Midtown Lunch

Today, Luncher John is eating giant portable BBQ.

I was very excited when the Guerrilla Ultima Truck appeared on the LOVE Park and City Hall Courtyard schedules this summer. Earlier this year, I spotted this truck in Pennsport, where it had been making occasional appearances. Recently, it expanded its schedule to now include weekly stops in Center City. It was worth the wait.
In its most basic description, Guerrilla is a barbecue truck, but that’s too simplistic to describe what it does. Guerrilla takes basic America barbecue, like pork or chicken, and integrates different cooking styles, such as Asian and Latin flavors.

As an example, my first selection was the Korean Klaymore ($8). This spiced beef burger is complemented with kim chi, carrots, Thai mayo, sesame and cheddar cheese. Noticeably, the cheese and mayo are on top of the meat, while the rest of the “toppings” are layered below the burger. The taste is something else. There’s a hint of spiciness with the beef that’s not too overwhelming. The cheese is well melted, and the kim chi and other vegetables also add to the experience. Rounded out with a well-proportioned bun to the sizable patty, the burger was a good and filling meal.

The Pennsporter ($10) is a chopped pork sandwich with sharp whiz, slaw, mayo, and other veggies. As you may be able to tell from the picture, the Pennsporter is an enormous sandwich, with the sizable bun barely holding everything together. Rather than a familiar sweet flavor some may associate with chopped pork and barbecue sauce, the sandwich has a tangy, salty flavor.

Guerrilla also has some sides worth trying. A side of Guerrilla Beans ($4) is made up of black beans with culantro, which is an herb often used in Latin American and Caribbean countries. The dish features some spiciness that’s initially subtle but lingers for a while. I devoured the beans almost immediately. The only negative was that the price was slightly high for a relatively small side.
As a word of warning, when you go to Guerrilla, make sure to either go early or budget time for your order to come out. During lunch hour peak, waits of 15 to 20 minutes can be common.

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

• Excellent pork barbecue blended with various cooking styles
• Sandwiches are huge!

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

• Orders sometimes take a while to process
• The prices are a little high for sandwiches

Guerrilla Ultima Truck, Various locations including LOVE Park, City Hall Courtyard, and Dickinson Square Farmer’s Market, @GuerrillaUltima