21 New Food Trucks Are Ready to Hit the Road in Portland, Maine

You may not care one way or the other about Portland, Maine, but these are some excellent ideas for food trucks, considering the difference in operating costs for a truck and a restaurant.

Portland, ME welcomes a bevy of new food trucks to curbside locations

The city is awash in food trucks. In fact, Portland already has 21 licensed food trucks and 11 more licenses pending, according to city records. There are an additional 15 potential food trucks that could join the fray as well. That equates to a lot of mobile eateries for one city and gives diners many options.

Part of the reason behind the new influx of food trucks in Portland, ME, is, of course, the need to deal with the pandemic and still get fast and healthy foods without traveling too far to get them during the pandemic.

It has changed the way people live their lives, but that's not the only reason. Many people are trying to reconnect with their communities after isolation and shutdowns have kept so many apart for so long.

However, another reason for all of this is that these eateries offer people a chance to own their own business at a more reasonable cost than opening a full-scale restaurant. Here's a look at some of the food trucks you'll find in Portland, ME, soon. Menus run the gamut from lobster rolls to tacos to banh mi.

Cheese the Day

Owner Aaron Milberger offers cheese lovers everywhere some distinguished choices. One specialty sandwich I thought was amazing is what he referred to as a “Grown-up grilled cheese.”

Think Smoked Pork and Poblano sandwich, with the addition of a cheddar cheese blend. These aren't just ordinary cheese blends, but rather Milberger's own blends. What’s more, parents shouldn't worry about Cheese the Day not providing an option for the kids. Milberger’s also does grilled cheese just the way your kids will love it. Prices are reasonable enough at $8-$12.

Ironclad Eats

What a delightful and creative name for a food truck. These mobile eateries offer a stunning variety of options, and Ironclad Eats is no exception, but their focus is on tacos of all kinds.

Dan McCluskey, Joe McCluskey, and Stephanie McCort are the owners of Ironclad Eats. They offer patrons taco options that offer flavors from around the U.S.A. For instance, there are items like the Chop Cheese taco reminiscent of New York and the “Thrashville Chicken Taco,” a unique take on the Nashville hot chicken recipe. The price for three tacos, a side dish, and a drink? A reasonable $15.

The Paddy Wagon

Another marvelous spin on words to create a food truck name to remember. Luke Benning and David McGuirk, the owners of the Paddy Wagon, whose focus is on English-style food offerings.

English pub favorites like Fish and Chips using pollock and haddock cooked in sunflower oil and specials like battered “bangers” or, as we call them, sausages, can all be found on the menu. Prices for Fish and Chips can fluctuate with the market price for fresh fish, but their sandwiches are typically $6.

Curbside Comforts

Owners Suzanne and Trent Grace offer the vegan crowd many options. They start with breakfast items like sandwiches and burritos and feed the lunch crowd, Mac and Cheese, a vegan chicken sandwich, or even a burger and fries, with meatless beef, of course.

Suzanne says, “I learned that there was a lot of misinformation and lack of information about a plant-based diet and lifestyle.”

Want more? You can have soft-serve non-dairy ice cream cone for dessert. Curbside Comforts could be rolling up to a curb near you just in time for Memorial Day.

Final thoughts

When you’re looking for quick eats around Portland, ME this summer, keep an eye out for the food trucks mentioned above, and also, DeMillo’s On the Roll, High Roller Lobster Co., Vy Bahn Mi’s (if you didn’t know it, a Bahn Mi is a sandwich with pâté, herbs, mayonnaise, pickled veggies, and peppers), La Fritanga’s, Meme’s Burritos, The Salty Moose (seriously, what could be more Maine than moose or lobster), and many others we haven’t identified yet.

Even if you're not from around Portland, you might get an idea for your own food truck from one of these.

Stephen Dalton is a retired US Army First Sergeant with a degree in journalism from the University of Maryland and a Certified US English Chicago Manual of Style Editor. Medium Top Writer in Travel, Fiction, Transportation, VR, NFL, Design, Creativity, and Short Story.

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