Food trucks were once mostly limited to hot dog stands in New York City. But these days, you can score delicious meals on wheels all across Long Island. While some are serving casual fare, others have gone more upmarket. And even the comfort-fare types have put creative twists on classics, like pizza with bleu cheese and delectable lobster sliders.
Food trucks have come up big in clutch situations, like when cheese and crackers just won’t cut it while you’re imbibing at a winery or brewery. And many of them are available to rent for private events, upping the ante on backyard parties that have become a hallmark of Long Island summers.
From a truck that offers cigars and bourbon to another serving up a taste of the Caribbean, these are some of our favorite Long Island food trucks.
The Long Island Airstream Experience
This food truck service is something of a chameleon and boasts several different options for a buzz-worthy Long Island affair. The themes are catered to adults and include a Cuban cigar and bourbon experience, wine and cheese, boozy brunch, tacos and tequila and beer and burgers. Depending on the option you choose, you’ll get local imbibers like North Fork wines or Long Island craft beers, along with delectable eats like rich cheeses or artisan burgers.
When life calls for a burger, call Billie Jeans. The restaurant on wheels serves up notable, juicy patties. There are the traditional classic and veggie burgers. Hungry folks can also find more creative options like the drunken sailor (beer-soaked onions, jalapeños and cheddar) and the bleu bayou (bleu cheese, red onion and mayo). Appetizers like beer-battered onion rings and fried pickles are made for sharing — but you likely won’t want to. This food truck can be found at Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard on the weekends and Pat & Don’s Pumpkin Patch Farm Stand on Sills Road in Yaphank from Tuesday through Friday.
This pizza parlor on wheels is based in Greenport and available for private events, is brought to you by the same team behind 1943 Pizza Bar and Brix & Rye. It’s become an East End favorite over the year for its wood-fired pizza pies that cook in three minutes tops. Owner Matt Michel grows the organic tomatoes used to make the sauces, and the truck sources local ingredients where possible. The results? Pizza that tastes like pure heaven. Aside from the traditional cheese and pepperoni pies, guests have a range of more creative options. Up the ante on your “cheat day” by offering a mashed potato and bacon pizza or celebrate East End summer with a fresh corn topping.
This truck, parked on the grounds of famed local restaurant North Fork Table & Inn, provides a high-end picnic vibe under chef de cuisine Steven Barrantes. Think starters like corn chowder and asparagus and Shiitake mushrooms. People will also find two lobster rolls: The CT Lobby Roll served hot with drawn butter and a ME Lobby Roll served cold and with mayo and fennel-sea salt. Dessert is also on the menu and includes vanilla ice cream and chocolate chip or lemon thyme cookies.
This Caribbean food truck can usually be found on Straight Path in West Babylon, but it can also come to you — and will bring vibes from a different kind of island with them. Popular choices include a moist, flavorful jerk chicken, fried dumplings, “Rasta Rasta” with shrimp or chicken and coconut milk and baked macaroni and cheese with optional (but highly recommended) jerk bacon.
This food truck is a welcome guest at weddings and backyard soirees. Its menu includes multiple burgers with grass-fed beef patties topped with everything from Swiss cheese to a vegan yogurt sauce. There’s also an array of tacos and creative appetizers, including bacon-wrapped asparagus and deviled eggs.
Pizza is something of its own food group on Long Island, and Vincent’s Pizza Trailer serves pies that love up to the region’s reputation. There are traditional pies like meatball, pepperoni and cheese, but there are also creative wood-fired specialties. The Suffolk is game-day on a slice of pizza. It boasts creamy bleu cheese, buffalo bites and mozzarella. Not to be outdone, The Nassau is topped with a gooey melted cheddar Jack cheese and chunky chicken bites. Guests can also build their own. Vincent’s is usually stationed at The Old World Gym in East Setauket.
The popular Mattituck restaurant brings the fiesta to local events like Strawberry Festival, weddings and backyard bashes. The tacos are small but flavorful, and options include seafood, steak and chicken. Appetizers include sweet plantains and chips. You can find this popular food truck outside tasting rooms and wineries like Cory Creek Tap Room in Southold and farms like Sylvester Manor on Shelter Island.
This food truck is based in Nassau but has been known to pop up at North Fork vineyards like Palmer and Clovis Point. And it’s not serving your typical food truck, comfort-food fare. The truck puts a more upscale twist on mobile dining with lobster sliders, shrimp cocktail and a Greek yogurt parfait topped with dried cherries, granola and pistachios.
This bright yellow truck is a fixture at Six Harbors Brewing Co. in Huntington and also makes its rounds to local backyards. The giant Park Ave pretzel pairs perfectly with a local brew, as do unpretentious offerings like chicken and cheese quesadillas, steak skewers and wings.
