Chas Bennett, owner of the Po’ Boys and Rich Girls food truck out of Haughton, assembles the crowd favorite Surf ‘n Turf Po Boy. The fresh made sandwich is toasted French bread topped with savory roast beef in a brown gravy and fried shrimp. This tasty lunch special is only $10 and comes with a bag of chips and a drink.
By Sydney Bonner
Picture a delicious, steaming hot po’ boy stuffed with roast beef and fried shrimp covered in gravy on fresh French bread. To top it all off, a freshly baked banana flavored cupcake covered in honey sitting next to your plate, just waiting on the moment you finish your sandwich.
Welcome to Food Truck Fridays—where your food fantasies come true.
A year ago you wouldn’t have seen anything like this in the parking lot of Collier’s Custom Hot Rods, located on the corner of Kings Highway and Youree Drive in Shreveport, but today you’ll find plenty of tasty food to fill your cravings.
Local food truck vendors like Po’ Boys and Rich Girls and Lilah’s Bakery cupcake truck are enough to have anyone coming back for more.
“Show these owners an empty lot and the food trucks will turn it into a restaurant,” Chris Jay, Public Relations and Social Media manager of Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau.
Where there’s a food truck, there’s always a smiling face ready to serve you with a fresh sandwich or treat of your choosing.
”I think it speaks a lot about our community how these food trucks all come together as a ‘mobile food court’ family.” Ray said. “The popularity of these trucks have been hanging in there despite the outdoor temperatures.”
On Facebook, you can find a page called the mobile food group, which allows you to keep tabs on your favorite food truck. You can even follow each truck’s individual Facebook page.
Where there’s one food truck, there’s many more.
“For better or for worse, food trucks are very trendy right now and improve the image of our city.” Jay said. “The business presents interesting new challenges for all of the owners and I think they are doing an amazing job sticking to all of these food and health regulations.”
Jay tried his first sandwich from Po’ Boys and Rich Girls the other day and admitted that the ‘surf and turf’ was his favorite as well.
Po’ Boys and Rich Girls
‘What’s the opposite of a po’ boy?” Chas Bennett, current owner of a food truck, asked his family and friends.
‘A rich girl.’ Bennett said.
Everyone laughed at how it made perfect sense.
There it was. — the company had named itself.
Chas Bennett and a team of friends came together to create the food truck locals know today—“Po’ Boys and Rich Girls.” The 2-in-1 one truck and kitchen has been grilling po’ boys left and right for customers who always seem to catch them at the right time and place.
“I’ve always wanted to create a really, really good sandwich.” Bennett said. “I felt that there was space in the Shreveport-Bossier area for a good New Orleans po’ boy and someone needed to fill it.”
After being available to the public for only two months now, the delicious dish that has all the customers coming back for more is the ‘surf and turf po’ boy’—loaded with roast beef, gravy and fried shrimp on fresh French bread.
Bennett said he loves trying new recipes filled with off the wall ideas to always keep the customers guessing.
The second biggest seller is the fried shrimp po’ boy.
We have po’ boys, now what about the rich girls?
The food truck also produces wraps, lower in fat, for those counting calories.
“Customers walk in with a ten dollar bill and come out with sandwich chips and a drink.” Bennett said. “I feel that that is a reasonable price for the quality meals we are producing.”
Another perk of the company is the fact that customers do not have to pay tax on their delicious sandwich—in other words, ten dollars even. All forms of payments are accepted except for checks.
On August 10th at the Haughton Farmers market, the crew of Po’ Boys and Girls will attempt something they never have before—making breakfast.
“We are looking at playing with a breakfast sandwich crossed with French toast or something along the lines of that.” Bennett said.
If breakfast plays out as planned, the truck plans on incorporating that onto their truck for customers, which would change the hours from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. instead of 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“The biggest surprise I’ve found about this business is how the trucks all come together like a community and how we all look out for one another.” Bennett said. “Our mobile food court has something to offer for the whole family.”
“I love my job.”
Lilah’s Bakery
meets cupcake truck
You didn’t forget about that cupcake, did you?
Didn’t think so.
Lilah’s Cupcake Truck has over 120 flavors to offer to its customers. Each week, there are four consistent flavors—chocolate, vanilla, red velvet and wedding cake along with four new flavors different from the previous weeks.
Owners Sopan and Lisa Tike have been in the baking industry for over 20 years. The couple even has a store at the boardwalk, Lilah’s Deli and Bakery, which has been opened since 2006.
The store is even named after their daughter, Lila.
“We just want to make sure everything is perfect for the customers.” Sopan Tike said. “If someone suggests something different, we are very open minded to creating new options for our customers.”
Out of all the soft, delicious, moist cupcakes to choose from, Tike admits that the crowd favorite has been the banana cupcake with honey drizzled all over it.
“It was so good, the customers cannot quit asking for it.” Tike said.
Another favorite is the chocolate cupcake covered in caramel as well as the cherry limeade cupcake.
The cupcake truck also offers shaved ice, iced coffee in eight different flavors, cookies, cake balls, macaroons (cookie-like texture) and of course, cupcakes.
The prices run the same as the bakery prices the couple offers at the boardwalk for their customers. Cupcakes run $2.75 and are worth every penny, as well as the 16 ounce iced coffee for only $3.
All cash, debit and credit cards are accepted.
Tike adds that other places charge more for less, and Lilah’s Bakery offers quality items for a good price.
“Even though I have been in the business for past 24 years, I still love my job.” Tike said. “My wife is very creative and creates all of the designs for the cupcakes from inspiration. The job is not about the money for us.”
“And besides, people like cupcakes.”
The cupcake truck can be found at various locations from Tuesday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The family is willing to travel and cater to wherever they are requested. Lilah’s Bakery is interested in helping out the community as well as local schools.
“As long as somebody is welcoming us, we are willing to do what we can to bring the truck to them.” Tike said.
