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The Crème Brûlée Cart
Categories: Food Desserts Restaurants Food Stands Desserts, Food Stands [Edit]
Mission and 22nd StSan Francisco, CA 94110
Neighborhood: Mission
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dessert
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Hipster, Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
466 reviews for The Crème Brûlée Cart
Review Highlights
"The Vanilla Bean was delicious and creamy."
(in 108 reviews)
"had the nutella and strawberry at OTG - delicious."
(in 23 reviews)
"I had two - toasted coconut and Mexican chocolate."
(in 26 reviews)
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464 reviews in English
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Review from Dee Tail G.
San Francisco, CA
1/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
S'mores = yum!
Strawberry/Nutella = yum!
I'm not sure who was manning the truck that night as he doesn't look like the guy in the photos, but whoever it was made me smile :) He gets the 5th star.
FYI: Location when they say Castro/Market is in the Chevron station. -
Review from Casey S.
2/7/2012
Upon first sight, I was skeptical. Creme Brulee...out of a food truck? It was something out of a scene kid's vision, a mad show, I say!
Despite my strong desire for strawberry and Nutella mixed together in heavenly bliss, I passed on this initial round of treats. Always the eager one, my girlfriend decided to try her luck with one of these confectionery treats, waiting for the small yet dedicated team of chefs to whip up her small yet delicious order.
Taking a bite of this culinary masterpiece, she requested that I take a bite. I couldn't believe it!
...it was actually good. No, great! I was proven wrong. Maybe next time I'll even get my own, instead of a measly bite.
Such is life. -
Review from Mary J.
Castro Valley, CA
BF @JaRue2011 & I walking back to our vehicle after a wonderful dinner at Lime come across The Creme Brulee Cart mobile truck on 18th Street & Market St. Yeeeeah, we had some room left in our tummy to try them out ^_^
Truck http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Menu http://www.yelp.com/bi...
$4 Vanilla & $4 Mocha Cafe http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Waited about 7-min in a line about 8ppl on a Saturday just round 9:30pm. Chef friendly w/ his Chef Hat & torch ready for next order. Cash & credit card is ok.
BF-J had the Vanilla & I had the Mocha Cafe. Flavors were prominent with ever scoop, silky with every smack, & light enough of a dessert to end the evening. Glad we tried them out http://www.yelp.com/bi... -
Review from Kevin J.
San Francisco, CA
2/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
Creme de la cream of Creme Brulee Carts! Say that 5 times fast or just go check it out for yourself! This cart is simply genius and a nice break from the usual bacon, sandwich, ice cream trucks. The secret menu is always a nice little surprise and seeing how chocolate isn't my favorite and vanilla is too plain for me the Frosted Flakes of the day was superb! I've had better Brulee in my life before, but none as special as these little bites served in tin cups. What a nice little treat after a night of binge drinking in the Castro.
Be sure to check this place out as you will not wan to regret passing this up. -
Review from Mariela D.
San Francisco, CA
"Pour some sugar on me..." And then TORCH it.
This is not your average creme brulee. It's reinvented and deliciously executed in so many creative ways, you'll find yourself making a mental note of which flavors you're going to try next time. (next on my list is the Lavender-infused brulee)
I was wowed by the Cham-Wow. It had a Chambord and dark chocolate base, infused with black raspberry liqueur. It was really rich and and the chocolate was not overpowering. I also sampled the Cafe Mocha, made with Ritual Roasters coffee.
I was mesmerized watching the chef pour and torch the sugar over the little foil cups of creamy goodness.
$4 each, $8 minimum for credit cards. -
Review from Stella C.
Oakland, CA
1/27/2012
I came here a long time ago at an art gallery when he operated a tiny cart. I got to try a few flavors that nighte, Frosted Flakes being my favorite. His tiny cart is no longer. He has since upgraded and it is well deserved.
This man is AMAZING. He's funny, innovative (he has one named Tupac! And it's deeelicious!) And nutella, I die! Please consider green tea? And bring back the frosted flake?) and makes you tasty creme brulee - burning your sugar on the spot!
We have great food in the FiDi, I have to admit. But where in the world can you get a creme brulee in front of your office?! We are so lucky. Thank you for being there in the afternoons to bring us the best afternoon treat.
I know the work day is going to end well when I head out to grab lunch and see the fancy creme brulee cart outside of my office in the FiDi. Please continue coming to the FiDi at Market and Sansome/Sutter. WE LOVE YOU THERE! Your cart brings joy to our afternoons and sugar to our cubicles! -
Review from Michelle W.
Union City, CA
1/7/2012 1 photo
Curtis is da man!
My favorite dessert is creme brulee and this guy really takes it up a notch. I've had specialty flavored creme brulees elsewhere, but it's never really hit the spot. I typically enjoy the tradional vanilla egginess of the custard, but his flavors are always so unique, I have to give them a try. My favorites so far:
- Si, Por Favor! Nutella & strawberry
- Toasted coconut
- French honey vanilla
- Dulce de loco
Each dessert is torched upon ordering, so the crystallized sugary shell is fresh and stays in tact. Some times, I'll ask for a little bit more sugar so it's even crispier. His truck isn't too hard to follow on twitter, but if he's scheduled to appear as a vendor at an event, I suggest heading to his tent first. The creme brulees tend to run out extremely quick! Coming from someone who's stood in line only to be a victim of disappointment, you surely don't want to miss out on one of Curtis' divine creations. I've often broken my "no sweets before meat" rule just to snag a cup. So should you. -
Review from Herm S.
San Francisco, CA
2/8/2012
I LOVE it when I see the Creme Brulee Truck parked in The Castro. Do yourself a favor and treat yourself to any of the flavor - I don't think there's a bad one. I'm partial to anything with Nutella, but I also wouldn't turn down the s'mores. YUM!!!!
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Review from Sofia R.
I stopped by this cart with a friend while we were on our way to a cafe to study.
We ordered lavender and the chocolate peppermint for ourselves. Price came out to be $8.
This creme brulee cart is slowly winning me over. Compared to my last two experiences, I enjoyed these creme brulees significantly more. They weren't burned and they tasted good.
Lavender was not as lavender-y as I would have hoped but maybe that's a good thing. I'm definitely glad it wasn't TOO lavender-y. Delicately sweet.
The chocolate peppermint was good too. Richer in flavor and a little more sweet.
Both were creamy. Both weren't burnt. Both my friend and I were happy.2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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12/11/2011
I was on my way back home from studying and I found this cart across the street from the Castro muni… Read more »
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Review from Amy M.
San Jose, CA
1/25/2012
Absolutely delicious!!! I love creme brulee and not a lot of places serve it anymore so when I saw there was a truck that served different varities I had to stop and get some!!! It was so good I went back for another one. I only wish there was one in San Jose.
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Review from Ken K.
11/2/2011
Ed U is spot on, except I have a much lower tolerance level these days for gimmick$$$$$$$.
Crème Brûlée Cart, I thought would at least offer the signature tried and true traditional Crème Brûlée (crem broo lay). Burnt cream anyone?
So I asked the guy who had his chef hat on, what was the signature or best seller.
He recommended"Yes Please" (which I would have called it "Heeeell No"), which was nutella with strawberries. He sprinkled powdered sugar on top, then took out this humongous blowtorch and applied some serious pyromania tricks to the top of the prefilled mini container, as if if he was about to sear scallops, toro, uni, hamachi, or salmon or salmon and mayo (e.g. for a lion king roll at your favorite Korean sushi restaurant).
The pyrotechnics were certainly impressive. For some reason the chef decided to do another layer...more sprinkle of sugar, and additional application of fiery heat.
When I looked at it, the whole thing looked like a horrid me$$ on top.
Shouldn't a Crème Brûlée just be a good ol' fashion custard with a gentle layer of carmelized sugar layer on top that's thin yet mildly decadent and crispy, but not charred blackened tri tip southern brisket ends?
I was scared to eat the top (I sampled a little) and did not like it.
The entire custard beneath was overwhelmingly nutella flavored, could hardly taste any egg.
Maybe I should have picked Dulce de Loca (with goat milk) or the one with lavender, and not succumb to "what's your signature" and ended up with getting "who's yo daddy" shafted.
Perhaps I had the misconception of hoping to get something super eggy custard, like a carmelized Macau Portugese egg tart filling like consistency with some interesting flavors with gentle brown sugar burned till fragrant and beautiful. That to me will work. Whoop$ I think $omeone will be $tealing my $ecret$ and putting it on wheel$. Betta stop right there.
In the end the only things Brûléed (broo layed) were my wallet, and my ego. -
Review from Ed U.
I've had it in my mind to try the Crème Brûlée Cart, but I just never made any plan to chase it down. Alas, the custard clock has been ticking. After all, it's been well over 2 1/2 years since local taste maker Genevieve Y. Yelped about it, and that's usually my barometer for trying something new. In SF foodie terms, that's an eternity, so why bother at this point? Well, I happen to have met a friend for lunch near the Citicorp building in the FiDi, and lo and behold, there it was just waiting for me to try it at last.
Now he doesn't actually make the custard part there. It looks like he already has that in his fridge, and there were five flavors from which to choose, most of them with too-cute names (see photo). Succumbing to the marketing, I ordered the "Yes Please", which I assume is the line taken from the orphanage scene in "Oliver Twist". It was a custard filled with nutella and strawberries (see photo), though honestly I couldn't tell.
The server covers a small custard tin with a tidal wave of brown sugar, lights us his torch, and burns it until you can crack the top. It was fine in a generic sort of way but gone far too soon for a $4 price tag. Perhaps my expectations grew too much for that cart to deliver reasonably, or maybe I just think of crème brûlée as a capper to a fine meal, not a culinary destination in itself. Ah well, my curiosity has been addressed, and I can move on now...
DESSERT - 3 stars...awfully big build-up followed by a mighty small tin
AMBIANCE - 3 stars...fine as far as carts go
SERVICE - 3.5 stars...handles that torch like a pro
TOTAL - 3 stars...I came, he torched, I devoured...the end -
Review from Matthew B.
Chico, CA
1/14/2012
I love crème brûlèe, and when I was introduced to this place I knew I was in heaven. I tried both the classic vanilla, but also the smores. Both were wonderful. If you can find this truck, then you must go there.
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Review from Saunders C.
San Francisco, CA
11/15/2011
After two years of pursuit, could anything really measure up to the expectations? The Creme Brulee Cart has been on my radar since its early days, and yet I could never successfully track it down. Twice, I had walked out the front door convinced that that would be the day I would finally get the creme brulee experience, only to end up empty-handed. As I passed the Chevron station at Castro/Market the other night, I spotted the truck, it had the marking of the Creme Brulee Cart, and I knew my two-year wait had finally come to an end.
The creme brulee they serve up is not big, but it doesn't really need to be. The vanilla creme is so rich that a few bites will really suffice.
What I got:
1) Banana hammock: Banana creme and nutella. Seriously, if there could be a perfect combination, this would be it. Shockingly, I did not like this one at all. The banana flavoring tasted very artificial. Like a banana now-and-later. Remember those? And the Nutella was a watery mess at the bottom. Soooooooooo sad.
2) Vanilla creme: Possibly my favorite of the three I tried. Very creamy, excellent vanilla taste, perfectly caramelized on top. Maybe simple is best.
3) S'mores: This one was good, but not outstanding. The chocolate custard was not very smooth, and it's covered with a mound of mini marshmallows that they torch, which kind of eliminates the caramelized layer of the creme brulee. I watched as he lit the marshmallows on fire. Although I know some people like the burnt marshmallow taste, I'm not partial to carcinogens on my dessert. I would have preferred lightly toasted marshmallows. The golden grahams were a nice touch, though.
$4 for normal options, $5 for S'mores. Guy working the torch was friendly and seemed like he took pride in what he was doing. Well, at least now I can finally say I've tried it. -
Review from Nadeem A.
Union City, CA
10/27/2011
You'd think that living in SF would mean every food adventure would be be glorious and all hyped foods would live up to their expectations.
Nope.
I think the Crème Brûlée Cart is hyped because it's one of the old school food that moves businesses. Or maybe it's because the dude writes the daily flavors on a chalkboard with colored chalk. I don't know, I don't claim to by an expert on over-hyped phenomena.
Whatever the reason it's hyped, the reasons that it's bad are clear. All of the crème brûlée flavors tasted like, and had the consistency of, Jell-o pudding. The vanilla bean didn't have a strong vanilla flavor, the nutella-strawberry was just plain strange, and dulce de leche was only decent.
Mobile food isn't new or exciting anymore, so mobile food needs to actually be good food. And the Crème Brûlée Cart was not. -
Review from Bailey Z.
This dessert truck is actually an ingenious idea. The custard base is made the previous day and only needs to chill and set before it can be torched on the spot. I was more impressed by the flavors. The cafe mocha crème brûlée, which is made from Ritual coffee, is a must try. The lavender crème brûlée was also spot on, but it reminded me too much of eating soap or candles. For $4, it's a relatively cheaper dessert alternative than eating one at a fancy restaurant. Bravo, crème brûlée man.
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Review from Earl G.
10/19/2011 2 photos
To me the Creme Brulee cart lost some of it's mystique over the years.
Before food trucks hit the mainstream, this little black cart which recently turned truck was the unicorn of the mobile food movement. Wheeling randomly around the Mission you'd have to follow it on Twitter to get the taste and the show of the Creme Brulee dude torching brulee's to order. (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
Fast forward to today OTG:Golden Gate Fields. The cart is a truck and even though the brulee's may get torched to order, the experience isn't the same. The brulee may be the same, the signature vanilla bean for $5 has that hard sugar crust with that smooth great tasting honey vanilla filling but it's just not the same. (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
There's no fun in what you can readily get. (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)Listed in: Best of the Mobile Street Food…
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Review from Rachel T.
11/13/2011
This creme brulee cart was at the corner of castro and market when I found it. I got the banana hammock, banana creme brulee with nutella, and it was yummy! However, I was a little disappointed how small it was for $4.
Also, make sure you bring cash, since it's cash only! -
Review from Camille B.
San Francisco, CA
1/13/2012
SI POR FAVOR (Yes please). This is the name they gave their strawberry nutella creme brulee, my favorite flavor. I've had The Creme Brulee Cart the two times I went to Off the Grid @ Fort Mason. The first time, it was almost impossible to get because the line was so long. My recommendation is that if you're with a group of friends and the line is insane, order one of each once you finally get to the chance to order, you won't regret it. Otherwise, you'll run the risk of having to stand in that loong line again, and they might run out of the flavor you want by the time you get back to the front of the line. The cups may look small but they're satisfying. The flavors I've tried so far are the Si Por Favor, vanilla bean, chocolate, and mocha, all of which are tasty but not too sweet, and they're torched to perfection. Gourmet dessert in the palm of your hand. mmm
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Review from Tom L.
10/26/2011 2 photos
Creme brûlée could not be more delicious. When I heard that there is a truck that is driving around the bay area serving joyous cups of heaven I made it my mission to track it down and try them out.
I tried two of their flavors, honey vanilla bean and strawberry nutella. Strawberry nutella sounded too good to be true, and sadly it was. The cup didn't have the rich, smooth consistency you expect when you order creme brûlée. Instead, it was closer to gelatin with fresh strawberries mixed in. The honey vanilla bean was much closer to traditional creme brûlée, but I still wasn't impressed with it.
A very generous four stars because I love the concept and the people who run the truck are incredibly friendly. -
Review from Jenny T.
Davis, CA
11/29/2011
The Vanilla Bean flavor is so yummy.
I got to try out their creme brulee at Off the Grid Fort Mason. There was barely anyone in line and there were plenty of workers.
The reason why I'm giving them 3 stars is because the worker I encountered didn't say a word to me the whole time I placed my order and paid. The only times I heard her say something was when she told the worker behind her to get the Vanilla Bean creme brulee ready and when she greeted the next customer after me. I would've liked to hear a "hello" and a "that would be $4, please." Why she never said anything to me, I'll never know. But I still would come back to get some creme brulee here because I was pretty satisfied with the taste.Listed in: Food Trucks
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Review from Sean B.
10/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
There's nothing in this business name that I don't like. S'mores Creme Brulee is a huge win. If I were in the Castro, I'd tear one of those up right now.
Four stars not five, only because it was a bit small. -
Review from Beatrice W.
San Francisco, CA
12/24/2011
I accompanied an out-of-towner here who had been wanting to visit the Creme Brulee cart since it was featured on Andrew Zimmern's 'Appetite for Life' about a year ago. We found the cart downtown at Market and Sansome on a Wednesday afternoon and ordered a vanilla bean creme brulee for $4. The guy was quite friendly, probably glad to have some mid-afternoon business. Now I'm not a big fan of creamy foods, but the creme brulee guy certainly has a good recipe -- not too egg-y, not too liquid-y, and perfectly caramelized sugar. My only complaint: I couldn't taste the vanilla bean! I wonder if the other flavors (mocha, caramel apple, lavender) would've been more flavorful...
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Review from Bree P.
San Francisco, CA
10/16/2011
Ehhh, small and kind of a strange, lumpy texture (that's what she said?).
The torched topping was really the best part.
I don't think I'd drop another $4 on one of those minis.
2 stars for OKAY taste and convenience, I guess. -
Review from Fancypants X.
San Francisco, CA
9/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
I know, I know...I'm so behind on my food cart/truck reviews. They've sat untouched for months, dying for the 'Finish My Review' button to be clicked so they can leave review purgatory.
Since I refuse to follow anything via Twitter, I have to wait til these trucks are basically sitting ducks. I've had The Creme Brulee Cart first at the Eat Real Festival two years ago & since then twice at OTG Fort Mason.
I've tried:
- vanilla bean
- lavender
- nutella strawberry
All $4 each, all served in a tiny aluminum container & all 'torched to order.' The specks of vanilla bean let you know exactly what you're eating. Lavender was my favorite--just barely floral & still sweet. I thought nutella strawberry was a delicious combination & I'm not even a nutella fan. Creamy with tops that are pretty evenly browned but the consistency is less firm than I'd like. I won't be checking Twitter anytime soon but if I spot this truck out & about, I'm buyin' me some!Listed in: mobile food
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Review from Kevin L.
11/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
Had a few minutes to wait on a friend, so popped by for some creme brulee. Dulce de loco was a tasty caramel custard made with goat milk, so slight slight tang on the back end. It had just started to rain, but eating the sugar crackle was pretty satisfying! For a food truck, not so shabby for $4.
Will try the other flavors soon! -
Review from Clarice W.
Lawrence, KS
12/23/2011
I finally had the chance to catch the creme brulee man on one of my trips to the city and he definitely didn't disappoint. The vanilla bean was perfect in consistency: smooth and creamy while still holding its shape when you scoop into it. The caramelized sugar shell was perfectly crisp and not too burnt. My one complaint is that the flavor was pretty bland, I definitely could have used some more vanilla bean. Still, at $4 per brulee this is still probably cheaper than what you'd get at a restaurant, and texture-wise, probably better as well - just be sure to check twitter if you want to catch him!
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Review from Sara A.
San Francisco, CA
9/21/2011 2 photos
Finally tried this at the recent SF Street Food Festival. We had a Vanilla Bean http://www.yelp.com/bi... one and a Nutella Strawberry http://www.yelp.com/bi... one. Loved the Nutella Strawberry flavor much more as there were lots of cut up strawberry swimming in the rich Nutella creme.
I would have loved the Vanilla Bean one just as much but the shell was burned and tasted bitter. We actually ended up flicking off the burned part of that shell before we could enjoy it.
Next time you make me a perfect shell on my Vanilla Bean creme brulee I'll give you your 5th star!Listed in: Desserts Enjoyed in the Bay…
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Review from Angela Y.
10/7/2011
Delicious creme brulee on the go!
The Creme Brulee Cart is at Off the Grid (and also came to Genentech for an event). I got to sample three of their flavours - honey vanilla, expresso and their strawberry nutella flavour.
Their creme brulee is very creamy and heavy. The honey vanilla wasn't exactly my favorite but was definitely a fan of the expresso mocha and the strawberry nutella. They even had small bits of strawberry in it! So good!
A little pricey but it's definitely a treat you don't want to miss.Listed in: Cavities? What are those?
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Review from Denise M.
10/2/2011
Gooooood stuff. A little awkward when ordering though. The menu called the Strawberry and Nutella flavored brulee the "Si Por Favor", so that's how I ordered it. The guy kept saying "yes, please". Totally confused the heck out of me at first, until I realized he was translating it. Whatever... You guys name the products, maybe you should just call it the "Yes please".
Anyway, my focus was the Toasted Coconut and hubby wanted the Strawberry/Nutella. After we each tried the other's pick, we swapped. HAHA!
I didn't taste much of the coconut in the brulee, but the texture was wonderfully smooth, with the hard crust of caramalized sugar on top, sprinkled with toasted coconut shavings.
The Nutella was delicious and I loved the little chunks of sweet strawberry in it. -
Review from Helen H.
10/24/2011 1 photo
Off the Grid- Fort Mason Center
Ever since I've discovered the existence of The Crème Brulee Cart, it became one of my top places to try. I'm happy to have finally reached my goal.
Standing in line, I contemplated on ordering two. It was a difficult decision but I decided on the Honey Vanilla Bean. It was soooo creamy. I made sure I scraped my spoon against the sides to make sure I got all of it.
I most definitely need to try the other flavors next time! -
Review from Vinh N.
San Leandro, CA
9/30/2011
Like Amelie, I have a pronounced taste for all of life's small pleasures, such as cracking the crust of a crème brulée with the back of a spoon.
I finally got to check the Crème Brulée Cart off my to-eat-list! After quickly checking on Twitter where the cart was, we were off! The flavors of the day were:
-Honey Vanilla
-The Yes Please (Nutella and Strawberries)
-Toasted Coconut
-Dark Chocolate Grand Marnier
-Chocolate Guinness
I always have to get the classic as a comparison, so I chose the Honey Vanilla while my friend got the Yes Please. The man asked us how much sugar we wanted which I liked, but he could knock himself out as long as I get a nice crack! We got ours to go, and I loved that he drew smiley faces on the cover lids :)
The Honey Vanilla was good, albeit very subtle. The Yes Please was delicious and Nutella-y! I'll totally have to order my own instead of stealing someone else's next time.
Aaah, the little pleasures... -
Review from Smiley H.
Millbrae, CA
11/6/2011
came here for Off the Grid in San Mateo. I've read about this place from Yelp and i was super excited to see it here.
I got the Yes Please-strawberry and nutella and the lavender infused creme brulee.
I really liked the Yes Please, you can really taste the real strawberries and the crust was just delish!
They only take cash so be prepared.
I would def eat here again for desert. -
Review from Nihal O.
San Francisco, CA
9/26/2011
Agreed with those below, all of their flavors are amazing - but the Nutella-Strawberry? As I placed the first spoonful in my mouth, I heard the song, "Ooh baby, do you know what that's worth? Ooh heaven is a place on earth.."
I honestly didn't even like crème brûlée before I tried theirs. Usually they are too custard-y, but theirs are creamy and don't feel too rich. The vanilla bean is great too, and I like how they're always playing with flavor combos.
And thank goodness they are perfectly sized portions, to spare people like me from stuffing my face! -
Review from Stacey L.
San Francisco, CA
9/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
I finally had time to try the Creme Brulee Cart...or rather the TRUCK at OTG Civic Center. I only had time to try the Yes Please, but I'll be back to try each of the other flavors which include:
$4
-Honey Vanilla Bean
-Lavender
-Dulce De Loco
-The Yes Please (nutella & strawberries)
-Cafe Mocha
$5
-S'MoresListed in: Foodie Trucks
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Review from Mike L.
8/14/2011
Man, after seeing all these four and five star reviews, I feel like I must be the problem when it comes to not getting too excited about The Ccrème Brûlée Cart. Sad too because I love crème brûlée! I guess I'm just a boring crème brûlée traditionalist...
When I originally tried them at OTG last year, there was a few of us there, so we were able to try each of the flavors that was listed for the night - Original, Lavender, and Mexican Chocolate. Now, maybe it's because I was pretty full by the time we got to them, but I didn't think it was anything special. Although it was just okay, the lavor wasn't really the issue, as the taste was there. Rather, I thought the topping was the problem - instead of a hard crust, each had a soft, soggy topping. Pretty sad that we could break through it with just a plastic/biodegradable spoon. Without that hard topping, it felt more like a crème brûlée flavored custard cup than the real deal.
When I came back again Friday at OTG, I hoped that things would be better the second time around. Sadly, I was still disappointed. While the crust was much better this time around, I really didn't care for the flavor. My friend ended up ordering the Dulce de Loco, and while it sounded good in my head, I couldn't get past the goat milk (yes, goat milk). Again, maybe I'm just a traditionalist, but I really wasn't a fan of the caramel/goat milk combination. For me, I thought they contrasted too much. I liked the general thought though - Dulce de Leche flavor would have been awesome.
As much as others like The Crème Brûlée Cart, I'm sorry to say that I don't get the hype. I thought it might be something amazing given how much people rave about it, but it fell short. Yes, it's pretty cool that they cook (torch?) it up fresh from their stand/cart, but I'd rather stick to what I find at restaurants.Listed in: Dude, What The TRUCK?
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Review from Natasha R.
San Francisco, CA
8/22/2011
If there was ever a testament to the Food Truck movement- this would be a shining example. Gone are the days of one lonely taco truck, and you can now find almost any cuisine or dessert on wheels roving around the city.
Out of seven or so flavors to chose from, four bucks will buy you a small cup freshly torched to order. It may be good, but it does fall short of stalker worthiness. -
Review from Stephanie B.
South San Francisco, CA
8/20/2011
I've always LOVED creme brulee. It's fun to say, and delicious to eat. I've heard of the creme brulee cart before, and now that I'm an employed college graduate as opposed to a broke college student, I can finally go on foodie adventures - ones that I've planned since forever. Creme brulee cart was one of those things on my lists - and we finally met! Okay, I'll stop rambling now......
At the SF Food Festival, my friends and I decided to get dessert and luckily, we all agreed to creme brulee! YAY THIS IS THE MOMENT! Although the portion was kind of small for $4, at the same time, I felt that it was the perfect amount.
I got the NUTELLA STRAWBERRY - good gracious was this sweet! At first bite, the mix of nutella and strawberry was like a match made in heaven. The nutella, though usually sticky and often hard to spread on a piece of bread, was smooth and pudding-like (but then again, it's creme brulee). It melted quickly into my mouth and felt really light. And the strawberry seemed to be blow-torched with sugar. My favorite part of the creme brulee was the sugar crunch, which enhanced the taste of the strawberry chunks. Safe to say I was satisfied...in fact, I'm craving it right now!
My friends got the HONEY VANILLA BEAN - it was not as sweet as the nutella strawberry. But I think it depends on your sweet preference. If you're looking for something with subtle taste, this should be your brulee. I only had one bite, but I would get it again because I'm a vanilla fan.
I'd love to find the cart again to try new flavors. But again, that's because I really love creme brulee.Listed in: bay area, eat here!
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Review from Kymberli C.
Concord, CA
I've had the Creme Crulee Cart back in the day when it was just a tiny cart and him working by himself but I guess he's moving up and doing big thangs now because I've seen his cart has upgraded and he has employees! and now at Off the Grid he has a big tent with lots of employees, but I still see him working in the back.
The flavors I've tried in the past were frosted flakes, coffee, and the lavender. They were all really good. This last time, we tried the caffee mocha and the honey vanilla bean... still all really good! I was hoping to try the mexican chocolate and some of his other flavors but I guess beggers cant be choosers. Still delicious, and definitely worth the $4 to me! The line is always long but moves super fast.
He is also has a great sense of humor and a great person to follow on Twitter! -
Review from John K.
Stockton, CA
12/16/2011
Creme brulee on a "taco truck" next to a Chevron station in the Castro District. If you need more explanation, you probably shouldn't be eating creme brulee :)
Read more reviews for this business:
French (1),
Spanish (1)
