By James Kent
If you’ve driven past the corner of West Street and Main in Rutland around lunchtime in the past few months, chances are you’ve recognized the food truck with the big pig chef logo on the side and large letters spelling out “Hangry Hogg” with the tagline, “Put some South in your mouth.” That’s the Hangry Hogg food truck, owned and operated by Jason Evans, serving smoked meats, comfort food, and one of Vermont’s best burgers.
This season marks Evans’ fourth year operating The Hangry Hogg in Vermont. The location in the parking lot of the former Rite Aid is where you’ll find The Hangry Hogg from Tuesdays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Evans accepts cash and all major credit cards, including Apple Pay. People can also order in advance online at hangryhogg.com and then come and pick up their orders right at the parking lot.
Evans prepares everything fresh, from house-made sauces to hand-cut pork rinds and brisket smoked with pecan wood. His best-selling menu item? The BBQ Poutine.
“This is our No. 1 seller. It’s smoked brisket, pulled pork, crispy fries, cheese curds, beef gravy, barbecue sauce, and scallions,” said Evans. When the Mountain Times visited Evans on Wednesday, April 30, a customer was waiting to pick up an order of poutine. Jeremy Marcouillier from Rutland told the MT that the fries stood out for him and made Hangry Hogg’s poutine better than others he’s tried.
Another standout was the freshly fried pork rinds, which Evans provided the Times with a sample.
“These are still warm. I just fried them to order. I have multiple flavors. I have a white cheddar, salt & vinegar, dill pickle, and ranch,” said Evans. We didn’t try any other flavors, but the regular pork rinds did fine on their own.
But the real star of the Hangry Hogg menu is Evan’s Brisket Smashburger, which he offers in a one-, two-, or three-patty option.
“This is our fresh ground brisket, double smash burger on a Martin’s potato roll,” Evans said of the sample he provided the Mountain Times. “I grind the fresh brisket meat daily. It’s an Oklahoma-style smashed burger with Vidalia sweet onions, pickles, and American cheese, and I make my own smash sauce that goes along with it. And that’s on a tallow-toasted Martin’s potato roll out of Pennsylvania.”
Hangry Hogg’s 100% ground brisket smash burger is available in a single, double, or triple patty option.
The taste of this fresh ground, smoked 100% brisket burger was unlike anything this reviewer had experienced in smash burger before. Instead of traditional ground beef, the use of brisket provided a juicy flavor-bomb explosion that gave the impression of a dynamite steak and cheese, yet with the consistency of a smash burger. To borrow a word from that fictitious chocolatier, Willy Wonka, it was “scrumdiddlyumptious.” If you take pride in experiencing all types of burgers, you’ll want to find space on your lunchtime calendar on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday to seek this burger out.
Evans is busy prepping early and cleaning late when not serving the food.
“I’ve been up since 6 o’clock this morning, smoking chicken wings, prepping for the week. When I go home today, I have another four hours of cleaning to do, you know, all the equipment, sanitizing, going shopping, and then coming back out and doing it again tomorrow.”
On weekends, Evans and the Hangry Hogg food truck are also at various festivals and events across the state.
“We’re in Bennington for the home brew festival on Saturday, and then we go to Rockingham for another festival,” said Evans of his plans for the first weekend in May. “We travel from as far north as Bristol and as far south as Bennington during the summer season.”
Originally from Utica, New York, Evans has lived in Vermont for 25 years. Despite the cold, he keeps the truck going as often as possible, with a two-month break from mid-December to mid-February.
“We’ve been open since February 12 because the bills don’t know it’s winter. So, if I can get out, I’m gonna get out.”
In addition to lunch service, Evans participates in events like Food Truck Fridays in West Rutland, where he offers kid’s combo meals and his brisket poutine.
Evans prides himself on customer service and quality. “Everything is made to order, so anything can be omitted. If you don’t like onions, you don’t have to have them. We try to accommodate as much as we can.”
From fresh ground brisket burgers to smoked meats and hand-crafted sauces, Evans prides himself on Hangry Hogg’s do-it-yourself approach.
“All the wing sauces are made from scratch. All the coleslaw is made from scratch. I do everything,” said Evans. The payoff is in the flavor. Once you’ve tried the Hangry Hogg, you’ll be strategizing your lunch plans around a mid-week trip to Rutland.
