5 NJ Food Trucks Are Among Best In America: Are They Near You?

New Jersey, particularly Rutgers University, was known to be the home of the grease trucks. Many of the famous ones were told to leave over the past 6 years. But the state still isn't at a loss for places that provide a quick bite to eat at any time of the day.

Indeed, five food trucks in New Jersey were named among the 101 best in the country in 2018, according to The Daily Meal, a respected food critic website.

The Daily Meal noted that operating a "food truck requires equal parts heart and culinary chops."

"Tight parking spaces, pesky traffic cops, cramped kitchens, and streets congested with competition are just a few of the obstacles a food truck must overcome," the website says. "But every year, more and more food truck owners start the engine, driven by a passion for cooking and the desire to share their innovative culinary concepts with the world (or at least their neighborhood)."

To create its ranking of this year’s 101 Best Food Trucks in America, The Daily Meal drew inspiration from the publication's previous lists as well as other food truck and city guides.

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"We then hit the Internet, scouring review sites like Yelp, TripAdvisor, Zomato, and the trucks’ social media followings," according to the website.

The new additions to this year’s list deviate from traditional food truck fare, some introducing customers to lesser known dishes such as jianbing (Chinese savory crepes) and om gai (spicy herbed chicken thinly sliced in a chile-paste broth).

Here are the five New Jersey entries to that list:

• #6 Oink and Moo, New Jersey (Various Locations): "Oink and Moo has operated in New Jersey since 2012, enjoying its status as a well-kept Garden State secret in towns like Hoboken and Asbury Park. However, shortly after the truck expanded to Philadelphia, it won a Vendy award for Rookie of the Year — and we’re pretty happy the secret got out. The concept is simple: beef brisket or pulled pork barbecue done well (not well-done) in the form of sliders, chili, tacos, quesadillas, and ribs."
• #51 Polkadot Cupcake Shop, Nutley: "People obviously adore the cupcakes at Polkadot, including classics like the signature red velvet and birthday cake varieties; specialty creations like “Better Than Sex” (with chocolate cake, mousse, frosting, drizzle, and sprinkles), PBJ, and salted caramel peanut butter pretzel; cocktail cupcakes made with booze; and a monthly special."
• #93 Mannino’s Cannoli Express, New Jersey: "It’s hard to imagine a food truck surviving mainly on one item — especially a dessert item. But these aren’t just any dessert item — they’re Gaby Mannino’s famous cannoli. Mannino has been hawking these hand-filled treats for eight years now, two out of a food truck."
• #95 Cupcake Carnivale, Philadelphia, Pa. and New Jersey: "Cupcake Carnivale’s cupcake varieties — from “That’s S’more” to “Not Your Father’s Root BEER Float” to “Strawberry Oreo Cookies & Cream” and about 50 others — are some of the most imaginative creations we’ve ever seen, and among the most delicious around."
• #100 Aroy-D, The Thai Elephant, New Jersey: "The DEE DEE truck (which means “good good” in Thai) upholds its reputation by offering hungry patrons an opportunity to taste traditional Northern Thai street food."

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