Long Island food truck events for 2025
There’s something about eating food from a truck that just hits differently. Whether it’s the in-the-moment urgency with which each dish is prepared, the rich aroma beckoning or the global flavors made from succulent meats, a kaleidoscope of fruit and vegetables (or those decadent sugars) that good trucks produce, you just know it’s going to be worth it.
Like any region that embraces a food trend, Long Island has its own flock of food trucks that roam streets and station themselves at parks and pop-up at festivals. (Save for Mr. Softee, of course, who has been here all along.)
Craig Nadolne, who owns the NYC Poutinerie truck, can usually be found on Route 347 in Setauket making oozy, stringy, salty Canadian poutine: fries topped with fresh cheese curds and gravy. "I began this incredible journey with a pop-up tent in Long Island City in 2015. My poutine was so successful in the tent, so I built the truck to be the first and only poutine truck on Long Island," Nadolne said. "But, I also had to adapt to Long Island, so I came up with General Tso’s Poutine. Canadians would never accept this creation, but Long Islanders…”
Savory trucks serve everything from poutine to pupusas, tacos to smash burgers, pizza to fried rice-filled pineapples, dumplings to Greek fries — yep, that’s really French fries topped with feta cheese — while the sweets trucks have loaded pudding, soft doughnuts and over-the top ice cream sandwiches. Now that the sunny days are returning, food truck events are popping up with more frequency. Among them are casual weekly meets in parking lots and parks, dedicated food festivals catering to thousands and smaller community-driven events. Here are four food truck events to attend this season.
WEEKLY MEET-UPS
Food Truck Fridays
5-9 p.m. Fridays at 55 Hickory Lane, Levittown
If you need Wendy Lantigua or Joe Fradella, partners and founders of Food Truck Fridays, on Friday nights, they’re under the yellow tent that shades The Lemon Life Shake Lemonade Stand, which debuted in 2023. But it was back in 2018 that Lantigua, then-owner of The Happy Pig, selling roasted corn, loaded tater tots and vegan fried chicken, gathered other local food trucks and rented out the parking lot of Good Shepherd Church in Levittown for a meetup of like minds and bellies.
Every Friday from May to October, eight to 10 food trucks (announced weekly via social media) sell on location. Having moved on from Good Shepherd, which now hosts its own meetup event (see below), Food Truck Fridays takes place at the VFW Post 9592 on Hickory Lane, a family-friendly spot spread out over a huge lawn, with seating both inside and outside the hall (and indoor bathrooms, too). Lantigua loves “being able to see people hang out on lawn chairs and picnic blankets with the kids running around playing.” There is a bar for patrons over the age of 21 in the VFW Hall. Trucks set their own prices. Occasionally, there’s a DJ.
Keva Moolenaar, of the Sweet Love food truck, at the weekly Food Truck Fridays in Levittown. Credit: Elizabeth Sagarin
Original trucks include Royal Elite BBQ, serving quesadillas and smoked meats and The Big Black Food Truck “who have been with us since Day One,” Lantigua said. Other participants have included Puerto Rican Bori Bites, serving “empanacos” ($16) — a cross between an empanada and a taco — and jibaritos ($14), or plantain sandwiches, served with arroz con gandules, or rice and peas, All American Wonton specilties filled with specialty stuffing like macaroni and cheese or apple crumb, Angie's Empanadas and Dominick's Chicken Fingers plus desserts from The Sweet Love Company, which sells cake pops, cake jars and cupcakes.
More info: 516-448-5126, foodtruckfridaypeople.com. Weekly truck schedules are posted on social media in the “Food Truck Fridays!” group on Facebook and @foodtruck_friday_people on Instagram.
Levittown Food Trucks - TGIF
5-9 p.m. Fridays at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 3434 Hempstead Tpke., Levittown
Just around the corner from the VFW Post, Mary Marie Carbonaro, event coordinator for Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, buzzes around the vast parking lot that belongs to the parish and produces another truck meetup on-site called Levittown Food Trucks — TGIF.
“This church saved me five years ago,” Carbonaro said. “I am so delighted to be a part of giving back to it.” The church, which recently reopened after a Christmas Day fire in 2020 shut it down, has much reason to celebrate. Locals rallied to support the rebuilding of the church, saw it reopen on April 27, and now get to nurture a new era for parish-goers.
Will Benitez and Gianna Cacamese, of West Babylon, get their orders from John Howard of the Cone Depot at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Levittown. Credit: Elizabeth Sagarin
With live music and a small area with toys for kids, eight to 10 trucks with various delicacies line the perimeter of the church’s lot. Tables await in the center corridor for folks to congregate at, sample grub, listen to music and trade the week’s highlights as they nibble. Mainstay truck Mama’s Cuban Kitchen — Carbonaro’s “very first truck to sign up" — serves up Cubano sandwiches, rice and beans, pernil or roasted pork, and empanadas at the space’s entry, next to Home Depot on Hempstead Turnpike.
Although the trucks change regularly, a recent visit included Cone Depot chicken and waffle cones, The Steak Truck, serving $15 Wagyu smashburgers and fries, and an Authentic Greek Truck with its gyros and feta and oregano-smothered fries. Rounding out the savory options were Serpico’s Bread Co., a pizza truck with a mobile wood-burning oven (yes, really!), Mobile Iron Chef with more burgers and Philly cheesesteaks, and Extreme Empanadas, which offers 10 styles of the handheld from teriyaki shrimp (with fried rice) to Abuela’s classic sofrito beef ($4 and up; 6 for $25). Sweet tooth? Kool Kat Ice Cream’s soft serve cones and Say Dipped’s chocolate smothered fruit and snacks. There were even cookies and puppacinos for furry pals at The Barking Biscuit’s. Pro tip: If nothing else grabs you, the dog cookies are people-friendly.
More info: 516-731-7387, lichurch.com/home. Weekly truck schedules are posted on social media on Facebook at Levittown Food Trucks — TGIF and @levittownfoodtrucks on Instagram.
UPCOMING LONG ISLAND FOOD TRUCK FESTIVALS
MAY 18: Nesconset Spring Fling, Music Fest, and Food Truck Rodeo
A community festival featuring 85 craft vendors selling upcycled and new art, vintage clothing, baked goods and everything in between, it’s the food truck rodeo of Nesconset.
Trucks include Serpico Bread Co. with artisan pizza, Italian sandwiches and charcuterie cups; Angie’s Empanadas, DJs Clam Shack’s lobster rolls, Rockin Roast’s gourmet roast beef sandwiches, and How U Dogin’s loaded hot dogs, served classic or topped with fixings like chili and cheese. The Running Egg will serve Long Island’s beloved breakfast sandwiches and you can wash it all down with The Groovy Smoothie. More, you say? Authentic Polish pierogies, pickles on a stick, fresh lemonade, soups, burgers, cotton candy, Mr. Softee ice cream, The Pudding Lady puddings, gourmet coffees, a nonalcoholic elixir bar for adults and craft beer by Saint James Brewery.
Not into the food? There’s are “mani in a minute” manicures and tarot readings, plus three local bands — Almost Elijah, the Lisa Polizzi Band, and WildFire the Band — playing tunes. For kids: face painting, a bounce house, fairy tinsel hair and a mechanical bull.
More info: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 18 at the Nesconset Gazebo Park, Smithtown Blvd., Nesconset Plaza. Free admission.
June 6-8: The Famous Food Festival’s 'Taste the World'
Tanger Outlets’ Famous Food Festival “Taste the World” returns to whet palates for the first of its two 2025 events. Globetrot from Italy to Mexico to China to Taiwan, with culinary imports both exotic and familiar at the day food bonanza in Deer Park. backyard. Launched in 2018, now with more than 100 food, art and beverage vendors, the event takes place June 6-8.
New vendors include Rhythm and Ribz Smokehouse featuring beef brisket, pork ribs, pulled pork, chicken, mac and cheese, baked beans, cornbread, and coleslaw and Cousins Maine Lobster, which makes rolls, tacos, grilled cheese, quesadillas and tots with — what else? — lobster, plus chowders and bisques. Cool off with an iced coffee from another newbie, Goddess Cinna-beans Coffee Co., which also sells cinnamon rolls, cookies and bread. Sour and dill pickle fans will love Tommy’s Pickles’ fried pickles, burgers and pickle sandwiches.
Calling the event “the mother of all food truck events," Craig Stewart, founder of returning truck Cone Depot and debut truck Say Dipped (where fruits like banana, strawberry and apple and snacks like potato chips, pretzels and cookies are smothered in melted chocolate), said the Famous Food Festival “was the reason I started my food truck. I went several years ago and saw the potential a food truck has to be lucrative. The festival has thousands of people in attendance. Even with so many different choices, people try everything.”
Patrons over 21 years old can sample wine, cocktails, craft beer and cider. And there’s also rock climbing, ax-throwing, mini golf, psychic readings, as well as a kids area featuring face painting, henna tattoos, rides and a photo booth. This year's new VIP Sampling Package, $105, features separate line access, private seating areas, festival swag and specially curated tastings from 12 top-selling, returning vendors including pork bao from Heavenly Bao, an al pastor taco from Tacos El Guero, pizza ball and chicken Parm arancini from The Little Sicilian, and a mac and cheese oxtail cupcake from Tashana’s Kitchen, among others.
More info: 1-8 p.m. June 6 and 11 a.m.-8 p.m. June 7-8 at Tanger Outlet Shops, 152 The Arches Circle, Deer Park, famousfoodfestival.com. Admission is $15 ($5 ages 8-12) at the door or $8 in advance online.
A global freelancer who has checked her suitcase to raise her young daughter on her native Long Island, Marie Elena will always make time for good mezcal, even better tacos and killer conversation. Preferably, in a corner bar seat. She can be found on Instagram at @mariesworldeats.
