Riffs Fine Street Food

Ran into this place outside of McKay’s and had to try it. I mean, Mexican-​Korean fusion?! C’mon! I gotta try that!
While I was scraping together change (I kid you not– I had spent too much in McKay’s so I was literally emptying my change purse and car), the guy talked to another customer and then offered all of us samples of their Angry Sprouts. My friend liked them but they were ok to me. Maybe I would’ve gotten used to it if I’d eaten a few more– or had that sriracha dipping sauce I notice someone else mentioned. I will definitely need to get those again!
I did my foodie duty and ordered the tacos. Sadly they don’t sell them individually but one order consists of two tacos covered in a ton of stuff– there’s a reason they give you a fork! Their Korean BBQ meat is chunky, not thinly sliced like I’m used to, but still great. Everything mixed well though I’d definitely ask for more sriracha aioli sauce next time as I couldn’t really taste it (and I love sriracha). I definitely will look for hitting this place up again next time I’m in Nashville!
Loved:
— Korean BBQ Tacos
Liked:
— Angry Sprouts

What must you order here? The tater tots and the fried Brussels sprouts! What makes it so great? Why must you order these? Well. it’s the sauce. This is not something an Asian would normally serve. The brussels sprouts were perfectly fried; each piece tasted exactly the same! If there weren’t a zillion more food trucks right next to it, I would have ordered more.
I also tried their bibimbop but not the meat, according to my partner, the meat was very dry and lacking in flavor. The bibimbop was lacking in many aspects too.
Overall, I would stick with their small dishes. If you’re craving for real Korean food, a sit down restaurant would be a better option.

Angry sprouts were awesome! The sriracha aioli was a great dipping sauce for the crispy sprouts. I’d definitely come back for those and maybe try something else too!

Angry sprouts were awesome! Love the sriracha aioli! Just enough kick. Definitely would get again!

Amazing and authentic Asian influenced food! I cannot get enough of their fried rice balls. For those who love some good Asian, you can’t go wrong with the place. Very resonable priced for the amount of yummy food you get.

I don’t have any ambition to try every food truck in Nashville, but when I hear good buzz I will chase them down! Riffs Fine Street Food and its Korean BBQ tacos have been on my list for a while. When I saw they were going to be at Brew at the Zoo, I made a beeline for their truck to check it out.
I decided that I would go with the tacos I’d heard about, as well as the Ginger Plum Iced Tea. I got the tacos with everything on them… roasted pork, ginger scallion sauce, cabbage salaw, gochujang BBQ sauce, and spicy mayo.
The iced tea was not overly gingery, which I was glad for, and the perfect refreshment for a hot afternoon in Tennessee. The Korean BBQ tacos, served in corn tortillas that I really liked, were less saucy than I thought they would be. I think I was hoping for more of a spicy daeji gogi taste. I also took a little of the cabbage slaw out because I’m not a big fan of greens. But they were still really delicious, and the spicy mayo plus BBQ sauce really tied everything together. Overall, Riffs definitely has fresh food, creative flavors, and my vote of approval as a great food truck destination if you ever get a chance to catch them!

Korean tacos are awesome! My wife had an animal Burger… never had a chance to try that… would’ve lost at least a finger! Did sneak a home made chip… wow! ginger plum tea sweetened! sad to leave Nashville for home… almost consider moving to eat this food!

Riffs was super accommodating to special circumstances I had – a single breakfast order quite a distance away. I literally called every other place on Unilocal within a 20 mile radius that claimed to deliver, and NO ONE would do it! Riffs was my last resort, and I’m so lucky they came through for us. I’m not even from the area, so the professionalism and kindness I got from these guys was especially meaningful. They made a special order for the occasion, and my company’s employee felt very special! Mission accomplished. Thank you Riffs!!!

The Riff’s Fine Street Food truck was the first stop of the day for me at the 2013 Nashville Street Food Awards. I tried a few of their dishes and loved all of them! I think this is the pinnacle of Food trucks. It was balls to the wall hot damn goodness!!! Can’t wait to catch up to them again!

Their food may be good, their prices may be fair, BUT never ask them to do an Event. They will say no, then they will say yes, and then at the last minute they will say NO again. They will never get my business no matter how good it is.

We’ve visited Riff’s a few times at their weekly Food Truck Jam and so far, I’ve been pleasantly delighted by all their food. I lived in the SF area for several years, and now that I live in Nashville, there are some hard-​to-​find Asian fare that I really miss. Surprisingly, despite their décor and name, Riff’s has gone a long way towards filling that void! They do a good take on West coast Asian food with just a little twist of their own. They also vary the menu frequently, so I’ve never ordered the same thing twice! Okay, on to the food offerings:
1. Korean Fried Chicken — Per their words, «like BonChon». I miss BonChon a lot, so I was happy to give it a try! The chicken was moist, and the batter was crispy, but didn’t quite have the same crunch as BonChon or lift off the meat the same way. The sauce that was drizzled on, though, was very tasty and had excellent flavor! Served with a side of kimchee veggies that were decent, though a little salty for my taste.
2. Okanomiyaki — I’m not sure there’s any other place in Nashville that serves this dish. I was über-​surprised and very psyched to see this on their menu. The batter was excellent with nice, fresh toppings. Just the right amount of mayo on top, but could’ve used a little more BBQ sauce. No bonito flakes on it, but the chef let me know this was just a fluke that night.
3. Banh Mi Flatbread — I spoke to the chef about what a misnomer this is, but once you get past the name (and the expectation), the dish is quite nice. The shaved pork has good flavor that blends well with the pickled veggies, chutney, and the coconut flatbread. Good flavor, nice balance, crisp and light!

I really enjoy Riff’s. I’ve had the pleasure of «finding» them three times and I’ve enjoyed every meal. I love the pretzel bun concept on the burgers and the jerk chicken!

Korean chicken and waffles!!! I was intrigued. It turned out to be one of the best chicken and waffles I’ve had! The chicken was tempura fried as opposed to the traditional flour batter. It was light and crispy. The waffle had scallions in it, and the «syrup» was made with the spicy Korean paste. not sure what it is called. Overall, it was delicious! Not too sweet which is just perfect.
The Korea BBQ tacos weren’t that great, but they were good, nothing spectacular. I’m guessing their menu changes all the time since i see diff reviews below for diff food items… so I’ll be sure to try them again.

Try the shrimp and grits. You won’t be sorry.
My only gripe– the wait times for food can be SUPER LONG! You’d think eating at a food truck would be pretty quick, but I’ve had to wait 15+ minutes just to get my food, and that doesn’t include the time spent in line just waiting to order. It’s a definite testament to their popularity, but it can be a nuisance when I am in a hurry.

For the past two Thursdays, I have been enjoying the fall Nashville staple of Live on the Green. And for the past two Thursdays, I have gotten tacos from Riffs. What a great addition to my evening of free concerts!
First it was fish tacos. Dating a SoCal boy has given me some serious perspective on fish tacos, and although the fish is fried, this is pretty close to a genuine fish taco. Corn tortilla, cabbage, cilantro… it was delicious in its simplicity. Last night it was Korean BBQ tacos… and WOW. Just WOW. I actually had a man get out of line for another food truck when he saw the damn things. Brisket, pickled kimchi (did I spell that wrong?), cabbage, a spciy crem sauce, corn tortillas (double wrapped), these were DIVINE. I had mine with a hibiscus lime aqua fresca drink whose sweetness perfectly complimented my spicy tacos.
The other plus is that compared to the other trucks, there was no line, because apparently no one has figured out that Riffs does GREAT street food.
Oops, just gave that secret away!
They are delicious, inexpensive, friendly, and no one has figured out yet how great they are. I was at a table listening to the Dunwells while some people waited their whole set for food. Be brave and try a not-​as-​trendy truck, you won’t regret it, and you’ll be able to get a coveted spot on the green for the show!

I’m beginning to have my doubts about food trucks in general here in Nashville. Believe me, I love the idea. However, nearly every one I’ve patronized has been over priced, you wait forever for the food and when you finally get your food it’s kinda mediocre. Such was the case yesterday with Riff’s at Centennial Park. We got to the park later in the day. The only thing on the menu was burritos and tacos. Reading other reviews, I know you do others things besides tacos. I went for the fish tacos. I didn’t want the pineapple salsa so I asked if they had any hot sauce. Puzzled at my request, the woman who took my order said they could put jerk sauce on the fish, which sounded great to me. So seven bucks for two tacos. During the nearly 30 minute wait I watched burritos being made. I saw plentiful helpings of chicken and brisket, rice and beans (mostly rice), gobs of pineapple salsa and some type of greens going into the burritos. At this point I’m thinking wow, if the burritos look as good, my taco should be great. Again, almost 30 minutes later, which is WAY TOO LONG to wait, my name is called and the guy hands me my tacos and says, ”Sorry for the wait (which was the standard line for everyone when they came up for their food). I made three orders of these before I remembered not to put the pineapple salsa on it”. I said, «no problem’ but, what I really meant was, ‘what the hell took so long, it’s just a couple of tacos?». I start to walk away and look down at what I just waited a half and hour and seven buck for and it’s just tortillas and two pieces of fish with this sweet jerk sauce on it. That’s it! No garnishment what so ever! No slice of lime. Nothing! Seven bucks and a half hour of standing around in the hot sun for this?!? No, I didn’t go back and complain. I was tired of waiting as were my wife and kids.
C’mon, Riff’s! You want to know how to make great tacos? Quit with the gourmet angle and go visit some taco trucks on Nolensville or Murfreesboro Roads. It’s quite simple. You take two small corm tortillas, put a couple choices of meat on it, then cilantro and onions, a couple slices of lime and your done. Offer some hot sauce at the point the customer picks up the order. The same advice goes for Mas Taco. Quit trying to re-​invent the taco. Oh, and charge half the price. You’d still be charging more than most real taco carts. At seven bucks, those two lame tacos I got yesterday was an insult.

And the winner of my 100^th review is Riff’s Fine Street Food! I’ve been holding this one for a very positive review and I’m happy to say that Riff’s delivered on their excellent reputation.
We finally had a chance to catch the truck at Wanderland’s February feast and while the other options were compelling, I’m glad to have chosen Riff’s.
It was a tough decision between the Thai Chicken Pasta bowl, which looked quite excellent and the Shrimp n Grits, but I chose the shrimp.
The cheesy grit base was excellent, creamy and smooth. The sausage fresh and spicy. the shrimp cooked perfectly. All topped with a nice tomato and pepper sauce. Just enough kick, not too much and really great flavor.
Service was quick even with a fairly good crowd.
Dear Williamson county, it’s time to change the codes to allow the food trucks… Remember, republicans are supposed to be against regulations, so stop regulating what I can and can’t eat and where.

I FINALLY FOUND THEM!
Since first meeting up with Riff’s at the «Battle of the Food Trucks» where they were a top contender for my golden fork (that’s how you voted for the best!), I’d been waiting for another opportunity to hit them up for some shrimp n’ grits or other sort of delicious fine street food. I’ve been patiently following them on facebook and waiting and waiting for them to be somewhere near where I work. Finally, the day arrived when they decided to lunch in Centennial park! A short walk from work!
Since the day was also beautiful, a co-​worker and I ventured out to find them. I really enjoyed the fish tacos, and the people at the truck are so friendly! Excellent food and reasonably priced, I say, catch them if you can!

I’m still kind of new to the Food Truck thing, but couldn’t resist heading over to the Wanderland FEASTival to give some of them a try. Our first stop was at Riff’s. My husband ordered the Bahn Mi (which he really enjoyed) and I got the Japanese Curry Bead and a Waffle with Dulce de Leche (aka fancy works for carmel dipping sauce).
I couldn’t tell if the curry bread was supposed to be hot or cold. It tasted really good, but think it would’ve been better if it was a little warmed up. My waffle was a fresh off the iron and absolutely awesome. I could probably eat that everyday.
We didn’t wait around for too long, I don’t mind waiting a few minutes if it means someone is actually cooking my food and it wasn’t just sitting there (imagine that!). If I see the truck out and about again I would definitely give it another try!

Bahn Mi!
Riff’s Fine Street Food Truck had me at «Bahn Mi». So, I am jaunting around the 12^th Avenue Farmer’s Market at the final 12^th Avenue Farmer’s market. And, low and behold there come down from the Bahn Mi heavens shown brightly Riff’s Fine Street Food Truck. There was something mythical and marvelous about this food truck awesomeness.
The Bahn Mi was a specialty sandwich that they were trying for the day that had cucumbers, cilantro, carrots, pulled pork, and a special vietnamese sauce served on toasted hoagie-​esque roll with a spicy aioli.
I couldn’t have imagined anything more wonderful than this creation.
I hear they make great everything else as well, so I highly recommend them as one of the première food trucks in town. You can follow them on Twitter or Like them on Facebook to get updates on their daily changing locations (sometimes a spot for lunch and a separate spot for dinner in the same day).