Our Favorite Food Trucks in Nashville
Cultures thrive off street food—casual, portable, cheap yet good, food of the people, found on any street corner. Buns in China, banh mi in Vietnam, and crepes in Paris, to name a few. Nashville’s street food culture seizes on that way of eating, bringing seriously good food to festivals, office buildings, and well, the streets. With food trucks that have become brick and mortar restaurants and restaurants that have added food trucks, it’s hard to tell which came first, the food truck or the bricks-and-mortar. We caught up a few of the trendsetters to glimpse how we eat now, and what we can look forward to…
BISCUIT LOVE
Where the biscuit is king
Now a brick-and-mortar with lines that rival the Pancake Pantry, Karl and Sarah Worley originally opened their Biscuit Love airstream (nicknamed “Lilly”) in 2012, to test-drive their dream of owning a restaurant. Needless to say, it worked. Their “Bonuts” (a creation borne out of their early days on the truck), have inspired many a restaurant to add biscuit donuts to their menus. Their bestselling “The East Nasty” was named Bon Appetit’s Best Sandwich in the US in 2015.
That same year, the airstream retired with the launch of a permanent location in the Gulch. “We knew from the beginning that we wanted to be a restaurant,” says Karl. “After the amazing welcome Nashville gave us in the Gulch, we began looking at expanding the concept to multiple locations.” Biscuit Love is currently in three locations (the Gulch, Hillsboro Village, and Franklin) with hopes of expanding beyond the Nashville area in 2019.
Facebook: @biscuitlove | Instagram: @biscuitlovebrunch
Twitter: @BiscuitLoveNash | Web: biscuitlove.com
THE GRILLED CHEESERIE
Putting new things between 2 slices of bread
Visit the Nashville Farmers’ market on most any Saturday and you’ll find a line curving out to the farm stalls filled with people waiting for something we all grew up on—a grilled cheese sandwich. But with ingredients like pimento mac & cheese, brie and maple roasted squash, owners Joseph Bogan and Crystal De Luna-Bogan take the sandwich to a whole new level. These food truck pioneers started with one truck in 2010, which laid the groundwork for their wildly successful Grilled Cheeserie Melt Shop, which opened last year in Hillsboro Village. From working with the city to establish food truck protocol and permits, to introducing Nashvillians to new tastes in a familiar package, this couple has blazed an important and exciting trail for the local food truck business.
Today, The Grilled Cheeserie has two operating trucks in addition to the Melt Shop. They will add a second location in downtown Franklin in summer 2018, followed by an East Nashville location in early 2019.
Facebook: @GrilledCheeserieMeltshop
Instagram: @thegrilledcheeserie
Twitter: @GrlldCheeserie | Web: grilledcheeserie.com
S’MORE LOVE BAKERY
Brining campfire treats to the Nashville streets
S’more Love Bakery has been making Nashvillians happy campers for several years now, serving up gourmet s’mores since 2013. Inspired by a neighborhood campfire, husband and wife team Eric and Jeanne Floyd realized that starting a s’mores food trailer was going to be part of their happily ever after. Five years later, S’more Love is known for their delectable creations built around homemade marshmallows and heart-shaped honey grahams. “I owe everything to my mom,” says Eric, “who inspired me to love baking.” They often feature her recipes, including homemade Angel Food Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Icing. While S’more Love is always looking to grow and expand to best serve their customers, for now that means bringing campfire treats directly to the people. Catch S’more Love Bakery’s food trailer outside of Imogene + Willie’s on Saturdays on 12th South.
Facebook/Instagram/Twitter: @smorelovebakery
Web: smorelovebakery.com
THE STEAMING GOAT
Challenging our notion of a hot sandwich
The truck with a quirky name is challenging your sandwich preconceptions. Jeff Romstedt (aka “Goat,” known to eat anything put in front of him) serves up steamed sandwiches (thus the name) with outside-the-box flavor combinations. Knowing the key to a successful restaurant is often location, the food truck allowed him to test the best spots while launching his business in 2014. The hardest part? Finding bread that would hold up to the New Jersey native’s standard: soft, but strong enough to not fall apart mid-bite. The solution? Italian rolls from Charpiers, a local bakery. Jeff’s take on the Cuban sandwich has been his top-seller since the beginning—even when not on the menu. Jeff tailors his food to feed his customers. They are his inspiration. He shared that even if he ends up adding a brick and mortar, there will always be the truck. That is where it all started, bringing the people what they want.
Facebook: @steaminggoatfoodtruck
Twitter: @SteamingGoat | Web: steaminggoat.com
BURGER REPUBLIC
Taking quality to the streets
Burger Republic opened their first location in Lenox Village in 2012, followed by the Gulch location in 2014. A year and a half later, BR debuted their food truck at the front entrance of CMA Fest in 2015. Annual competitors in the World Food Championships (Burger Republic’s 96 Burger ranks the highest rated burger in the world), the latest creation the team took to compete, Big Papi, came straight off their food truck. Food truck born and World Championships approved, Big Papi is one of a couple burgers produced in the truck’s pop-up test kitchens, later added to the menu. BR creator Drew Jackman is often asked to name his favorite burger on the menu. “My favorite burger that we make is on the truck, because you get that burger in your hand––it might have been 10 seconds from when it was on the grill.”
With four brick-and-mortar locations, the food truck (known as “Big Red”) serves a specific and different purpose: to connect the restaurant with the community. Burger Republic often sponsors local High School golf tournaments, feeding the players for free. During football season, Big Red can be found serving up hot burgers to the Titans, catering for them on Monday nights. The company looks forward to even more involvement with the community, parking the truck at more fairs and festivals this year. Track down your next burger by following the hashtag #WheresBigRed.
Instagram: @burger_republic
Twitter: @BurgerRepublic | Web: burgerrepublic.com
