What’s more romantic than eating dinner at a gas station? I can think of quite a few things, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be enjoyable. Me personally? I’m a gas station gourmet enthusiast.

Beneath a Marathon sign at East Raines and Riverdale roads, two sliding bay windows of a sleek black trailer glow luminously upon a crowd of patient patrons on foot and in cars. In their hands, numbered blinking buzzers vibrate in cacophony here and there, immediately changing distant gazes to hungry excitement. As food pours from the window, the scent of curry powder, scotch bonnet peppers and allspice perfume the air.

Mango’s Caribbean Grill food truck is upping the culinary game of more than just the gas station at which it sits. Estilien Louis and his very small team are pumping some truly beautiful and affordable food out of their rather large black trailer. Complete with an online and in-person ordering system, an active social media presence and business cards, Mango’s has certainly got an admirable rhythm.

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The truck specializes in Jamaican hits, such as jerk chicken, braised oxtail and seafood, all of which can be ordered a la carte, as a plate with sides and rice or atop more American comfort foods like loaded fries. While, sadly, none of the fixed-plate menu offerings are below $10, several a la carte items are, allowing for a mix-and-match situation for this $10 Deal.

In planning my visit, I’d decided on a few things to try: jerk chicken, Jamaican beef patty, mac & cheese, steamed cabbage. To my dismay, Mango’s was out of patties for the night, but everything else went according to plan.

At $10.75, the a la carte jerk chicken comes correct in a rather large styrofoam box: pieces of thigh and drumstick are smoked and charred on the grill, lathered in a sweet and spicy scotch bonnet sauce and star-studded with fresh chiffonade parsley. 

I often look to the classic jerk chicken as a good judge of character for a Jamaican restaurant. The smoke flavor of Mango’s chicken is heavy, which I love, and the generous amount of meat is fall-off-the-bone tender. The thick scotch bonnet sauce is surprising in that it’s got just the right amount of heat and sweet to strike a lovely balance. Neither overpowers the other, or the chicken itself. The parsley is a nice touch, adding some bright herbaceousness to the dense flavors of the meat.

While cheap sides can sometimes be an afterthought at food stalls that are protein-entree-forward, they are not so at Mango’s, though they are $5 each. The mac and cheese, made with large elbows, is thick, rich and savory, with a bit of cheese caramelization from the bottom of the pan mixed in — to me, the best part. The steamed cabbage is well-spiced and scotch-bonnet forward, but again, not overbearingly so. The best part is how crunchy yet tender each bite is — not sogged and waterlogged from sitting in a steam well.

Overall, Mango’s knocks it out of the park in its own league, let alone that of food trucks in Memphis. With an efficient ordering system, hefty and delightful portions and very affordable choices, it’s hard not to stop by Mango’s just to eat off the hood of your car in the parking lot of a Marathon gas station. Sometimes humility is a dish best served immediately — and in styrofoam.

Mango’s Caribbean Grill is located in the parking lot of the Marathon gas station at 4135 Riverdale Rd. and is open Tuesdays through Thursdays, 6 p.m.-10 p.m. Check the truck’s Facebook or Instagram for the latest updates, as times and dates vary regularly.