The Early Word on Hot Chicken Trailer Tumble 22

Tumble 22, the hot chicken truck opened by Salty Sow chef Harold Marmulstein, has been slinging the spicy bird since early May, and customers are lining up to see if he really is bringing the heat. Marmulstein tested out the recipes at Salty Sow and formulated four different levels of spice ranging from wimpy to the fire in the hole hot. Read on for the early word on Tumble’s hot chicken and sides.

The spice — Early evaluations of the heat levels are pretty varied. Food truck site Roaming Hunger described the fire in the hole option as “a whole lot of truth in advertising,” and Chronicle’s Tea Newell wrote, “the dang hot packs a mean punch, but might fail to truly impress anyone who makes a habit of dousing every dish in Yellowbird,” referring to the Austin-based hot sauce company.

The sides — Signs of Marmulstein’s restaurant upbringing is evident in Tumble’s sides and sauces, like kale slaw, ranch, and cilantro mint sauce, to name a few. Blogger Sushi in the ATX recommended “the sweet chili yogurt to pair with the more fiery heat levels.”

The overall experience — Newell noted that the food truck lives up the high standards of the Austin food truck scene. She wrote, “a stint in a food trailer might seem like a step backwards,” for the chef who has two restaurants and cooked at the James Beard House, “but if there’s any place where renowned chefs turn to the lowly food truck as their next culinary frontier, it’s here in Austin.”

— Emma Whalen

• Tumble 22 [Roaming Hunger]
• First Look: Tumble 22 [Chronicle]
• Tumble 22 Hot Chicken Spicing Up the Austin Food Scene [Sushi in the ATX]