Summer’s here and rolling restaurants are making the rounds. In addition to local favorites, national brands, a mobile bar and carts catering to canines, here are five new food and beverage trucks you’ll want to track.
By the Wayside Coffee
Have a cup of (G.I.) Joe! This camouflaged coffee truck doesn’t just sell hot and cold beverages. It assists veterans. Mother-and-daughter owners Jaime and Abbey Dean buy supplies from vet-owned roasters and donate 10 percent of their earnings to five non-profit partners: Community Care for Military, Fleece Connection, Operation Strong Mind, Outdoor Immersion and Yellow Ribbon Girls. By the Wayside – a reference to where enlisted men and women get their caffeine-fix during breaks in fighting – also gives active-military members free regular coffees or 50-percent off specialty drinks such lattes and smoothies. And their drinks are delicious.
This retro-style trailer is equipped with a wood-burning oven that cooks pizzas to perfection. From plain to Margarita-style, each pie is scratch-made with 100-percent organic flour. And you know what pairs well with pizza? Beer! Throughout the year you can find Campfired parked outside of Lawrenceville’s Roundabout Brewery on the first and third Sundays of each month. And they’re at Hitchhiker Brewing Co. in Sharpsburg on the second and fourth Sundays. Top off your meal with signature s’mores to be a really happy camper.
Order a mountain of authentic Tanzanian food made by native Grace Mbowe. Named after Africa’s highest peak, the eatery specializes in beef skewers, flatbreads, rice and veggie dishes, along with samosas (deep-fried pastries stuffed with savory filling). Meals are made with colorful ingredients so snap a picture of your plate before you chow down.
Mt. Lebanon’s popular Totopo Mexican Kitchen & Bar is now mobile. The food truck made its debut on Memorial Day, dishing out spicy, south-of-the-border cuisine to the masses. Grab tacos, burritos, quesadillas and, of course, totopos — which means tortilla chips in the Aztec language Nahuatl.
The ‘burgh’s first bubble tea truck burst onto the scene in April. Based in New York City with four-wheeled and stationary locations across the globe, Kung Fu Tea specializes in boba, a Taiwanese beverage typically mixed with milk or fruits and topped with chewy tapioca balls. Customers can order classic brew, punch, milk tea or slush, and can customize the drink based on toppings, as well as amounts of sugar and ice.
Have we mentioned your favorite food trucks? Leave your recommendations in the comments below or on our Facebook page.
