NC Triangle Dining

Find the Best Restaurants, Food, and Drink in Raleigh, Durham, Cary & Chapel Hill

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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

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Durham’s Food Truck Mash-up Part Deux!

Chirba Chirba truck at Foodtruck Mash-up 2, Foodalicious FolliesFollowing up on the heels of an earlier food truck mash-up, Motorco sponsored the sequel this past Saturday, the Durham Foodtruck Mash-up 2!  Concept: Bring five favorite food trucks together and have them prepare dishes with shared ingredients for an all-you-can-eat event.  Ko Kyu, PiePushers, Farmhand Sausage, Chirba Chirba and Parlour were on hand for this culinary mash-up.  Two sessions (3 – 6pm, 6pm – 9pm) spread the love out a bit and prevented the possibility of excessive gastronomic overload.  Not to say that you can’t eat a LOT in three hours!  Thankfully it was seasonably warm on Saturday but not the ridiculous 100+ degree temperatures we’ve had recently. [Read more…]

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