Food Trucks Roll on P.E.I.

Wheels have started to turn a little faster for the Island food truck scene

When people think of dining on PEI, they might think of lobster suppers, eclectic rural eateries, and our ever-growing restaurant scene. But food trucks are catching the attention of the hungry diner, and wheeled-meals are making their mark on the Island foodscape.

Many food truck vendors offer fried foods including fries, of course, and other common menu items like burgers, fish and chips, and tacos. However, there are a couple of Island food trucks that veer from the ubiquitous taters we all enjoy so much.

The most recent truck to set up shop is the PEI Waffle Company on the corner of Prince and Water Street in Charlottetown. The City originally denied the owner, Pieter Van Den Daele, a permit because the truck exceeded the 215 square feet maximum. Fortunately Van Den Daele had an Airstream that met the city’s criteria and was able to set up in time for the busy Canada Day weekend.

Van Den Daele, a civil engineer, moved here from Belgium last year with no intentions of getting into the food business. He had a change of heart when he saw there were few opportunities on the East Coast to get Belgian waffles.

He brought his family’s original recipe with him, but it has changed. “Although I still want to offer the Belgian quality, I wanted to have a PEI product,” Van Den Daele said.

Van Den Daele sought help from Innovation PEI, who put him in touch with BioFoodTech. They worked together to create the P.E.I. potato waffle.

When asked about the ingredients, he said, “50 per cent potato, 50 per cent love.” The recipe is a well-kept secret, but those avoiding gluten will be happy to discover there is a gluten-free option.

“It’s really an innovative product. I might even export it to Belgium,” Van Den Daele said. The waffles have been a hit with customers; even Belgians are happy about the quality and taste of the product according to Van Den Daele.

 

Van Den Daele wants to have four PEI Waffle Company locations on the Island. In addition to the Prince Street location, there’s a shop at Mariner’s Cove Boardwalk in Cavendish, he’s toying with the idea of having one more truck in either Borden-Carleton or North Rustico, and another for events.

The permit Van Den Daele received for Charlottetown expires at the end of October, but he hopes to keep one of his locations open all year. “Ideally I want to keep it open, because hot waffles are a perfect winter product.”

Municipalities have different regulations regarding how, when, and where food trucks can operate. Within the Summerside city limits they aren’t allowed to operate on city-owned property, but can operate on private property. Trucks are allowed to operate year-round and move between two different properties.

In Charlottetown, until 2016, food trucks were not able to operate year-round. A new bylaw allows them to operate all year on private property, but doesn’t apply within Charlottetown’s 500 Lot Area, south of Euston Street, where vendors can only operate from May 1 to October 31.

These updates are happily welcomed by some, like Brandon Hughes from Ken’s Island Fries, who’s looking forward to staying open longer. Sumitra Burke from Thai Pad says it’s probably too cold for her to stay open all year.

“I don’t think I can make it 12 months. Too cold,” Burke laughed. Located off University Avenue, Thai Pad is the only Asian-themed truck in P.E.I. Burke, who moved to P.E.I. from Thailand a few years ago, creates authentic Thai dishes, the most popular of which is probably her chicken pad thai, she said.

Burke has her own greenhouse where she grows a variety of seasonal vegetables. About 90 per cent of Thai Pad’s dishes are made with her own, locally-grown produce, including Thai basil.

Food trucks and mobile vendors are part of the culinary experience in numerous areas throughout the world, and P.E.I. is starting to embrace the craze.

What better time to join in the food truck fun than in the heat of a P.E.I. summer? Check out the Island food truck directory below.

P.E.I. Food Truck Directory:

Wicked Fries

Contact: https://www.facebook.com/wickedfriespei/ – (902) 739-3797

Owner: Quentin Gillis

Location: 7699 St. Peter’s Road, Morell, in the Co-op parking lot

Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week. Open from the end of May to the end of September. In its fourth year. Formerly located on Capital Drive in Charlottetown.

Menu: specializes in different types of fries including ‘Wicked mess’, which is fries, bread dressing, hamburger, onions, cheese, and gravy – a variation of fries with the works. They sell ‘newfie fries’, which is fries topped with gravy and dressing, but no meat. The menu also includes lobster rolls, other seafood, burgers, poutine, and salads.

Best seller: Wicked mess

 

Red’s Grill

Contact: https://www.facebook.com/Reds-Grill-463577827317640/?ref=py_c – (902) 838-3838

Owner: Amber MacDonald

Location: 4536 Poole’s Corner, Montague

Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday to Wednesday, 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday to Saturday. Open from mid May to October 1st. In its first year of business.

Menu: a pretty extensive menu. From your typical burgers and fries to poutine, nachos, salads, wraps, lots of seafood, quesadillas, and more.

Best seller: fish tacos

 

Out to Lunch Food Truck

Contact: https://www.facebook.com/groups/492914404240424/ – (902)-367-5237

Owner: Stephen Power

Location: the corner of Allen Street and St. Peters Road, Charlottetown

Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week. Open from May 20th to September 15th. In its third year.

Menu: a classic diner-like menu. Fish and chips, chicken fingers, cheeseburger and hamburgers, hot dogs, onion rings, and the Island staple, fries with the works.

Best seller: cheeseburger platter

Terry’s Berries

Contact: https://www.facebook.com/terrys.berries.9

Owner: Terry Nabuurs

Location: 20 Great George Street on the corner of Great George Street and Water Street

Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week. Open from July 10th to mid October (or longer, weather permitting). In its third year of business.

Menu: a variety of melts including lobster, pulled pork, and portobello. Seafood chowder, sandwiches, and, of course, smoothies. Nabuurs owns a blueberry farm and uses his own blueberries in his smoothies.

Best seller: lobster melt

Hoss’s Fish and Chips

Owner: Hoss MacKinnon

Location: 650 Water Street, Summerside, in Waugh’s Quik-Mart parking lot

Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m./5 p.m. to 7 p.m Monday to Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Open from June 12th to September 1st. In its second season.

Menu: mostly from the sea. Fish and chips, seafood platters, and a few other items like chicken fingers, chicken nuggets, and onion rings.

Best seller: fish and chips

Fun on a Bun

Contact: https://www.facebook.com/funonabun1/

Owner: Greg Campbell

Location: Water Street, Montague, in front of the museum

Hours: 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week. Open from May 1st to the end of September. In its fifth season.

Menu: lots of goodies you can hold. Fish and chips, pulled pork sandwiches, butter melts, poutine, and burritos.

Best seller: fish and chips

Fun on a Bun//Submitted Photo

The Galley by Chef Norman

Contact: https://www.facebook.com/thegalleybychefnorman/ – (902) 315-1998

Owner: Norman Zeldon

Location: 250 Water Street, Summerside, in the rear parking lot of the Holman Center

Hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, Saturday and Sunday at events, closed Monday. Open all year. In its third year.

Menu: referred to as a gourmet food truck by Chef Norman. Focuses on creating fusion dishes. Menu includes deep-fried oyster po’ boy sandwiches, porchetta sandwiches, and roasted pork sandwiches with a 5-nut cheese blend. All sauces and bread made in truck. Includes other typical fried favourites, too.

Best seller: Po’ boy sandwich

Viva la Crepe

Contact: https://www.facebook.com/vivasummerside/ – (902) 303-1977

Owner: Viva Dagher

Location: Spinnaker’s Landing, Summerside

Hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week. Open from July 1st to mid September. In its third season.

Menu: main focus, obviously, is on crepes – savoury, sweet, smoked salmon with cream cheese, apple cinnamon with caramel and ice cream – and also burgers, fries, fish and chips, steamed mussels, and hummus. All sauces are homemade.

Best seller: those sweet, sweet crepes

Da Mamma’s Kitchen

Contact: https://www.facebook.com/DaMamasKitchen/ – (902) 436-4858

Owner: Ian Simmons

Location: 231 Read Drive, Summerside, in the parking lot at Kool Breeze Farms.

Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week. Open from May 1st to Oct 30th. In its fifth season, first year at Kool Breeze Farms, formerly in Kensington.

Menu: homemade burgers with beef from Atlantic Beef Products, fish burgers, fries with the works, wings, and all the other stuff.

Best seller: bacon cheeseburger

Ken’s Island Fries

Contact: https://www.facebook.com/Kens-Island-Fries-195454117167650/ – (902) 314-4612

Owner: Brandon Hughes and family

Location: Canadian Tire parking lot, Charlottetown

Hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Saturday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Open from April 1st to Jan 1st. In its fourth season.

Menu: fries, fries, and more fries, as well as poutine and hot dogs. The Hughes’ bought the food truck and its name from Ken Farewell, owner of The Original Fry Guy.

Best seller: small fries or hot dog combos

Thai Pad

Contact: https://www.facebook.com/ThaiPadPEI/ – (902) 316-3473

Owner: Sumitra Burke

Location: 364 University Avenue, Charlottetown, behind Water and Wine

Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday, closed Sunday. Open from early May to Christmas (weather permitting). In its fourth season.

Menu: all your Thai favourites including pad thai, green curry, yellow curry, and spring rolls. Burke grows a variety of vegetables and Thai basil, which all get used in her authentic Thai dishes.

Best seller: pad Thai or cashew nut chicken

The Original Fry Guy

Contact: https://www.facebook.com/TheOriginalFryGuy/

Owner: Ken Farewell

Location: 92 Capital Drive, Charlottetown

Hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Saturday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Open from May 1st to Oct 30th. First season as The Original Fry Guy.

Menu: ribbon fries, fries with the works, poutine. Hand cut. Only P.E.I. potatoes.

Best seller: you guessed it – fries

The PEI Waffle Company

Contact: https://www.facebook.com/The-PEI-Waffle-Co-541505152640066/

Owner: Peter Van Den Deale

Location: Prince Street, Charlottetown, next to Founder’s Hall

Hours: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., 7 days a week. Open from June 30th to Oct 30th. In its first season.

Menu: Belgian waffles made with PEI potatoes, with a variety of toppings. Waffle ‘fries’, too.

Best seller: Nutella sundae waffle

 

UpWest Burger

Contact: https://www.facebook.com/Upwest-burger-444059779313591/

Owner: Perry McInnis

Location: 32691 Western Road, in Springhill PEI (just 10 minutes west of Richmond)

Hours: Open Tuesday-Saturday 12pm-8pm Sunday 2pm -8pm and closed Monday. Planning on being open from April – October. In its first year, opened just August 4, 2017.

Menu: The side of the truck says fish and chips, poutine and desserts but the name of the truck is their true calling. The menu features a number of burgers, classic beef, veggie, and haddock. With good beer in the area, they’ve capitalized on their craft brewer neighbour for a Moth Lane beer battered haddock. And it’s a rare food truck that specializes in non-ice cream based desserts but many customers swear by their carrot cake and turtle cheesecake offerings.

 

Disclaimer: this isn’t meant to be a comprehensive list of every food truck and mobile food unit on P.E.I. If you have a food truck and would like it to be added to this directory, please contact us at info@saltyisland.com