Food happiness on wheels! Greater Lafayette Food Trucks are bringing culinary joy to all! The Lafayette – West Lafayette area is home to over 25 food trucks and it seems like more pop up every week. Ashley Gregory has had the opportunity to taste many of the local food truck specialties and shares this blog about her family's experience. Enjoy!
- EMT Food Truck is a vegetarian truck! They also have vegan and some gluten free options available. The whole family loves the Triple M Sandwich which is a Mac and Cheese stuffed grilled cheese with munster cheese, sharp cheddar spread grilled between their signature waffles and served with a side of the secret munchie sauce. (OMG! You have to have the munchie sauce!) We usually try to catch up with EMT at the West Lafayette Farmers Market on Wednesday afternoons/ evenings and we also really love the market salad! It’s always made with fresh seasonal ingredients, with several of the items in the salad sourced from other vendors at the the market! Many times, there are things I would never think of putting on a salad (like asparagus, butternut squash, pears, etc.) but really love once I try them! The flavors always meld so well together! The salad dressing is always delicious as well.
EMT Food Truck
- El Mata Antojos serves authentic Mexican Food. I love that they offer a salad option. I like their Mexi-Salad with steak but my favorite is when they have shrimp as a protein option! It's only offered occasionally. You don’t see shrimp or salads very often at a food truck in our community! Their Mexi Salad is my go-to every time. It has lettuce, beans, cheese, onion, cilantro, tomato, sour cream, jalapenos, and guacamole and then you can add your choice of meat. Tacos are my kid’s favorites, American style of course for their picky palates.
- Rollin in Dough Pizza is your go to food truck spot for pizza. Their specialty pizzas are wood fired which provides so much flavor and a delightful crispy crust. Best part they are ready in about 6 minutes! Amazing!
- Eddie Joe’s Icehouse has amazing pulled pork! I love it on their Pulled Pork Nachos best! It seems crazy but my absolute favorite from this truck are their sweet potato muffins! I had never had anything like them before. They are sweet, nutty, and more amazing with the sweet cinnamon butter that instantly melts on the warm muffin! MMMM! It's the perfect side to the slightly spicy BBQ. If you love the truck, be sure to visit Eddie Joe’s restaurant in West Point.
- Puritan Coney Island Express is simple but really good! If you are wanting a hot dog, we recommend this truck! They also have BBQ Sandwiches and nachos. My family likes their BBQ Hot Dogs and Walking tacos! Nothing fancy but great food! Very kid friendly. Having simpler items makes this food truck one of the fastest too which is great when you have hungry kids!
- LKora Fast Food Truck is another great option for Mexican food. They have delightful tacos, burritos, quesadillas, tortas and tostadas with your choice of meat. I love their tostadas, something you don’t typically see on a food truck in our area. You can typically catch this food truck at the West Lafayette Farmers Market too. If you are craving Mexican food, you won’t be disappointed!
LKora Fast Food Truck
- YurBurger is a smash burger truck! They currently offer Smashburgers (in different sizes), fries and lemonade and wow, they are all amazing. The burger is perfectly seasoned, but not with any overwhelming flavors, the fries use real potatoes that are hand cut and the lemonade has squeezed lemons! They focus on freshness and the flavors! You can find this truck at Wea Creek Orchard on Saturdays during the summer months as well as out on the road.
- Black Dog Barbecue has the most amazing smoked turkey and brisket! My three year old gobbles up the turkey every time! And any one who has been around kids knows how hard it can be to get them to eat different things. We love the brisket as well! It is so tender it falls apart with a PLASTIC fork! Amazing! And talk about flavor! It's fantastic! The meats come with a barbecue sauce that is slightly sweet and delicious, but honestly you don't really need it at all, the meat is flavorful enough and not dry at all. We used the sauce anyway because... well, we LOVE sauce. Their sides are awesome too! The pit beans have bits of the brisket in them and are smokey but sweet! They are in my opinion the perfect baked beans. The coleslaw is creamy and crunchy with just a slight bit of tang. The orzo pasta salad with vegetables offers a different option for a slight twist. My mouth is watering just thinking about this.... where are they today?
- Brown’s Sugared Donuts is another sweet truck we love! There are only two options, cinnamon sugar, or powdered sugar donuts, so uncomplicated but so delicious! We love getting the bucket of the mini donuts and sharing with the family! I’m not sure if I can pick a favorite. The cinnamon sugar is like eating an elephant ear… one of my favorite things, but the powdered sugar is great too! You will just have to try them to see. Either way, be sure to get lots of napkins! They can be messy! That makes them even better though I think!
- Bonus: Now I couldn’t end the list of favorites without including the Kona Ice Truck. My kids LOVE when it comes through our neighborhood! They know immediately by the music it plays that it is coming, and we have to stop what we are doing and go wave it down. If we see it out somewhere they are sure to spot it! They love that they get to choose their flavors and put it on themselves. They do come up with some concoctions, but they always eat it. It is such a nice refreshing treat on a hot summer day…and we are sure to eat it outside! Have you ever tried to get that syrup out of carpet?!?! Not fun!
Kona Ice
- Double Bonus: Gypsy Joe Coffee Shop. I am not a coffee drinker so my co-worker Sara shared her love for this coffee truck. Sara shares, "We love Gypsy Joe's! Need a quick pick me up in the morning, this is the place to follow on social and find her truck! Our family worked with Gypsy Joe herself to provide coffee for our daughter's elementary school. She was wonderful! The teachers absolutely loved the coffee. And for non-coffee drinkers, Gypsy Joe's offers lemonade, tea, hot chocolate and treats. Be sure to follow her truck on social as well as she creates homemade cocoa bombs. YUM!"
Gypsy Joe's
This is a sampling of all the delicious food trucks in the area. Click here for a complete list and share with us your favorite trucks on social! Tag #homeofpurdue!
