Schnitzel Wagon Finds Permanent Home Downtown

Schnitzel Wagon

When Grub Street reported a few months ago that the Schnitzel Wagon would be hitting the streets of our city, my interest was probably piqued more than than the average Angeleno.  After all schnitzel is not really as hype inducing as, say, Filipino food.  Or red velvet pancakes.  Or dim sum and hipster fried chicken.  Part of it was because I miss New York’s ultra popular Schnitzel & Things Truck, and part of it was because I was super curious to find out why they completely ripped off the Street Sweets’ truck design! (Also a popular New York truck.)

But mostly I was just using these reasons as an excuse to go eat deep fried cutlets of meat and fish off a truck in Downtown L.A.  (As if I needed an excuse!)

Unlike many of the new school gourmet trucks who move around the city from day to day, the Schnitzel Wagon has decided to take the old school approach and try to park in one spot every single day:  just outside the watercourt at 350 S. Grand (upper level), where Starry Kitchen and Mendocino Farms are.   Their menu is pretty simple… you can get chicken or cod schnitzel, as a sandwich ($8) or platter with two sides ($10).   There are other items available sporadically (including a falafel special on Fridays) but chicken and cod are the mainstays.

Schnitzel Wagon

The sandwich comes with lettuce, tomato, and your choice of sauce (we went with garlic mayo).  It’s cheaper than the platter, and it’s fairly large,  but the bread is too bulky for the filling and not that great.  We ended up picking out the chicken schnitzel, which was well fried and super tasty.  But the platter is definitely the way to go.

Schnitzel Wagon

$10 is as much as I’ll spend on lunch, and for food from a truck it’s kind of pricey… but you get a decent amount of food.  And the cod was really excellent.  Crunchy on the outside, deliciously flaky on the inside.  And, just like the chicken, the breading was really well seasoned.  A squeeze of lemon juice, and it was like a great order of fish and chips (although I guess technically for that you’d need some vinegar.)  As for side dishes you get your choice of Austrian potato salad, cole slaw, garden salad, and french fries.  Here’s where the “Wagon” fell way short of the “Truck”- whose sides are a huge part of what make them awesome (beets and feta FTW!)  The potato salad was kind of boring, and the shoestring fries were nondescript and under fried (although it didn’t  stop me from finishing them!)

As for the design?  According to one of the guys in the truck they paid a design company to come up with the wrap, and claim to have had no idea it was a Street Sweets rip off until they were contacted by the Street Sweets Truck (who saw the post on ML).  They’re not going to change the truck, but they’re in the process of getting a new logo.

Is the Schnitzel Wagon just a bush league version of the very excellent Schnitzel & Things Truck?  No question about it… but I will say this, they know how to fry up some delicious chicken and fish.  I didn’t love the sides, or the bread they use for the sandwich, but if I worked in the area I would certainly walk over for some schnitzel action a couple of times a month.  And I’m super curious about their Friday falafel special as well.  Also, they’re working on getting their Kosher certification- at which point they’ll start offering delivery.  Naturally, you can follow them on Twitter for more info.

THE + (What somebody who likes this place would say)

  • I’m sick of all the lunch options in the water court, and schnitzel sounds like fun!
  • The breading they coat the chicken and fish with is really well seasoned
  • Everything is fried very well
  • I’m Kosher, and it’ll be nice to have another Kosher option in the area
  • Fish and chips FTW!

THE – (What somebody who doesn’t like this place would say)

  • $10 is a bit pricey for lunch from a truck.
  • The sauces are pretty forgettable.
  • The bread they use for the sandwiches is pretty bad.
  • The side dishes are nothing special.
  • I moved here from New York.  I knew Schnitzel & Things.  I ate from Schnitzel & Things. Schnitzel & Things was a friend of mine. And you, sir, are no Schnitzel & Things.

Schnitzel Wagon, 350 S. Grand (in front of the Water Court)

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