BURNING BRIDGES FOOD TRUCK

Hoppen Hierarchy:★★★★

Juicy Lucy Burgers & Fried Chicken Sandwiches

Perfect For: Casual Dining; Takeout; Lunch

Standout Dishes: Guten Free Fried Chicken Sandwich; Classic Juicy Lucy

There’s a special attraction to simple food done really well. When a chef or cook has ability to transform a familiar, casual food staple into a must-try dish, you see true talent shine through.

That’s what makes Burning Bridges special.

Most days you visit the food truck, you’ll find the chalkboard menu has just three main dishes: a fried chicken sandwich, a Juicy Lucy burger, and a monthly Juicy Lucy special. Those items can be accompanied with waffle fries or fried pickles and finished off with monster cookies for dessert. Guy Fieri has more TV shows than this menu has options.

There are two reasons the menu is so condensed: the truck, which opened in May of 2021, is still in its early phases, and often owner Zach Bridges is operating the truck with one other person or by himself. By sheer necessity, he can’t be cranking out 15 different dishes at once.

But more importantly, limited options have given him time to spend extra time on and perfect each dish. And once you take a bite, the last thing you’ll want is more choices. You’ll be perfectly content with what’s in your basket.

Zach has no professional culinary training, but a majority of his childhood was spent by his dad’s side in the kitchen or in front of the TV, glued to The Food Network. He cooked for friends and dreamed of one day starting a food truck, but considered his jobs and machinery and construction more stable.

But the food truck idea was embedded in his head and he just couldn’t shake it. So when Isaiah Renner (owner of Dire Lion) and Kevin Wyatt (Big Green Q) started Trucks & Taps and offered to let Zach work on their trucks on nights and weekends, he jumped at the opportunity.

Never mind that he was still working 60-hour weeks at his normal job or that his wife, Katie, was pregnant. Zach caught the bug, and he was determined to put in whatever hours it took to learn how to make his eventual truck successful.

In whatever spare time he had, he tinkered with recipes he’d honed over the years, starting with his fried chicken. He had friends that required gluten free recipes, so he worked particularly hard to adapt his breading to suit their needs.

The result is nothing short of spectacular; Burning Bridges’ Gluten Free Chicken Sandwich is easily one of the best fried chicken sandwiches in Omaha.

The first thing you notice about this sandwich as it comes out the window is its mass: it’s about the size of a cantelope. So much crispy chicken is spilling out the side of the bun that if you cut it off with a knife, you could easily construct a second sandwich. It’s an intimidating hunk of poultry.

But the flavor of the sandwich is even greater than its outlandish heft. Marinated in a mixture of buttermilk, greek yogurt and hot sauce then hand-breaded, the chicken emerges from the fryer with a brilliant crunchy texture, and Zach’s seasoning mix gives the batter a serious punch of savory flavor. The breading application is a bit heavier on this sandwich than most, but the chicken thigh inside remains incredibly moist and tender.

The truck’s Zesty White Sauce is a mix between cajun mayo and creamy mustard, giving it a zippy tang. Put this sauce on anything and it instantly gets 25% better. Crisp, acidic pickles and a toasted potato bun round out what is nothing short of an incredible sandwich.

Plus, Zach employs a gluten free flour in his breading, allowing those with food allergies to enjoy a delicacy strictly off limits to them.

As an added bonus, Burning Bridges will occasionally bump the heat up to 11 by offering its Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich. That brilliant massive of poultry is dunked in a cayenne-infused oil to deliver a spicy kick that tingles the lips without ruining one’s stomach for the rest of the day.

The brilliance carries over into the Classic Juicy Lucy, which opts to not place cheese atop the burger, but rather stuffs it between the patties. This Minnesota-based technique is difficult to perfect, and many restaurants that offer Juicy Lucys do it poorly. But executed properly, Juicy Lucys are an elevated burger experience.

The first bite into Burning Bridges’ burger is as if a dam was broken and a river of gooey, warm cheese gushes forth. The sharp cheddar balances perfectly with its brilliant cage: two smashed Raikes Beef Co. patties crimped at the edges. The traditional burger toppings—ketchup, mustard, tomato, greens—are fine, but the heroes are the tremendous patty and the rush of molten cheese.

The classic version of the Juicy Lucy is worth a visit alone, but Burning Bridges also offers a monthly special version. Previous editions include Crab Rangoon (rangoon filling-stuffed patty, sweet chili sauce, fried wonton strips), Rodeo (bacon jam, grilled onions, sassy BBQ sauce), and Hungover Elvis (topped with a fried egg, peanut sauce, bacon, and banana chips).

Burning Bridges also often has special dishes on the menu, ranging from Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwiches to Fried Catfish, Mini Cheesecakes, and Guinness Braised Lamb Shank. Whatever Zach gets inspired by might be on the menu within the next week. A great example of this is the Chicken & Waffles, which pairs that same brilliant, crunchy thigh from the sandwich with a dense, crunchy waffle studded with cheddar cheese and bacon. If it sounds a bit dry, just drench the dish in the zesty white sauce.

As far as side dishes go, the Waffle Fries are perfectly acceptable. They’re a bit on the softer side and are heavy on the salt, but they’re a good pairing with the sandwiches (especially when dunked in the zesty white sauce).

Want to keep tabs on where Burning Bridges will be posting up? Follow the food truck on Instagram and Facebook and you’ll always be in the know.

What’s truly exciting about Burning Bridges is that Zach is just getting started. His truck has come a long way in a short time, and it appears the arrow is only pointing up. When someone elevates humble food to another level, it tends to get noticed, and that’s why Burning Bridges is absolutely worth checking out.