Bradenton Riverwalk has food truck serving tasty breakfast, lunch in museum parking lot

Don Popowski poses outside his food truck On the Roll, which opened Jan. 2, 2013, in the parking lot of the South Florida Museum across from the western entrance of the Bradenton Riverwalk. Photo by Wade Tatangelo

Add On the Roll, which opened Wednesday in the parking lot of the South Florida Museum across from the western entrance of the Bradenton Riverwalk, to my list of eating destinations.

Just had a most tasty breakfast sandwich there called "The Porky Clucker." It's a hefty portion of egg and cheese on a fresh, toasted roll with ham plus a side of warm, crispy, homemade potato chips for a mere $3.50.

You can also have it with bacon or sausage.

Add $1.50 for a cold can of Diet Coke.

Plus the dollar tip and we're still talking quality food from a local businessman for prices similar to those found at the Golden Arches. 

Oh, and my order took about three minutes.

"Good food and fast service is the theme of this business," said Don Popowski, the proprietor who lives on a houseboat at the Twin Dolphin Marina and opened On the Roll with help from the owner and chef of nearby restaurant Pier 22 and permission from the South Florida Museum.

Popowski puts the finishing touches on my Porky Clucker.

Before noshing on my delicious breakfast sandwich, I toured Popowski's pristine kitchen, which he built himself from a bread truck he purchased while still living in Oxford, Conn. While we were inside, he proudly showed off his ServSafe Certification, the State of Florida catering license issued to the Don Miller Development Corp that owns Pier 22 and a vending permit issued by the City of Bradenton.

"I'm a retired businessman," Popowski said. "If I wasn't doing this I would just be sitting around reading books."

His four sandwiches, which all cost $6, are the prime rib packed  Godfather, the ham-and-turkey stuffed Surfer, the Angus-filled Elsie-Burger and the Kansas BLT featuring a whole wheat tortilla.

"The Godfather and the Surfer are two excellent sandwiches that are not common in the restaurant business," Popowski said.

He also plans to serve weekly specials.

One item you won't find on the menu, though, is frankfurters.

"We intentionally aren't serving hot dogs so we don't compete with the downtown vendors who have been serving hot dogs for years," Popowski said. "We're looking to part of the family not the competition."

On The Roll is cash-only and open for breakfast and lunch 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. People can just stop by like I did or place an order in advance by calling 941-962-0029.

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