RVA Street Foodies Court

5/23/13:

Stars: 4.9 out of 5

Pros: Layout, Beer, Food

Cons: Parking

     The weather on Thursdays seems to be cursed. Everytime my neighbor, BN, my buddy JT and I all want to go to Hardywood for their food truck court, the sky just seems to open up and pour down rain. Now, that doesn't stop us because if Hardywood is serving their beer and the trucks are serving their food, I can muster the courage to stand in a little rain. I am some sort of man after all. The RVA Street Foodies Court (RVA Street Foodies Court) happens every Thursday night and features a wide selection of trucks serving a variety of food. It has become sort of just a Thursday ritual for us now. Allow me to explain why.

     When you arrive at Hardywood the first thing you will notice is that their parking lot is completely blocked off. Makes sense right, gotta put those trucks somewhere. This leads to my only con though, parking. Unless you get there early parking can get a little tough. You have to really pay attention to where you park on the street. Everything is pretty clearly marked, but watch out for fire hydrants. The later you arrive, the further away you need to park. And police presence is fairly consistent over here so you will get a ticket if you aren't careful. Now, I am aware there is nothing Hardywood can do to solve this issue; hence I only deducted .1 stars. Its life in Richmond, but it doesn't mean I can't whine.

     The setup of the actual court is very well done. All of the trucks ring the outside edge of the parking lot facing inward. They are well spaced apart which helps keeps lines from forming into giant blobs. In the center of the parking lot you will find picnic tables. Either get there early to stake a claim on one or learn to share them with strangers because there aren't many and they go fast. Hardywood opens their big bay doors which allows for the party to extend inward if need be. With 2 bars, it doesn't take very long to get served either, which is very nice. It’s an accommodating set-up all around and truly allows for good movement and excellent people watching. I’m a fan.

     One of the best parts of the RVA Street Foodies Court is really Hardywood Craft Brewery itself. I appreciate the very knowledgeable and friendly staff that Hardywood has. They take the time to answer questions, give suggestions and nicely admonish those of us who don’t wait to get our growlers home before we drink them (sorry guys!). The beer itself is not anything to be overlooked either. Hardywood consistently puts out a quality product for a respectable price ( a 64oz. growler and a filling is $24). I am a big fan of the Hoplar and the Sidamo Coffee Stout, while BN LOVES the Bourbon Cru and JT just seems to love them all. If you haven’t had the chance to try a Hardywood beer yet I suggest you email me immediately so we can take care of that (goingoutinrichmond@gmail.com). 

     I have eaten at two of the food trucks during my trips to the RVA Street Foodies Court. Both times the experience was fantastic. The first one I ate at was Thai Cabin (Thai Cabin Twitter). This little green school bus turned food truck caught my attention by offering lettuce wraps with a variety of fillings for pretty cheap. I ended up getting 2 wraps, one with coconut curry chicken and one with peanut chicken, for $5 plus I added a pork spring roll for $1.59 more. It was a lot of food for $6.50, I can tell you that. The wraps are made with fresh romaine lettuce which is super crunchy and firm enough to hold all the chickeny-goodness on top. The coconut curry is super flavorful and the peanut chicken has lots of crunch. The spring roll was fried perfectly so as not to be greasy. It was an excellent meal. I am certainly a Thai Cabin fan.

     The next visit to the Court meant that I had to try a new truck. I went with Chupacabra (Chupacabra Twitter Page) the brightly painted Tex-Mex box truck of goodness. With so many choices, it took me a minute to decide what I wanted. I finally decided on a torta, which is a Mexican sandwich, that i filled with chicken, lettuce, jalapenos, black beans, cheese, rice and sour cream. The bread was big, fluffy and flavorful. It held all of the contents of the sandwich perfectly. The chicken was juicy, the rice had nice lime flavor and the jalapenos provided a nice bite. I can always do more jalapenos of course. When I order from Chupacabra in the future, I will have to try a burrito or some of their tacos. How can you go wrong?

     So, like I said, the RVA Street Foodies Court has become a Thursday night staple for us. It's just one of those events that you just can't beat. Great food, amazing beers and a perfect setting. I know I suggest you try things all the time. GO OUT AND TRY THE FOOD TRUCK COURT!!! If you want to meet us there, email me or tweet me (@goingoutinrva). It's almost certain that if it's Thursday, we have a table.