SAN ANTONIO — For those who crave authentic eats from Chicago, one San Antonio food truck is bringing it to you. It's called MaryMoneé and we visited them for Neighborhood Eats: Food Truck Edition.
You'll normally find them parked at 12995 Potranco Road on the far west side.
"One of the things that I think [makes] our food so special is because of the quality," said owner Henry Petty. "I love taking my time cooking my food, I love prepping it. I love seeing the expression from people when they eat it. I'm a stickler for fresh food – fresh fries, fresh chicken.:
And the quality of their Chicago-style hot dog is unmatched.
"I think the uniqueness of a Chicago dog than just a regular dog starts with the meat," said Petty. "The Vienna meat is a great cut of meat that they use for their sausages and their hot dogs. We have it shipped in directly from Chicago. We want to make sure our customers get the best. We don't want to just give you any type of hot dog."
He told us that us South Texas folks typically want things on the spicier end. But he said, just trust him.
"I kind of talk them into it. 'Hey, just try Chicago and see how it goes,'" said Petty. "But the response has been great. I mean, we have repeat customers. People are leaving saying, 'Hey, wow, that was a great experience!' So I'm just glad to see people smile once they eat our hot dogs."
You'll probably crack a smile after trying their Italian beef sandwich too.
"We make it with a special cut beef, Giardiniera peppers that we put on top. And some people like the sweet peppers, some people like it with the onions. You can get whatever type of cheese you want to put on it," said Petty.
He also said they have some of the best fries around that are always fresh cut from the potato.
But the fried chicken has a kick.
"I give the credit to my wife for the blend. She came up with her own blend -- a mild sauce that we use on our chicken. But that's a special recipe. I can't give you that...because, you know, I'll go out of business," said Petty.
With their hard work, that won't happen. And he dedicates this business to her.
"I don't think wives get enough credit for how they push their spouses. My partner, John, we were sitting around, we came up with all type of names and we said, 'What better name than the names of our wives?' We named the company MaryMoneé from Chicago."
And they're serving in a town full of foodies.
"From the sun up to the sun down, people eat here, you know? And it was very different. It wasn't like that up in Chicago. So, when I got here, I was like, whoa, people love food, I love cooking," said Petty. "It was a perfect match."
For more information about MaryMoneé, like their hours, click here.
Do you have a restaurant or food truck you want Lexi to visit? Send an email to eats@kens5.com with all the details. You can also contact her through social media:
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