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Irish Examiner

Keep on truckin': Where to find Ireland's best food trucks and street food options

As shockingly high summer temperatures seem to become the norm across mainland Europe, the Irish summer staycation takes on a whole new level of allure. In many ways, we are blessed, for Ireland is a world class tourist destination but there is no denying that holidaying here can take a toll on the wallet — especially if with a young family in tow and there are times when you'd be better off herding cats than trying to corral a bunch of young 'uns into a packed restaurant. This is where the casual dining of food trucks and street food outlets really comes into its own. Food trucks and street food stalls are the epitome of casual dining but it is worth focusing on the 'casual' aspect for a moment and learning a few handy tips if you aim to include them in your holiday dining plans. The daily commercial life of a food truck operator can be very precarious. With no booking systems and often at the vagaries of the weather, an operator can prep for a busy day and return to base with the bulk of it. A single bad weather day can wipe out a food truck's profits for a whole week. This means many choose to supplement their income with catering jobs or private dining gigs, and sometimes these gigs clash with what is supposed to be a trading day in a regular location. Or some days a trader just wakes up with the mother of all flus and can't get out of bed, with no one to cover for them. It can be deeply frustrating to go to the effort of travelling to a particular location to find the food truck failed to show though it is generally a rare occurrence — food trucks value their customers just as much as fixed restaurants do and hate letting them down, especially regulars. So, if you are planning on visiting a particular food truck, take a minute on your smartphone to ensure they will actually be there. As is obvious from all the Instagram handles over website URLs below, most have active social media presences, valuing the immediacy of connection with their dining public — often using it to confirm the day before that they will be at a regular pitch and will sometimes even answer direct queries. Many post weekly changing menus if the offer varies. Also, keep in mind, it may be casual dining but it is not 'fast food'; these aren't burger franchises churning out meals 24 hours a day. A food truck has a finite output and it is not unusual for the more popular ones to sell out early — plan accordingly and arrive in plenty of time. As Enid Blyton's Famous Five were want to declare over tongue sandwiches, fruit cake, and endless bottles of ginger beer, 'food always seems to taste better outdoors'. Insufferable though they were, I've never disagreed. And if you happen to be in a glorious location, even as rain pelts down, dining on a lobster roll from Julia's Lobster Truck while drinking in the Burren scenery, or eating fresh fish from Murphy's Dursey Deli while building up the courage to take the cable car over Dursey sound … well, that's just about the finest sauce of all. CORK Caitlin Ruth: Cork's culinary genius. Caitlin Ruth One of Ireland's finest food trucks, popping up all over West Cork, including 'residencies' delivering extraordinary and uniquely original menus, as the best local produce encounters Ruth's culinary genius — eg purple rain potatoes tater tots, pineappleweed, and jalapeno jam. Instagram: @caitlinruthfood Ceapairí, The Gourmet Grill, Ballydehob Simon Kershaw's toasties are the best I've eaten in Ireland and his new stall is equally magnificent, using his own 48-hour sourdough bread to make Reubens, Cubanos, and, veggie options — eg his Crown Prince squash special. Instagram: @ceapairi_the_gourmet_grill The Spice Genie Battle of the Food Trucks winner Chris Braganza's delivery of authentic and delicious dishes from his native Goa is further elevated by his mother's own fresh spice mixes. Look for dosas — recently with potato, sweet corn masala, coconut chutney — lovely samosas, beef masala, and vegan lentil potato sambar masala. Instagram: @spice_genie The Curly Stu, Cork The Curly Stu My contender for some of Ireland's best pizzas, all delivered from a tiny horse box with souped-up Gozney ovens. Stuart Bowes' ingredient sourcing and advance prep — 48-hour fermented dough — makes all the difference to his stunning pizzas, classic recipes, and specials alike. Instagram: @thecurlystu Murphy's Dursey Deli Incredible mainland location alongside the Dursey cable car meant serving seafood was a no-brainer, especially when it is fresh, local fish from Castletownbere. Fresh hake, monkfish, or haddock with chips, and a large menu of alternatives for non-fish people, including burgers, hot dogs, and chicken. Instagram: @MurphysDursey Marina Market, Cork. Pic: Larry Cummins Marina Market There is nothing in the country to rival the Marina Market, an Irish take on Lisbon's Time Out Market offering myriad edible options and a humongous covered space for dining. Standouts include Frankie's Slice Shop, Hansum, Poulet Vous, Nua Asador, Alchemy Coffee, MKT Burger, and White Rabbit. Instagram: @MarinaMarketCork Shirley's: Fish at the Fort Truly gorgeous fish and chips, using the finest fish from the family trawler, cooked in a lovely, light, crispy batter and served up with floury, fluffy chips — say no more! Facebook: fishatthefort Meb's Veg at the Farmer's Market, Douglas, Cork. Pic: Dan Linehan Meb's Farmer's market stalwart as the former Paradiso chef delivers divine and original vegan dishes, including a spiffing banh mi with exquisite West Cork Otofu tofu; Pho Goodness — broth, rice noodles, cabbage, mushrooms; and killer doughnuts. Instagram: @MebsVeg Le Kiosk Trading at various farmer markets, including Midleton, David Kra's Afro-Carribean fare is street food of the highest order, especially sumptuous jerk chicken, but beef stew and vegan mix are all worth trying, and do add spicy sauce! Instagram: @le_kiosk_afrocaribbeanfoods CLARE Julia's Lobster Truck The national outcry when Julia Hemingway's seafood stall was turfed out of its familiar Burren pitch, indicated the thoroughly deserved popularity of a national treasure. Thankfully, Julia has a new location in The Óir House, Ballyvaughan. Expect superb steamed mussels, oysters, lobster rolls, crab toast, scampi, fish and chips, and more. Instagram: @JuliasLobsterTruck KERRY Dick Mac's Yard, Dingle Two for the price of one in the iconic pub's 'backyard'. The splendid Cáis in Dingle turns out fabulous cheese toasties, while MexWest Dingle puts a memorable West Kerry spin on Mexican street food. Instagram: @We_Are_Cais and @MexWest_Dingle An Bothán, Ballinskelligs Beachside offspring of Driftwood Surf Café, serving toasties, salad bowls, granary baps, sausage rolls — meat and veggie — along with house fries and homemade soft drinks: Lavender lemonade, apple, and ginger, all perfect summer quenchers. Instagram: @DriftwoodSurfCafé TIPPERARY My Street Food, Tipperary My Street Food An expansion of their excellent My Tasty Food retail offering, Myriam and Barry use fine, fresh local ingredients to create quite delicious dishes spanning global cuisines — eg, katsu curry, Korean-style bimibap, beef brisket baguettes, Mexican-style burritos. Also snaffle a jar of their mind-blowing pecan butter! Instagram: @ LIMERICK Wickham Way Limerick's Milk Market is the finest farmer's market in Ireland but the cavernous Wickham Way street food and arts and crafts market, just around the corner, is the best spot in Limerick for dining on the hoof. It also features regular live music and entertainment. Check out Republic of Grill tacos, Raasta Foods Indian fare, Nonties Jamaican food, and Sicín. Instagram: @WickhamWayLimerick WATERFORD Little Catch Denise Darrer's mobile seafood bar sells cracking street food-style seafood, using excellent ingredients, including locally-caught fish, and do look out for Copper Coast lobster for lobster rolls, chowder, as well as great crispy prawn bao buns. Socafro's Alistair Jeje in action. Socafro Kitchen The incomparable and very lovely Alistair Jeje not only feeds the soul but also puts fire in the belly with his Carribean and West African fusion cooking. Seek out jerk chicken, coconut curry, sweet fried plantains, and jollof rice. Instagram: @SocafroKitchen Unbeetable Produce-led dishes of real quality, including chicken or tempeh option to cater for carnivores and vegetarians alike without shortchanging either — eg Thai peanut and quinoa salad or teriyaki bowls, also toasted sourdough sandwiches and wonderful soups. Instagram: @UnbeetableJenny DUBLIN Dosa Dosa Dosa Dosa is pick of the bunch at Place St, serving up South Indian street food classics including dosa, parotta — naan with stir-fried veg, egg, chicken, aromatic spices — and kathi roll, a kebab wrapped in paratha bread. Mushroom Butcher Along with premium mushrooms for home cooking, ever-changing menus celebrate the fabulous fungi: Mushroom burgers, crispy Cajun beignets, super doughnuts, and Vietnamese coffee spiked with Lion's Mane mushroom for a real brain boost. Instagram: @MushroomButcher Cluck Chicken, Dublin Cluck Chicken Deeply divine chicken dishes, superbly sourced produce. This chicken/beef 'sandwich' tells you all you need to know: Ring's Farm fried chicken with Nathan's slow cooked beef, triple garlic mayo, jus, bone marrow béarnaise butter, crispy onions, on focaccia from Arán, in Kilkenny. Instagram: @CluckChicken La Cocina Cuevas Sublime, authentic Cali-Mex street food based on superb Irish produce serving tacos, birria, agua Fresca, buritto et al. Try 'Irish Landscapes' with seasonal mole, Irish pork, corn tortillas, and macha potatoes. Coke Lane Pizza Wonderful renditions of classic pizzas, imaginative specials and sides including meatballs, mixed olives, toasted cashews, almonds, and walnuts with rosemary and sea salt. They have regular slots at various locations in Dublin and it appears a hot dog stand will soon be added to the offering. GALWAY Snappy Snappy I love a truck that puts a hyper-focus on a prime ingredient and then renders it as total god-food as Snappy Snappy does with crab. Gorgeous crab rolls in Japanese-style milk rolls made fresh each day, crab claws, crab tostada with guajillo chilli, pickled onion and coriander, and chowder. Craft beer, cider, and wine also available. Instagram: @SnappySnappyCrab Aran Seafood Café, Aran Islands This fishing family with a seafood business on Inis Mór uses their own produce to backbone delicious fare all adding up to piscine paradise in the West — eg lobster and crab rolls, crab cakes, catch of the day. Instagram: @AranIslandSeafoods WEXFORD Scúp Gelato, Wexford Scúp Gelato What's a summer without ice cream and Willie Devereaux's Scúp is some of the finest ice cream in the country. Flavours in this gelato heaven include crowd-pleasing Wexford strawberry, roasted banoffee, Ferrero Rocher, and their own soft-serve cones, GF gelatos, vegan options, and 3FE coffee. MAYO Misunderstood Heron Another superb outlet to suffer the recent indignity of eviction, it's new home is in the very splendid P Dans pub, in Louisburgh, cooking some of the very best food in Ireland for al fresco 'street' dining — eg pollock croquettes with summer fruit salad, featuring Louisburgh grown apricots, and pork neck, mustard and An Garraí Glas greens. Instagram: @Misunderstood_Heron DERRY Pyke n Pommes Chef Kevin Pyke may now also have a bricks and mortar premises but an original pathfinder for the Irish food truck world, still delivers gorgeous grub from his river front double decker bus. Korean chicken burger with chilli spring onions, sesame, and miso, is just one eyecatcher on a menu full of them. Notorious Street Food Derry Caolán McCourt obviously was inspired by Pyke's endeavours but his delivery is all about down and dirty, old school street food. After all, a double bacon cheese smash burger may not win prizes for originality but when it's this good, it takes first prize every time. Lucky Derry! Instagram: @NotoriousStreetFood BELFAST Oui Poutine Calorific Poutine — French fries, cheese curds, brown gravy — like French tacos, is a young person's game, but if you've got youth and stamina on your side, then Canadian Kylah Dittmar's authentic delivery of her national street food staple is the only show in town. Instagram: @OuiPoutine Taquitos Belfast Authentic Mexican fare delivered to the highest standards, and better again, with more than a smidgeon of local flavour and innovation. Owner Gary Quinn appeared in Gordon Ramsay's Future Food Stars and chef Stevie Toman, of Michelin-starred Ox, in Belfast was the first to tip me off about Taquitos — so Quinn's credentials are endorsed at the highest level. His own Adobo Paste, available as a retail product, seals the deal.