As Duluth residents and tourists head outdoors, it’s time for the food trucks, carts and trailers to hit the streets, offering up fast and easy food on the run. To keep up with these restaurants on wheels, we present PDD’s 2015 rundown of who’s cooking what and where.
Listed below are the mobile food services licensed to operate on the streets of Duluth. Not listed are the various vendors who serve exclusively at events or specific locations, such as the Green Mill pizza trailer or various purveyors of mini donuts. Also, we should note Duluth has at least one pop-up restaurant — Izakaya 218 — which recently resumed its weekly Taco Tuesdays at the Red Herring Lounge.
- Menu: Wontons, tacos, noodle bowls, bratwurst, etc.
- Owners: Samara Heim and Keith Burgess.
- Operates out of one truck.
- Locations frequented: Bent Paddle Brewing on Thursdays from 5 to 9 p.m.; Duluth Public Library on Fridays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. during July and August; late-night services around bars such as Carmody Irish Pub, particularly surrounding concerts.
- Season: Homegrown Music Festival week through Thanksgiving; limited hours in the fall.
- Tracker: Twitter and Facebook.
- Menu: Hot dogs and chips.
- Owners: Dustin and Jodi Timmersman.
- Operates out of one push-cart from Willydogs in New York.
- Locations frequented: Outside US Bank Building Thursday and Friday, 11 a.m. -1:30 p.m. with good weather and business. Events (i.e. Grandma’s marathon, citywide events/festivals). Dabbling into private catering events beginning with Duluth School District’s “Tech Camp” Tuesday, June 9).
- When in service: Opening downtown to public June 18 for Grandma’s Marathon weekend.
- Tracker: Twitter and Facebook.
The Happy Wanderer (No longer in Duluth)
- Menu: Specialty egg rolls.
- Owner: Elyse Wachendorf and Nick Arntz.
- Operates out of a 1989 Chevy P30 Step Van.
- Locations frequented: Bent Paddle 4 to 10 p.m. for “Food Trucks Thursdays.” Superior Street between Carmody and Fitger’s weekend nights, roughly 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.
- When in service: Left Duluth in August for Portland, Ore.
- Tracker: Facebook and Twitter.
- Menu: Ice cream.
- Owner: Courtland Powe.
- Operates two ice-cream trucks, one cart, one mobile food trailer and also a brick-and-mortar restaurant at 504 E. Fourth St. in Duluth’s Central Hillside.
- Locations frequented: Still being worked out, but will be available on website.
- When in service: Weekends when school is out, weekends — depends on weather. Typically done by beginning of October.
- Tracker: Facebook and website (routes, GPS tracker).
- Menu: Ice cream and sorbet (local, homemade).
- Owner: Nicole Wilde.
- Operates a custom trailer with pop-up canopy.
- Locations frequented: UMD Farmer’s Market Tuesday 1 to 4 p.m.; Lincoln Park Farmers’ Market 4 to 7 p.m.
- When in service: June through end of September.
- Tracker: Facebook and Website.
- Menu: Ice cream.
- Owner: Stacey Achterhoff.
- Operates one Icicle Tricycle.
- Locations frequented: Tuesday Afternoons at Duluth Public Library for Kaleidoscope Program. Wednesday Nights at Leif Erikson Park Rose Garden for sailboat races. Library on Friday for “Food Truck Friday,” 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Often cruises Superior Street.
- When in service: Summer months beginning in mid-June.
- Tracker: Facebook.
- Menu: Hot sandwiches, coleslaw, potato chips, etc.
- Owner: Jonathan Reznick.
- Operates a P90 Step Van and also does catering.
- Locations frequented: Cirrus Aircraft on Tuesdays 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Second Street and Second Avenue West 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; by the Depot Thursdays 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; Bent Paddle on Thursdays 4 to 10 p.m.; City Hall on Friday 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; Depot for train rides on Saturdays 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Park Point 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays, if not scheduled for other events.
- When in service: Opened May 6 and should be active until Halloween.
- Tracker: Facebook.
Superior Dogs–Brand new in summer 2015
- Menu: Hot dogs.
- Owner: Michael Amendola.
- Operates one Hummer model cart.
- Locations frequented: With this being the first year, the plan is to just take the cart around town and follow the crowds.
- When in service: Hoping to open in June and operate through mid-October.
- Tracker: Nothing set up yet, but Amendola is looking into setting up a Facebook page.
Yum Yum Hut (Not in operation)
- Menu: Homemade pretzels, pretzel dogs, soups and sweet tea.
- Owner: Amy Goar
- Operates one trailer
- Locations frequented: Goar did not respond to PDD’s inquiries. A July 2 Facebook post announced “the Yum Yum Hut will not be operating this summer or in the near future.”
- Tracker: Facebook.
