they were overcooked to the point of tasting burnt, and were at the same time limp. I'm a fan of twice-fried fries but these had gone through the process three times or more, and had clearly been sitting around for a while getting soft before their final quick-fry when I ordered. As if to guarantee inedibility, they were also way over-salted. The chickpea sandwich was a variation on felafel, but the chickpea balls in it were neither crisp nor tasty. They seem to subscribe to the mistaken view that it's the fixings that make the sandwich. The pita was stuffed past bursting with pickle, cabbage and shredded carrot, the last of which added an overly sweet taste to the whole affair.

My experience is so at odds with other reports here, that I'll probably give them another try. At $5 a pop for the sandwiches, I can afford to experiment. But I was curious if there were recent other experiences at this location.

[stomachofsteel]

I went last week. I've only ever had the egg + eggplant and the BBQ seitan, but the sandwich (egg + eggplant) I had the other day was as good as the ones I had last summer. Can't speak to the fries or the chickpea though.

[FoodDabbler]

Yes, the egg and eggplant intrigued me. I'll give it a shot.

[johndory]

I find the chickpea sandwich to be reliably good but most of the sandwiches don't appeal to me. The last time I stopped by they were out of chickpea so I ordered the sweet potato which was dominated by very bland sweet potato mush. I do appreciate that the staff is friendly and reasonably quick. It's hard to believe that, while the whole operation is run out of a truck, they have more sandwich makers than Flour.

[mats77]

Some friends and I went over to check it out and for the most part everything was delicious. I had the basil sandwich ($5) which was on a wheat pita and had pickled veg, havarti cheese and basil spread. The fries ($3) were also quite tasty and as others have mentioned not the crispiest but still very good. The lavendar lemonade ($2) was a mistake however as it tasted more of lavendar then of lemons. I tried my friend's blueberry lemonade ($3) and that was excellent.

[bella_sarda]

Funny---when I tried the lavender lemonade I could hardly taste any lavender. I also thought the basil sandwich was a miss (very bland). Quality likely varies day to day.

[CreativeFoodie42]

I went there a few weeks ago for the first time and absolutely loved the Soy BLT. I'm a meat-eater but I still found the tempeh bacon to be a good substitute. I've heard awesome things about the egg and egg sandwich, which is going to be my next order!

[y2000k]

I was very happy to make it to the truck today, after finding out that they would be there on holiday Monday. No lines at all at 1pm, being a holiday. Got the BBQ seitan; funny though now that I'm re-reading these comments. I thought the BBQ flavor was a tad too strong, which makes it a tad too salty. Had blueberry agua fresca which was lovely. I have to try the fries next time!

[soxchik]

I was there again on Tuesday for a popover (it was tasty, but a bit underdone) and Thursday for another excellent BBQ seitan. I also tried the potato and tempeh salad which was basically standard potato salad with tempeh that tasted like bacon. I guess that's what they use on the soy BLT sandwich. I also noticed that they have new hours - Monday to Friday 7am to 7pm.

[The Lady]

I went over yesterday around 12:50 and waited for about 10 minutes all in. The chef was working the line, chatting people up and offering details on the menu. Much appreciated by those who want/need to know every ingredient in each offering (not me), since the truckside menu doesn't give too much info. Very friendly. The chickpea sandwich was tasty - fresh crunchy marinated veggies, good pickle, the right amount of hummus, and light fritters that were properly seasoned and not the least bit greasy . My only disappointment is that by the time I walked the 5+ minutes or so back to my office to eat, the fritters were no longer warm. My fault, clearly. Next time, I'll just hit the lawn like most everyone else. Good lunch for a very fair price!

[davis_sq_pro]

I made it to the Clover truck today for lunch. Had the chickpea sandwich, which I'm renaming the "falafel with hummus sandwich" -- tasty crispy falafel and smooth hummus with pickled cabbage on top, served in a pita. Quite nice. On the side I had a serving of the "surf 'n turf" salad, which as it turns out is a Japanese-style sunomono: cucumber, seaweed, and radish in a light brine. Also very tasty. And at $8 for both, quite a deal, especially given the other options in the area.

I'll be back soon for sure. Next on my list is the BBQ seitan and the roasted carrot salad.

[bella_sarda]

I had the BBQ seitan sandwich with the roasted carrot salad on the side yesterday for lunch. Great combo and *very* filling for $8. I definitely recommend both.

[davis_sq_pro]

I tried the seitan today; good flavor, seitan a bit on the chewy side. Could have used more BBQ and less mayo, but I would definitely repeat.

Carrots are gone so I tried the Asian noodle salad. Had way too much sauce and the noodles were overcooked/soggy. Would not get that one again.

[SaraASR]

Is the truck here forever, or just temporally?

[bella_sarda]

Well, "forever" is likely to be an exaggeration, but according to my interactions with the staff, the truck will be in Dewey Sq "indefinitely"---that is, it's not intended as just a limited engagement.

[slices]

Ok - can someone help me figure out what I ate today? It was my first visit to a Clover food truck, and I ordered the chickpea sandwich. I think something was lost in translation given the deafening sounds of the 3-piece instrumental directly next to the food truck. What I got was tasty, but I have NO idea what it was ... a light-orangey colored spread that tasted not unlike Wispride cheese product spread, sliced celery and cukes in pita. Seriously - I didn't taste any chickpeas at all? and CERTAINLY nothing that resembled a fritter. Was this a different sandwich than what I ordered? If so, what the heck was it?

[monicall]

Sounds like you had the pimento sandwich - it's their current seasonal one, so it will get rotated out at some point. The chickpea sandwich definitely has fried falafel-like chickpeas in it, and is covered in pickled veggies.

[Spenbald]

Yes, definitely the pimento. Had it for the first time today. While delicious, it's a whole different animal than the chickpea fritter.

[slices]

Ok, thanks for clarifying! I'm still determined to try the chickpea so I'll be back to the truck and this time will make sure my order is clear.

[ayr]

Hey there -- super sorry about the mix-up. You definitely had the Pimento. Hope you enjoyed it, but obviously we didn't mean to pull a fast one on you. Next time you're by please mention it to Vincenzo, he'll take care of you. Again, sorry! and thanks for your patience as we get up to speed on the new truck (lot's of newbies getting trained!)

- Ayr

[davis_sq_pro]

Where exactly is the truck? I'm not finding anything on the Web site with an actual intersection, etc. Hoping to hit it today...

[soxchik]

Its in the area near South Station where the farmer's market is. Between Atlantic and Purchase streets. Across from the Dunkin Donuts, on the grass.

[davis_sq_pro]

Thanks!

[Gordough]

just came back from lunch from the Clover Truck. My fries were excellent and the standout. Yeah they could have been a tad bit crispier but then again I have never met a fry that couldn't be a bit more crispy. I had the chickpea sandwich and it was good but not great. I rather get a falafel from Falafel Guy on Winter St. Looking forward to trying the BBQ Seiten.

Random side note, Mumbles Menino was there eating a sandwich from the truck and seemed to enjoy the food and atmosphere (live jazz playing on the grass and the farmers market). More food trucks please Boston! these are win win.

[Alcachofa]

WOW this beet salad is fantastic!! $3!

Fries are OK. I like the rosemary. Not as crispy as I would like, though.

Definitely will try the sandwiches.

[tysonmcneely]

I agree, that the fries could be more crispy, but I still found them to be pretty good. I had the BBQ Seiten, which was ok, but not nearly as good as the Chickpea fritter I had yesterday. I think it was because of the pickled vegetables that come with the chickpea as opposed to the Lettuce and tomato with the seitan.

Anyone try the egg and eggplant or the cold pea soup?

[rlh]

I tried the egg and eggplant today - it's a quite tasty and filling sandwich, however, it was hardboiled eggs sliced with eggplant and condiments - I had envisioned a warm egg sandwich so it was a letdown - I will be back for the chickpea soon and more of the BBQ seitan as well - my fries were crispy and tasty again today - for the handcut variety vs. the multiple-fried versions like Eastern Standard, Drink, and McDonald's.

-----
Eastern Standard
528 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215

[cpingenot]

I went today, and while my Eggplant sandwich was wonderful, the fries were a bit undercooked and soggy. I think they're saving time by only frying them once instead of the double frying that would make them uber crispy.
I'm glad they're around though, will make a regular stop when I'm at the Farmer's market for sure.

[bella_sarda]

I've had the "egg and eggplant," the chickpea fritter, and the soy BLT sandwiches. Only change I would make with the "egg/egg" would be to season the egg a bit, kind of egg-salad like; at the very least it needed a bit of salt, but the eggplant portion was very well seasoned and tasty; also, you get all egg first, then all eggplant, just the way they arrange it in the pita (which, I should add, is an awesome, substantial and chewy whole-wheat affair), and I would prefer some mixing. Chickpea fritter is awesome, especially if you like pickled veggies, which they do very well (all housemade). Soy BLT was a bit scant on the tempeh strips (subbing for bacon here); pita was mostly filled with just lettuce and tomato. The tempeh was tasty but that sandwich is way less filling for your $5 than either the chickpea of the egg/egg.

The veggie salads are great---can't rave enough about the fennel & grapefruit, which also has hazelnuts, cumin & fennel seeds. super complex, refreshing, satisfying, original. Dying to try the beet/goat cheese, roasted carrot, etc. So glad this place is right near my office! (I can actually see it from my window, so I know when the line is long!).

[rlh]

I was SO excited to see them setting up before lunch - went back after 1p and only had to wait ten minutes or so - the rosemary fries were the same amazing ones from MIT, the BBQ seitan equally awesome, and the quinoa salad to took for dinner was incredibly tasty (in spite of some kind of raisin or dried fruit i didn't like) - all for $11 - I think I'll be back tomorrow - and yes, the falafel sandwiches were really flying out of there - they looked and smelled really good. What a superfine addition to the Dewey farmers market!!

[soxchik]

I LOVE Clover! Great addition to the neighborhood. I got a breakfast sandwich the first week which was a soft boiled egg, cheddar, and tomato in wheat pita. I think they use wheat pita for all their sandwiches. Can't wait to try the muffins, granola, oatmeal, and popovers!

For lunch, The BBQ seitan was awesome. I was worried that it would be very BBQ-y, but it had just the right amount of sauce with a tiny bit of heat, some lettuce, tomato, and cheese (I think there was melted cheese, it could have been mayo). The rosemary fries were fantastic, and even better was that I saw the potato being cut, then put into the fryer, then served to me hot and fresh. The chickpea sandwich was very good and reminded me of a falafel. The quinoa salad (with almonds and golden raisins) was fine, but a bit bland. Also on the menu were 3 other sandwiches: Soy BLT, Egg and Eggplant, and Pimento. I know there were 4 salads, but can't remember all the details. Other than the quinoa there was roasted carrot, fennel and something, and Greek couscous. All sandwiches were $5 and salads and fries were $3. I believe drinks (iced tea, lemonade etc) were $2.

[yumyum]

Mmmmmm. The popovers are great.

I liked the chickpea sandwich too, and the fries. I'm glad these guys are doing well and keeping the prices low. Go CLOVER!!!

[gingersnap]

loved the jicama slaw, chick pea sandwich and rhubarb agua fresca. will be back for sure!