As the sunshine started permeating Pitt鈥檚 campus, so did the aroma of . Nestled in the walkway between Lawrence, Posvar and Hillman, 贰迟丑别濒鈥檚 stands out as the latest addition to Pitt Eats鈥� on-campus dining offerings. Opening its windows on March 20, the food truck serves breakfast and brunch options from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays, providing quick breakfast bites in the heart of campus.
The 1950s-style dining addition comes with a backstory deeply rooted in history. The tale of the eponymous Ethel traces back to 1953 when the of Tulsa, Oklahoma, originally built it as a trailer home. For years, the trailer sat abandoned in the Oklahoma fields, adorned with 鈥淣o Trespassing鈥� signs in every corner. It wasn’t until a Pitt Eats chef stumbled upon it that the silver trailer, bearing the inscription 鈥淓thel鈥� above its front windshield, found a new purpose as a food truck, according to a sign next to the menu. After a refurbishment effort and a lengthy journey atop a tow truck, Ethel arrived in Pittsburgh, marking the official beginning of Ethel’s on campus.
Chelsea Dixon, 贰迟丑别濒鈥檚 supervisor, said working inside a food truck is significantly different from the usual diner or restaurant experience due to the lack of space. She said despite that struggle, she enjoys the experience of interacting closely with coworkers and students on campus.聽
鈥淭he chef Michael found 贰迟丑别濒鈥檚 exactly how it is seen right now, and once it was parked in this location some color was added to there,鈥� Dixon said. 鈥淚nside of a food truck, it is very small 鈥� we all just make sure that we鈥檙e all doing okay. Communication truly is the key here. It鈥檚 a very tight space but we manage 鈥� there鈥檚 four of us in there at all times, so you just have to say 鈥榚xcuse me鈥� to get by and such. I really like our crew and I like interacting with the people from day to day.鈥澛�
With 贰迟丑别濒鈥檚 sitting right next to the Hillman Library, one of the busiest locations on campus, there is a constant crowd by the truck. Dixon said despite a recent opening, 贰迟丑别濒鈥檚 has gained popularity on campus, with lines forming every day to order breakfast options.聽
鈥淎nywhere between 10 a.m. and about 2 p.m. is our busiest time 鈥� we have people that鈥檒l wait for half an hour for their food.鈥� Dixon said. 鈥淚鈥檝e tried about everything on our menu. I like our Johnny Cakes, the bacon, egg and cheese is a very big seller, and so are the Denver bowls and the french toast sticks.鈥澛�
Ana Larez, a senior psychology and English writing major, said she enjoyed giving 贰迟丑别濒鈥檚 a chance since she has tried all the food places on campus over the years. She said she especially enjoyed the aesthetic with the sunny outside seating.聽
鈥淚 decided to go to the food truck because I鈥檓 a senior and I wanted to try the new food place,鈥� Larez said. 鈥淚 feel as though I鈥檝e tried every single meal option in my four years and I didn鈥檛 wanna miss out on it. I usually grab breakfast from Einstein鈥檚 or the Perch or the Eatery or not at all. I think it鈥檚 a great location because it鈥檚 right next to Hillman and Posvar. I love the tables and how it鈥檚 usually sunny. It was exciting to have something new and try something new.鈥澛�
Larez said she visited 贰迟丑别濒鈥檚 on an early Tuesday morning to avoid the long lines and enjoyed her meal, albeit with a few critiques. She said she would still like to give the food truck another try, especially following the radiating scent of the French toast sticks.聽
鈥淚 got here around 9:30 a.m., so it wasn鈥檛 too busy,鈥� Larez said. 鈥淚 got the Denver bowl with the over-easy eggs and hashbrowns and turkey bacon, and it was really good. I did not like my turkey bacon. The hashbrowns and peppers on the eggs were really good, so I think I鈥檒l try it again. In comparison to other locations on campus, it ranks mid to high tier for me. I think I want to get the French toast sticks and try something new next time.鈥澛�
Jenna Alford, a junior economics major, said she has tried 贰迟丑别濒鈥檚 twice so far and finds the food to be delicious, despite having to visit the food truck very early in the day to beat the long wait times.聽
鈥淚 got the biscuits and gravy today and they鈥檙e pretty fire,鈥� Alford said. 鈥淚 have family from the South, but I鈥檝e never seen biscuits and gravy cooked with Old Bay on them, so this is pretty great for Northern style. I forced my friend to come here early to get some food and enjoy eating while sitting down before our class because the wait time can be very long.鈥澛�
Despite her excitement for the newest dining option, Alford found some potential issues with 贰迟丑别濒鈥檚 location. She said the truck being directly in the middle of the walkway to Posvar raises a potential challenge of walking to class in the middle of 贰迟丑别濒鈥檚 rush.聽
鈥淢y friend and I were just talking about how inconveniently placed the truck is,鈥� Alford said. 鈥淲hen this place gets very busy, the lines become so long and there is absolutely no room to walk. So imagine how crowded that would be with people going to class towards Posvar with the long lines.鈥澛�
Alford said her favorite aspect of 贰迟丑别濒鈥檚 is the 1950s diner vibe. She said she doesn鈥檛 have a favorite breakfast spot on campus, making the addition of 贰迟丑别濒鈥檚 both aesthetically pleasing and convenient.聽
鈥淚 think this spot and vibe is so cute,鈥� Alford said. 鈥淚 feel like we haven鈥檛 had a real breakfast spot on campus ever. Having a designated breakfast and brunch spot is really nice. I drink coffee for every drink of the day, so I can just stop by and get something on my coffee run which is just convenient.鈥�