NC Triangle Dining Food Blog

The Best Restaurants and Bars in Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Chapel Hill and the 919

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Merry Franksters Food Trailer, Dishing Out Delicious Hot Dogs for the Triangle!

Merry Franksters food trailer based out of Carrboro - NC Triangle Dining
Merry Franksters food trailer based out of Carrboro – NC Triangle Dining

Now who doesn’t like a good hot dog or brat, now that summer is here? Whether you’re talking about a late-night dog from Snoopy’s or sitting at the counter at the Roast Grill, biting into a snappy, juicy hot dog is a burst of taste and flavor. And now there’s a new food truck on the scene, specializing in gourmet hot dogs: Merry Franksters. I ran into this truck at an event at the Raleigh Wine Shop a little while back. Because as much as I like hot dogs, I know there are some people that only want to eat happy hot dogs otherwise know as sustain-ably farmed meats in hot dogs. And that’s where Merry Franksters steps in! Based out of Carrboro, they are serving up happy hot dogs hand-made out at the Pig from Chapel Hill, so I was curious to see what the Merry Franksters are dishing out.

Order window at Merry Franksters food trailer based out of Carrboro - NC Triangle Dining
Order window at Merry Franksters food trailer based out of Carrboro – NC Triangle Dining

Heading over to the Raleigh Wine shop, I spy a bright aluminum Airstream trailer pulling into the side lot. It’s a funky looking, retro trailer with interesting blue pop-art on the sides and back! A chalkboard flip-board up front shows off the Merry Franksters menu, 10 or so hot dogs and a handful of sides! Prices are in the $4 to $6 range which is about right. I’m torn between a couple of options but go with the bacon-wrapped Memphis Dawg and the classic New York Dawg along with a side of beer-battered onion rings. The Merry Frankster owners are very sweet and laid-back, reminds me a bit of when I lived in Carrboro!

Merry Franksters food trailer menu - NC Triangle Dining
Merry Franksters food trailer menu – NC Triangle Dining
Hot dog meal from Merry Franksters food trailer - NC Triangle Dining
Hot dog meal from Merry Franksters food trailer – NC Triangle Dining

A glass of wine keeps me company as I wait for my eats but it’s not too long, maybe 10 – 15 minutes. I get three paper food trays with my goodies and decide to hoof it on home so I can pig out in private! The short drive is tough as I’m staring at my dee-licious looking dogs and rings…  Back at home I get to inspect my dawgs more closely. Merry Franksters uses a potato bun and they all look nicely grilled and filled.

NY dawg from Merry Franksters food trailer - NC Triangle Dining
NY dawg from Merry Franksters food trailer – NC Triangle Dining
Memphis dawg from Merry Franksters food trailer - NC Triangle Dining
Memphis dawg from Merry Franksters food trailer – NC Triangle Dining

I start off with the NY Dawg which pairs a Sabretts beef hot dog with sauerkraut and onions! A great bite, basic but done very well by the Merry Franksters. And while you may think one hot dog may be enough, I’m glad I got two! The Memphis dog comes on a larger bun, probably needed to hold the bacon-wrapped dog and additional toppings (onions, cheddar, barbeque sauce). The Memphis dawg is a messy bite but totally worth it! The crisp, salty bacon works well against the sweet barbeque sauce and it’s all worth getting your hands dirty. Thumbs up for me, here!

Onion rings from Merry Franksters food trailer - NC Triangle Dining
Onion rings from Merry Franksters food trailer – NC Triangle Dining

And finally the onion rings! Described as beer-battered, they have more of a light tempura-like coating to me and reminded me a lot of onion rings I would get in Massachusetts. Totally delicious and well fried, if Merry Franksters has them on the menu I feel it’s a must-do. Overall I was pretty happy with my meal at the Merry Franksters food truck. Creative, well made hot dogs at a reasonable price, works for me! And while I will always love my $1.50 Costco hot dog, Merry Franksters takes the humble sausage to a whole nother level. While Merry Franksters is based in Carrboro at Cliff’s Meat Market, they do get around quite a bit and are in Raleigh pretty frequently, hot dog!

 

Merry Franksters food truck

100 W Main Street

Carrboro, NC 27510

Various Locations in the Triangle

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Cousins Maine Lobster, Raleigh- Rolling Out Authentic Lobster Rolls!

Cousins Maine Lobster food truck at Nickelpoint Brewery, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Cousins Maine Lobster food truck at Nickelpoint Brewery, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

Growing up in New England I always had easy access to lobsters and great seafood. Having left the area, I often get cravings for lobster rolls and fried clams since they’re a regional specialty. So I was pretty excited when I heard Cousins Maine Lobster (CML) food truck was coming to Raleigh. Featured on ABC’s Shark Tank and the Chew, Cousins Maine Lobster is rolling out trucks throughout the country but I was just excited to have one here in the Triangle. Here’s how my first visit went down…

Long line at Cousins Maine Lobster food truck Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Long line at Cousins Maine Lobster food truck Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

While the truck has been focused on larger food truck events, CML was finally scheduled to make it down to Nickelpoint Brewery at Five Points. A five-hour visit meant there was plenty of time to get food but I know this truck has been popular. I show up at 6pm and no surprise but there’s a line of 30+ people snaking out in front of the truck! It’s going to be a LONG wait so I grab a beer inside and find the end of the line. Thankfully everyone’s in a good mood since it’s a beautiful day and we’re about to eat lobster! Young couples, dogs, babies, Five Points is a family friendly neighborhood and you’ll find them all here.

Menu for Cousins Maine Lobster food truck Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Menu for Cousins Maine Lobster food truck Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

Ninety minutes later we’re at the front of the line and ready to order! The menu has 7 or so items between $10 and $14 but they’re out of the tots and tacos. My friends order up some quesadillas and a lobster tail. I go with the Maine and Connecticut lobster rolls since I’ve waited so long! It’s probably been 5 years since my last lobster roll. The women in the truck are quite nice even with this crazy crowd, I’m sure they are working hard…

Maine lobster roll and CT roll from Cousins Maine Lobster food truck Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Maine lobster roll and CT roll from Cousins Maine Lobster food truck Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

It takes about 15 minutes and we get our food, finally! My lobster rolls look about right. New England rolls buttered and toasted on the sides with mostly lobster meat. I bite in and it’s good, very fresh lobster meat and well-stuffed. And even though both are delicious, I didn’t pick up any differences between the two. Couldn’t see any mayo on the Maine roll or any butter on the CT roll. I figure it’s just because they’re totally slammed so it’s understandable. I didn’t try the tail or quesadilla but my friends were making happy sounds so good sign there!

Lobster tail and quesadilla from Cousins Maine Lobster food truck Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Lobster tail and quesadilla from Cousins Maine Lobster food truck Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

While they got off to a bumpy start, Cousins Maine Lobster is finally on a roll (lobster roll?) and very popular in the Triangle. To catch up with their food truck, check out their website below, I don’t think the Cousins of Maine Lobster app is very accurate. They’re dishing out probably the best lobster rolls in the area for a reasonable price so thank you so much! I think I’ll wait a bit to let things settle down a bit more to see what they can really do…

 

Cousins Maine Lobster Food Truck

Wake Forest, NC

919.867.6203

 

Various Locations, check schedule online

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First Take: American Meltdown for Cheesy Food Truck Goodness

American Meltdown food truck in Raleigh, NC Triangle Dining
American Meltdown food truck in Raleigh, NC Triangle Dining

I’m pretty certain if I ever became a vegetarian it would be more like a cheese-atarian.  Without the protein and savory goodness of meat, warm oozing cheese would make for a great substitute!  And the food truck, American Meltdown food truck is all about the cheese.  I’ve had the chance to hit up American Meltdown a couple of times.  They’re often at the Raleigh Wine Shop for special events but not sure where their typical hangout is.  Looking at their schedule, they seem to move all over the Triangle which is good for any cheesy fans.

Carolina burger from American Meltdown food truck in Raleigh, NC Triangle Dining
Carolina burger from American Meltdown food truck in Raleigh, NC Triangle Dining

American Meltdown typically does fancy cheese-meat combo sandwiches.  I’ve done their Carolina burger (pork, bacon with pimiento) on a lovely sesame bun and recently tried their Alsatian bratwurst.  The Carolina burger was a favorite, full of melty cheese and meat.  I had a total mess on my hands but it was worth it.  The Alsatian brat was a bit of a mix.  A well-grilled sausage with a couple of pieces of dry bacon and a slice of meunster (non-melted).  Paired with the over-toasted bun, it wasn’t an impressive sandwich and needed some sauce or something to counteract the dryness of the ingredients.  American Meltdown does use very good ingredients, including the locally made Farmhand Sausage so their medium-sized sandwiches typically run about $7.  But I have to confess, I’m not a big fan of Farmhand Sausage which I wish, wasn’t the case…

Alsatian brat from American Meltdown food truck in Raleigh, NC Triangle Dining
Alsatian brat from American Meltdown food truck in Raleigh, NC Triangle Dining

While American Meltdown delivers pretty decent food and sandwiches, the one area where it falls short is turn-around time.  Both times I’ve eaten with them it’s taken probably about 20 minutes with not a particularly big crowd.  Given the menu is typically only about 4 – 6 items, I scratch my head on this one.  But in the end, the niggles and hassles of eating with a food truck is part of the whole deal so American Meltdown still works out ok in my book.  Who knows what visit three will bring but I’ve got my fingers crossed.  Cause it’s hard to go wrong with locally sourced meat and cheese from the grill, bon appetit!

 

American Meltdown Food Truck

Raleigh, NC

 

American Meltdown Menu

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First Take: Baguettaboutit Food Truck in Chapel Hill

Baguettabouit food truck, NC Triangle Dining
Baguettabouit food truck, NC Triangle Dining

I loves me some food trucks and there’s one that’s been pretty elusive for me: Baguettaboutit.  While Baguettaboutit is based out of Chapel Hill, they move around a lot but unfortunately never to a convenient spot for me. Finally they dropped into Cary so I shot down quick as a bunny to try out their eats.  First thing you notice about Baguettaboutit is how nice their truck is.  Bright royal blue with a shine, they definitely spent some money on their ride.  The menu is short with eight or so sandwich options.  But I do know they are trying out new items from time to time.  Fill out the order form on the bag and you’re good to go.  I ordered up a Jersey Turnpike, sweet Italian sausage with roasted red pepper sauce.  You can also customize a sandwich with your choice of meat and sauce, ranging from chicken, italian, bratwurst paired with habanero, sharp mustard, cheddar and chimichurri, yum!

NJ Turnpike sausage sandwich at Baguettabouit, NC Triangle Dining

And now the wait begins, I plop myself on the sidewalk and it takes 5 to 10 minutes for your food.  The sandwich that Baguettaboutit puts out is a flour-dusted beauty.  Crisp, fresh bread with a soft interior, high-quality sausage and some tasty, pepper sauce to provide some creamy contrast and moisture. Wish the pepper sauce was a bit stronger, it ends up pooling at the bottom of the baquette due to that darn thing called, gravity!  But yes, the mix of the bread, meat and sauce makes for a very solid eating experience.  Toss in a bag of chips and drinks for $8 plus and you’ll be sitting pretty.

Bread display for Baguettabouit food truck, NC Triangle Dining
Bread display for Baguettabouit food truck, NC Triangle Dining

I really do like Baguettaboutit’s concept, pretty certain you can find something off the custom menu which would keep you full and happy.  Just be ready to chase down that bright blue truck and their delicious sandwiches because Baguettaboutit is constantly on the move!

 

Baguettaboutit Food Truck

Chapel Hill, NC

919.414.9986

 

Baguettaboutit Menu

Baguettabouit on Facebook

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