Man, things have changed in the year or so since food trucks were last tackled here on Eater Nola— there are a dozen new trucks on the radar now. The proliferation, which began when the city relaxed its food truck restrictions, is due mostly to people wanting to eat food while drinking booze.
New Orleans' breweries (which have also been popping up all over the place)— Urban South, Second Line Brewing, 40 Arpent, and Courtyard Brewery— have seen the upside of having food on hand while people sample delicious beer. Food trucks are perfect to fill that need. Mobile and self-contained, several make a circuit throughout the breweries. Even Abita on the northshore has food trucks over the weekend and for large brewery events.
In addition, this provides food options for people hanging at their favorite bar such as The Kingpin, 45 Tchoup, Rendezvous, Chickie Wah Wah's, and the newly opened Tchoup Yard. This makes customers happy because who doesn't love burgers or tacos or wings when you've been drinking? It also makes bar owners and bartenders happy because having food right outside the door means that customers don't need to go elsewhere for sustenance, taking their money and boozing with them.
Even the Avenue Pub, which has an in-house kitchen, uses Nathanial Zimet's Purple Truck for special events.
Food trucks are also found in the Tulane University area and it won't be long till you can't throw a rock without hitting one in the new LSU Health corridor. My House NOLA is still organizing food truck roundups, and has recently partnered with Urban South as a venue.
NOTE: check social media for confirmation of truck location. And a couple trucks are taking some time off in August. But they'll be back, so don't be sad.
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