Shades Caterers

Great food, great value. However you could be waiting a while to get your food as they always have a long line. I would give 5 stars if I didn’t have to wait so long.

This food truck comes around noon on Hoxton street to feed the locals and the students. The Hoxton Market is pretty dead on weekdays with the exception of a few stands here and there, mostly food, and the only one with a huge line up is Shades. I want to say that one of the reasons why the line is so long is because they serve pretty slowly and one person at a time, but the fact remains that people are willing to wait up to 20 minutes in line for the Caribbean food served in the truck. The jerk chicken seems to be the crowd favourite as the grill is always full of chicken.
I believe the real reason why the line is so long too is because it’s true bang for the buck. for £5.50 you get a about a half chicken, a ton of rice with beans, coleslaw, salad, and two types of gravy, one of which is sweet and fruity. The chicken is hot and freshly grilled, but the rice is cold and they throw everything together in a styrofoam to heat in the microwave, which has me a lil worried. Nevertheless, it came out without a fire (though hard to say about the chemical), and they wrap it up in cling film tightly for you. You can get a smaller version for cheaper I believe.
Flavour wise, it was good. Not amazing, but good. The chicken is tender and juicy, but the jerk rub did not seep deep into the chicken. But then again, with the gravy and the rice, it’s hardly anything to complain about.
For that price, i’d probably stop by again if i’m ever in the neighbourhood at the right time.