Hot Box's Pop-up Bistro Was A Food Truck Restaurant Experience

I got my grub on at Journey A Pop Up Bistro Experience by the Hot Box food truck at Crown Station. I lusted when I saw the menu which included fried oysters, shortribs and hot & sticky apple pies!

One of my biggest complaints about food trucks is that for me to get full, I need to order several items and I end up paying restaurant prices to order eat off a styrofoam cartoon. 

At Hot Box's pop up bistro we had attentive servers and our entrees were served on real plates. The appetizers and desserts came on cardboard trays. Crown Station is a great location for the pop bistro concept. It has a full bar and nice seating areas. It's a cozy spot with an eclectic customer base. Unfortunately, the live band, which was pretty good, started playing about an hour after we arrived. It became impossible to talk, which took away from the restaurant experience.

Now for the food. Their strength on this night were the appetizers. The oysters and risotto fritters were great and fried to perfection. The braised short ribs were tender, but far from the most flavorful that I've eaten. The rib side dish of sauteed greens were so salty that we had to send it back. The chef apologized and quickly prepared another batch. The Hot Box Ramen was delicious with a nice little kick. I was totally disappointed with the apple pies. The apples weren't peeled and the crust was dense and thick. Overall, I liked the execution and would stick to their small plates next time.