The food truck phenomenon just keeps rolling along in southern Maine.
Food trucks are an ideal summer dining option. They offer a huge variety of cuisines and can be found wherever people go in summer, including busy downtowns, near beaches and parks, or at other scenic spots.
And even if you feel like you’ve been to them all, you’ll be able to find several new trucks operating from York County to Brunswick this summer. The new trucks are serving up farm-raised chicken and lamb, chicken sandwiches, steamed buns and rice bowls, empanadas, Thai-style fried chicken, tacos, smoked meats, burgers and more.
The total number of food trucks cruising around southern Maine is at least 80, but probably more. Portland is reporting 46 licensed food trucks, while Brunswick has issued 14 licenses, and the Congdon’s After Dark food truck park in Wells is hosting 25 trucks this summer.
Pat Bond and Sean Walley are running the new Black Salt food truck. Photo courtesy of Black Salt
Portland has seven trucks so far licensed to park in the Cutter Street lot on the Eastern Promenade and three licensed to park in the Amethyst Lot off Thames Street on the waterfront, while the rest will be in various spots around the city. Portland didn’t even allow food trucks until 2013. The Congdon’s food truck park opened in 2017, and the number of mobile food options in Maine has been growing ever since.
Below, we’ll highlight some of the new Maine food trucks, what they serve, and where to find them.
Bizibuns is a new truck that will park Tuesday through Saturday on the Town Mall along Brunswick’s Maine Street but will pop up at other spots as well. The menu includes steamed bao buns with a variety of fillings, as well as ramen and rice bowls. Owner Bijan Eslami is from Iran and most recently was a chef at the Asian-inspired Jing Yan in Portland. He says his new food truck will combine ingredients and dishes from both his own background and his years of cooking in restaurants. The truck will begin operating May 30. For more information, go to bizibuns on Instagram.
Bizibuns will be selling buns and rice bowls in Brunswick. Photo courtesy of Bizibuns.
Black Salt opened for business May 7 at Root Wild Kombucha in Portland and will be making regular rounds at other Portland breweries or distilleries, including Definitive Brewing, Bunker Brewing and Lone Pine Brewing. The truck is being run by Pat Bond and Sean Walley and will focus on “elevated cooking with healthy ingredients.” The menu includes “elevated” fried chicken sandwiches with names like the Hot Honey Bird, Seoul Bird and Bronx Bird. There are also hand-cut fries topped with black salt, and black salt brownies for dessert. For more information, go to blacksalt.dining on Instagram.
Crispy Gai is a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Portland’s Old Port that now has a food truck, which began serving in May. The truck’s specialty will be Thai fried chicken wings and some sides. The truck is booked at the Summer Sunset events at Thompson’s Point on the Fore River in Portland on Thursday and Friday nights this summer. But it may also do some pop-ups and park at some local breweries. For more information and scheduled stops, go to crispygai on Instagram.
The Black Salt food truck is selling an “elevated” chicken sandwich. Photo courtesy of Black Salt
Terra Firma is a trailer that serves food raised at an organic farm of the same name in Acton. The menu includes kabobs of farm-raised chicken and lamb, plus burgers made from beef from a nearby farm, as well as hand-cut potato chips and fries. The truck parks at some Portland breweries, including Austin Street Brewery and Definitive Brewing, as well as at Saco River Brewing in Fryeburg. For more information, go to terrafirmaactonme on Facebook.
Meet on the Street is a food cart that started last year and is upgrading to a truck in the next month or so. Focusing on smoked meats, fish and vegetables, the cart and truck serves tacos, rice bowls, sandwiches and dips around Greater Portland. It makes stops at several Portland-area breweries, including Definitive, Mast Landing and Belleflower, as well as other businesses and events. For more information and a three-week schedule, go to meetonthestreetmaine.com.
Empanada Club started with a table and a tent in 2018 but is upgrading this year to a food trailer. The trailer will focus on hand-crafted empanadas in four flavors – cheese, chicken, chorizo, and beef and onion – plus its signature carrot salsa. Places you can find them include area farmers markets and the Congdon’s After Dark food truck park in Wells. For more information, go to empanada_club on Instagram.
The Rollin’ Rooster will be selling fried chicken at Congdon’s After Dark in Wells this summer. Photo courtesy of The Rollin’ Rooster.
Congdon’s After Dark, the food truck park in the parking lot of Congdon’s Doughnuts in Wells, has become such an attraction that trucks are coming from out of state. One of the trucks that will be new to Mainers at the park this year is The Rollin’ Rooster, from Rutland, Vermont. The focus is on “cluckin’ awesome fried chicken.” For more information, go to Rollin Rooster on Facebook. Congdon’s After Dark opens for the season Thursday. For more information and a schedule of food trucks on specific days, go to cadfoodtrucks.com.
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