I am usually highly skeptical of food truck crepes. They almost always end up floppy, overly sweet, and tear apart by the time you take your second bite.
But I finally stopped by Uncle Dan, which is set up right inside the Saint Maxime coffee spot at 560 Rose Ave, and they are doing something totally different.
First off, the batter itself is the star. It is actually crispy. The edges have this dark, mottled browning that almost reminds me of a dosa, and you can definitely taste the browned butter in it. It has structural integrity and holds up to the fillings perfectly.
Here is what we tried:
Lox Salmon: Easily the best savory item on the menu. They cure the salmon themselves, which is wild for a pop-up setup. It comes with whipped cream cheese, capers, and house pickled red onions. For 14 bucks on the Westside, the portion and quality are honestly a steal. It tastes like a high-end deli order.
The Forager: A super savory mushroom mix with ricotta and gruyere cheese. The mushrooms tasted like they were cooked down with white wine. If you want a hearty, savory breakfast that isn't overly heavy, get this.
Maxime's Favorite: Your classic hazelnut spread and fresh fruit crepe. The strawberries and bananas tasted incredibly fresh (pretty sure they use organic produce), and they didn't completely drown the crepe in the spread. It was the perfect ratio.
TL;DR: Uncle Dan is legit. The prices are super fair for the quality of ingredients they are using, and they serve everything in sturdy, eco-friendly, compostable trays. It's definitely worth checking out if you are grabbing your morning coffee at Saint Maxime.
Where do you grab your crepes yourself?
Location: Inside Saint Maxime, 560 Rose Ave, Venice, CA 90291
Will definitely be going back for the lox.