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on the street · the second lot through the fence · between the Run and the Green

The Truck Stop

Truckin’ Food Court

Five trucks round a covered porch, each doing one thing several ways, and nothing with a price on it.

A lot of pale concrete in the sun, and a covered porch in the middle of it with picnic tables under the roof. Five trucks stand round it with their awnings out, and the sun comes through every awning in its stripes, so the colour at the Truck Stop is all under the awnings: laid across each counter and the ground in front of each hatch, a different two colours at every truck, and plain sun everywhere between. Everybody calls it the Truck Stop. It sits between the Run and the Green and serves both of them.

At the Truck Stop

The court is wider than a phone: scroll the picture sideways to see all of it.

The trucks

Every truck does one thing, several ways, and leads with a vegan way of doing it, the same size as the rest. Every item says what is in it before you ask for it, whether it is vegan or vegetarian or which animal it came from, and which of the nine major food allergens the FDA names it has, and gluten, worked out from what is in it. Every drink says how much caffeine it has. Each truck is its own kitchen, so if an allergy is serious, say so at the hatch, and somebody will tell you what has been near what. Nothing is certified halal or kosher; every dish with meat in it says which animal.

Every truck has a low counter at the side of its hatch, no higher than 36 inches and at least 36 inches long, the 2010 ADA Standards’ figure for a service counter, and the tables on the porch are between 28 and 34 inches high, with room under them for a chair or a wheelchair.

Tacos

Every taco is on two corn tortillas warmed on the plancha, with lime and both salsas on the side: a red one of tomato and chile de árbol, and a green one of tomatillo, serrano chilli and coriander.

A taco is a Mexican dish: a small tortilla, corn or wheat, folded round a filling, in the words of Wikipedia's article on it.

  • Mushroom al pastor

    Vegan

    In it: oyster mushrooms marinated in achiote, guajillo chilli and pineapple juice, grilled, with pineapple, white onion and coriander, on two corn tortillas

    None of the nine, and no gluten.

  • Potato and black bean

    Vegan

    In it: crisp potato, black beans refried in olive oil, pickled red onion and green salsa, on two corn tortillas

    None of the nine, and no gluten.

  • Al pastor

    Pork

    In it: pork shoulder marinated in achiote, guajillo chilli and pineapple juice, cooked on an upright spit and shaved, with pineapple, white onion and coriander, on two corn tortillas

    None of the nine, and no gluten.

    Cooked on an upright spit, the way shawarma is: Wikipedia's taco article traces al pastor to Mexico's Lebanese immigrants.

  • Carnitas

    Pork

    In it: pork shoulder braised and crisped in lard, green salsa, white onion and coriander, on two corn tortillas

    None of the nine, and no gluten.

  • Chicken tinga

    Chicken

    In it: chicken stewed with chipotle chilli and tomato, shredded lettuce and sour cream, on two corn tortillas

    Contains milk. No gluten.

  • Fish, the Baja way

    Fish

    In it: cod in a batter of wheat flour and sparkling water, fried, with shredded cabbage, pico de gallo and lime mayonnaise, on two corn tortillas

    Contains eggs, fish, wheat and gluten.

    Fish tacos come from Baja California, Wikipedia's taco article says.

  • Quesabirria

    Beef

    In it: beef stewed with guajillo and ancho chillies, folded with melted Oaxaca cheese and crisped on the plancha, with a cup of the broth for dipping, on two corn tortillas

    Contains milk. No gluten.

    Birria comes from Jalisco, where it is often goat; quesabirria, with the cheese and the broth to dip it in, from Tijuana. Wikipedia's articles on them say so. This one is beef.

Bánh mì

Every bánh mì is a Vietnamese baguette, thin in the crust and light in the middle, with đồ chua, the pickled carrot and daikon, and cucumber, coriander and fresh chilli in it as well as what it is named for.

The baguette came to Vietnam under French rule from the 1860s, and the sandwich became what it is in Saigon in the 1950s, Wikipedia's article on it says. The bread may be made with rice flour as well as wheat.

  • Bánh mì chay

    Vegan

    In it: lemongrass tofu, mushroom pâté, eggless mayonnaise and soy sauce, with đồ chua, cucumber, coriander and chilli, in a baguette

    Contains wheat, soy and gluten.

    Chay is vegetarian. This one is vegan all the way down, the mayonnaise included.

  • Bánh mì nấm

    Vegan

    In it: oyster mushrooms grilled with lemongrass and soy sauce, eggless mayonnaise, đồ chua, cucumber, coriander and chilli, in a baguette

    Contains wheat, soy and gluten.

    Nấm is mushroom.

  • Bánh mì đặc biệt

    Pork

    In it: pork liver pâté, chả lụa pork roll, sliced roast pork, mayonnaise and soy sauce, with đồ chua, cucumber, coriander and chilli, in a baguette

    Contains eggs, wheat, soy and gluten.

    Đặc biệt is the special, with a bit of everything from the pork side of the board.

  • Bánh mì thịt nướng

    Pork

    In it: pork grilled with lemongrass and fish sauce, mayonnaise, đồ chua, cucumber, coriander and chilli, in a baguette

    Contains eggs, fish, wheat and gluten.

    Thịt nướng is grilled meat.

  • Bánh mì gà

    Chicken

    In it: chicken grilled with lemongrass, mayonnaise, đồ chua, cucumber, coriander and chilli, in a baguette

    Contains eggs, wheat and gluten.

    Gà is chicken.

  • Bánh mì trứng

    Vegetarian

    In it: two fried eggs, soy sauce and mayonnaise, with đồ chua, cucumber, coriander and chilli, in a baguette

    Contains eggs, wheat, soy and gluten.

    Trứng is egg.

  • Bánh mì xíu mại

    Pork

    In it: pork meatballs simmered in tomato sauce, with đồ chua, cucumber, coriander and chilli, in a baguette

    Contains wheat and gluten.

    Xíu mại is a meatball sandwich, Wikipedia says, and these are pork.

Ramen

Every bowl is wheat noodles made with kansui, the alkaline water that makes them springy and a little yellow, in a broth flavoured with its tare.

Wikipedia calls ramen a Japanese-Chinese fusion noodle dish, made with Chinese-style alkaline wheat noodles. Tare is the sauce that flavours the broth: shio, salt, is the oldest of the four kinds, and miso ramen comes from Sapporo.

  • Miso, on kombu

    Vegan

    In it: ramen noodles of wheat, water and kansui, in a broth of kombu and dried shiitake with white miso tare, with fried tofu, sweetcorn, bean sprouts, spring onion and toasted sesame

    Contains wheat, soy, sesame and gluten.

  • Vegetable shio

    Vegan

    In it: ramen noodles of wheat, water and kansui, in a clear broth of kombu and vegetables with salt tare, with bok choy, bamboo shoots, nori and spring onion

    Contains wheat and gluten.

  • Spicy sesame

    Vegan

    In it: ramen noodles of wheat, water and kansui, in a broth of soy milk and kombu with sesame paste and chilli oil, with minced shiitake and bok choy

    Contains wheat, soy, sesame and gluten.

  • Shōyu

    Chicken

    In it: ramen noodles of wheat, water and kansui, in chicken broth with soy sauce tare, with roast chicken, bamboo shoots, nori and spring onion

    Contains wheat, soy and gluten.

  • Tonkotsu

    Pork

    In it: ramen noodles of wheat, water and kansui, in pork bone broth simmered for hours, with chashu pork belly, a soft-boiled egg, wood ear mushroom, nori and spring onion

    Contains eggs, wheat and gluten.

    Tonkotsu is pork bone, and the broth is the cloudy kind that takes all day.

  • Sapporo miso

    Chicken and pork

    In it: ramen noodles of wheat, water and kansui, in chicken broth with red miso tare, with minced pork, sweetcorn, a pat of butter, bean sprouts and spring onion

    Contains milk, wheat, soy and gluten.

Treats

Everything on this truck is for a dog, and it says so on every bag. Take one across to the Run next door, where the dogs from the shelter are out, or to a dog of your own.

Nothing on this truck is on the ASPCA's list of people foods to keep from pets: no chocolate, coffee or caffeine, no xylitol, no grapes or raisins, no onion, garlic or chives, no milk, no nuts, no avocado, no citrus, no salt to speak of, no yeast dough or alcohol, and nothing raw. The tool that builds this board checks every bag against that list.

  • Pumpkin and oat biscuits

    Vegan For dogs.

    In it: pumpkin, oat flour and plain peanut butter, baked hard

    For anybody handling it: contains peanuts. No gluten.

    The peanut butter is peanuts and nothing else.

  • Sweet potato chews

    Vegan For dogs.

    In it: sweet potato, sliced and dried slowly

    For anybody handling it: none of the nine, and no gluten.

  • Banana and peanut butter licks

    Vegan For dogs.

    In it: banana and plain peanut butter, blended with water and frozen in a paper cup

    For anybody handling it: contains peanuts. No gluten.

    The peanut butter is peanuts and nothing else.

  • Chicken jerky

    Chicken For dogs.

    In it: chicken breast, cooked and dried, and nothing else

    For anybody handling it: none of the nine, and no gluten.

  • Beef liver bites

    Beef For dogs.

    In it: beef liver, baked dry and cut small

    For anybody handling it: none of the nine, and no gluten.

  • Salmon and sweet potato bites

    Fish For dogs.

    In it: cooked salmon, sweet potato and oat flour, baked

    For anybody handling it: contains fish. No gluten.

The Cooler

Everything cold to drink, and plenty of ice. Every cup says what is in it and how much caffeine.

Agua fresca is fruit, flowers, seeds or grains blended with sugar and water, Wikipedia's article on it says, and jamaica, made with hibiscus, is one of the commonest. Shaved ice is a raspado in Mexico, kakigōri in Japan and shave ice in Hawaii.

  • Iced water

    Vegan

    In it: filtered water, over ice

    None of the nine, and no gluten.

    No caffeine.

    Sparkling, if you ask.

  • Iced tea

    Vegan

    In it: black tea brewed strong and poured over ice, with a wedge of lemon

    None of the nine, and no gluten.

    Has caffeine.

    Sweet, if you ask.

  • Lemonade

    Vegan

    In it: lemon juice, sugar and water, over ice

    None of the nine, and no gluten.

    No caffeine.

  • Agua de jamaica

    Vegan

    In it: hibiscus flowers steeped and chilled, sweetened with sugar, over ice

    None of the nine, and no gluten.

    No caffeine.

    Hibiscus tea is made from the calyces of the roselle flower.

  • Agua fresca de sandía

    Vegan

    In it: watermelon blended with water and lime juice, over ice

    None of the nine, and no gluten.

    No caffeine.

  • Brown sugar milk tea, with boba

    Vegan

    In it: black tea, oat milk, brown sugar syrup and tapioca pearls, over ice

    None of the nine, and no gluten.

    Has caffeine.

    Dairy milk, if you ask.

    Bubble tea comes from Taiwan, in the 1980s, Wikipedia says, and the pearls are tapioca, which is cassava.

  • Jasmine milk tea, with boba

    Vegan

    In it: jasmine green tea, oat milk, cane sugar syrup and tapioca pearls, over ice

    None of the nine, and no gluten.

    Has caffeine.

    Dairy milk, if you ask.

  • Raspado

    Vegan

    In it: ice shaved fine, with mango syrup, chamoy and a pinch of chilli and lime salt

    None of the nine, and no gluten.

    No caffeine.

    Chamoy is a sauce of pickled fruit and chilli.

  • Oral rehydration solution

    Vegan

    In it: water with sodium chloride, glucose, potassium chloride and trisodium citrate, in the World Health Organization's amounts

    None of the nine, and no gluten.

    No caffeine.

    The WHO's recipe, per litre of water: 2.6 g of sodium chloride, 13.5 g of glucose, 1.5 g of potassium chloride and 2.9 g of trisodium citrate. Plain, or with a splash of orange. Nobody at the hatch asks why you want it.

  • Coconut water

    Vegan

    In it: the water from inside young coconuts, chilled

    None of the nine, and no gluten.

    No caffeine.

  • Salted lime soda

    Vegan

    In it: preserved salted limes, sugar and sparkling water, over ice

    None of the nine, and no gluten.

    No caffeine.

Nothing has a price

The trucks hand things out. There is no price on any board, no till, no jar and nothing to sign; take what you want, as many times as you want, and nobody asks who you are or why you are hungry. Our own entry on third places asks where you are when you are not at home or at work or school but at a place that provides community without being required to buy stuff, and this is one of the answers.

The screen on the Cooler

The drinks truck has a screen on the side facing the porch. It has nothing of its own on it. The rack holds Ryan’s pick of films about the three things the other trucks make, on three shelves: bánh mì, tacos and ramen, made by people who know how and eaten by people who came a long way to. Every film says how long it runs before you press it. The titles are the channels’ own, quoted as they wrote them, and some of them rank things; nothing of ours on this page calls any taco, truck or bowl the best of anything.

The rack: tacos, bánh mì and ramen, made and eaten

Bánh mì

  • How To Make Banh Mi with Andrea Nguyen

    Munchies · 30 June 2019 · 11:09

  • How To Make Authentic Banh Mì

    Nick's Kitchen · 25 September 2026 · 6:02

  • A Day Making NYC’s Most Hyped Bánh Mì | On The Line | Bon Appétit

    Bon Appétit · 26 November 2025 · 16:35

  • How Vietnam’s Banh Mi Sandwich Changes from the North to South — Regions

    Eater · 15 November 2019 · 7:46

Tacos

  • I Tried The Best Taco In The World

    Joshua Weissman · 9 June 2024 · 30:38

  • Legendary Tacos & Chilaquiles From The Back Of A Liquor Store? - Ventura Taco Tour

    Munchies · 9 July 2026 · 12:49

  • NYC’s Most Exciting Taqueria Uses an Entire Pig in Their Tacos | On The Line | Bon Appétit

    Bon Appétit · 18 February 2025 · 12:51

  • The Best Tacos In LA | Best Of The Best

    Insider Food · 27 July 2019 · 17:12

  • Trying the World's FIRST MICHELIN STAR TACOS in Mexico City at El Califa de León

    Mike Chen Clips & BEST Eats · 14 May 2026 · 21:31

  • How To Make Quesa Birria Tacos (Authentic)

    Nick's Kitchen · 13 June 2025 · 10:01

Ramen

  • KANAGAWA, Part 1 - RAMEN JAPAN

    NHK WORLD-JAPAN · 18 September 2026 · 15:06

    Watch it on YouTube — 15:06 its channel has switched off showing it on other sites, so it plays there and not here

  • Behind the Counter at the Most Popular Japanese Countryside Ramen Shop

    Paolo fromTOKYO · 15 May 2026 · 15:09

  • I Made The Easiest Ramen Ever

    Joshua Weissman · 8 November 2023 · 10:56

  • How This Street Ramen Stall Sells 50 Bowls in Just One Hour｜Japanese ramen on the street"

    Japanese Food Noodles · 14 March 2025 · 1:16:54

  • PERFECT Ramen Noodle in Japan｜Ichiran Ramen 🍜

    Experience JAPAN · 13 June 2025 · 18:24

  • Japan's MOST INTENSE Ramen! 40 Hours Eating ONLY JAPANESE RAMEN in Tokyo Japan

    Strictly Dumpling · 26 June 2026 · 38:40

Next door

The Truck Stop is the second of the lots side by side where the buildings stop, and it serves both its neighbours. Through the gate at the left-hand end of the back fence is the Run, where the dogs from the shelter are out: its treat tin is filled from the treat truck here. Through the gate at the right-hand end is the Green, with a porch of its own to carry a cold drink to. Past the Green is the Pile.

House rules

What the Truck Stop keeps

Whose it is

The brief is Ryan Boren’s, of 2026-10-05, and so is the name, which borrows a word that has been doing this a long time: Robert Crumb’s cartoon Keep On Truckin’, in the first Zap Comix in 1968, and the Grateful Dead’s song Truckin’, on American Beauty in 1970, with words by Robert Hunter. None of the song is quoted here. Where each dish comes from was read on Wikipedia’s article on it, named on its truck’s board; the oral rehydration solution is the World Health Organization’s recipe; the allergen line is worked out by the same engine as Hey, Good Cookin’, the caffeine line with Pekoe and Purrs’ words, and every dog treat is checked against the ASPCA’s list, which the Run holds. The films on the rack are their channels’, and Ryan’s pick. The type is Sansita, by Omnibus-Type, and Familjen Grotesk, by Familjen STHLM AB, both under the SIL Open Font Licence. Every source is in the liner notes.

Job marker — an empty paper boat from a taco, left on the porch

You have found a job marker. The Adventurer’s Guild is a shopfront on the street, and it posts jobs that send you round these rooms. Take the code below to its board and that job is done. Nothing here is scored, nothing expires, and one is a perfectly good number of jobs to do.

The job: What does lunch cost at the Truck Stop?

Before the code: What does anything at the Truck Stop cost?

Hint 1

It is under the heading that says so.

Hint 2

Look for a till.

Last hint

There is not one.

Give me the answer

The answer is Nothing. Nothing: no board at the Truck Stop has a price on it, and the trucks hand things out.

Taking the answer is a real way through this, not a lesser one. Nothing is watching and nothing is written down.

Quest code: TRUCKIN

Hand it in at the Adventurer’s Guild →

HOW LOUD DO YOU WANT IT?

Starts wherever your device says. Nothing moves, flashes, or plays until you say so — and at the Truck Stop, nothing moves even then.