EATS & DRINKS
By Case Dighero | Photos by Meredith Mashburn
Food Truck Vibes
Bottle Rock Subs and The Dutch Oven on Wheels
Bottle Rocket Subs
704 S. Washington Ave., Fayetteville
What’s the story:
Owners Alex Chrystie and Pete McKitrick have garnered a cult-like following in south Fayetteville, churning out stylized, innovative and utterly delicious “sammies” from their food truck for the last couple of years. Partners in business and domesticity, the couple maneuver poetically around each other, building, stacking, rolling and wrapping some of the best subs in the region.
The couple also moonlight as artist-musicians, virtues and sensibilities that echo throughout their food and physical truck aesthetics. They’re open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, so make time on a beautiful Ozark afternoon to enjoy something special.
What’s on the menu:
Made-to-order subs, along with bottled drinks and Zapp’s potato chips. The menu is relatively static with updated takes on archetypes such as the BLT and bahn mih, along with interesting specials. On a recent visit, they were featuring a jackfruit sandwich special that blew my mind.
What you should try:
My favorite is the “Stuffy” ($11.50), roasted turkey stratified with crispy granny smith apples, gouda, balsamic and bacon jam, red onion, crunchy lettuce, and a slather of Duke’s Mayo. All the textures, flavors and feels make it the perfect sandwich. Other standouts include the “Attitude Adjustment” ($11), featuring Southern fried chicken, pickles and shredded lettuce, and the “Grinder” ($12), boasting salami, prosciutto and capicola stacked and rolled with provolone, red onion, tomatoes, pepperoncini, fresh greens, and chili crunch.
The Dutch Oven on Wheels
Roaming Benton County | Regular vendor at Gear Garden in Blowing Springs Park in Bella Vista | Call for private events: (479) 899-5323
What’s the story:
The Dutch Oven on Wheels is a family affair, owned and operated by the Johnson household. There might not be a more altruistic food truck in the Natural State cranking out this kind of delicious home cooking with heart. The food truck has a pseudo home at Gear Garden in Bella Vista, but it’s also touring the region, with the family lending their wares and support to schools, nonprofits and important community projects — often giving a percentage of sales back to their hosts.
On a recent visit, friends and I joyfully watched as the family’s talent and hard work nourished and served the students, faculty and friends of Sugar Creek Elementary School in Bentonville, not only in the manner of delicious burgers, sandwiches and hot dogs but also financially. It’s inspiring, and it doesn’t hurt that the food is fantastic.
What’s on the menu:
Down-home, stick-to-your-ribs burgers, all-beef dogs and sandwiches, along with chips or made-to-order tots and fries.
What you should try:
Frankly, I appreciate a great hot dog, and the Dutch Oven “Quarter Pound All-Beef Dog Basket” ($9) with crispy fries is a thing of beauty — meaty, juicy, with the fries cooked to a point of snap, crackle and pop with every ethereal bite. Also, the “Mushroom Swiss Burger Basket” ($13) is a perfectly seasoned beef burger topped with delectable melted cheese, and the “Homemade Chicken Salad Croissant Sammie Basket” ($10) with chips (for dipping up residual chicken salad) is the play of the day.
