Today, The San Marcos Food blog is overjoyed to be reviewing The Pedestrian Cafe Food Cart.

This Food Cart combines a robust, luscious menu with an incredibly original spin on some great classics as well as a huge selection of novel drinks. I sampled many dishes and I found them all to have such an innovative touch and perfect execution. This menu is also quite redeeming for the dishes themselves. I have found too many restaurants with similar items, but with little care or thought put into them. I thoroughly enjoyed everything I had at the Pedestrian Cafe. Further, this Food Cart also has some of the freshest and best ingredients that I have ever had outside of my own kitchen. There is certainly nothing pedestrian about this food.

I really appreciate any time a simple dish is taken to new dimensions of flavor with some real thought and exemplary execution. I look for this in restaurants constantly. It is indeed a very rare quality in this world of Chain-Restaurant domination.

During my visits to Mimi’s, I have always been drawn to this cart because of its menu. It honestly has something for everyone. And since on any given day I will want something different or new, the Pedestrian Cafe really shines in this area. The chef/owner is also a really nice, down-to-earth guy and will answer any questions you could have.

They are located at The Tanger Outlet Mall at 4015 N Interstate 35 Frontage Rd . The Pedestrian Cafe’s operating hours are quite a treat and put this Food Cart in an arena of its own. They open for lunch around 11:00 am and are open most of the day but close around 3:00 am on Friday and Saturday. This is very convenient for anyone at almost anytime. Additionally, now one’s weekend late night options are not limited to gross fast-food, I thank them especially for this.

As previously stated, The Pedestrian Cafe features a very large, appealing menu. There are Soups, some fantastic Panini Sandwiches of several different types(including a vegetarian option), homemade tea/fruit shakes, a wide assortment of Italian Sodas, as well as daily specials on the regular. They also serve several types of coffee.

Another thing to appreciate is that this food trends very healthy. Everything on the menu is a much healthier choice than you can find at most dining establishments. For example, The green tea shakes are extremely complex and delicious with just the right proportion of juice and tea with no sugar or other unnecessary ingredients added. Additionally, the sides include pita or veggie chips which are very tasty and much healthier than fries or potato chips. One thing I will note is that if you go here, ORDER THE HUMMUS, it is made fresh and I thought it was great and a perfect compliment to anything you order. As I told the chef, I would come to the Pedestrian Cafe just for the Pita Chips and Hummus.

On to the Food and Drink reviews and highlights..

I tried several of the fruit/green tea shakes and each one stood on its own and apart from the others with intense, vibrant flavor and originality. Both the fruit and the green tea flavors each shine in these. The shakes are served in the medium of crushed ice like a slushy. This is really the perfect compliment to the flavor and also the perfect companion on a hot Texas afternoon. Honestly, if more people knew about these, the gas station “slurpies” would be a thing of the past in downtown San Marcos.

The first one I sampled was the Green Apple/Green Tea shake.

This drink stood out to me the most at first cause I love green apple. I was interested to see how it would be blended with the green tea. Seriously, it is perfect in its union with the green tea. The sweetness and tang of the green apple juice blends so perfectly with the herbal, slightly-bitter essence of the green tea. The bright-green color is also very eye-catching. I drank it faster than I would have chosen but I could not help myself. It is herbal and fruity in perfect union. The green apple flavor is accented so well.. this is a must-try.

The next one I tried was the Peach/Green Tea shake.

This one gave me such a new appreciation for the flavor of peaches. I have never tasted the Peach essence in such a way before. The chef really highlights the sweet and savory peach flavor outstandingly with just the right amount of herbal punch.

The last one I tried (so far) was the APB or Acai-Pomegranate-Blueberry/Green Tea shake.

This one was definitely the most interesting and nuanced in its flavor. It is also quite visually appealing. Since all of these fruits are such strong flavors, it might be difficult to combine them and highlight each one with the addition of the green tea. I thought it was done beautifully. This is a great choice for anyone with an out-of-the-ordinary palette as well as anyone wanting an especially-healthy drink.

Next, I will go over the food I sampled..

My first try was on recommendation from the chef and I have to say he was definitely spot-on. The “Spring Turkey” sandwich special was incredibly well-made.

I do not eat a lot of meat but I would eat this any time. The turkey was cooked so well and retained so much flavor. The Ciabatta bread was obviously fresh and well-made.  The Brie and Apples add such a perfect piquant layer to the flavor structure. Also, The Mango-Habanero sauce interested my palette so much so that I ate much slower than usual. It is sweet, hot, and a bit tart but in such a way that it is difficult to wrap one’s head around upon first bite.  I have never tasted anything remotely like it. I really love to be shown new flavor combinations, so much thanks to the chef at The Pedestrian Cafe for that. This sandwich is a must-try.

Next, I tried the “Ceprese” vegetarian sandwich special.

I count Ceprese salads among my favorites and I really thought it was great idea to offer as a vegetarian option a new spin on this great italian salad in the form of a delicious hot sandwich. The execution was spot-on and I loved it right away. The layers of tomatoes and basil create a needed sweet, slightly-bitter layer of flavor while the cheese adds the perfect amount of salt   The pesto is so well-made and so flavorful. The basil and oilve oil mixture helps to make a textural balance with the hot, crispy bread. The red peppers add the perfect bite to the flavor profile with a snap of spicy every couple bites. I really was impressed with this one. Many vegetarian options are just put on menus as an afterthought and never really satisfies. This one definitely breaks from that trend.

Next, I tried the “Chicken Asiago” sandwich special.

This sandwich is a real stand-out. I would be hard-pressed to find anyone who would not love this one, a real crowd-pleaser. This sandwich features chicken in the form of a wonderfully-made, complex spinach-asiago bratwurst. I am still blown away by how good this bratwurst actually was. It is bursting with flavor, indeed. My father and brother both agreed that it was great. Along with the delicious pesto and spinach leaves, this sandwich is completely stacked with flavor.

Finally, I sampled the classic “Chicken Salad Sandwich” sandwich special.

What can I say? This is made exactly how it should be. everything made from scratch with fresh bread. The pecans and cranberries are in perfect, sweet proportion. The chicken is cooked wonderfully, retaining moisture and flavor. The mayo is light, nuanced and obviously made with care. The real outstanding element of this dish was the delectable croissant bread. You do not get croissant like this most anywhere around here. It is flaky and more reminiscent of a trip to Europe than to downtown San Marcos. Every ingredient blends so well to make this sandwich go beyond the norm. This classic is made incredibly well. If you love chicken salad sandwiches and are settling for less than this, I suggest you get down to Pedestrian Cafe.

Also worth mentioning is that both the veggie chips and pita chips are tasty,  worthy sides to the delicious food from the Pedestrian Cafe.

I really could say so much more good things about this Food Cart. So, if you are in the Downtown San Marcos area, I joyously recommend that you try this food cart. You will seriously love it.