Joni's friend Dion had told us about a fun place in Dallas called Truck Yard. Since we didn't have a plan for Saturday, we decided to meet her there and check it out.
Its in Lower Greenville, an area with tons of restaurants, bars, and shops. We drove through a couple areas that didn't look the greatest, but otherwise its a very unique and eclectic area. There's some free parking, but it was full so we just did the complimentary valet.
This place is awesome! The main building is pretty small, but it opens out to a huge beer garden. The garden floor is dirt/sand, the seating is tons of tables and old chairs. Round tables, park benches, small 3-4 person tables, and 2 tables literally set into the bed of a pickup truck. You can order food from inside, but there's also 3 food trucks that periodically rotate. There's also a beer bar inside of another food truck, a tree house bar, and a small stage that's attached to the front of a pickup.
We found a small table that was on the deck, which provided a great spot for people watching. And there's some fantastic people watching to be had. I really like that its a kid friendly place, and we saw people of every age, from a couple of infants to a woman who looked about 80-years old. It was also a very diverse group of patrons, people from every walk of life. Even though we sat at a small table, I like the idea of sitting at the larger benches, because you could see groups that obviously didn't know each other talking and drinking together.
The weather was perfect for the beer garden. It was hot, but not ridiculous. They've got lots of trees to provide shade and the breeze kept it a little cooler. I can't see going here in the rain or when its freezing cold.
Of course we had to drink beer... when in Rome. We stuck with boring American beers. Next time I'm branching out to some more craft type beers. I do love how they display the menu in the table, and I really love the koozies.
Eventually we got hungry. Joni & Dion split a pizza, which they said was really good. I checked out all 3 trucks, and settled on Jack's Chow Hound. I got the pulled pork grilled cheese and Cajun fries.
The sandwich was absolutely phenomenal. The bread is locally made, the BBQ sauce was tangy but not overpowering, the gouda was delicious and smoky. The fries were good, but too much Cajun spice... that's all I could taste, so it detracted from the taste of the fries. They could have done half as much spice, and it would have been enough.
As if all this wasn't enough, after a while 2 guys and a girl walked in with a baby pig. Who has a pig as a pet?? Never seen that in my life.
We had gotten there at about 1:30, and finally pried ourselves away about 5 hours later. And it didn't feel that long at all. We were just having a great time relaxing, talking, and people watching.
Will I go back? We're already planning that for my next trip to Dallas!
Will I go back? We're already planning that for my next trip to Dallas!
