Introducing: Food Cabbie, a new food truck with classic American comfort food
Toronto’s newest food truck (Image: Karolyne Ellacott)
The Food Cabbie, an unassuming yellow-and-black food truck serving American classics, popped up a couple weeks ago in a car park at the corner of Queen and Jarvis. Already, owner Spiros Drossos has gotten to know the hungry mugs from the neighbourhood: George Brown students making the trek north and office workers taking a break from their ritual Subway sandwiches (including not a few employees of St. Joseph Media, Toronto Life’ s parent company).
With a chef for a father, Drossos tells us he went through the “school of hard knocks,” and has been in the business for some 30 years. Originally hailing from Napa Valley—his Canuck wife insisted on the move up north—Drossos is just getting acquainted with downtown Toronto’s food scene. As the former owner of Vaughan’s Chicago Pizza Kitchen , the affable Drossos has plans to open up another Chicago-style pizza parlour, this time within the 416. In the interim he’s spending his time in a cheerful little truck where he can indulge in plenty of face time with the customers he loves.
The focus here is squarely on homemade American comfort food, including the ever-popular breakfast burrito ($5), loaded with roasted potatoes, egg, refried beans and Drossos’s homemade Mexican-style chorizo sausage (there’s a $4 vegetarian version as well). Another big draw is the Chicago-style “hot dawg” ($4), with an avalanche of toppings: tomatoes, onions, sport peppers, pickles and classic hard-to-get neon relish, imported from the States (there’s also a special Spanish sauce, made using Stanislaus full-red tomatoes from California). For his American burgers ($5), Drossos hand forms each patty—all beef, no filler. And the Philly cheesesteak ($6) comes with lashings of meat smothered in heart-stopping amounts of cheese. Those truly in the know will inquire about the secret menu, though we’re not about to divulge anything further.
91466 (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Inside a breakfast burrito: homemade chorizo, potatoes, eggs, refried beans and hot sauce ($5) Introducing: Food Cabbie https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/food-cabbie-burritos-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/food-cabbie-burritos.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/food-cabbie-burritos.jpg 624 468 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-food-cabbie/slide/food-cabbie-burritos/ food-cabbie-burritos 0 0
Inside a breakfast burrito: homemade chorizo, potatoes, eggs, refried beans and hot sauce ($5)
91468 (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Chicago style “hot dawg” ($4) Introducing: Food Cabbie https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/food-cabbie-dawg-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/food-cabbie-dawg.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/food-cabbie-dawg.jpg 468 624 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-food-cabbie/slide/food-cabbie-dawg/ food-cabbie-dawg 0 0
Chicago style “hot dawg” ($4)
91474 (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) The Philly cheesesteak comes smothered in heart-stopping amounts of cheese ($6) Introducing: Food Cabbie https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/food-cabbie-philly-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/food-cabbie-philly.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/food-cabbie-philly.jpg 624 468 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-food-cabbie/slide/food-cabbie-philly/ food-cabbie-philly 0 0
The Philly cheesesteak comes smothered in heart-stopping amounts of cheese ($6)
91467 (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Some of the condiments on hand Introducing: Food Cabbie https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/food-cabbie-condiments-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/food-cabbie-condiments.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/food-cabbie-condiments.jpg 624 468 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-food-cabbie/slide/food-cabbie-condiments/ food-cabbie-condiments 0 0
Some of the condiments on hand
91475 (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Some satisfied customers Introducing: Food Cabbie https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/food-cabbie-satisfied-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/food-cabbie-satisfied.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/food-cabbie-satisfied.jpg 624 468 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-food-cabbie/slide/food-cabbie-satisfied/ food-cabbie-satisfied 0 0
Some satisfied customers
91471 (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) The view from inside the truck Introducing: Food Cabbie https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/food-cabbie-inside-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/food-cabbie-inside.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/food-cabbie-inside.jpg 624 468 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-food-cabbie/slide/food-cabbie-inside/ food-cabbie-inside 0 0
The view from inside the truck
91476 (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Sandwich boards along Queen and Jarvis Introducing: Food Cabbie https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/food-cabbie-sign-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/food-cabbie-sign.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/food-cabbie-sign.jpg 624 468 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-food-cabbie/slide/food-cabbie-sign/ food-cabbie-sign 0 0
Sandwich boards along Queen and Jarvis
91472 (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) The Food Cabbie menu Introducing: Food Cabbie https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/food-cabbie-menu-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/food-cabbie-menu.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/food-cabbie-menu.jpg 468 624 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-food-cabbie/slide/food-cabbie-menu/ food-cabbie-menu 0 0
The Food Cabbie menu
91470 (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Drossos working his flat top (making a Philly cheesesteak) Introducing: Food Cabbie https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/food-cabbie-flattop-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/food-cabbie-flattop.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/food-cabbie-flattop.jpg 624 468 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-food-cabbie/slide/food-cabbie-flattop/ food-cabbie-flattop 0 0
Drossos working his flat top (making a Philly cheesesteak)
91469 (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Food Cabbie owner Spiros Drossos is a transplant from the Napa Valley Introducing: Food Cabbie https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/food-cabbie-drossos-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/food-cabbie-drossos.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/food-cabbie-drossos.jpg 468 624 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-food-cabbie/slide/food-cabbie-drossos/ food-cabbie-drossos 0 0
Food Cabbie owner Spiros Drossos is a transplant from the Napa Valley
91473 (Image: Karolyne Ellacott) Toronto’s newest food truck is currently perched at the corner of Queen and Jarvis Introducing: Food Cabbie https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/food-cabbie-outside-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/food-cabbie-outside.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/food-cabbie-outside.jpg 656 492 [] https://torontolife.com/food/introducing-food-cabbie/slide/food-cabbie-outside/ food-cabbie-outside 0 0
Toronto’s newest food truck is currently perched at the corner of Queen and Jarvis
Food Cabbie, parking lot at Jarvis St. and Queen St. E. now at parking lot at Mutual St. and Queen St. E. , 647-227-2628
N.B. like any good food truck, Food Cabbie is liable to reappear in another location at any time, so it’s best to consult the Twitter feed .
I tried this place out last week and it was horrible!
I ordered the burrito con carne and it took 15 minutes to make. My colleague had the regular hot dog and he almost puked after one bite. It was cold, seemed uncooked. The owner was like “it’s american style”… wtf does that mean? so it tastes like shit! sorry don’t waste your money there.
^ Perhaps your friend is so used to the over charred street meat of this city to realize that hot dogs can be served in other ways. Hot dogs by definition come pre-cooked
Finally!!! Toronto gets to experience some awesome American Style Diners Drivers & Dives Grub!!! I have eaten at the FOOD CABBIE 3 times already and absolutely love everything I’ve had so far! The owner told me that he is from California and is a real stickler about what he serves. I had the Breakafast Burrito the first day and I swear I was full until dinner! Apparently there is a secret menu that I am anxious to discover! He gets his hot dogs specially made for him, I had the Chicago Dog and it was authentic! Really delicious and the neon green relish that he imports is exactly the same taste as Portillos in Chicago! You can tell he puts alot of pride and love in the food. Xtine1981, I was there again today and looked at the menu….there is no burrito con carne on it….? Anyways, try this place and you won’t be sorry!
I have stopped by the Food Cabbie several times since they opened and have not only enjoyed the food there but the friendly service as well. The people in my office can’t stop talking about it, and I am glad it is getting the credit it deserves. Great food, for a great price! It’s nice to see something like this in the area with a unique menu giving you a lot more then the average food vendor would.
This is no ordinary food trailer, and if you haven’t got the chance to visit it yet and try their breakfast burrito don’t wait any longer! I love the food their, and I as well love the service.
I keep coming back. I’ve had the chance to go there every single weekday last week and the food is amazing! No more boring cafeteria food for me. It’s too bad they’re moving. Queen/Jarvis is just a 5 minute walk from George Brown. If you’ve never been there before, try the Original Premante Pittsburgh Brother Sandwich!I have to go there a few more times before they move!
I stopped by Food Cabbie this week and had a horrible experience. I spent more time in line listening to the cook yell and swear at his employee’s than I did actually enjoying the experience of a new food truck in the area. It was a very unprofessional and uncomfortable experience. And if that wasn’t enough, the cook went on complaining about competition to other customer’s in line(another food truck that had been in the area) as if he was the only one entitled to be there.
The food was greasy, overall it was okay.
I’ve had the deep dish pies when they had their pizza joint in Vaughan and they were GOOD!! It was like a dream come true to have and to hold until they shut down without a peep maybe over a year ago? I imagine the prices won’t be the same but hopefully the quality does not suffer when they reopen closer to the city–I can’t wait! I’ll get around to trying their food cabbie as I imagine it will be on par with their former pizza place. It should be seeing as the truck is really a prelude of what to expect with the new place.
Last week was the last time I’ll ever visit food cabbie. Arrogant would be a mild term to describe the owner of this food truck. And I would have to agree with Sarah’s previous comment about a very unpleasant, unprofessional experience. Something about the atmosphere is very unsettling.
My colleague saw boogers hanging down from the cook’s nose as he was preparing someone’s hotdog.
This was back in the fall and I have not been back since.
Judith, Rob, and Sara. You guys must have bad luck. I’ve had the best times and I’ve sent people there who haven’t complained yet.
Judith; I had a similar experience. I tried this place out a few weeks ago and when I arrived the cook was outside smoking, he quickly put it out and did not even bother to wash his hands, he just proceeded to take my order. The food is salty and not to mention EXTREMELY greasy. I know this is take out, but you can literally watch him squeeze an unhealthy amount of oil out. I also noticed that it say’s the “healthier poutine”, but have you watched the amount of oil and butter he uses to reheat the potatoes up? he might as well be deep frying. I myself ordered the home fries because i am vegetarian but i noticed he flavors the potatoes with a chicken based spice; how is that vegetarian? And it was also the same potatoes used in my “vegetarian breakfast burrito”. Not impressed.