Far From Home

I’ve been planning on going here for months, but just hadn’t made it. It’s a little outside my usual work week lunch range. When I heard it was closing this week, I realized I had to make it happen or it never would. I left my office around 11:30 hoping to avoid the lunch rush which was a good decision, but they were still sold out of some of the empanadas by the time I got there. I went with the Puerto Rican: ground beef, cheese, and green olives. I don’t really like olives, but this was still really tasty. The crust was outstanding and the filling was super flavorful. I’d like to go back before they leave, but not sure it will happen because it’s just so damn hot this week. If you haven’t been there before, Thursday is your last chance.

and just as quickly… this fine food trucking is closin’ up shop for bigger and better opportunities. (see the website)
Officially shuttering its truck window on Thursday. Get it while the getting’s good.
boo.

Ok I am def going back haha, caught this truck in LOVE park and choose the PR (represent) empanada which tasted so home made! So a diet coke (since I was watching my calorie intake) and an empanada was only 4 bucks. Seriously so happy this truck is close to school that makes it kinda dangerous.

I was impressed with Far From Home. When I went for lunch, it was nestled (parked) next to Guapos Tacos and Buttercream in Love Park. The empanadas looked good, but I opted for a burger and fries. I don’t recall the meal being too expensive, although I split fries with a coworker. The food came out relatively quickly which was good because we were all starving. I thought the burger was tasty but certainly not in the top echelon of burgers in the city. For the price and the quick service, it was good. The fries were delicious, but maybe I was just in the mood for fries.
I’d definitely recommend checking out this truck if you’re working in Center City and want something tasty. There’s a lot of variety on the menu, so it should be a good stop for a group.

What more is there to love than a bright colored food truck parked outside my office every day of the week with solar powered dancing flowers, sweet island music, and the happiest men pumping food out of the back of a steel box? The food being pumped out of that truck… namely the empanadas. I used to have a thing for the tacos, but then I visited during empanada-​palooza and realized that I had been missing out on what everyone else was raving about.
Deep fried to golden perfection and well on my way to heart-​attack central, I managed to snag a Havana Chorizo filled with the never failing spicy sausage, cheese, cilantro, onions, and potatoes… as well as an Argentinian empanada stuffed with paprika spiced beef, green olives, cream cheese, egg, raisins, and I’m sure other sorts of goodness. Both were equally creative and satisfying and for $ 3 a piece, a welcomed change to the typically dull weekday lunch rotation. I wish it could be empanada-​palooza every day, but in the meantime I can settle for allowing myself to visit the tropical truck every once in awhile for the rest of their tasty treats.

If you’re not out eating lunch at Love Park this summer, clearly there must be something wrong going on at home and maybe we need to sit down and talk. Local favorites like Guapos Tacos, Sweetbox Truck, and Sugar Philly come and go, but the real crown jewel (and most consistent) of this phantasmagorical food truck orgy is Far From Home Café. Easily distinguishable by its bright purple paint, vibrantly colored tables, and constant hum of Caribbean tunes, this truck serves up one tasty burger, in easy competition with the Big Kahuna Burgers of the world. The meat is exotically seasoned, well complemented by the tender rolls (not Amoroso, post-​strike). Considering this is a truck, not a restaurant, the quality is quite commendable.
But the burgers are Far From the main attraction at this Café (see what I did there? eh??). Welcome, friends, to Empanada City. Sure, they’re not the most «traditional,» and sure, they’re fried not baked, but by golly, there is so much creativity and artistry going on in these little guys, they’re hard not to love. The selection changes daily, so be sure to follow them on twitter to keep up! Definitely be on the lookout for the birthday cake empanada (though I think it should probably be spelled «birthday kake»).This perfect marriage of Tasty Kake butterscotch krimpet, caramel brown sugar cream cheese, and butterscotch morsels all wrapped up in a fried empanada shell merge to create an artery-​clogging culinary bliss. It tastes like the sweetest, most enjoyable heart attack you will ever experience. And then you’ll come back for more.
I don’t necessarily get aroused at having to pay $ 3 per empanada, but the quality, the atmosphere, and the ridiculously nice staff (like, I would totally see them socially) are enough for me to rationalize that it is well worth it. See you at Love Park!

For my first outing I had the Euro (bacon, blue cheese, sauteed onions, lettuce, tomato, & might sauce) but with a veggie patty instead of the traditional beef. It was fantastic all around with thick slices of bacon, great sauce, plenty of blue crumbles, and the veggie patty itself was fantastic.
The curly fries are also a winner as they’re nice and crispy and the seasoning pretty much perfectly emulates the Arby’s fries we all know and love.
Finally was the vegetable curry empanada. The filling was tasty and while the crust was on the dry side that’s pretty much what you’d expect from an empanada. I wouldn’t mind some sort of sauce for this.
All in all it’s a great truck with fantastic food options and a fun atmosphere. I can see myself going back more and more as the weather gets warmer just to try out some of the other crazy menu items.

Far From Home is one of the new breed of Philly lunch trucks that promote themselves in up-​to-​the-​minute fashion via twitter and Facebook. Although subject to change, this lunch truck can be found near LOVE Park on most weekdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The truck is hard to miss from any vantage point within two or three blocks. The bright purple and neon paint job is an allusion to what it serves: Caribbean-​themed lunch fare featuring a variety of burgers. They also serve customized hot dogs, mac n’ cheese, empanadas, curly fries, and cupcakes baked fresh daily.
I had the Mighty Farmer, a veggie burger with carrots, tomatoes, sprouts and their homemade «mighty sauce.» It was excellent and had fresh ingredients. The patties were definitely not boca burgers and the fresh carrots and sprouts made a substantial difference. I also sampled the Mac n’ Cheese, which was savory and salty with plenty of pepper. For all cupcake-​heads out here, Friday’s flavor was mint chocolate.
Little things make a big difference when it comes to lunch, and the fresh ingredients and fresh takes featured by Far From Home make it a lunch truck that is definitely worth checking out.