Savvy parents, babysitters, and nannies know the best way to please picky eaters is by offering a variety of enticing choices. Whether your charge is craving something savory or sweet, from exotic eats to everyday favorites, there is no shortage of options on the food truck front in Cleveland. You won’t be left out in the cold when the summer festival season wraps up, either. Spending a quarter of the year in frigid temps, many of Northeast Ohio’s mobile food sellers have found creative outposts for year-round operations, from pop-up events to partnerships with brick-and-mortar businesses.
From May to September, Walnut Wednesday is a midweek treat in Downtown Cleveland that takes place around the urban green space alongside Perk Plaza at Chester Commons. The last Wednesday of each month features a lineup of the area’s favorite food trucks chosen by customer votes. The Street Food Finder app is a helpful guide for finding a schedule of food trucks operating near you, 365 days a year.
Betty’s Bomb A** Burgers
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You’ll recognize the Betty’s Bomb A** Burgers food truck from afar with its silver body and a toothy shark grinning on the front end. The WWII-themed pinup girls riding torpedoes emblazoned on either side are a nod to the all-girl crew churning out the two-handed sandwiches built for sharing and made with inventive recipes that are miles away from your typical burger. Even those who don’t eat meat will be pleased with menu items like the Heinkel — a grilled portobello mushroom topped with caramelized onions, Lucky Penny goat cheese, tomato confit, lettuce, and basil aioli; or the Sea-Night — a jumbo lump crab cake slathered in remoulade sauce, caramelized onions, and shaved lettuce.
DonutLab
Launched as Cleveland’s first mini-doughnut kitchen where silver-dollar-sized desserts are made to order in a microsized pull trailer, DonutLab has grown its fleet to include a full-sized food truck. You can peep at the production process through the front window as batter is dispensed into a channel of scalding oil and eight fresh donuts float down to a draining basket before getting tossed in powdered sugar or a cinnamon-sugar blend. Although you’ll likely be awaiting your order in a long line, this production comes with lots of free Smell-o-Vision. And the aroma is as enjoyable as the show. Smashed-fruit lemonade, doughnut parfaits, and doughnuts topped with local ingredients round out the menu.
Fahrenheit’s ShortRib1
This mobile extension of Chef Rocco Whalen’s acclaimed Fahrenheit in Tremont, ShortRib1 serves interpretations of the restaurant’s comfort food and dishes inspired by Asia, Italy, and Latin America. Favorites like Cleveland cheesesteaks, topped with truffled goat cheese and caramelized onions, and teriyaki lo mein with edamame, bok choy, roasted mushrooms, and scallions are a couple of the inventive options you’ll encounter at a food truck event or when planning your menu for a private catering engagement. Follow the ShortRib1 Facebook page linked above for updates on locations and hours of operation.
Hatfield’s Goode Grub
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The demand for Hatfield’s GOODE GRUB was such that its proprietors opened a Lorain Avenue location in the Kamm’s Corner neighborhood with walk-up ordering six days a week. The food truck can be found around town throughout the year, making daily appearances during the high-demand summer months. Online reviewers rave about the Hillbilly Philly, a marriage of barbecue sandwich and cheesesteak, stuffed in a tortilla wrap and finished on the grill. Catering menus can be customized to your event with spreads like pig roasts and hamburger bars.
The Proper Pig Smokehouse
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Building a fanbase for its Texas-style barbecue since 2014 as a food truck vendor at the Cleveland Flea and Walnut Wednesday, the Proper Pig Smokehouse has since opened a pair of family-friendly brick-and-mortar locations in Lakewood and Mentor. Creative menu items like bacon on a stick, potato salad made with local Stadium Mustard and Texas-sized sandwiches “The Lake Erie Crusher” and “The Proper Slopper” have made this truck a favorite for all ages. In August 2017, the Proper Pig Smokehouse was one of four mobile restaurants selected to participate in the food truck alley at the bustling Scene 75 Entertainment Center in Brunswick.
Seti’s Polish Boys
Andrew Zimmerman and Michael Symon have both featured Seti’s Polish Boys on their respective food TV programs. At Seti’s, quarter-pound smoked beef polish sausages are slow grilled, then deep fried and topped with condiments like chili, mustard, and onions, or the house special “Best Polish Boy” and finished with slaw, fries, and barbecue sauce. Seti’s promises the food truck trifecta: fast service, generous portions, and reasonable prices. You can typically find the Seti’s Polish truck parked at Parked at 42nd Street and Lorain Avenue Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Swensons Food Truck
Are you ready? We are! #ALLin216 #swensons #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/AB94eXzCBd
— Swensons Drive-In (@SwensonsDriveIn) June 10, 2016
Swensons Drive-In Restaurants are a Northeast Ohio original institution, serving famous double-decker burgers since opening in Akron in 1934. Though Seven Hills is their closest outpost to the Cleveland city center, their Galley Boy sandwich, smothered with two special sauces, became a fan favorite at downtown events during the Cavs championship series, thanks to regular appearances by the food truck.
Tony’s Truckstop
The menu board at Tony’s Truckstop boasts a melange of items, unified not by a common cultural influence but by the reaction each recipe evokes: a satisfied grin. Tony’s motto, “Food that makes you smile,” is realized by way of two-pound “caveman” turkey drumsticks wrapped in bacon and sandwiches filled with smoked meats like bologna, ham, pork roast, or kielbasa (and kraut). Menus are posted in advance of events on the Tony’s Truckstop Facebook page linked above.
Touch Supper Truck
Walnut Wednesday today! Vote for us for fan favorite week! https://t.co/WJM06pW84r @DowntownCLE pic.twitter.com/ChVB736sHt
— Touch Supper Club (@TouchSupperClub) May 17, 2017
Touch Supper Truck makes a regular appearance every third Friday of the month at the kid-friendly 78th Street Studios, where dozens of the 60+ businesses inside the warehouse-turned-“art maze” open their doors from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Look for the red and orange truck decked out with flames and a trio of anime girls. Kimchi fries, banh mi sandwiches, and Korean braised beef tacos are a few of the Asian-inspired highlights on a menu laden with comfort foods like mac and cheese and pierogi. At a modest $10, the lobster roll is an indulgence that won’t break the bank.
Wok N Roll Food Truck
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More than 20,000 locals look to the CLEfoodies account on Instagram (linked above) for Tricia McCune’s recommendations about delicacies in Cleveland. There, she showcases dishes from her home kitchen, popular restaurants, and eateries off the beaten path. Followers can satisfy their virtual cravings in the real world by visiting the food truck she and her husband, chef Matt Bolam, opened in 2014 to create approachable dishes inspired by Vietnamese and Korean cuisine. Bibimbap, banh mi, Korean poutine, and Yunnanese noodles can be customized with your choice of protein. Make it a multi-course meal with snacks and sweets like crab rangoons, almond cookies, and angel wings — deep-fried wontons dredged in cinnamon sugar. Craft beverages include a refreshing hibiscus berry soda. When the truck is parked, you can find McCune and Bolam at the Side Quest in Lakewood on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. This 21+ venue is a perfect place for a quirky date night for mom and dad.
