Don Japanese Food Truck

Tried their curry for the first time. Was not impressed. It tasted like store bought Japanese curry and too salty.
The portion is a lot smaller, half pork katsu compared to lunch portion. I wish they could accommodate serving lunch menu during dinner time as well.

YASSSS QUEEN! Those were my exact thoughts after my first bite. I finally got to try this place after seeing all the long lines across from Torchy’s on the drag and then it was closed for a couple of months and then relocated behind the co-​op. I’m glad that it’s summer because there was only two people ahead of me in line ordering when I went during the lunch hour and 10 minutes later my food came out. I decided on the number 1 «The Don» and added an egg. Six bucks for all that food, are you kidding me? They give you so much rice and as a lover of rice I still couldn’t finish it all. The pork was perfectly breaded and the meat was tender. The sauce is tangy and sweet and pairs well mixed with the meat and rice. I immediately hit food coma afterwards but it was so worth it.

Don recently reopened in the plaza next to the University Co-​Op parking lot. The line is A LOT shorter now (probably because most UT students are not in Austin in June), especially if you come right when the truck opens.
I really liked their chicken Don (or chicken katsu over rice), which was prepared in the same manner and with the same sauce as their trademark pork Don because it was much juicier than its pork counterpart. However, I realized that it’s the only menu item I like. The pork Don, or katsu, is a bit too dry. The beef item is basically just ground beef seasoned with soy sauce… for a slightly similar, but much better alternative, you might as walk next door to Song La and order their minced pork over rice.
But honestly, $ 5 for the amount of food you’re getting? It’s worth a visit. For add-​ons, consider the onsen egg and fish katsu!

Nothing can beat this food truck because not only is it close to campus, it is super affordable while giving you a good amount of food. The food is always tasty and it definitely satisfied my craving for Japanese chicken. The elements of their Don dish compliment each other well (ginger, seaweed, spicy mayo). The guys that work in this truck are always nice and down to earth.
I’m glad that they changed locations from 26^th to right behind the co-​op!

***Yelp has the correct address, but as of today Google does not, showing that they are at 28^th and Guadalupe rather than the correct 411 W 23^rd St. Google also says their hours are 12am — 5pm. It should be 12pm — 5pm***
2 stars for their The Don (with added onsen and bruised avocado — bruise visible in photo) and for running out of fries 20 minutes into opening (did someone order all of them?). The Don as a dish was too sweet for my liking. The pork katsu itself was very bland and parts of it were cold. The quality of the meat itself seemed poor which I’m not surprised by with it costing $ 5. Here, you get what you pay for and given the location, I can see a hungry college student loving this place.
4 stars for their Karagi, for the guy taking orders (he was really nice), and for their pricing. The Karagi had much more flavor than The Don. It had a great crispy exterior protecting the juicy chicken beneath. This dish felt like a great deal at $ 6. What you get for what you pay for is really good, especially when compared with other trucks in town.
There was a line, but it moved pretty quickly as did receiving our food once our order was placed. I would come back for the Karagi, but not at all for The Don.

Affordable cheap eats right in the heart of UT! At $ 5 for a don/​rice bowl, you really can’t go wrong with that. And they don’t skimp out on portions either!
The «don» is pork katsu over rice. Add an onsen egg and bam, deliciousness in every bite. We also had the veggie king which was fried tofu over rice BUT with a lot of fried shallots! A little too much for my liking… Had to pick most of it out lol. Overall the food was good and enjoyable. The price makes it more enjoyable too!

Don is finally back, and in a more convenient location at that! The food truck will probably end up giving Song La quite a bit of competition at the Co-​op trailer park. It looks like they have a few new items on the menu, including a curry option at dinner and three additional larger sides. I thought they had the worst system ever during my first visit last winter. It took us almost 45 minutes to get our food. There were enough pros to visit another five times since then though.
I generally just get The Don or The Chicken, but have tried everything on the menu at least once. Those two really are a steal for $ 5 though. I almost always add an egg or avocado on top of it all. Not really a fan of the other fried toppings. The portions really vary across visits. Sometimes, you get a «normal» amount of food, but I remember getting The Chicken for a picnic once, and the servings were literally twice the usual amount. Couldn’t finish it that day even though I skipped on toppings and sides.
The reactions for the Karaage (fried chicken) are pretty mixed on Unilocal.I’m not really a fan. The pieces of chicken are too large and actually have so little batter that they aren’t even crispy at times. Their new chicken side is more or less the same, but is topped with a special sauce. Had to get the Don today since they were out of some of the other entrees, and I think it was better than in the past. I always said that the entrée was too sweet whenever I had to get it because they were out of chicken, but that wasn’t the case today. It seems like the crowd is pretty slow during the summer, or maybe I just went during an off hour. I don’t know that much about Japanese food, but like I said, $ 5 is a steal if you’re eating on a budget. If you want the best Don has to offer, get the pork belly entrée with a topping.

We (Me and my Husband) was recommended this place by some students on West Campus.
We decided to give it a try, and headed over for a late lunch. It wasn’t hard to find, but the parking was limited. We did get lucky and were able to park in the same lot as the trailer, but it was a tight fit (that’s what we get for driving a dually downtown Austin).
We were warned ahead of time to expect long lines, but that wasn’t the case for us. We walked right up to the Food Trailer and placed our order. We both went with «The Chicken» and an add on of fish Katsu. It took about 15 minutes to get our food, which by this time, a table had cleared up and we were able to sit down and enjoy it.
The chicken was delicious, but what captured me, was the fish! I absolutely LOVED it! I could have made my entire meal of the fish.
Bottom line: Go try Don’s! You get your money’s worth and leave full! We will definitely be back.

So I heard this place is opening up a store front because that’s how friggin popular they are!!!
I remember the first time I heard about them, they ran out for lunch and were running a bit behind for dinner so I had to leave and come back and when I came back there was a huge line :(
Chicken Katsu aka the don: ⁴⁄₅ — It was good especially for the price.
Pork belly: ⁴⁄₅ — SUPER FLAVORFUL
Chicken teriyaki: ³⁄₅ — This tastes really plain to me.
The beef: ⁴⁄₅ — Minced beef packed a huge punch of flavor, but I don’t think I’d eat it often.
Onsen egg tastes really funky to me so I don’t get it anymore after I tried it the first times.
This place is mad cheap. I bet they could up the price and people would still come. Great job to the owners!

Everything here are delicious and addicting.
First off, I’m comparing Don japanese food truck with any other food trucks in Austin or food in Austin, in general. I say it’s one of the best food they have in Austin.
The prices and the amount of food are on-​point for college students, I wouldn’t mind paying dollar or two more, but cheaper the better.
I’ve tried #1 pork katsu, #1 chicken katsu, #2, and karage (or however you spell that). They were all well fried and very proportional with rice, cabbage, and nori (seaweed). I recommend #1 chicken katsu. For a dollar more, you may add an onsen egg, fish katsu, avocado, or fish something. Any additional side… b/​c they are all great — I recommend ya’ll trying fish katsu, HA!

So tell me what you want, what you really really want,
I’ll tell you what I want, what I really really want,
I wanna (don), I wanna (don), I wanna (don), I wanna (don), I wanna really really really wanna number one don.
(Thumbs up for effort and throwback to spice girls???)
Get on the don hype train! Choo-​choo! My goodness this place is fantastic. We’re talking good food. Cheap food. LOTS of food. How good? How cheap? Oh boy (or girl) you are in for a treat. Or should I say a don?
Yeah okay, it’s a little sketch. Or maybe a lot sketch. Alright fine it’s a weird black truck that I originally thought was a UPS truck. But don’t let that scare you away! Or let it scare you away. More don for me hehe. You’ll see a long line and smell good food if you’re near so don’t just go towards any random black truck please.
Gotta get the classic and try the number one: the don with pork (or chicken if you prefer). The best part? It’s 5 DOLLARS??? Say whaaaaaaaat? Yeah that’s right boi (or grill). Well, if it’s that cheap then it must not be a lot right? WRONG. It’s enough to keep me full for the majority of the day, and believe me, that’s not an easy task. Add fish katsu for $ 1 and make your meal all the more heavenly.
My few concerns: you have to wait a while for your food because this place is so popular and only like two people are working. Also, once they run out of food, they leave. Get the don before it’s gone!!!

Cheap, delicious, Japanese food. Don is short for Donburi, an extremely cheap quick dish of deliciousness commonly found throughout Japan. Eating here takes me back to my short stay in Osaka and Tokyo, and I can honestly say that everything is on par with how they do it in Japan. I mean, well, the owners are Japanese (one is full and the other is half I believe?) Anyways, if you want a TL: DR, here it is:
You must go to Don at some point before you leave Austin. at 11:50, 10 minutes before they open.
That statement is both my final recommendation and a strong tip at the same time. I’ve come here at 12 on the dot before and on average, I don’t leave with my food until 12:25.
If you’ve read this far, I guess you need a bit of convincing before you decide to throw your money like them.
You go up, choose what type of don you want (there are like 6 choices I think?), any toppings you want, pay, get a number, wait for your number to be called, enjoy deliciousness. Number 1 is an extremely common order as it is chicken OR pork katsu on their standard bed of rice. I get this the most, but have also gotten the karaage+rice as well as pork belly a few times. If it’s your first time here, get the Number 1.
You’ll open your box to the pleasant smell of the sauce they put on the meat. BIte into it and you’ll experience a gush of juicy goodness. Under the meat is a bed of rice with sliced nori (seaweed), pickled ginger, a few slices of cabbage, and some Japanese mayo. Nothing is overwhelming, and the portions are generous (I mean this when I say it. I was a non-​believer based off the pictures, but once I got it myself, one don was enough to fill me up for about 6 – 7 hours.) The flavor is spot on.
The product itself is great, but once you know the price you get blown away. The number 1 by itself is $ 5. This value very well trumps ANY meal you can get within the area. This is for the most basic Don though; you have options to doctor it up, though the only ones I would suggest are the fish katsu or onsen egg. Fish katsu is breaded and fried fish. The onsen egg is basically an egg boiled in a certain mixture that causes the yolk to become almost poached while INSIDE the shell, resulting in a runny yolk (that isn’t raw), that basically blends well into the rice when they crack it open in your rice. If you haven’t tried it before then I suggest you do. It’s a texture enhancer to be honest, and not much more. IIRC though, in Japan they just crack a raw egg in your don, but that’s because they can and people would freak the hell out if people tried it here lol.
Anyways, the only complaint that I have, as well as everyone else who’s been here, is the wait. It takes quite a while to get your order but you just have to remember that it’s only two people. No matter how efficient they get at making the dons, quality does not come instantaneously, so if you can appreciate what you’re getting, you can handle the wait… unless you come at 1 and truly screw yourself over because the line is 20ish people by then.
Easiest ¹⁰⁄₁₀ of my life. If they somehow figured out a way to eliminate the wait w/​o compromising quality I’d give them an 11/​10, but I’m ok with how it is now. Always will go again and will always recommend to others. Bless you both for bringing this godliness to UT.

I wondered if half of the chefs at Daito decided to have a food truck while the other half decided still worked at Daito. Don Japanese trailer is located in the parking lot of Daito which I must admit may be inconvenience for customers wanting to go to Daito. I’ll be honest with you, I actually wanted to go to Daito until I discovered Don…
I would say Don is a cheap version of Daito. That’s not an insult at all because I still love Daito. Let’s say if you are not in the mood to be waited on, Don would be perfect for you.
What they serve is really good. The customer service is excellent. They serve katsu (fried in panko bread crumbs) with white rice in a bowl. Well it’s not exactly a bowl but in a paper box. Servings are huge and I can’t believe it’s cheap. I ordered the Don (Combo #1) which contains rice, lettuce with your choice of katsu chicken or pork (chose the pork) with a Fish Katsu ($ 1 extra, I’m a sucker for fish).
There’s street parking which can be tricky but it’s worth checking out Don Japanese Food Truck out.

This unassuming food truck is serving up large portions of Japanese-​style meats and veggies served over rice. For a measly $ 5 (tax included) you can get a heaping serving of tender chicken or pork katsu topped in homemade teriyaki sauce that will satisfy even the greatest of hungers. Even the $ 5 chicken karaage is almost enough for a meal (Add rice for$ 1). All the food comes served in to-​go containers for anyone rushing to class but be ready to wait 10 – 20 minutes for your food.
Be careful showing up too late in the evening as they sometimes sell out! If you like spicy food be sure to ask about the spicy chili oil.

Negatives first, because I feel like at this moment this place’s ratings are inflated:
1) Karaage is really soft and not crispy. The pieces are also huge and not bite sized, if you’re picky about that. Also could be seasoned better. I hate making the comparison to east side kings, but Don could learn a thing or two about seasoning from ESK.
2) Pork belly rice is actually $ 9, which is not as shockingly cheap as the Don bowls. Pork belly was cooked kind of … Unsatisfactorily. I can’t explain it, but it’s something to do with how the lean parts were still stringy and the fatty parts were still really fatty. The meat itself isn’t seasoned and they just drown it with sauce.
3) Sauce is very sweet.
4) Pork katsu was really not crispy, AND the meat inside was both not seasoned well and a weird consistency. It’s as if they boiled the pork before they breaded and fried it — which might be the way to make katsudon, I don’t pretend to be an expert. I just didn’t like it too much. There was still that meaty pork smell.
5) The wait is long. I was 3^rd in line to order and I still waited about 20 minutes from the moment I got there and when I got my food.
Now, why do I give it 4 stars?
1) Onsen egg — that little blob is such a dream. It was probably the best part of my meal. Mixed with the mayo and bed of veggies and rice — that alone redeemed the meal for me.
2) Portions are nice and large. The Karaage is pretty much a meal!
3) I really want to support this establishment.
Despite all my complaints above, I hope that whoever reads this understand that I’m holding this establishment to super high standards because I know they’re capable of becoming better. I love street food and I hope this place goes on to thrive. I hope it along with the other new food establishments around UT pave the way for even more innovative, delicious, and affordable foods.
Good food doesn’t HAVE to be overhyped and over priced. I’m rooting for you, Don!

The first time I saw this food truck it was deserted in the middle of the afternoon. I took a peek at their menu and got slightly interested. It was like meeting someone that you think you’d never see again — I’m curious to see what you’re all about, but I’m not super committed. Little did I know I would be here just weeks later, excited to get a piece of the hype. The world is funny sometimes.
I ordered the Pork Belly with egg and my girlfriend ordered the Beef. The pork belly wasn’t the most tender I’ve had, but the amount of fat was excellent and still soft and delicious. The real magic is the sauce. Savory and sweet, the rice soaked it up and made it a great complete dish. That onsen egg is perfectly soft boiled and extremely fragile; I really need to learn how to make them myself. Finally the seaweed is an unexpectedly fantastic addition as it adds taste, texture, and saltiness.
I had a bite of her Beef order. I felt that it was on the salty side, which tampered with the taste. Probably won’t be getting this one for myself. She felt the same.
Overall, the quality of the Beef and the quantity of Pork Belly was a bit low for their respective prices, so next time I might want to try their Pork Katsu. It sells out super fast though, so get there before the normal dinner rush!
Food is a 3.5, but they were super friendly and nice, have a great business purpose, and got mad guts in their choice of location. I hope they continue to do well.

I came on a Sunday around 2pm and there was a decent size crowd around the truck. We waited about 30 min to get our order taken because they were still making all the orders before us. That was kind of annoying but the owner apologized and we didn’t have to wait as long to get our food.
I got the Don with an egg. The pork was super tender. The egg looked like it would be super gooey but when I cut into it, it was almost like hard so that was slightly disappointing. They give you a fairly large amount and for only $ 6!
This place is definitely worth trying cause it’s so cheap! I’ll definitely be back to try the other options!

This place so reminded me of being young and foolish and living on cheap eats, that I’m throwing in a star just for the flashbacks. If this trailer were on Rainey St on any given weekend, the line would back up onto I-​35.
Because it all comes down to this: The $ 5 tax-​inclusive bowl of pork katsu over rice. Yeah, I wish the buffer bed was shredded cabbage instead of lettuce, and the tonkatsu sauce a lot less sweet, and not completely forgetting to order an egg. But for $ 5, I lose the right to bitch.
And when I’m doing casual Japanese — oh wait, I think it’s called «street food» now — it’s all about ramen, yakitori, and katsudon. We’ll grant the first two for hipster use at twice the price, but it’d be fun to see Don do donburi, since egg & pork are already in play here. But please, don’t let this be lost in translation — if $ 5 means good eats for relaxing times, we’ll just keep this Don Japanese our own Suntory time.

First time I came at 8pm on a Thursday, they sold out of everything except for the veggie don.
Second time I came at 5pm on a Saturday, they said they’re closing until 6pm because they had a huge order for lunch.
Third time I came at 6:10pm on that same Saturday, there was already a line of 9 people in front of us o_​_​_​_​o
Social media is not a joke. It’s super close to campus and right across from Torchy’s. A friend added a snap of Don’s food to his story and boom, everyone in our friend circle raced there so they can be the next one that tried it before everyone else.
I ordered the Don and there was a lot more food than I expected. For $ 5 you get sizable pieces of fried battered pork, green onions, nori (dried seaweed), cabbage and mayo all on top of a bed of short grain rice with a side of ginger (to cleanse your palette I believe). For $ 1 more you can add an onsen egg, which I highly recommend! Pork was really tasty and loved that they used short grain rice. But! I can totally do without the mayo. It made the overall meal more heavy when it wasn’t necessary. I’ll probably ask them to go easy on it next time.
Can’t wait to come back and try their other menu items! Also hoping they will be stationed in this location for a while because I’d love to have this in walking distance!

Don is a new Japanese truck specializing in rice bowls with fried proteins, parked in the lot of the udon specialist Daito.
I tried the #1 Don, which is fried breaded pork (tonkatsu) covered in katsu sauce on a bed of rice. They include shredded iceberg lettuce instead of cabbage, which I would have preferred. But all was forgiven once I tasted the pork. It was fresh, perfectly crisp, very moist and tender.
At $ 5, The Don is a bargain for the quality, and the truck is a great addition to the Japanese food scene in Austin.