HEOYA
Hoppen Hierarchy: 6.5
Truck location varies
Lincoln
Pros: Delicious pork; barbecue sauce was on point; solid portion sizes; little wait time
Cons: Beef was a big disappointment; a bit heavy on the veggies; no item truly stands out
Great as food trucks are, they tend to come and go. They either become very successful and open a brick and mortar, or they tend to peter out over time. It’s rare to see a truck stay in its current form for nearly a decade.
That makes Heoya a true rarity.
The truck, opened by a husband and wife team in 2011, has been serving Asian fusion meals for as long as many Lincoln residents can recall. In fact, Heoya was the city’s first food truck.
Some things have changed since the truck first opened. There are new additions to the menu, and Heoya opened a storefront in the U-Stop gas station off 33rd and Superior. But the heart of the operation has remained the same.
The menu serves egg rolls, Korean BBQ tacos and burritos, banh mi sandwiches, stir fry beef noodles, and more. The service is incredibly friendly and attentive, as the owners have instructed employees to try and remember the name of every customer who comes through the door.
That’s easier said than done, but I was greeted by name on each of my return trips.
The tacos and burritos are filled with pickled carrots, daikon, and lettuce—ingredients all found in traditional banh mi sandwiches—along with the diner’s choice of beef, chicken, pork, tofu, fish, or shrimp. The tacos are rather large, and Heoya packs them with protein. They also thrown a lot of veggies on top (as you can see above).
The pork is my favorite of the meats. It’s very tender and has a bit of tang from the Korean BBQ sauce. The veggies add some nice sweetness. The chicken is very good as well, though it’s not quite as flavorful.
The beef, unfortunately, doesn’t work quite as well. Maybe I just got it on the wrong day, but when I had it, the texture was off. The slices of beef were far too chewy, like I was just chewing gristle. The flavor is decent, but nothing to write home about.
And the banh mi bread is a bit crusty. You need a hearty baguette for these sandwiches, and I appreciate that Heoya grills them to add some texture. But the bread crunches loudly with each bite and flakes everywhere, creating a messy experience.
The prices are excellent, as each taco is $2.75-$3.25, and most entrees are $8 or less. Customers wait just a few minutes to get their meal.
There’s a reason Heoya has been around for so long. It has an interesting concept, friendly customers, and great prices. The flavors aren’t 100% there, but that by no means makes Heoya a bad experience.