Babaloo

The Lucy Lucy is a wonderful blend of flavors; probably one of the best sandwiches I’ve tasted. The Ricky Ricardo wasn’t anything special, unfortunately. I also wasn’t impressed with the berry mojito; I would’ve rather drank water with my meal.

I honestly didn’t even want to try this truck but I was at MVBL Feast Southside and I had already tried all of the trucks there except for Babaloo so what the heck, why not, live a little, #YOLO
I ordered a Ricky Ricardo without thoroughly looking through every single picture and review on Unilocal lol so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I waited patiently and finally heard the nice lady call my name. I walk up to the window to pick up my sandwich and first thought that came to mind was «Thats it?!» but then I picked it up and walked away with a smirk on my face. It may look small but it weighs as much as a newborn baby
I’ll keep this simple. Bread is soft, chewy, and nice toasted on the outside. The pork and ham literally melts in your mouth and they aren’t shy about stuffing the meat in there. Yes it’s simple but the quality of the sandwich blew me away. No gimmicks. No bullsh! t. No heyletsthrowabunchofshitinasandwichandhopeittastes­good. Just a good solid sandwich.

Luckil Gladys got a permit for Santa Clara County and visited upon Moveable Feast the taste of Cuba.
One of my early favorites was the sloppy joe sandwich, which may have gone the way of the dodo from what I’ve seen of the new menu, but not to worry! The Ricky Ricardo is awesome, the Fred & Ethel are awesome, and more importantly, there are few smiles so bright as the one you’ll find in that window when you visit with Gladys.
Rumor has it people in SF will be seeing more of Babaloo, you should find this truck as soon as you’re able, it will be one of your better meal choices.

The sliders were great! I was expecting a fish cake, but this was a small fillet – a pleasant surprise! The fish was called «basa» and it’s a farmed catfish from Asia. I looked it up using the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch iPhone app and found that it falls on the Yellow or Good Alternative sustainable seafood list.
The plantains were not to my taste… much too mushy! I prefer them harder, with a little crunch.

As I was strolling through Farmer’s Market last night picking up all my usual staples and goodies, I realized that I had never experienced the fare of this iconic food truck. So I made my way through the throngs, dodged a few flying canopies (seriously, the winds were fierce last night) and made my way up to the truck window and placed my first order at Babaloo’s.
Got the Lucy Lucy with a side of black beans and jasmine rice ($ 8 + $ 2 for a side of rice and beans). Generous layers of organic grilled chicken, fresh avocado, tropical mango salsa and melted muenster cheese wedged between a crispy house-​made sandwich roll.
I’ve had a few cuban sandwiches from various places and they didn’t do anything for me, so I wasn’t really racing to get over to Babaloo’s. My experience at Babaloo’s was vastly different. All the enticing flavors came together perfectly and the tropical salsa heightened the already sultry flavors.
The Fred & Ethel sounds really appetizing. Fish sliders topped with slaw and mango salsa. Next week, baby!

Went here yesterday when they were at the Farmer’s Market. I got the Ricky Ricardo. It was yummy. Meat was flavored mildly while the mustard and pickles stood out, but weren’t super strong and was grilled to perfection.
Overall it was very tasty. I’ve definitely had stronger spiced Cuban sandwiches but this is definitely a crowd pleaser. I can’t wait to try this place again!

Fred and Ethel
Great mini fish sliders. Tasted fresh, good portions and had great texture. The side of spicy sauce added a nice kick to the dish but be aware less is more in this case.
The sandwich could have used a dash more salt to amp up the savoriness of the dish.
Overall Thoughts
Great local Cuban food truck

Came here with a fellow foodie. He has been here before, it was my first time.
I found their location from their website, since they are mobile. I got the Ricky Ricardo with slow-​roasted pulled pork, baked ham, baby swiss cheese, kosher dill pickle & mustard, pressed on the grill, on crusty Cuban bread. This was very enjoyable and different from most sandwiches I order elsewhere! I had a bite of my friends Fred & Ethel — Two fish sliders, tropical slaw, lemon crème fraîche. This was also really good. I wanted to try the berry mojito, but it was cold and raining that day.
Overall: I enjoyed my sandwich! Can’t wait to return for the berry mojito and the Key West Sloppy Joe!

Why I love UCSC, we have food trucks on campus! Babaloo is probably the newest addition this year and comes every Wednesdays. I have heard of this place before and seen it, but never wanted to buy food from here, until I was starving at lunch!
Babaloo serves Cuban food and their prices are decent for college students. I couldn’t eat meat that day because it was Ash Wednesday so my gf and I shared the Fred & Ethel, which was basically fish sliders with tropical slaw and lemon mayo. Usually do not like mayo OR cole slaw, but with those slides, it was super delish! There wasn’t an overwhelming amount of sauces in it. The fish patties were pretty thick and fresh! They also look so adorable too! We also got the Plantains, which are fried bananas. YUMS. The Berry Mojito was the most refreshing thing and was perfect in completing the meal. There were real strawberries and it wasn’t too sweet. All of this came out to $ 12 which wasn’t bad at all, considering I shared with my gf.
I really like the atmosphere. When I was under the food truck for a quick second, I felt like I was in some tropical island. They play tropical music and they have colored streams flowing from their window. The lady is so sweet and friendly. The best part about this food truck, they accept credit cards! Coming back next week to try their sandwiches!

The Ricky Ricardo (pulled pork, ham, swiss, pickle, and mustard in a cuban sandwich) was incredibly tasty. The pork was a tad dry, but it had wonderful flavor, which was enhanced by the salsa I got on the side. The bread was just the way I like it — crunchy exterior yet soft interior.
The Fred and Ethel (fish slider with slaw) was good. I enjoyed the slaw, but the rest was only ok.
Very friendly staff and an overall good experience!

Found Babaloo at the PG farmers market again. I’ve had their great food before, but I wanted to see if it was a one time thing or consistently good. Well, its official I’m a huge fan. Had The Babaloo for the second time. Veggie Cuban sandwich with black beans. So good, with some salsa with great bite. I also tried the Fred and Ethel fish sliders. Great flavor, perfectly cooked fish. I will defiantly be following this truck around.

I enjoyed a killer vegetarian soup from Babaloo at the Pacific Grove Farmer’s Market last Monday…
Cooked with bay leaves and other herbs, I enjoyed the nice chunk of plantains and fresh vegetables… it was PERFECT!!!
Thank you!!!

Tried out Babaloo at SJ Eats this past weekend and loved it! I went with a friend of mine and I was a little skeptical at first because my friend was given attitude for special ordering her Cubano the last time she went, and also because I have little patience for menus where the dishes are given names that, while fun and cute, tell you nothing about what’s in them/​what they are.
My small misgivings were totally unfounded though because we got friendly service even with another modified sarnie order and we both thoroughly enjoyed our food. My friend got the «Ricky Ricardo» (Cubano with pulled pork/​ham/​Swiss, $ 7) but without the pickles and mustard, making it a ~naked~ «Ricky Ricardo» (kinky!). She said it was tasty, but said nothing as to whether ot not it reminded her of an unclothed Desi Arnaz.
My two fish sliders ($ 6) were delish and featured two fat, perfectly griddled fish patties on not-​too-​rich, fresh brioche buns, with some slaw for crunch, lemon mayo, and some tangy (tomatillo?) salsa on the side. I liked that they went easy on the salt to let the flavors of the fresh fish come through, and I looooved the lemon mayo, which was super tangy and lemony; I was expecting just a token hit of citrus flavor so it was a welcome surprise.
All in all it’s tasty food, and when weighing the prices against the quality/​portions this is definitely one of the better trucks out there. I’m hoping to see this truck up in the Bay Area more often!

Oh Gladys! How do you do those thing that you do? Like create the most magically sliders with your Fred and Ethel. Or take the very traditional cuban to a whole nother level with the Ricky Ricardo. As you can see, I am a big advocate for the sandwiches but the plates, plantains, drinks and anything else that comes from this lively food truck is delicious. Look for it on a block near you.

Anticipated tasting this at the 1^st SJ Eats, spent two hours just to get it… and it was worth it in a sense… a non logical one but anyhow i digress.
IT was good enough to eat it again at the 2^nd SJ Eats, and i might even get it again at the 3^rd, the 4^th, and the 5^th!
Limited menu at the festivals due to capacity but the highlights are really the Ricky Ricardo and Lucy Lucy! Wash those down with their non alcoholic mojito and call it a day!
Sandwiches are relatively decent price, pressed Cubans sandwiches cut on the bias and served with their own sofrito! Crispy and tasty bread, savory fillings, warm and complimented with the tang of the sofrito!
–Ricky Ricardo is the Standard Cuban, pork/​ham/​cheese pressed like a panini
–Lucy Lucy is a definite ringer: Seasoned chicken, avocado/​broccoli cream, mandarin oranges toasted to perfection!
–Mojito — Hibiscus water, muddled mint and sugar, with strawberry purée!
Next time I might get the Fred & Ethel. to go… after i order and devour a different sandwich… lol

I stood in line for Babaloo for a good hour at the first SJ Eats event and when I was almost to the front, they ran out of food. SAD! I was pretty disappointed, but whatever. The entire meet was a disaster, so I should have expected it.
I finally got to give them a try at the second SJ Eats event. The meet up was way better organized, so there wasn’t a long line and there weren’t any issues with food shortages. I ordered the Lucy! Lucy! and the Ricky Ricardo Cuban sandwiches. Both were mediocre, there wasn’t anything special about them. There was just no wow factor that impressed me. The Lucy! Lucy! (
) came with grilled chicken, citrus salsa, cheese, and avocado. The Ricky Ricardo (
) came with pulled pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickle, and mustard. They also both came with some sauce. The ingredients seemed fresh, but there wasn’t much flavor.
The staff was very polite and patient with taking orders. I might try their Cubano plate someday, if I come across them again; however, I don’t see myself going out of my way for it though.

Babaloo definitely surprised me when I tried them over at SJ Eats. This was probably my most successful attempt at a truck over there since I managed to walk away with two sandwiches and a strawberry mojito just a few moments before they sold out for the lunch crowd.
The Ricky Ricardo (
) — slow-​roasted pulled pork, baked ham, baby swiss cheese, kosher dill pickle & mustard, pressed on the grill, on crusty Cuban bread. This was pretty good. Tasted like a typical Cuban sandwich.
The Lucy! Lucy! (
) — grilled organic chicken, tangy citrus salsa, Muenster cheese, avocado cream. Oh man, that was was good! This was probably my favorite between the two.
And then I washed everything down with their Strawberry Mojito. Although it was a little bland, it was still refreshing!
If you see these guys at the next SJ Eats, they’re worth the wait!

I hit up Babaloo again for lunch today, and I am still impressed. I ordered the Vita-​NoMeata-​Vegamin Plate, it came with grilled veggies (baby bell peppers, carrots, mushrooms, onion, red chard, and zucchini) rice and black beans.
(It also came with a side of tropical slaw, but it contained mango and I am allergic so I was not able to eat it. They were nice enough to offer to remove it from my plate, but I gave it to my co-​worker to eat instead.)
I like that all of the names of the menu items are ‘I Love Lucy’ themed it adds to the fun of it.
I really love the food at Babaloo, and I will be back again!

Wow, I just can’t get enough Babaloo! What is Babaloo, you ask? A new dance rage that’s sweeping the nation? Not exactly. For those of you not in the know, Babaloo is a new food truck serving up delicious Cuban food at various farmers markets and other events around town. You can follow the truck on their website (
) or Twitter (@babalootruck) for updates on the location of The Duchess, Babaloo’s colorful truck.
Babaloo keeps the menu short and sweet – sandwiches, combo plates, sides, a couple drinks and a daily special, all for pretty reasonable prices. I’m a big fan of the sandwiches, pressed Cuban style. They’re two to choose from – the Lucy! Lucy! with grilled chicken and a tangy mango-​avocado salsa or the Ricky Ricardo with ham, pulled pork and a pickle (each $ 6). They’ve also got some mighty tasty sliders – «Fred and Ethel» fish sliders (2 for $ 5) are always on the menu and sometimes they’ve got pulled pork sliders as a special. You can also order combo plates (chicken, pulled pork or veggies) that come with rice and beans. Oddly, I’ve yet to try any of these, actually.
The plantains ($ 2) make a great side for the sandwiches, especially when paired with the homemade salsa. My only complaint? I wish they were a little crispier outside, but that’s really splitting hairs considering they’re cooked in the back of the truck.
And what meal isn’t complete without a (virgin) mojito ($ 2) or iced Cuban coffee ($ 2). The mojito isn’t too sweet and is pretty heavy on the lime for a good kick, just how I like it! The coffee is a little sweet for my tastes, but still pretty good.
I got off to a bit of a rough start with Babaloo, I’ll be honest. The line sometimes gets a little long and customers get left out in the cold (literally sometimes, given the weather lately) while orders get filled. And it’s taken them a little bit of nudging to get them to be better about tweeting their arrivals and departures at locations around town. But the owner, Gladys, is receptive to feedback and very welcoming to her regulars and newbies alike. She really prides herself on customer service. The other day she ran out of plantains, and the next time I saw her she gave me a side for free to make up for it. Then today, I missed the memo that PG farmers market is closing earlier now, at 6:00, and even though she was packing up shop when I arrived at 6:30, she still took the time to make me a sandwich. (And I promise I’ll be more timely next week!)
Sure, getting food from a truck might not seem all that glamorous, but it’s all the rage with foodies right now. Monterey is slowly getting in on the food truck scene – Babaloo is one of the first I can recall around town, and it doesn’t disappoint.

Riding my bike to the bank tonight, I spotted the white tents down on Central and realized it was P.G.‘s Farmer’s Market night. Time to dodge old acquaintances and, if I’m lucky (and I was) hear «Hi, Anna» from the skinny nerd I sat next to in middle school only to find the voice belonging to a tall smiling man with two kids. How did THAT happen?! Farmer’s Market in the town you were born in is kinda like a random pick of the best and worst of memory lane.
I spotted the colorful mural painted on the Babaloo food truck, despite it’s placement last in line in the prepared food area. They should be up front. Their truck is too pretty to be hidden away.
I went with the only vegetarian option: the Vega No-​Meata (or something like that). The owner was super warm and friendly. I told her I looked forward to trying the plantains next time and she threw in a few. Sweet! They were really good. The dish came with perfectly cooked rice, black beans and organic veggies including bell pepper, onion, really yummy zucchini and flavorful mushrooms with a little spice. The homemade salsa was delish!
Next time I’ll try the mini fish burgers. I’ll take more pics to share, including the truck herself.