Truck goes nuts with PBJ
In my previous experiences, food trucks have always seemed to provide somewhat interesting and unusual foods, such as Korean barbeque or ridiculous types of waffles. However, the Monster PBJ food truck takes a classic sandwich reminiscent of elementary school lunches and expands it into a plethora of different styles of peanut butter and jelly. Monster PBJ boasts an all-vegetarian menu, gluten-free options, fresh-ground nut butters and locally produced jellies. When I went, the two employees were incredibly friendly and goofy. They made the already odd experience of buying peanut butter and jelly from a truck even more ridiculous.
The tricky thing about food trucks is that they are mobile. Thankfully, Monster PB&J typically stays around the Menil Collection in the Museum District, but it will occasionally travel to the Heights and park on White Oak Drive. It also caters to private events. However, if you are in the area, the giant purple truck with a picture of a one-eyed monster on it is not easy to miss.
Monster PBJ offers a wide variety of things you can put on a seemingly simple sandwich. It offers three types of bread (white, wheat and gluten-free), three types of nut butters (almond, cashew and peanut), a variety of jams and fruits (apple jam, blueberry jam, strawberry jam, apples, bananas and strawberries), and sweeteners (agave, honey and nutella). Then, if you really want to go back to the lunchbox days, there is an option to remove the crust from the sandwich. Additionally, sandwiches can be grilled upon request. Sandwiches come in three sizes: junior, classic and monster. These sandwiches cost $3, $5 and $7, respectively. Monster PBJ also offers drinks, chips, fruits and a variety of desserts for $2 each.
Due to the wide variety of options, it was honestly a bit of a struggle to pick out what I wanted. I ended up selecting a classic sandwich on white bread with almond butter, strawberry jam, apples and nutella. I have eaten a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches throughout my lifetime, and this was certainly the best one I have ever had. Even though the food came out of a truck, it was surprisingly fresh. There was just the right amount of each ingredient on the sandwich, and the flavors were great. The sweet nutella and strawberry jam combined nicely with the salty almond butter, and the sliced apples on the sandwich provided a nice crunch.
Unintentionally stumbling upon Monster PBJ was a great experience. I would definitely go back and recommend it to others. The food was great, even if I did feel somewhat silly ordering peanut butter and jelly from a truck.
More from The Rice Thresher
Founder’s Court goes alt-rock as bôa kicks off U.S. tour at Rice
Founder’s Court morphed into a festival ground Friday night as British alt-rock band bôa launched the U.S. leg of their “Whiplash” tour. The group headlined the third annual Moody X-Fest before what organizers estimate was “a little bit over 2,000 students” — the largest turnout in the event’s three-year history.
Rice launches alternative funding program amid federal research cuts
Rice is launching the Bridge Funding Program for faculty whose federal funding for research projects has been reduced or removed. The program was announced via the Provost’s newsletter April 24.
This moment may be unprecedented — Rice falling short is not
In many ways, the current landscape of American higher education is unprecedented. Sweeping cuts to federal research funding, overt government efforts to control academic departments and censor campus protests and arbitrary arrests and visa revocations have rightly been criticized as ushering in the latest iteration of fascism.
Please note All comments are eligible for publication by The Rice Thresher.