Once upon a time, New Jersey food trucks meant “grease trucks” slinging “fat sandwiches” to Rutgers students. But nowadays, New Jersey’s food trucks are as varied as our restaurants, and their food can be just as good. The best way to discover your future favorite is at one of the food-truck festivals around the state that are creating a new kind of destination dining.
New Jersey Monthly’s picky list of Jersey’s top food trucks was created with the help of our friend George Miller of Five Sisters Food Truck, who is called “the food truck Godfather” by what he calls the incredibly supportive food-truck community. The trucks on this list elevate the food-truck scene. “They’re all unique, and they work hard to provide Jerseyans with exceptional food and service, whether at a festival or private party,” he says.
In no particular order, here are New Jersey’s 11 most appealing food trucks. Follow them on social media to find their locations.
Twelve Truck
The intriguing name refers to 12 Filipino-American cousins who grew up together in Jersey City and talked about sharing a business someday. As adults, cousins Jeffrey Fama, a finance guy, and Joss Maglaqui, a French Culinary Institute-trained chef, were struck by the fact that New Jersey lacked a Filipino food truck. Their mission was set, and “ten more cousins wanted in,” says Fama. Twelve Truck hit the road serving up the extended family’s Filipino home cooking: pancit (stir-fried pork and rice noodles), lumpia (mini pork egg rolls), chicken or pork skewers, ube purple yam pudding and other treats. “We can get really creative with some of our recipes,” says Jeffrey. “Our chicken adobo poutine is original and irresistible.” Find Twelve Truck on Facebook and Instagram.
Beach Shack
Beach Shack’s Lou Esposito and kin in uniform. Photo: Courtesy of Beach Shack
Beach Shack’s Lou Esposito grew up working at his family’s pizzeria in Naples, Italy. (He was known as Luigi then.) “Espositos all cook,” he says. “My mom Carmela can pull off a dinner for 50 just like that.” Carrying on family tradition, Lou’s wife and two sons belong to the Beach Shack team. “This is a good life,” says Esposito. “Meeting people, hearing their stories and feeding them with consistently restaurant-quality dishes.” Top orders include lobster rolls, lobster quesadillas, Cuban sandwiches, garlic shrimp, coconut shrimp and loaded tater tots. Find Beach Shack on Facebook and Instagram.
The Chimney Cake Factory
Denes and Angelle Feher at work. Photo courtesy of the Chimney Cake Factory
Tubular chimney cake, a delectable Hungarian pastry popular in central and Eastern Europe, was unknown in New Jersey. Then Denes and Angella Feher came along from Transylvania, a part of Romania that is culturally Hungarian. “Traditionally, chimney cakes are hollow,” says Angella. “But we knew they’d be fantastic stuffed with ice cream.” That’s what the Fehers’ truck The Chimney Cake Factory sells, and lots of them. The cakes are baked with coatings like cinnamon, caramel or coconut, then filled with vanilla, chocolate, butter pecan or mint chip ice cream, and finally lavished with whipped cream. “It’s like a sundae, but wrapped in chimney-cake deliciousness,” says Angella. Find Chimney Cake Factory on Facebook.
Tacoholics
Tacoholics food truck’s partners, from left: Steven Bruno, Nicholas DeAngelo, Robert Bruno, Louis Raccuglia and Ryan Gazarek. Photo: Courtesy of Tacoholics
In 2016, after college, five friends from Brick Memorial High School launched their Tacoholics food truck. It was such a hit that Tacoholics now boasts five eat-in locations dubbed Tacoholics Grill (Red Bank, Brick, Toms River, Lanoka Harbor and Sea Girt). The buddies’ truck still rolls merrily along, serving adventurous tacos such as fried avocado, General Tso’s chicken and “crack BBQ” chicken, all drizzled with your choice of seven distinctive sauces. Not in a taco mood? Consider nachos, quesadillas, burritos and wraps. “The three of us owners wanted to work for ourselves,” says Tacoholics partner Nick DeAngelo. “A food truck made sense because we were passionate about tacos. It turned out that lots of other New Jerseyans are too.” Find Tacoholics on Facebook and Instagram.
Magic Mike’s Smoked Meat
Pro basketball preceded pro barbecue for Mike Nurse. Photo
courtesy of Magic Mike’s Smoked Meats
A former pro basketball player now known for his barbecue truck, “Magic Mike” Nurse played for nine years in European national leagues, retired at 31 and came home to Teaneck with his Australian wife, Kelleigh, and their two sons. “While working nine-to-five I got deep into smoking meat,” says Mike. “I left the job, bought a smoker trailer and started selling what I call ‘Teaneck-style barbecue’ and mac-and-cheese. People fell for it, and I started winning awards.” Mike upgraded to a truck with a mobile kitchen, and Kelleigh and older son Michael also pitch in. “We’re proud of our ribs, brisket and pulled pork,” Mike says. “It’s wood-smoked for four to six hours, with a deep spice rub and sauces that aren’t candy-sweet. This is real barbecue.” Find Magic Mike’s Smoked Meat on Instagram.
Shore Good Eats ‘n’ Treats
Shore Good’s royal family, from left: Stephen, Natalie and Steve Fahnholz. Photo: Courtesy of Shore Good Treats ‘n’ Eats
Shore Good Eats ‘n’ Treats trucks, run by Steve and Natalie Fahnholz and son Stephen, complement their Neptune City cafe of the same name. Says Steve: “Our trucks supply one-stop dining” on a slew of scratch-made specialties like grilled cheese (“real cheese with real flavor”), tacos, sliders, “loaded spiral butterfly fries” and more. Shore Good trucks’ unique offering is “gourmet egg rolls” in a daily rotation of a dozen varieties, with fillings ranging from Italian, Mexican, Chinese, and deli to dessert. “An egg roll wrapper is a thing of beauty,” says Steve. Find Shore Good Eats ‘n’ Treats on Facebook and Instagram.
L’Aquario Seafood
The L’Aquario famiglia: Giovanni and Kimberly Filippazzo and kids. Photo courtesy of L’Aquario Seafood
Monmouth County chef Giovanni Filippazzo’s “Italian-Greek family business is restaurants,” he says. “L’Aquario Seafood truck is my baby. Its focus is Italian-style seafood, which is ultra-fresh and cooked to order with a lot of amore.” L’Aquario’s temptations include marinated seafood salad, spicy shrimp arrabbiata, sweet and hot “bang bang” shrimp and a brawny steak-and-mozzarella sandwich. Four different lobster rolls (the Soprano, the Al Pacino, the Gambino and the Surf & Turf, topped with a hunk of skirt steak) showcase Jersey-caught lobster, which Giovanni promises “has an unforgettable, slightly sweeter flavor.” Find L’Aquario Seafood on Facebook and Instagram.
No Limits
The No Limits crew impresses every customer. Photo: Courtesy of No Limits Café
The No Limits truck is the rolling version of No Limits Café in Red Bank. Truck and café share a dual purpose: to serve memorable versions of classic American lunch food, and to prepare adults with intellectual disabilities for careers in the hospitality world. “Our truck is staffed by individuals who are discovering that they can excel at a job,” says program director Stephanie Cartier. “And they are showing that to the world.” No Limits Truck manager Matt Berkowitz agrees. “We give 100% and still try to do better,” he says. “That feels so good.” What’s great on the truck, besides the gracious service? Says Matt, “Our best-sellers are our gourmet grilled cheese, our burgers and our Cuban and brisket sandwiches. People love our cookies too.” There’s nothing not to love about the No Limits Cafe Truck. Find No Limits on Facebook.
Kiersten’s Creations Food Truck
Culinary Institute of America-trained pâtissier Kiersten Connor prefers her bakery truck to a restaurant kitchen. Photo Courtesy of Ashley Miller/Five Pines Photography
Not many pastry chefs graduate from the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in order to run a food truck. But Kiersten Connor broke the cookie mold. “I never aspired to the exhausting, competitive environment of a fancy restaurant kitchen,” she says. “My goal was always to bake for myself, my family and now, my customers. Baking makes me happy,” she says. Her whole family is involved in Kiersten’s Creations. Her dad built her first truck, in 2020. “My mom helps with parties and events I bake for. And it seems like everyone I know is at the new store,” she says. That’s the brick-and-mortar Kiersten’s Creations bakery in Point Pleasant, which sells cakes in addition to the truck menu of cookies, cupcakes, cheesecake, brownies and ice cream sandwiches. Kiersten also helms an ice-cream cart that’s hired for events. “I couldn’t be happier,” she says. “I’m my own boss, doing what I love amidst my family and making life a little sweeter for our customers.” Find Kiersten’s Creations on Facebook and Instagram.
The Mexi-Boys
The Mexi-Boys food truck can handle even the heartiest taco and burrito cravings. Photo: Courtesy of The Mexi-Boys
The eye-catchingly green Mexi-Boys truck is the brainchild of Eddie Rojas of Highland Park and Alex Sanchez of Kearny. “We put a fun, modern spin on the food you’d get from a taqueria or sidewalk cart in Mexico,” says Eddie. “And Alex is a professional chef who’s a genius at balancing traditional and nontraditional flavors.” The truck’s Mexizilla, an overstuffed quesadilla, is a balancing act between beef, chicken, fries, three Mexican cheeses and chunky salsa. Find the Mexi-Boys on Facebook and Instagram.
Five Sisters Food Co.
Five Sisters Food Co. is a family affair. Photo: Courtesy of Ashley Miller/Five Pines Photographyis a family affair. Photo: Courtesy of Ashley Miller/Five Pines Photography
And finally, George Miller, whose New Jersey food truck savvy helped us with this list, also makes it on here. His wife, Libby Miller grew up cooking, while George, a former fireman, realized his gift later. “I was the guy who made our food in the firehouse,” he says. “I got very good with a grill.” In 2013, the two decided to start a food truck. Their five daughters “were thrilled and continue to be,” says George. “They’d rather be on board that truck than anywhere. Five Sisters Food Co. has won dozens of local, statewide and national awards for standout dishes like hefty burgers with a secret meat blend and luscious toppings, often ordered with “insanely loaded fries,” says George. Find Five Sisters Food Co. on Facebook and Instagram.
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