WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. — The pandemic has forced many chefs and restaurateurs to get creative. One caterer had to head back to serving in the streets since many large events and parties were banned.

Chef Alberto Vazquez of Rock Chef Rolls now serves his high-end street food to the Westlake Village neighborhood, focusing on every little detail, like the ketchup he makes himself. 

What You Need To Know

  • When the pandemic hit, one caterer pivoted and launched a food truck

  • Rock Chef Rolls serves high-end street food with a rock and roll vibe

  • Chef Alberto Vazquez, who operates the truck, calls his crew "the rock brigade"

  • Specialties on the truck include a medley of different types of fries and gourmet tacos

“This is a secret I’ll never give away,” said Vazquez.

From homemade ketchup to handmade burger patties, this food truck offers a rock and roll vibe from the music it plays to the tattooed team working in the kitchen and behind the counter.

“I call my whole crew and me 'the rock brigade,' but at the end of the day we are serious,” said Vazquez.

Vazquez and his rock brigade have been working mostly catering events for the last 10 years, even serving sports teams. When most of this business stopped during the pandemic, he had to change his plans.

“As an entrepreneur, as a chef, and as a restauranteur for many, many years, we have to rethink things. We have to improvise. We had to come up with new ideas,” said Vazquez.

It ended up being a blessing in disguise because he missed interacting with different customers through his truck.

“The grassroot of my business and what I love: connecting with people,” said Vazquez.

As he hits the streets once again, he can serve what he loves to eat. For catering events, he usually will follow the client's lead, but now Vazquez and his rock brigade can indulge in serving the comfort food with a five-star flair that they specialize in.

“High-voltage, gourmet grub, street grub, made by a professional chef,” said Vazquez.

One of his favorite dishes is the medley of taters. It all started when he tried to order one of every fry at a restaurant.

“They had a whole page of French fries and I’m like, ‘Can you ask the chef if he can make a whole mixture of these?’ The waitress goes, ‘Sorry, we can’t accommodate that. So, I was like, ‘Man, when I have my place, I’m going to make a medley of fries,” recalls Vasquez.

Now on his truck, you’ll find crinkle cut, thin, and sweet potato fries mixed with tater tots. This is all tossed with a handmade lime chili sea salt, garlic parmesan, and herbs. 

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Tacos are another top item on the truck. These are anything but traditional, with influences from Indian and Asian cuisines using different meats like pork, chicken, or fresh salmon.

“The tortilla is just a vessel to carry these amazing ingredients that we’ve come up with. It has this killer slaw that has Persian cucumbers,” said Vazquez.

Chef Vazquez and his rockin’ team invite you to enjoy a rock star experience from Rock Chef Rolls, located on the corner of Townsgate and Lakefield Road in Westlake Village every Friday.

For more information check out their website.