on Monday evenings at Hurst General Store in St. George.
(Photo: Brian Passey / The Spectrum & Daily News)
By Brian Passey  |  The SpectrumÂ
on Monday evenings at Hurst General Store in St. George.
(Photo: Brian Passey / The Spectrum & Daily News)
What’s better than lots of cheese on a burger? Lots of cheese IN a burger — or at least smashed in between two quarter-pound patties with other goodies like bacon and jalapenos.
That’s what Loaded, one of Southern Utah’s newest food trucks, offers. For a food truck, Loaded has a fairly large menu, but most items are variations on the same four or five recipes.
The primary draw are the stuffed burgers. That’s the Loaded specialty. They come in four varieties: Bacon Cheese, Mushroom Swiss, Reuben or Jalapeno Cheddar Bacon.
Then there are loaded hot dogs, stuffed grilled cheese sandwiches and loaded fries, which also can be ordered in the same four varieties as well as a fifth Chili Cheese option.
I first tried Loaded a few weeks ago when it was parked at the Hilltop Conoco at the east end of St. George Boulevard. I had the Bacon Cheeseburger and was quickly enamored by its cheesy, bacony goodness. For some reason those toppings just seemed to taste better smashed in the center. It’s like they permeated the burger more than if they were merely placed on top of the patties.
When I realized Loaded regularly took part in the Food Truck Roundups at Hurst General Store in St. George on Monday nights, I decided to return again this week for another round. This time, however, I planned to be more daring. It was Jalapeno Cheddar Bacon time.
There were a few kinks in the machinery when I arrived at the parking lot on the corner of Bluff Street and St. George Boulevard, but the owners maintained their cheery disposition. Then I found out they were the victims of a house fire on April 9 and lost many of their belongings. Yet there they were, working through the obstacles and still providing great customer service.
So, with a burger, the Reuben-style fries and a Gatorade in hand (Loaded deserves bonus points for going beyond the typical food truck offering of various sodas and adding three flavors of Gatorade to the mix), I took off for The Spectrum office to consume my meal. Unfortunately city ordinance prohibits the food trucks from providing tables and chairs near their establishments.
I was worried the burger would be too hot. I like a little kick but I’m a bit of a wimp when it comes to heavy heat. Thankfully the sautéed jalapeno mix was just right. It had just enough kick to liven it up beyond a normal cheeseburger but not so much that you didn’t enjoy the rest of the ingredients.
The meat, cheese and veggies combined for a wonderfully flavored burger. I especially liked the touch of adding what I believe was romaine lettuce rather than the typical and less interesting iceberg variety.
As for the fries, well, they were simply fascinating. I had never even considered adding pastrami, sauerkraut and provolone to a batch of fries, but it sure was tasty. Plus, the fries were thick enough to support the weight of the toppings for the most part. However, I did have to use a fork from time to time.
Now it’s time to return and try a stuffed grilled cheese or a loaded hot dog.
To find out where Loaded is parked each day, follow the food truck on Instagram or Facebook. Search for “Loaded Stuffed Burgers.”
If you go
Loaded
•Locations: Vary by day
•Hours: Vary by day
•Price range: $5-7
•Telephone: 435-229-1385
•Social Media: Facebook and Instagram (search for “Loaded Stuffed Burgers”)
http://www.thespectrum.com/story/entertainment/2015/04/16/food-truck-offers-loaded-burgers/25844779/
