Monte Cristo

Wow… amazing! I ordered a #3 Shrooms on a Shingle with an egg and was pleasantly surprised. I’m not a grilled cheese person at all but was peer-​pressured into standing in line. I was compelled to order so asked for the best menu option for a non-​cheese lover. They recommended #3 with an over-​easy egg. I’m glad I listened. The combination of the slightly crunchy rosemary bread (heaven by itself), fresh sauteed mushrooms, and cheeses blended perfectly. Creamy, smooth, only a bit of saltiness. Totally worth the calories.

I’m kinda torn here.
For one, my Full Monte Cristo had fabulous flavor. The lime kinda threw me off at first, but overall it added to the flavor.
But on the other hand, it was one skinny little sammich. I found a little bit of cheese on there and a slice of meat, but it was mostly all cinnamon swirl bread. Not that I don’t love me some egg-​battered and fried-​up cinnamon bread, but for $ 9 I was hoping there was a little more to it. And it was served a little too quickly, which makes me think the sandwiches are pre-​made.
And it’s served on a biodegradable tray, which is nice if there was somewhere to sit and eat around the trucks, but when I have to walk 4 blocks back to my office and my food is cold, it’s not so great. I might give this truck a try again, if i’m jonesing for some cinnamon goodness.

I WISH this food truck would stop by my office more often!
Pros: Their classic grilled cheese and tomato soup shot. Mouthwatering… had to remind myself to chew I gobbled it up so quickly. The combination of cheddar, jack and gruyère is divine.
Cons: That I can’t have this sandwich everyday for lunch.

Five stars in the context of Seattle food trucks.
Monte Cristo is my Friday reward to myself for getting through the work week. High quality ingredients, expertly prepared by a lovely bunch of people. As with most food trucks, it can get really busy around noon, so I usually head over at about 11:30. Takes cards and cash.
Delicious grilled cheese, reasonable prices, happy smiling staff! Get you some.

Unfortunately we discovered the Monte Cristo Food Truck after we had already ate a ton of other stuff at the Mobile Food Rodeo, so I only tried the fried Beecher’s cheese curds with asiago dip. But it was delicious! Fresh and perfectly golden fried Beecher’s mozzarella cheese. Then the asiago dip just made the appetizer over the top! Super rich and like the menu description said, «cheese on cheese on cheese!» This place is definitely not for the lactose intolerant or those counting calories.

This place is alright.
I mean. Yeah, it was «alright».
I had them at the Mobile Food Rodeo yesterday, and after waiting in line for 30+ minutes, and getting the Monte Cristo off of the «Monte Cristo» Food Truck, we had some pretty solid high hopes for this place.
Unfortunately it was obscenely sweet. I should have known better when I saw Cinnamon Swirl bread — but when I saw the powdered sugar melting into the bread I was still thinking to myself «Hey! They know what they’re doing, I’m sure it’s great!».
It was so sweet it was like eating caramel that was diluted with simple sugar. Oh, but you know, with a some ham and cheese tossed in.
The people working the truck were friendly and pretty efficient. The pickled grapes were a nice touch, I just wish they weren’t in a sugary syrup. :(

Alright, I am an EXPERT I tell you, on the fine art of Monte Cristo sandwiches.
And while this is not what I’d call your ‘standard’ MC, the flavors were indeed Wham Bam, Thank you, Ma’am!
I got the ‘Full Monte’ of course, and the fried curds on the side-​just to make sure my caloric intake was at 100% in one meal-​and both were scrumptious.
The sandwich did not come with jam, I was initially bummed to hear, and no powdered sugar nor was it as fluffy with tons of egg on it (Charlie’s ironically still wins in this traditional match) but the flavor, DAMN GURL, that lime spritzed over the sandwich was like some kind of sexy siren’s call to my tastebuds and they were alive and kickin’ at the deliciousness that was happening.
The curds were perfectly fried and a great sized portion, my only feedback is that I didn’t love the dipping sauce of tomato confit, it was much too oily to dip my curds in but they were gorgeous naked, as all good cheese products should be.
Overall, as a life long MC connoisseur, I’d give this a well deserved standing ovation, and I’ll be there as often as I can manage!

Let me preface this review by saying that cheese can do no wrong in my eyes. Thus, what comes next might be slightly biased!
I had the #3 and I have to say my egg was cooked perfectly! The cheeses were sophisticated and the mushroom was delish. My only complaint – I wish there was more cheese.
I will be back to try the one with cracklings and confit.

This is going to be a hot/​cold review. I feel like there are just a few things holding them back from 4.5 or 5 stars…
First, I love that the food truck has at least one option of gluten-​free bread. I’ve been craving grilled cheese for weeks and I could hear angels sing when I saw they had that option. However, I don’t understand why they have gluten-​free bread, but only offer it on one of their sandwiches, the #1? I’d love to try other menu items on gf bread too! Gluten-​free aside, their menu looks delectable.
I ordered a #1 with bacon. Overall impression?
–Took forever. I could see from the point it was finished to the point they served it, that part alone took a good few minutes. I think they just need to work on expediting, there seemed to be a lot of confusion in pairing up sandwiches made with the right orders.
–The meal came on a paper plate /​tray, and considering it’s a food truck and everyone will be carrying it away this isn’t well thought out. Also there was a shot of tomato soup and there was no cover for it, just the tippy little cup which made it tricky not to spill while walking to my destination. It was 35 degrees so I don’t think anyone was going to be eating on the spot. I’d highly suggest wrapping the sammies up and/​or putting them in a bag to keep warm, and obviously a lid for soup. It’s a food truck, focus less on presentation and more on logistics.
–Prices seem steep. I ordered a #1 with bacon but no soup. Then they served it to me and said since the gluten-​free bread was smaller, the sandwich is smaller — so they threw in a free shot of soup to compensate. I appreciate that thought, but bigger gf bread would be great so I could get a real-​sized sandwich for the $ 9 I paid. Yikes.
+The food was hands down delicious. The tomato soup, the cheese, the gf bread, the bacon, and the berry compote side although that was random. I’d say skip that if you can bring the price down a bit. But really, the food was amazing.
+The staff was extremely friendly. Great service, although slow.
+Again, their menu looks amazing, a good number of mouth-​watering options but clear, easy to read/​choose.
Normally I don’t bother to write long reviews, but I think these guys have a unique menu, I’m thrilled with at least one gluten-​free sandwich option in downtown Seattle, and mostly I think they have potential to be really kick ass if they speed it up, wrap it up, and reduce prices a tad (or increase portions a little).
I’m willing to give them another shot!

I got the cheese lover’s sandwich and it was okay. the cheese was gooey but I don’t know how you would dip the sandwich in the cheese sauce they provide to you. Its quite greasey, like really really greasey, thank goodness i only had half. The veggies that came with it was the worst thing. I don’t know if its pickled or anything (as being korean, i love pickled stuff since we pickle just about anything) but it was just horrible, i had one bite and was disgusted, my friend had two bites (just to make sure she didn’t like it the 2^nd time) and regreted it. I would maybe try some of the other sandwiches without the veggies.

Exceptional as far as the food truck genre is concerned, hence the five stars. And these grilled cheeses would blow many brick n’ mortar versions out of the water, hands down.
I first saw the truck in Ballard getting painted when I was out on a run. It was so darling, I couldn’t wait to try it. Fast forward to a lunch break one Friday afternoon (the truck has standing locations on a weekly basis) — it’s at 2^nd and Pike on Fridays, and, boom, I was experiencing the cheesy goodness. They of course have a trackable system to locate the little cutie.
I went for the classic– grafton cheddar, new moon jack and gruyère, on macrina brioche. Kraft singles, you didn’t make the cut, sorry. It’s served with a blueberry ‘au jus’ aka jammish goodness and chips. And, being famous for the impulsive ‘add on’, I went for the $ 1 shot of tomato soup.
Exceptional meal, people, and pretty darn good value. Worthy of the various adjectives plastered all over their truck (which admittedly would fit well in a carnival setting but it’s such a bright spot on a Seattle day). I was impressed with the variety too– i.e. Lobster and Tarragon mac and cheese? They also had a sweeter one the ‘full monte’ cristo that looked good.

Monte Cristo is a food truck managed by Bön Appetit restaurant management. They offer variations of grilled cheese sandwiches and some tomato soups.
I tried the sweet and savory sandwich and thought it was too much. The bun was like a cinnamon swirl bun and way too sweet for the contents of the sandwich. My friend tried this and agreed with me.
I’ve had the classic grilled cheese sandwich and it tastes a lot better. The portion is a bit small though and thus kind of pricey at $ 6.99. It comes with a serving of blueberry au jus but I think fruit should not be with grilled cheese sandwiches.
The creamy tomato soup is okay. The first Time I got it I thought it was really delicious and creamy. However the second time I got it I thought the flavor was lacking. Also a bowl will cost you like $ 3.50 so it’s not that cheap!
I also tried the regular tomato soup («classic») there’s like no salt in this soup. Very little flavor. I would recommend the creamy soup over the classic soup.
Sandwich + soup will come out to about $ 12 give or take. This is pretty expensive for a food truck.

Monte Cristo is so good that when you’re walking down the street carrying your foil-​covered plate, random people stop you and say «That looks really good, where did you get it?» Apparently, the magic of grilled cheese transcends foil wrappers and becomes apparent to all who pass.
I don’t know. That happened, but it was weird. I just took it as proof that Monte Cristo is amazeballs.
My coworkers and I have found a new favorite in Monte Cristo. For one thing, who DOESN’T love grilled cheese? Crazy people, that’s who. Even gluten-​free folks can appreciate this grilled cheese (although their caveat is that they can’t guarantee the gluten-​free bread didn’t touch something with gluten in it, so it won’t work for everyone).
I’m boring, so I tend to stick with The Classic and add a side of the classic tomato soup. SO good and perfect for disgusting Seattle days. Last time, they even gave me a little Christmas cookie as a treat. Love!

Spicy pickles!
Ooey, gooey, grilled cheese!
Gluten free bread!
Blueberry au jus!
SHOTS of tomato soup!
Open faced cheesy goodness!
Fried Beecher’s cheese curds!
OH. MY. This is like a dream come true on Friday afternoons for my team at work. Why? Because we get all bundled up, walk a few blocks and KA-​BLAM! A magical grilled cheese appears!
So if you have a hankering for grilled cheese and you just happen to be downtown, be sure to stop by Monte Cristo — b/​c you’ll be so happy you did!

It’s hard to believe I paid $ 7 for a grilled cheese sandwich. After having it, it’s not hard to believe that I’ve done it 3 weeks in a row, now. Every sandwich at this truck is ultra-​gooey and delicious! The shot of cream of tomato for a buck is a nice touch. This truck is comfort food at it’s finest! In addition, they also have comfort music of the 80s playing over their loudspeakers!

I didn’t have the guts to try the Monte Cristo signature sandwich right off the bat. The deep fried powdered sugary goodness didn’t seem fitting for a quick lunch break during the week. No, that is the kind of sandwich you plan for. You go to bed thinking about it the day before, dream about it, then you wake up and set out a plan on how to concur it. I will do this in the coming weeks and report back.
I settled on the regular grilled cheese, but I added bacon (duh!). Perfectly cooked and creamy oozy cheese and crisp bacon. And they give you a sweet jam to dip into. Oh man I need one right now…

I’m from the midwest, and I can assuredly say these are the best fried cheese curds I’ve ever had. The sauce that accompanies them is intense (in a garlic way) but, when used judiciously, creates divinity.
Ordinarily I’d give 4 stars due to the somewhat small portion sizes (the Monte Cristo, while delicious and amazing, came on bread the size of those generic pre-​cut loaves you’d buy at the grocery store, and came with maybe 12 potato chips), but the quality and the friendliness of the staff made up for it. In fairness, the duck confit sandwich appeared to be much larger.
I can’t say I’m a fan of the pickled grapes, as they don’t really work with the rest of the meal, and the employees kept having to tell everyone that the grapes «weren’t spoiled,» just pickled. Seems like a lot of effort when a better side dish could be used.
Also, I give high marks for a food truck being open on a Friday evening; I think they’re serving until 11pm. This is great for people who can’t take time off work to chase them down during lunch hours.
Check em out!

I wish more food trucks make their way to SU campus. Also, because Monte Cristo is under the Bön Appétit Management Company, they accept student cards as a form of payment. Such a convenient way to appeal to students.
I’ve been extremely hesitant on buying grilled cheese sandwiches from a food truck. I suppose my reasoning was it’s so simple and they try to make it gourmet and then charge $ 10 for it. Thankfully, my logic was complete wrong here.
#5 Big Messy Madness $ 9.99:
Good lord, duck confit and local assorted cheeses all between two buttery pieces of sourdough bread! This was simply amazing, I may find it hard to not order this next time.
For any SU students, they are on campus in front of the Casey Building (between the quad and albers) Tuesday from 11am-​1pm.

I found myself amongst the camaraderie of food truck fans today. They must have gotten the memo of the 2^nd & Pike website:
I walked up to the window and tried to order the #1 Classic but they sold out. Lucky for them the lobster and tarragon mac & cheese was my second choice. Lucky for me they hadn’t sold out of it yet.
My name was called when my order was up. I walked up to the only table (standing only) and asked a gal if I could share the table with her. She nodded and I placed my tray on the table. I started to chow down and noticed the polka dot paper lining on the tray. Very cute; it matched the truck. I also was tapping my feet to the music coming from the speakers. I’m guessing the owners and workers love the 80’s because Toni Basil’s «Mickey» and Phil Collin’s «Don’t Lose My Number» was on their playlist.
Ohhhh that mac & cheese was good and filling. The side of chips didn’t necessarily compliment the mac and cheese but I ate it anyway. It was fun, the employees were very friendly, and I look forward to trying other items on the menu.

For those of you who haven’t read my food truck reviews before, I will eat at a new truck twice before I review them. I know running a food truck is hard and I want to be fair in my assessment.
Social Media (and media in general) — Monte Cristo’s presence has been exceptional for months. Even before I thought of eating there, I read magazine articles, followed tweets, and saw status updates on Facebook. I will say that the media presence has not been one sided — it has been interactive. Being interactive is a way to build strong relationships with folks (at least it works for me).
Customer Service — I went to Monte Cristo at Starbucks Headquarters on their ‘official’ opening day. I believe they had a total of 5 staff members to fill the truck. I think that was the appropriate amount and felt they provided polite service with reasonable wait times. I will say that I am completely baffled as to why someone is not standing outside the truck to take orders as most other large trucks do. The order window is likely the highest I’ve ever encountered among the food trucks in Seattle without a staff member standing outside to take orders.
Menu — I typically don’t comment on menus but Monte Cristo’s is extremely difficult to read unless you are a foot away from it. The size of the font combined with the style of font makes it for a very unpleasant experience of trying to figure out what you’re going to order.
Payment Options — The first time I went to the truck, it was raining. After checking online, I learned that the truck took both cash and cards. When it was time to pay, I was at a loss for words when I was handed a clipboard with a paper receipt to sign. I was standing out in the rain, with a clipboard, signing a tiny, drenched piece of paper. The second time I went to the truck, the card system was down. I was asked if I had cash and I explained that all I had was $ 5. The person at the counter wrote out the transaction by hand. As a frequent food trucker, I’ve come to expect more out of payment systems that benefit both businesses and me. I can honestly say that before this experience, I can’t remember the last time I’ve signed a paper receipt at a food truck.
Food — The first time I went to the truck, I had the lobster mac and cheese and I was in a bit of a rush. The presentation of the food is very appealing. However, it’s not very practical. I don’t work near any of the places where I go to see food trucks which means I often have to take it with me. Monte Cristo’s food did not pack well. They put a lid on my lobster mac and cheese but I had potato chips floating around in my lunch bag as I went back to my office. The lobster mac and cheese was a very small portion but it seemed like the price point was right at $ 8.25. It is lobster after all. The pasta was cooked well and I could easily identify lobster in it. However, I found the overall experience to be bland. And I was still hungry after I ate it. The second time I went to the truck, I ordered a monte cristo sandwich. I will preface my impression of the food by saying that I did let it sit for 10 minutes while I ran into a store to grab something. The cheeses blended well, the overall effect was sweet but a little greasy and soggy for my taste. Again, full disclosure — I left it sitting for 10 minutes but I somehow expected the food to be able to hold for that long. This time, it came with the same small handful of chips that I got with my dish the last time and pickled grapes that did not work for me. Again, very pretty presentation, but not practical since it was very windy. When I said it was «to go» to the counter person, as I did the time before, I was told that they didn’t really have a way to pack it but there was foil outside the truck if I wanted to wrap it myself. Even with the foil, it took quite a bit of effort to walk to my car without having my $ 8.76 plus $ 2.00 tip meal from flying away.