My wife had never put dill pickle slices on a grilled cheese sandwich. Or macaroni and cheese for that matter.
But now she may not eat one any other way.
The Tribute ($7) at the new MotorFood at 48th and Vine streets is the restaurant’s signature sandwich. It’s listed under the grilled cheese section of the restaurant’s menu as a “classic mac-stuffed sandwich.”
My wife, Rebecca, asked owner Shaun Theye when she ordered the Tribute if she could add pickles.
“Of course,” he said, telling me later during an interview that pickles pretty much are great with everything. “Even ice cream,” he joked.
Rebecca loved it. It nicely complemented Theye’s homemade cheesy macaroni, which spilled out the sides of the thick grilled bread slices.
People are also reading…
It proved to be quite a treat from MotorFood’s menu of familiar and extremely accessible comfort foods.
Theye opened MotorFood – the brick-and-mortar version of his popular food truck – in mid-July after taking over the lease at 621 N. 48th St. in December 2022. The restaurant is now open full time after operating part time during the summer when the food truck was going strong (It’s tough to be in two places at once.)
Theye has a long history in food service, beginning as a busboy at age 15 at Valentino’s. He’s worked as an executive chef at private dining clubs, retirement communities and College Chefs, an organization that provides food to fraternities and sororities across the country.
He’s also one of the best drummers around, having played with numerous local bands over the years, including Nebraska Music Hall of Famers, the Mezcal Brothers.
In 2015, while working with College Chefs, Theye started his first food truck. He ran it until 2018, when he shut it down to work as an executive chef at a retirement community. He resurrected the food truck in 2020 just as the pandemic hit.
“I thought, ‘Oh, this is going to be the worst thing ever,’ but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise,” he said.
That’s because food trucks thrived during the pandemic. Business became so good, Theye ended up needing a bigger prep kitchen, so he moved into the spot at 48th and Vine, which had been home to several restaurants over the years.
The plan now, Theye said, is to increase staff and keep the restaurant open year-round while operating the food truck from early spring to late fall.
Food
Menu items are Theye’s takes on popular foods most of us grew up eating and loving: hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, french fries, grilled cheese sandwiches, BBQ pork or chicken sliders and sloppy Joes. As you can imagine, MotorFood is a huge hit with kids.
With the food truck shut down for the winter, Theye is in the process of adding 15 to 20 menu items, with an emphasis on more “Diamond Dogs” and sandwiches. The new menu also may include “smash burgers,” but that’s not set in stone.
Theye’s current menu already is solid.
As noted before, the highlight for my wife (and me) was the mac and cheese-stuffed grilled cheese sandwich. Mac-stuffed sandwiches also can be made with BBQ/spicy pork, BBQ/spicy chicken or Theye’s sloppy Joe filling. They range from $7 to $10.
We also ordered and loved the chili cheese fries ($8), which are big enough to feed two. Theye said the entree is one of the more popular menu choices. The hand-cut fries are smothered in house-made chili, onions and crema. Pork and chicken also can be added to loaded fries.
Sloppy Joes ($3 small, $6 large) are tasty and even slightly spicy. The small sloppy Joe paired with a side of fries or macaroni and cheese ($3 each) is a great deal. As are the pork and chicken sliders paired with fries or mac-and-cheese. Grade: A
Atmosphere
MotorFood has a retro look and feel to it, with Theye covering the walls in old movie and band posters and black-and-white photographs. It’s evident he has a soft spot for classic monster movies and The Ramones (nice!), with multiple posters of each. Also note the color photograph of a dancing Lawrence Welk at the register (cool!). The restaurant is small with seating at chrome-colored tables with bright red chairs for about 25 people. What’s most striking – besides the movie posters – is how clean it is. Grade: A
Service
This is the reason Theye may not add smash burgers to the expanded menu. Burgers take time to make. The other menu items do not. That’s why mac and cheese, grilled cheese, etc., work so well for a food truck and a fast-casual restaurant. On my two visits, Theye got the food out in less than 5 minutes. Stellar. It may take longer, depending on how much help he has at the counter and in the kitchen during rushes. Grade: A
Specialty diets
The menu includes two non-meat entrees: Solid Gold (mac and cheese; $6) and the aforementioned Tribute. Most of the loaded fries choices have meat, but the nacho libre can be made without meat. It also has jalapenos, crema, tomatoes and green onions. Gluten-free options are available upon request. Grade: C+