NeatMeat DC

They must have really cut down on their portions. I was expecting my sloppy joe to be overflowing with meat like in the pictures, but what I got for almost $ 8 was a tiny scoop of meat on a small bun. It was more like a «neat joe» than a «sloppy» one, and wasn’t very filling so I’m heading out for my second lunch right now. However, the pretzel rice krispie treat was really good.

I thought I’d try them before a DC United game, I was a little skeptical since the line was a mile long for the pizza truck but none here. Unilocal approved so figured I’d give it a try.
I had their original Stay Classy Joe which is a large serving of regular ground beef and tomato sauce with a little bit of onion and bell pepper on a tasty bun. This is definitely a step up from say your school cafeteria and is about on par with the sloppy joe mix you’d make at home. It’s not bad and definitely okay for what is but I’ve had better sandwiches for $ 7. I might get this again or try something else here but this truck is about average, nothing more and nothing less. Also, they were out of napkins which was annoying.

Got the turkey cranberry and veggie sandwiches. Both were really flavorful. My husband loved the veggie. He was literally slurping juice off his fingers. The owners are super nice and professional!

Wandered down to Patriot’s Plaza with a coworker today to see the Food Truck Selection… soon as I saw the NeatMeat menu, I knew where I was going…
The Operators of the truck seem to be nice guys — courteous and friendly. I ended up getting the Club Joe (Pulled Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato, and Bacon)… the bacon was the saving grace and the most tasty aspect of the sandwich. Otherwise, there was nothing to make it stand out from any other club sandwich I’ve had. If the bacon hadn’t been on the sandwich, it would have been a rather bland option. There was no line when I got there, and my sandwich came out promptly (maybe 5 minutes). It was kind of dry, as there was no Sloppy Joe, BBQ, Mayo, or any other kind of condiment/​sauce on the sandwich.
They do offer a decent combo deal. Buy a sandwich at normal cost and drink ($ 2.00), and get chips for free. The chips are the «Dirty» chips brand as opposed to Lays, Doritos, etc. The one drawback is they offer no soda. The drinks are limited to Lemonade, Sweet Tea, or a ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ mix. The combo option does turn things into a decent size lunch. The sandwich by itself wouldn’t be near enough.
They are certainly better than some options out there, but not as good as others. I probably would try them again if my favorite trucks weren’t around. However, as they aren’t on a tracking site (such as
), finding them will be a hit and miss.

Oh dear god. Another food truck that owns my soul.
There is something magical about food trucks. I think part of it is that I get my food to go, so I don’t feel trapped at a table waiting for a server to notice me. Part of it is that food trucks are JUST SO DAMNED TASTY.
NeatMeatDC is just one great example. I wasn’t super hungry — but my husband spied on the menu a «Lamb Sloppy Joe», and although he has issues with sloppy joes (a childhood filled with eating that crap), he loves a good lamb dish… well, I think at times, more than he loves me. Which is OK, because there are times when I feel the same way. Heh.
The Lamb Sloppy Joe in one word was OMFGWTFBBQHOLYSHIT. It was ridiculously good. The lamb was tender with the light gameiness that makes lamb so delicious. The sloppy joe sauce was just tart and bright enough to enhance the lamb, yet light enough that it didn’t overpower the wonderful lamb flavor. The bun was a little weak — it was too soft to hold up to the sauciness of the sloppy joe… but as my husband pointed out to me, that’s why it’s called «sloppy» joe and not «neat» joe. Excellent point.
I know they had other things on the menu… but I think we *inhaled* 3 of the lamb sloppy joes and really couldn’t focus on getting anything else. Heh. So awesome.

I thought it was alright. A bit on the expensive side and the taste is average. Wouldn’t turn it down if someone wanted to go there, but likely would not go on my own.

Delicious! I had the vegetarian «Mi So» Joe, which turned out to be a good sized sandwich with nice texture and lots of «umami» flavor. Added a bag of chips and it was more than enough for lunch. (They’ll throw in the chips for free if you buy a drink — a pretty good deal if lemonade or sweet tea are your thing.)

The turkey club was a really nice sandwich, with bacon that lived up to its rep, but the turkey tasted overwhelmingly of sage and really needed a hit of acid of some kind to liven up the flavors. Really close to being a great dish.

Not really a sloppy joe fan, but the lamb meat with feta cheese joe caught my attention. $ 12 later I was in food getaway! It was pleasantly good, despite it being a bit messy to eat. The cucumbers add a little crunch and texture to the joe, and you could definitely taste the lamb coming through. Not quite 5 stars good, I didn’t care much for the bun; it would been better if the buns were lightly toasted and buttered or were sour dough.

Look at other reviewers, they have it spot on.

The food was good, but it was super expensive. Though, most food trucks are super expensive. Lastly, one would imagine faster service given they are essentially glorified sloppy Joes.

At my coworker’s recommendation, I tried NeatMeat for the first time today. I’ll combine his opinion with mine and settle on a rating of 3.5 stars.
I really enjoyed the flavors of the sloppy joe. I got the «joey melt,» which was their regular («stay classy») joe topped with honey caramelized onions and classic american cheese. I wish the cheese had been melted, but I loved the flavors of both the sloppy joe and the onions. The bun was also very strong, a fact I appreciated when my lunch didn’t end up all over my lap. My coworker wishes that they’d include a bit more meat (although I was satisfied with my portion) and we both wish that they offered different cheese options. But all in all, a good sandwich that’s also priced well.
Bonus — they provide bibs, although admittingly I save these for my inevitably messy phở lunches.

4.5
Oh my goodness was this ever good! And sort of unexpected because I usually never associate a sloppy joe with a food truck because… well, first because it’s sloppy (yeah, I AM working that Einstein gene today!) and second because it just seems like something you have at home. Either at your friend’s house when she’s making it for her kids, on a crisp fall day with your honey when you come in from raking leaves and want something quick and comforting, or when you are… um, altered in the herbal sense. Eff it, it’s legal in some states now… when you are STONED.
So since none of these scenarios conjures up a food truck, I just didn’t think it could be that good. Well, it is. It is very, very good.
I had the Joey melt which is basically a sloppy joe with melted cheese and sauteed onions on it. It was delicious. The meat was perfectly cooked (like juicy instead of cardboard crumbles) and the bun was soft and delish. Cheese was your standard American variety but perfect for the sandwich.
And yes, I did try that Rice Crispy treat thingee that everyone is raving abou heret. And it is a beautiful thing. It’s a rice crispy treat with salted pretzels and brownie chunks in it. Again, refer to my list above, specifically number three, to know that this would also be a perfect snack in certain other circumstances. But, it’s fantastic.
Portions are decent and filling. I do tend to agree that the prices are slightly steep (8 – 12 for a joe depending on what you get and the meat used — they have a lamb variety too) but it’s still very good and I will definitely come back again.
Guys on the truck are also super friendly.
Win all the way around with this truck.

Oh my goodness, delicious!!! I feel so dumb for almost not going — now having gone, this is one of my favorite food trucks. I got the turkey club joe and the turkey was AMAZING. Seriously, so much better than I expected it to be. It’s very moist, perfectly well-​seasoned, incredibly flavorful. The bun was just about perfect — it completely stood up to sandwich, not falling apart or getting soggy along the way. I also had the sweet tea — it has an extra (maybe fruity? herbal?) flavor that was different than expected, but also very, very good.

I tried the NeatMeat DC Food Truck at the Unilocal Event: Unilocal Love’s Cake Crush. The owners were awesome. Friendly, passionate, and excited about their product. They focus on sloppy joes, but this is not the sloppy joe from your school lunch or summer camp days. No, these sandwiches have been kicked up a few notches. I really liked their sloppy joe and their vegetarian option. The sandwiches are hot and fresh and you can taste the different flavors. I’ve seen them at Truckeroo and I hope they continue to get a following!

Had it for lunch. Really solid sloppy joe. Nothing about it I would change (except maybe the price, but i feel like operating a food truck can’t be cheap, so I get it).
They even give out bibs with each joe!
No idea why this food truck isn’t constantly packed. I almost never see a line outside it for some reason.

NeatMeat DC is delicious. Since trying them at Unilocal’s CakeLove Crush, I knew that I had to go back. Lucky for me, they come to Dupont Circle quite often.
I know what I’m sticking with when I visit — Club Joe, which is pulled turkey with bacon, lettuce, and tomato. The sandwich is huge! No mayo, so I don’t have to worry about that. There’s a light au jus used on Club Joe, which gives it plenty of flavor. Also, the bacon is thick and tasty — none of this weak, diner-​style bacon I see so often — this is the real deal. And, the owners are incredibly nice. NeatMeat has reinvigorated my love of food trucks.

I decided to check out the new-​to-​me NeatMeat DC at this month’s Truckeroo. Me, being me, I played it safe and went with the Classic Joe. It was really good! Even though a Sloppy Joe is one of those no-​frills sammiches that we all enjoy, it’s still quite possible to ‘eff’ it up terrible. However, NeatMeat DC did well with this. Even the bun was good. Nice and toasty without any crispy pieces.
While inhaling this delight, I couldn’t stop thinking about how a nice order of fries (or tater tots!) would go GREAT with this.

After chatting a bit with one of the owners, I decided to try one and I’ve been craving a sloppy joe for a while :-) His warm customer service swayed me to do so.
Let me just say, there was an interesting selection of Joe’s offered, so there is something for everyone– even a turkey and veggie option. (check out my pic for the menu). The regular meat I believe is 85% brisket– if I remember correctly.
I wasn’t super hungry so I went with the «Stay Classy» basic Joe– $ 7. When I got my Joe, I was surprised at how much meat was included. I also ordered a bag of Sea Salt and Vinegar «Dirty Potato Chips» so my order came out to approx $ 9.00 (give or take). They do offer $ 1.50 discount for people that order a Joe, chips and a drink– NOT INCLUDING the $ 1.00 water bottle tho lol– (so you basically get the chips for free). The Joe was pretty satisfying and seasoned as a Joe should be, however I’m one of those people that like their food piping hot so I wasn’t that satisfied with the temperature of the meat :-(
Overall, I would definitely try these guys again. They’ve only been around for the last two weeks so catch them while you can. :-)

Got to enjoy the first sloppy Joe’s I’ve eaten since high school from these guys, and I came away pretty satisfied. The veggie Joe was surprisingly meat-​like, whoever did the recipe deserves some credit. Loses a star for what I thought was about a dollar or two high on the prices. Truck competition can be fierce so I hope these guys dial that in because the food was very tasty. Good, unique addition to the mobile meal mix.