TLT Food

Amazing food, great price.
Pork belly nachos hands down the best.
Huge servings.

I used to LOVE the (seared ahi) fish taco here and usually lost a battle deciding whether or not the $ 5 was worth a single taco…
But recently that changed.
The fish tacos didn’t hit the way they used to and while the flavored fries satisfied in a «I’m drunk, need food» kind of way, they didn’t wow.
TLT offers interesting combos at not-​quite-​worth-​it prices.
Would not go back.

Did this place close? Um… I am so sad. I ate there so often and can’t believe they’re gone. How do deicious places like this close and some not so great places stay in business? Hope the rumors of the new location come into fruition.

UPDATE: Location has closed. New DTLA location yet to be disclosed and scheduled.
For those of you wondering, TLT Food is the brick & mortar iteration of The Lime Truck. Lime Truck first hit my radar with the foie gras once upon a time. I found myself here because this is comfort food and I was in need of some heavy comfort. Thankfully TLT fit the bill. TLT opened up their LA East shop right beside Silo Vodka Bar. Seating is super limited, but all patrons are welcome to take their food into Silo.
-=-Blue Crab Grilled Cheese-​=- Seriously this is the only thing you should be getting here. It’s huge, it’s comforting, and it’s tasty. Lovers of Tuna Melts, meet your next fascination. The sourdough used for this is perfectly parmesan crisped, and the amount of blue crab they stuff in here is not for the skimpy eater.
-=-Carnitas Fries-​=- Surprisingly, the grilled cheese above was way more filling and satisfying than the carnitas fries. They do good work here for the fries movement, but this dish just fits the plain mold of «fries for filler.»
-=-Brussels Sprouts-​=- Bombdiggity. One of my other favorites here. This is my other must-​get, but I seldom have room after having the grilled cheese. For 2 people, it would be perfect to split this. It’s not as roasted as other places, but you get a satisfying crunch nonetheless.

Awesome place! It’s a super small location with limited seating, but the food and service more than make up for it, IMO. It’s also nice that they have some veggie options: the potato taco ($ 3) is delicious, but the ½ corn on the cob ($ 2) is the standout for me; the things I’d do for that chipotle-​honey aioli…
Rumor is that this TLT location is on its way out. No fret though, one of its workers confirmed that another DTLA location is expected to open in the next few months.

I really enjoyed the food here and it seemed like my friends did so as well.
Location/​Parking
Super small, there’s a really good chance you’ll miss it the first time around the block. The insides super small with about a handful of seats. I personally, wouldn’t recommend eating there unless it’s convenient for you. Parking is also just as tough. We were able to find meter parking but trust me it won’t always be that easy.
Food/​Price
I really like the food, it was cooked well and had really good flavor. I got the Squealer Sliders which was about $ 13 for three. It came with hand-​ground bacon & beef patty, cheese, ciantro chimichurri, arugula, red onion, bread & butter pickles, tomato and an aioli. The meat was tender and juicy and practically melted in my mouth. I thought the meat went well with the buttery buns. I enjoyed the additional toppings because I thought they cut the saltiness of the pork and beef. I also had a few bites of my friends World Famous Carnitas Fries. Those were just as tasty; both tender and crispy which is how it should be done.
Overall
A little pricey, kind of inconvenient but probably worth the trip. :)

I’m updating my review after trying several other dishes over several visits. I came to the conclusion that the popular dishes are just that, popular. I won’t list them, the cashiers are more than happy to point them out to new patrons.
To me, those dishes weren’t that interesting, but there’s a whole bunch of pretty damn good stuff, including the pork belly Chimmi, the potato taco, and the Brussels sprouts too. I’m still working my way through the menu. Stay tuned.
PS: They offered me credit to come and taste more dishes after my first 3 star review… very kind offer, but I didn’t take them up on it. I knew that eventually I’d figure out what I like! Nice touch though!

The food is great… if you get it.
I ordered delivery from the downtown location, said it would be about 45 minutes. Showed up in about 75 minutes. They forgot the Nachos. I called, the girl that answered was really nice and apologized. Said they would get the Nachos out right away. They showed up over an hour later.
I’ve gone to the place to eat and the food is really good, but this was the first time I did delivery and was really, really disappointed. Dine in and don’t do delivery.

I had the grilled crab sand which and it was ok.
But before that I had the Chimmi Noodles which totally rocked my world. It’s served with Udon Noodles, Chimichurri, their sambal sauce which is a siracha sauce, peanuts, arugula, & pickled onion. Itwassooooamazing

The pork belly nachos and sliders were to die for. The service is good and the food is delicious. I will definitely be returning!
Also… I have finally met my match when it comes to salsa… They had me sweatin

I’ve been here multiple times, given ten multiple chances and it’s official, I am not a fan. I hate to say it because it’s always good to see a food truck trade-​in its wheels, but every time I come here I’m disappointed.
And it’s not for a lack of variety. I’ve tried the nachos, the tacos, the quesadillas, and the Brussel sprouts. all foods I usually enjoy, tremendously. But here, not enjoyable. And the reason is the sauces and the heaviness of the meals. They drench everything in sauce and after you eat it you just don’t feel good. If I wanted that, I could go to Taco Bell.

TLT Food is pretty damn delicious. They offer your typical bar food/​appetizer/​snacks, but with a fusion to it. It’s located next to Silo which a bar and they also serve the food that TLT makes.
I came here on a Friday night and tried a couple of things and both were delicious.
== Food ==
Blue crab grilled cheese: Grilled sourdough, blue crab meat, cheese blend and scallions. This sandwich is very thick and filled with blue crab and cheese. It’s pretty delicious, but it’s also very heavy. You should try and share this with a group of people. Maybe 3 – 4 since it gets pretty dense and rich after a while.
World famous carnitas fries: 12 hour pulled pork, cotija cheese, guacamole, crema, and chipotle-​honey cabbage. This dish is like your typical carnitas fries, but with a nice modern flare to it. The guac and cabbage add a really nice flavor aspect to the dish. Everything on this plate was delicious and they give you a decent sized portion.
Overall, TLT Food was delicious. I would highly recommend trying this place out! After trying out these two dishes, I really want to try many of the other items on the menu!

Great prices and some good food that hits the spot. Smack dab in DTLA– parking situation can be messy, as expected. Le boyfriend and I were like sheep going to new pastures AKA lost. I was confused because I didn’t see the happy hour menu there. So, take my advice and go to Silo Vodka Bar next door if you want to partake in the happy hour menu and not look like lost sheep. TLT services the food to the bar through the window, so you can enjoy your drink while you wait :)
Place was pretty dead on a Saturday afternoon probably because it was newly opened. We were the only other patrons but the place had potential for good vibes, especially at night. Second floor only opens after 9pm/​10pm.
Tried the carnitas fries, tuna taco, and a carnitas taco (idk why we didn’t order something different). The fries was definitely THE highlight, whereas the tacos aren’t worth much mentioning :|. Fries came in a surprisingly large bowl with heaping mounds of carnitas, guacamole, and cotija for about $ 7. Digging in, they were über crispy and just the right thickness. The fries that sat right underneath the carnitas obtained the perfect softness (not sogginess). They’re probably fried in duck fat or something, ‘cos that was no ordinary fry. Will be back to try the steak fries: S

Another good place to get good food at a good price.
I ordered a Pork Belly Adobo Taco, a Mr. Potato Taco and Roasted Corn.
I love roasted corn so I was looking forward to tasting it. It is a half cob covered in chipotle-​honey aioli and cotija cheese. The aioli has very good chipotle flavor.
The pork belly taco is topped with tomatillo salsa, sriracha, and cilantro. There are a few layers of flavor here and they were all good. I generally do not like cilantro because most places over do it. That was not the case here.
The potato taco was topped with tomatillo salsa and cilantro chimichurri. Once again there were several distinct flavors here. It is a solid taco, though not as good as the pork belly taco.
The staff was friendly.

I missed what was so great about this place. I ordered the Seared Ahi Tuna taco. For $ 5, I expected it to stand out. I feel like I placed an order at Del Taco. It was ok, kinda like a taco from Del Taco (recurring theme here). A friend of mine ordered the Brussels sprouts. They were tasty at first. As I continued to eat them, I became overwhelmed with how drenched with sauce they were. I sampled another friends’ cauliflower and I didn’t find anything impressive about that either.
It just goes to show you how everything is truly subjective. Based off the reviews, from respected and seasoned Unilocalers, I thought this place would be better. The service was good. I always acknowledge and appreciate that. I found TLT to be pricey for the portions served. It’s almost like they don’t know if they want to be healthy or not. So you serve bland cauliflower and offer a creamy ketchup based dipping sauce to go with it?
This place definitely missed the mark for me. I just found the disparity in opinions about this place pretty interesting. Clearly, you either love it or you don’t. I don’t.

Coming from Texas, I know my tacos and after my dining experience last Saturday, it’s clear that TLT Food does not. I always look forward to new restaurants opening up in DTLA so I was stoked to find out TLT (The Lime Truck) had opened its doors as a brick and mortar restaurant on 7^th. I surveyed their online menu and drooled in anticipation of pork belly tacos and carnitas fries. Then came a series of letdowns:
#1 — They were out of pork belly everything. Really? At 6 PM on a Saturday night when you’re supposed to be open for another 9 hours? Get your act together!
#2 — The corn tortillas that came with my «Ultimate taco» were stale. I could taste the cardboard box flavored tortillas through the honey chipotle slaw. Yuck!
#3 — The carnitas fries were bland and lacked some serious flavor. Even Siracha couldn’t save this dish.
Overall lack of originality and flavor. The carnitas fries were essentially the ultimate taco, sub the tortillas for fries, and both were bland and flavorless. After our $ 22 dinner, we left hungry and disappointed. Luckily, we had Syrup Desserts right down the street to wash out the bad taste from our mouths.
TLT will definitely not be added to my rotation of good eats in DTLA.

New neighbors can be scary.
You never know if they will be cool or a complete train wreck.
So when TLT Food was slotted to take over the space next door to Silo, I was a tad nervous.
Then I tried the food, and I am no longer afraid.
I have yet to try everything — but some highlights are the fried cauliflower and, my favorite, the lettuce cups with steak. The Carnitas Fries are a thing of beauty — but I don’t know if I can handle all that awesome.
There are lots of options for those who need gluten free options, and a good amount of fresh AND fattening. They are open late on weekends for the after bar crowd and they seem to really want to make a name downtown.
So basically, this new neighbor is a welcome addition.

I love love love this new addition to DTLA historic core!
Great location on 7^th next to Silo Bar with an awesome shared patio. The atmosphere inside is bright, clean, simple, fun, and plays off their lime theme. Staff greets you the moment you walk through the door, but doesn’t end their hospitality there.
Sorry Irene, but as a fellow cilantro hater, I have to completely disagree with you. I’ve had the Ultimate, Sweet & Spicy Steak, and Beef Short Rib tacos, all cilantro-​free, and all incredibly delicious.
When I ordered the steak fries, I asked if they could leave out the cilantro chimichurri and the chef happily obliged and even offered a different sauce. Cilantro crisis averted! (Thanks for breaking them in for the rest of us, Irene).
Food, price, business hours, décor and customer service are all on point. Will definitely be back and I highly recommend to DTLA residents & visitors. TLT is a welcome addition to the neighborhood!

In a rare attempt to actually contribute something of substance to the Unilocal world. Here is a not too often seen review from me of a place I actually ate at TODAY (they opened up shop yesterday)…yeah, not 9 months ago like most of my other reviews. So here goes.
This place is spawned from The Lime Truck (winner of the great food truck race) and only their second brick and mortar location in LA. The first one is out in Westwood, and I was too lazy to drive way the fu*k out there. So I was happy when I heard I could have pork belly nachos in DTLA. Snag some parking across the street for 5 bucks… or temp fate and drive around with your rabbit’s foot and four leaf clover to snag a meter somewhere nearby.
They have an awesome online ordering system where you punch in your order and go pick it up whenever. Or just give ‘em a call like I did and they’ll have your order ready to go right when you get there. They are practically connected with silo vodka bar next door, so boozers get ready for some tasty late night eats… They are open until THREE AM on Thursday Fridays and Saturdays! The spot is right on W. 7^th st. between Spring and Broadway. Look for the bright lime green TLT, you can’t miss it, unless you’re legally blind, then, I’m sorry, and what the hell are you doing on Unilocal?
EXTERIOR
See, told ya. I’m guessing those two lovely full figured ladies either just came out of TLT or are going back for more. And I’m ok with that. ANYWHO… on to the grub.
ULTIMATE TACO
Sadly, my least favorite item of the day. On paper it sounds amazing…12 hr pulled pork, cotija cheese, homemade guac and chipotle honey slaw. The condiments were great… the pulled pork… not so much… way too dry on its own, the chipotle slaw saved it… just barely.
ROASTED CORN
For only $ 2, its a pretty good deal. half a cob with a chipotle-​honey aioli and cotija cheese. Not bad, not great. Pretty good for the price.
BEEF SHORT RIB TACO
They nailed it with these flavor combinations. braised beef short rib, crispy onions, horseradish crema and arugula. It all just works. Get it.
STEAK FRIES
Keep in mind that my entire order was TO GO… so the pictures don’t look so pretty but the flavors are all there. The wife ate this one up, with leftovers for dinner… marinated steak, Asian slaw, homemade wonton strips and a cilantro chimichurri atop some decent fries. An awesome $ 10 gut bomb. Go take a nap afterwards.
PORK BELLY NACHOS
As a testament to how good these things are… you should know that I ordered these around 1230pm, picked ‘em up after 1pm, didn’t get home till almost 2pm so the chips were kinda soggy and I am fully aware this is my own fault… BUT, they were still REALLY DAMN GOOD. The pork belly was perfectly braised, crunchy exterior but tender meat, served with a tomatillo salsa, cheese sauce and the aforementioned fresh chips. If I would have had these on a random Saturday night at 2am after partying… this thing would scream magnificence.
Hey and if anybody know those two ladies in my exterior pic. Have ‘em shoot me a personal Unilocal msg.
Hey, big ladies need love too.
Fu*k, the wife’s gonna kill me.

Love that this Cali business is expanding!
I followed these guys on the Food Network and love the concept. Bright, original flavors and a great price point.
I go for the tuna taco when I am in a healthy mood and a side of the Brussels sprouts. The Brussels sprouts will make you do the happy dance. I promise.
Their pork belly nachos are insane! What I love about them is that the pork belly is perfectly braised. They are not overly fatty but still sweet. Topped with the salsa and cheese sauce, they are hard to resist.
The wings are also a winner. And a good wing is tough to find.
Love the outside seating. Parking is $ 5 across the street.