Eat My Eggroll

by Anne Jones 05.2021

When I was seven years old, my friend’s mother took us to see the movie, Darby O’Gill and The Little People. It was a big deal because I had only been to the movies three or four times before. Was I enthralled by the magic of the story and the characters on the big screen? No way. I was too busy stifling my giggles at the sight of my large spilled Coke forming rivulets as it rushed down the theatre floor onto row after row of people’s shoes. A few years later my mother took me to see the fabulous Lipizzaner stallions. Another special night. The take-away? The lasting memory? One of the horses had relieved himself, in a big way, right ON THE STAGE. I couldn’t have asked for anything more.

This is all to say that I’ve had a life-long habit of missing the point, being a little late to the game.  Luckily, I’m only about 6 months late discovering the food truck that sits just five blocks away from me, in the wine store parking lot on MacArthur Avenue, a street I’m on twice a day.  I’ve made it a personal goal to now make up for lost time.

Eat My Eggroll bills itself as VA's first and only Egg Roll Shake Shop, with “Big dope Egg Rolls & other things you can bite, the Ultimate Munchie Truck.”  Exactly. But local chef and owner Bradley Gallier creates much more than snack food in his tiny metal truck. His may be the oddest menu I've ever seen. Yes - eggrolls, but there's more than one way to stuff an eggroll. Like with crabmeat and old Bay and Duke's mayonnaise- a tasty, beautiful crab-cakey mix named The Raven. Or, the 76er, basically an eggroll stuffed with all the ingredients that make up an authentic Philly cheese steak, complete with perfectly caramelized onions that lend that scrumptious hint of sweetness. The Mr. For Real is a Reuben sandwich hiding in a savory eggroll disguise. 

Then there's the old-school diner fare - homemade creamy milkshakes with whipped cream and a cherry; fat, cheesy mozzarella sticks with that golden-fried, State Fair flavor, sans grease; tasty avocado fries;  limeades better than Bills BBQ or the old Stuart Circle pharmacy drug store counter (also available in fresh-squeezed peach and mango). Exit the diner and move on down to the streets of Mexico for my all-time favorite menu item - the most fantastic street corn I've ever tasted. I once read that when a dog rides in the car with his head out the window, eyes closed and hair blowing, it's a sensory experience so powerful and mind-blowing that humans can't even begin to assimilate it. A bite of this buttery corn is just like that, almost:  a true explosion of tastes melded so wonderfully with the dusting of grated cheese that I didn't even try to identify the seasonings. In fact, Gallier takes all his seasoning seriously, pairing perfectly-matched dipping sauces with everything. There's the spicy marinara with cherry tomatoes for the mozzarella sticks, cool ranch/lime/cilantro/jalapeno sauce for the avocado fries, and on and on. 

The best way to find out what the deal is every week is to check out the amusing Eat My Eggroll Instagram page. Or just show up and chat with the friendly and accommodating creator of all this magic before you place your order. Menus are posted on the truck, and corn sell-outs are frequent, so get there early. Hours are posted weekly on the Instagram page, and it's open Thursday - Sunday.  So roll down the windows, close your eyes, and take a big bite.