Food on wheels

Food trucks

The presence of food trucks and trailers has been on a steady increase in New Hampshire over the last few years — and provides great opportunities for socially distanced catering. Here are nine of the best locally based food trucks and trailers.

1. B’S TACOS

Londonderry, nhtacotruck.com Ken Spilman originally established B’s Tacos in 2013 as a side hustle before later taking on the venture full-time. B’s Tacos offers a menu of fresh TexMex options like tacos, burritos and rice bowls prepared using family recipes. Spilman kicked off his ninth season on Cinco de Mayo — you can find the B’s Tacos trailer outside the BP Gas Station (2 Mohawk Drive, Londonderry) every Tuesday through Saturday through about October. A second truck regularly appears at several locations across New Hampshire. In January 2021, B’s Tacos opened a year-round restaurant, its first brick and mortar location, on Manchester’s West Side. In the Hippo’s Best of 2021 readers poll, B’s Tacos was also named in the Best Tacos category.

2. UP IN YOUR GRILL

Merrimack, 493-3191, upinyourgrill.com Dan DeCourcey was an award-winning competitive barbecuer before launching Up In Your Grill, a trailer specializing in smoked meats like brisket, pulled pork and pulled chicken, often available as either sandwiches or combo plates with sides like seasoned fries and coleslaw. When he’s not catering for an event, DeCourcey’s trailer can often be found in the parking lot of Vault Motor Storage (526 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack) — the dates and times vary but are regularly updated week-to-week on Facebook.

3. SMOKE N’ BUTTS BBQ

Candia, 714-8258, smokenbuttsbbq.com Smoke N’ Butts BBQ was born when Joe Lapietro watched a man build a smoker out of a file cabinet on the reality-documentary series Alaskan Bush People and was immediately inspired to cook his own smoked meats. Today he offers local pickup at The Farmer’s Wife (20 Main St., Candia) most Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., serving items like seasoned pork spare ribs, and beef brisket and pulled pork available as tacos, burritos, sandwiches or plates.

4. THE HUNGRY CATERPILLAR

Hampstead, gearyfarmsnh.squarespace.com/foodtruck Christy and Nick Ortins of Geary Farms in Chester launched The Hungry Caterpillar, a plant-based comfort food truck, in June 2020. You’ll find items like hand-breaded fried cauliflower bites (available plain, barbecue or Buffalo), black bean veggie burgers, hand-cut fries, fried zucchini and summer squash and a breaded seitan sandwich with lettuce, tomato and plant-based mayo called the “Patty Mayonnaise.” The Hungry Caterpillar regularly posts its whereabouts on social media but is most often found in the parking lot of Hampstead Health & Fitness (45 Danville Road, E. Hampstead) every Wednesday through Saturday.

5. THE FOOD ABIDES

401-7020, find them on Facebook @thefoodabidestruck New to the food truck scene last year, The Food Abides is named after the famous quote “the dude abides,” from the ’90s film The Big Lebowski. Former Umami Farm Fresh Cafe chefs Patrick Harris and Max G. Dowling parked the truck at several local craft breweries over the summer for pop-up menus that included all kinds of themed items and creative takes on sandwiches, tacos and salads. The Food Abides is due to make a return this summer — follow them on social media for updates.

6. MESSY MIKE’S BARBECUE & CATERING CO.

Derry, messymikesbarbecue.com Barbecue caterer Michael “Messy Mike” Massiglia launched this 30-foot mobile food trailer in September 2020. You can find him in the parking lot of Rockingham Acres Greenhouse (161 Rockingham Road, Derry) most Thursdays through Sundays, serving up various meats by the pound, from dry-rubbed wings to pulled pork, pulled chicken and beef brisket, plus half or full rack St. Louis-style ribs, sandwiches and fresh sides. Massiglia also makes his own bottled hot and regular barbecue sauces, which are available for sale online and on some local store shelves.

7. TACO TIME

Milford, 554-1424, tacotimenh.com Rosana Vargas and her husband, Reymundo “Rey,” launched Taco Time, a trailer specializing in authentic Mexican options like tacos, quesadillas, burritos, burrito bowls and nachos, in 2018. Since then, Taco Time has expanded into a brick and mortar restaurant at 11 Wilton Road in Milford, which opened in January 2021. Now known as Taco Time Cocina & Cantina Mexicana, the eatery offers an expanded menu that now also includes specialty plates, desserts and a full line of margaritas and other craft cocktails.

8. PRESSED FOR TIME MOBILE CAFE

Derry, pressedfortimecoffee.com Pressed for Time was launched in December 2018, after owner and founder Eddie Sargent became inspired when visiting several small cafes during a trip to Paris, France. The small trailer specializes in fresh coffees and espresso drinks, plus customizable breakfast sandwiches that can be ordered on bagels, English muffins, croissants or Texas toast. You can find them at Seacoast Sport Cycle (129 Rockingham Road, Derry) most Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, beginning at 6 a.m., and Saturdays and Sundays, beginning at 7:30 or 8 a.m., and until the late morning or early afternoon, depending on the day.

9. GRIND AWAY MOBILE CAFE

Derry, thegrindnh.com Brought to you by the owners of The Grind Rail Trail Cafe in downtown Derry, this refurbished 1958 Fan travel trailer appears at local breweries, vineyards and other businesses in the Granite State and is also available to reserve for private functions, offering a menu of “consciously crafted bites and beverages,” from coffees and pastries to toasts, bowls and sandwiches.