Steph C.
Yelp
I grabbed an Armenian lunch at the Armenian Lunch Truck with Bret H. and FeiFei J. last week. Bret had read a glowing profile of the family-owned food truck in Los Angeles Magazine, and it was clear from the steady stream of customers on a very hot Wednesday in the valley that the place does some solid business. I'm surprised it has so few Yelp reviews--the food is extremely delicious, and you should all be eating it.
The truck sets up on Sherman Way in front of a giant strip mall (Royal Fresh Market, Dollar Tree, Staples). Look for heavy grill smoke and the colors of the Armenian flag--you really can't miss it. Parking was super easy (yay, giant strip mall) and there was no wait to order. The woman in the truck window was nice and efficient. It took about ten minutes for our food to be ready, and we spent that time idly evading the smoke, which seemed to follow us wherever we walked. It wasn't bad, though, and it smelled fantastic. We took our lunch to go, as it was hot out and there was no seating anyway.
I got the chicken kebab plate while Bret and FeiFei got the beef kebab and the pork BBQ. The plates were $17 each and came with rice, lavash, Armenian salad, tzatziki, grilled tomato, grilled jalapeño, and side tubs of a salsa-like spicy tomato sauce and diced onion and cilantro, which felt almost like nods to L.A.'s taco trucks. I loved everything. The kebabs were super flavorful with a wonderfully tender texture, and the pork BBQ was great, crispy cubes of pork belly. The Armenian salad was a fresh, tasty slaw, and I loved the tangy yogurt sauce. The grilled jalapeño was hot hot hot, with very little of it going quite a long way. The rice was fluffy, the lavash soft and supple. Everything went together beautifully.
If you're looking for an easy pick-up lunch anywhere near North Hollywood, do yourself a favor and go to the Armenian Lunch Truck. It's a fast, friendly family-run business, and the food is spectacular.