UNION, NJ — “I love food!” declared Isabella Villanueba.
The Union resident was waiting for a strawberry/banana/Nutella crepe from Batter Me Up. “I’m here every Thursday,” the young foodie offered. It was hard for her to say which truck is her favorite. She said, “It’s so hard to choose. I really like the lobster dogs and the shrimp dogs (from The Green Dog Mobile). The whole environment is so open and fun. It’s so nice.”
Food Truck Thursdays is offered on Thursdays through May 30, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., at the Town Hall front parking lot, 1976 Morris Ave. Several trucks feature a variety of foods, including vegan options.
Genaro Ticona, also from Union, favors tacos from The Box Mobile. He came with his family and said, “Thursday is the day we treat ourselves.”
Maria Pinhancos, another Union resident, said, “I love food trucks. It’s good they have it in town. I treat myself once a month. I’m always looking for food trucks on my way home from work. I love the variety.”
Marsha and Kelvin Arrington, who own the Green Dog Mobile, started their truck as a second career. “I was always a foodie,” Marsha said. Their truck features lobster dogs, crab dogs, shrimp dogs, southern baked mac ‘n’ cheese and lobster bisque soup. “We have a great client appeal,” Marsha said. “We’re generous. We’re always nice and friendly. We have cheaper prices. Our lobster dogs are cheaper than lobster rolls.” Served with warm butter, their lobster dog is their No. 1 best seller.
David Gray, owner of Gray’s Area Grille, has been cooking for decades as a chef. The Vauxhall resident offers smoked beef brisket and other smoked barbecue entrees, including sides such as vegetarian baked beans, collard greens and homemade banana pudding.
“My passion is for my product,” he said. “Dad taught me to smoke food when I was a kid. He did fish fries for the family and local bars and restaurants. Mom made breakfast, omelets and quiche.”
Johnny P. is the owner of Latin Bites. He has five trucks, with two in stationary locations — Woodbridge and South River — one in Hazlet, one in Roselle Park and a floater truck without a location. He said the focus is on very traditional dishes and the Pernil rice dish is his best seller.
MikeMakesGrill, owned by Mike Tangoria, offers a wide variety of foods. Their big seller is the Marty McFry, which is similar to a Big Mac; and the Chicken Chipotle Cheese Steak.
While Tangoria feels they have their own little niche with MikeMakesGrill, he also likes everyone else’s food at the other trucks.
Urban Burger is a brick and mortar established 2013 in Cranford. Owner, Ricot Jean Baptiste decided to “take the show on the road and expose what we do.”
They have the traditional Urban Burger, which has grilled onions, Swiss cheese and urban “special” house red sauce. Then there’s the Biggie Smalls, influenced by the hip-hop artist of the same name. It’s a double patty with American cheese, dill pickles, chopped onions, mustard and ketchup. Vegan options are also available, such as the Impossible Burger.
Peter Ferreyra, owner of The Box Mobile Catering, said, “Not too many people are doing Argentine-based sandwiches.” Ferreyra is originally from Queens, was raised in Elizabeth and lives in Hillside. It’s his third year in business.
Originally in the hotel industry, Ferreyra lost his job during the pandemic, so he started his own business.
Big John’s Gourmet Burgers is owned by Jonathan Anderson. His burgers are 7 ounces and cooked with cumin. “That’s what makes my burgers unique,” he said. “They’re big. You need two hands (to eat them).” There’s also a Deluxe Vegan Burger with lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle. Sides include crinkle cut French fries and onion rings.
This is the fourth year Anderson is doing Food Truck Thursdays. The Plainfield resident was an information technology person for 25 years, working at Time magazine. When he saw the food trucks outside in New York City, he thought to himself, “These guys are probably making more money than me.”
Time downsized in 2016 and Anderson lost his job. He was 51-years-old at the time and said, “I’m gonna do my own thing.”
Photos by Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta