4 Brothers Loco Flavor Food Truck Review and Interview
This week I ventured out to “4 Brothers Loco Flavor,” a food truck on 12th Street. Planted right in front of the Science Engineering Research Building (SERCE), 4 Brothers offers latin cuisine with a focus on Puerto Rican specialties. As the only Puerto Rican food truck on campus, I was curious as to why the business was started here, and what the owners’ motivations were to bring Puerto Rican cuisine to Temple.
Though their social media presence is small, they have a strong following at Temple’s campus, and I was excited to try the food for myself.
Review
After sampling their menu, I sought out my inner Anthony Bourdain to muster up a solid review.
4 Brothers offers sandwiches, platters, pastelillos, and other side orders. To get a better idea of the overall quality of the food, I decided to try a few of the smaller orders.. I got one beef and cheese pastelillo, a side order of tostones, and a stuffed potato ball called ‘papa relleno.’ The total cost of this meal was a little under seven dollars, a great price for a hungry college student!
First off was the tostones. They were really good. Like, really good. I’m usually picky about tostones, and typically tend to think they are a bit dry. But these had a great consistency to them, and great flavor. They were actually a little sweet, which I appreciated. 4 Brothers threw on some basic seasoning to compliment this fried plantain treat, but I thought the natural flavor was well presented in this dish.
Next up was the beef and cheese pastelillo (also known as an empanada). I thought the beef was well seasoned and juicy, which is definitely a plus in my book. This pastelillo wasn’t so heavy on the cheese, but I found this beneficial as the flavor of the beef wasn’t undermined by too much cheese. 4 Brothers offers other variations of pastelillos, but a friend recommended to try the beef and cheese first. Overall, this pastelillo was a delicious and affordable snack, costing only two dollars!
My third sampler from 4 Brothers was a relleno de papa, or a ‘potato ball.’ Rellenos de papas are fried potato balls stuffed with beef, and is offered as one of the daily specials so you may not be able to get rellenos de papa all the time at 4 Brothers. The actual potato ball you are given is quite large, and you’ll definitely need a fork and knife to tackle the dish. The outside of the potato ball consisted of a thin, crispy breaded layer, and the beef stuffed inside the potato was similar to that of the beef and cheese pastelillo. Overall, this dish may have not been the best relleno de papa that I’ve had in my life, but for two dollars it could easily serve as a filling, delicious, and calorie-rich lunch.
My dining experience at 4 Brothers Loco Flavor was enjoyable and economical. 4 Brothers is a great food truck if you’re craving Puerto Rican cuisine on campus, although expect to wait a little while if you visit during the lunch hour (I had to wait a good 15 minutes for my order). Also, you can call in your order ahead of time at 215-391-5618. Their prices definitely won’t break the bank, and the wait will be worth it. I would recommend that every Temple student stop by at least once, whether you’re craving a familiar cuisine or if you’ve never tried Puerto Rican food before.
