Fairfax family plans new Greek food truck for Cedar Rapids, Linn County

FAIRFAX — A new food truck is bringing fresh Greek food to Linn County for the first time in many years.

The Crazy Greek, a Fairfax-based food truck owned by George and Allison Bohren, will soon hit the streets of the Cedar Rapids area. The food truck tentatively plans to open by the end of April.

“I was raised Greek in America and was around it all,” said George, whose family immigrated to Iowa from Greece about 65 years ago. “Our culture is a big thing for us. Once I lost my grandparents, I missed this connection to our culture.”

With recipes from George’s grandmother, the couple and their children will be serving Greek food six days a week.

The truck will offer casual Greek classics including gyros, chicken souvlaki gyro sandwiches, pork souvlaki skewers, loaded fries and Greek salads. On weekends, the couple plans to offer specials with more traditional Greek dishes you might find at sit-down restaurants.

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Meats will be served with signature marinades and traditional tzatziki sauce.

There will be plenty for dessert, too. The couple plans to serve the lemon cake George’s grandmother served at Grecian festivals and dinners, as well as baklava and baklava sundaes. Around the holidays, customers will be able to make special orders for entire trays of baklava as well as other specialty pastries.

“My description of it is a slice from heaven,” George said of the cake. “She always used to have that in her fridge when people visited.”

The new food truck brings back a niche that has been notably absent from the Corridor for several years.

“There’s a need in this community for Greek food. The last of it was at the Vernon Inn,” George told The Gazette. “I’ve seen a lot of people asking for it. It was time.”

The Vernon Inn, 2663 Mount Vernon Rd. SE, closed in May 2012 and demolished in 2015. The restaurant, also known as The Greek Place, was in Cedar Rapids for 36 years at two different locations.

Comments: Features reporter Elijah Decious can be reached at (319) 398-8340 or elijah.decious@thegazette.com.

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