Roxy’s Grilled Cheese

This past spring, one of my roommates bounded into my room (during a nap, I might add) to excitedly tell me about a food truck located in Cleveland Circle that exclusively served “gourmet” grilled cheese sandwiches. It was called Roxy’s Grilled Cheese. Obviously, she had picked the right audience… I’m a total sucker for comfort food, especially grilled cheese. I was shocked that as a local, I was completely unaware of this tasty commodity. Later that day all 6 of my other roommates piled into my tiny car to search for said food truck.

After spending upwards of an hour driving around Cleveland Circle, we were starving and defeated. Where was Roxy’s? A quick Google search had the answer: (in hindsight, we probably should have referenced that beforehand…) Roxy’s Grilled Cheese Truck was driving across the country participating in a food truck contest that would be appearing as a reality show on the Food Network! Who knew?

somebody’s hungry for a grilled cheese…

Roxy’s won third place overall out of seven food trucks, and earned the respect of many because of their good sportsmanship throughout the competition. Since The Great Food Truck Race aired on the Food Network, food trucks have been popping up all over Boston, much to the excitement of food enthusiasts such as myself. Roxy’s was ingenious in its marketing scheme. What’s the one thing you need to do to get business? Advertise! What’s the best way to advertise? Get on TV!

Having lived in the Greater Boston Area my entire life, I had only seen food trucks on the west coast in areas like Southern California and Hawaii, and they had only served “portable” foods like hotdogs or fish tacos. Grilled cheese was the last thing I would expect to be served from a truck, but Roxy’s definitely proved that it’s possible.

After the show stopped filming, Roxy’s began appearing in various locations all over Boston; not just in Cleveland Circle. Obviously, I was quite excited when I spotted them around BU’s West Campus.

Not only did Roxy’s make good use of advertising through television, they are also pro’s at social media. They have a company twitter,

Gabe waiting for Roxy’s to open

@RoxysGrilledChz, where they post their locations, which makes them quite easy to stalk… erm, follow around Boston if you’re in the mood for a grilled cheese (which is all the time, don’t lie).

One day last week, my pal Gabe Herrera and I decided it was finally time to see what all the fus was about- it had be long enough! We checked their schedule and planned to find them at BU West the next afternoon. Of course, we arrived 30 minutes early and were first in line… in a thunderstorm. Roxy’s may have only been 10 minutes late, but that didn’t stop Gabe from tweeting at them.

Despite the harsh weather, there were many other hardcore Roxy’s fans right there with us in the rain. One girl told me, “I’ve had Roxy’s every day for the past week. I’ve literally followed them all round Boston.” I guess that’s something to be proud of… right?

As the line continued growing down the sidewalk, I wondered how such a tiny franchise could build itself, from the ground up, into such a trendy establishment. Was it the media attention that followed their appearance on the Food Network? Was it their strong grasp on social media that makes them so accessible? Was it actually… the food?

It was then that I received my first ever Roxy’s Grilled Cheese, and determined that it is, in fact, a perfect combination of the three. My food was out-of-this-world good, and I’m a tough critic. I couldn’t believe a sandwich of that caliber could be produced in a truck. Needless to say, I went back the next day.