Mobile food operation continues to expand

As soon as Ralph Gilmore was old enough, he said he started traveling in pursuit of his passion: food.

But food did not pay the bills, said Gilmore, who instead resorted to opening an oil change service and later his own motorcycle shop.

"I realized all I had done was chase money," he said. "I never got to do what I really wanted—make food."

That prompted Gilmore almost five years ago to convert an old shipping container into a food truck and create Turf N Surf Po'Boy. While other food trucks targeted South Congress Avenue, his mobile operation instead settled downtown.

"There were a lot of long hours because it took at least a year to get established," he said. "I just had to hold my own because I knew if I can satisfy the downtown crowd, I can grow from there."

Patience paid off for Gilmore, who in April 2013 established more permanent downtown roots by taking over the kitchen at Lavaca Street Bar. His food truck also remains open on Barton Springs Road at food truck court The Picnic.

And starting in late October, Turf N Surf Po'Boy will expand to North Austin at The Domain. Gilmore said initial plans call for opening a food truck outside the iPic Theater, and a bar-restaurant concept similar to Lavaca Street Bar is also in the works in The Domain. He will lease out the kitchen space similar to downtown.

"I don't have to take on the debt," he replies when asked why he has not opened his own traditional brick-and-mortar location. "I've got 180 seats [downtown], so I think I'm the smart one. They don't teach you that in business school."

Gilmore credits his restaurant's loyal customer base for the recent growth. In February, Turf N Surf Po'Boy was listed at No. 35 on Yelp's Top 100 Places to Eat in the U.S.

"Barely ever does a week go by that someone wasn't told to come by during an airline trip," Gilmore said.

Despite the positive customer feedback, Gilmore admits Turf N Surf Po'Boy still flies under the radar locally.

"When you do find us, I'm always thrilled," he said. "But I'm not shy. In the back of my mind, I wonder what's taken you so long."

Turf

When Turf N Surf Po'Boy opened in 2010, owner Ralph Gilmore served mainly po'boys until a tortilla maker pitched her product three weeks after opening. Now only Gilmore's restaurant and Whole Foods Market sell the tortillas. All tacos are dressed with mixed greens, slaw, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, cilantro-ranch dressing and each customer's choice of meat, such as blackened ribeye ($14), pork chop or hamburger.

Surf

Customers can choose whether to order a po'boy, taco or salad before selecting from nearly two dozen protein options. The most popular, Gilmore said, are the fried, grilled or blackened fish options. Gilmore orders fish each night, and it is delivered the next morning, he said. The selection ranges from mahimahi, catfish, snapper and jumbo shrimp, which is used in the Buffalo shrimp po'boy with bleu cheese ($14).

More

Salads are ordered the same way as the po'boys or tacos. Dressed with mixed greens, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, red bell peppers and cilantro-ranch dressing, salads are then topped with each customer's choice of meat, including tuna (market price varies). The menu at Lavaca Street Bar also includes baskets served with fries and mixed greens as well as sweet potato fries, chicken wings and nachos.

Turf N Surf Po'Boy, 1720 Barton Springs Road, 512-276-2763. Second location: 407 Lavaca St., 512-469-0106