This year’s food truck awards were as filled with drama and close races as ever. These truck races concluded at a race track – R1 Indoor Karting hosted the unveiling of the winners at Motif’s 20th anniversary bash on August 11, at our biggest celebration to date. Over 2000 people voted for their favorite food-on-wheels, and the celebration drew around 600 food truck enthusiasts over the course of the day. Trucks served throughout the day, and we are grateful to the vendors, brewers, volunteers, presenters, hosts and to partners R1 Indoor Karting and the Dark Arts Festival for making the afternoon a success. Performers from evil clowns to mimes to Providence Drum Troopers circulated in the crowd. Special thanks to the trucks that came to dish out their Sunday best: Hook and Ladder Pizza, Mac Daddy, Food Vibes, Lulu’s Little Pancakes, Memphis Kelle, The Hot Potato, Boba Wave, Memphis Kelle, Ball or Nothing, and Haven Brothers.
FAVORITE CHICKEN WINGS, FAVORITE NEW TRUCK – AXELROD’S FRY SHACK
Axelrod’s chicken wings took our breath away! Their signature wings have a process that’s hard to beat. Each signature wing is brined for 24 hours. After that, they simmer each wing in their signature brine. The final step in the preparation process is to cool each wing to preparation perfection. The magic happens when they throw them into the fryer, though. What’s more, they serve each set of wings with their one of signature sauces. They have been proudly serving up unbeatable wings to Rhode Islanders since 2019. After refining their technique, from their “shoe box” sliders to their fries that come with signature sauces and toppings, they took their act on the road in late 2023 with their mobile fry shack. Oh, and don’t forget to try their smash sliders, award-winning chicken wings, and over-the-top shakes that are 10% cream-based. – BJ
FAVORITE OTHER HOT DOGS/ SAUSAGES – BALL OR NOTHING
Launched a year ago by Mike McAteer, proprietor of Hot Potato and Cup o’ Joe, the café off Allens Ave in Providence, Ball or Nothing brings weiners of all kinds to a tasty boil. “We started with meatballs,” McAteer says. Then they added hot dogs of all kinds. “We didn’t know if it would work, but we decided to go for it, so it was ‘all or nothing,’ but with meatballs.” Their homemade weiner sauce took years to perfect, in a series of trial and error tests that sound like they could be made into a martial arts movie training montage. A local guru in the field of hot dog would give feedback on each sample, and McAteer would keep coming back with refinements until he finally received a smile and blessing on the final recipe. Ball or Nothing is the only truck with an official endorsement by Little Rhody brand hot dogs. “They’re the oldest brand in the state, and I think they’re the only ones still entirely made in Rhode Island,” says McAteer, who prides himself on shopping locally. “We try to keep all the business local – everything’s locally sourced.” B or N serves NY system, traditional hot dogs, weiners and more, including, of course, meat balls. – MR
FAVORITE SEAFOOD – BLOUNT’S CLAM SHACK
A Rhode Island staple for everything seafood since 1880, Blount’s Clam Shack is the largest producer of clam chowder in New England and the largest manufacturer of lobster bisque in the country. They’ve long had physical locations that are popular destinations during the summer, so it only made sense to eventually move that fishy magic to a more portable venue, even if the truck’s not exactly a shack. From their famous clam chowder and lobster bisque to their crab cakes, fried seafood platters, sandwiches, salads, and more, it’s no wonder they brought home the top seafood spot. To learn more about their menu, food trucks, and more, visit blountretail. com. – BJ
FAVORITE COFFEE/BEVERAGE/THING IN A CUP – BOBA WAVE
Boba Wave is Rhode Island’s very first food truck (well, drink truck) dedicated to bubble tea! Not only that, they make boba tea an artform with a custom ordering process. First, you choose between five tea bases. Next, choose from over 20 different drink types and flavors. They save the best step for last – toppings! Choose from four different types of toppings from classic boba bubbles to popping bubbles, jelly pieces, and drizzles or swirls. Finish it off with your sweetness level, and you’ve got one of the best and most customized drinks in RI. It’s a level of magic in keeping with the goth sensibilities of the crew. “Sometimes they call me the Boba Witch,” concedes owner Janine Anthony. As long as she keeps brewing her boba brew, it might be a name that sticks. Learn more about their truck at fb.com/ BobaWave.RI. – MR
FAVORITE SANDWICH – CASA TIA ROSA
If you’re a fan of Portuguese chicken, chourico, cacoila, or chourico & peppers, you won’t want to miss the things they’re cooking at Casa Tia Rosa. They’ve been serving up Portuguese sandwich specials to Rhode Islanders for years, and their fans took their love of Casa sandwiches and empanadas to the next level, casting the second most votes, in total, of any of the trucks considered this year. Truck owner and chef Manny credits “Old family recipes” for his Portuguese chicken, chourico, cacoila, or chourico & peppers. They offer a lot of variety beyond the award-winning sandwiches and empanadas, including Portuguese soup, salad and RI-meets-Portugal stuffed quahogs. Check them out at casatiarosa. com. – MR
FAVORITE GRAPHICS, FAVORITE INNOVATIVE/ WEIRD MENU – CHICK’D OUT NUGGS Just one look at the Chick’d Out Nuggs food truck and we knew it had potential to win our favorite graphics award. At Motif, we’re fans of good branding. It’s hard to miss the seamless brand experience that is Chick’d Out Nuggs. Matching their brand name are a group of chicks driving a trick’d out car in mid-bounce. They make a perfect group of mascots, looking good enough to eat. Check out their food truck graphics at chickedoutnuggz.com and see just how chick’d out their ride is. Chick’d Out Nuggs separates themselves from the pack with their creativity and completely gluten-free menu. Foodies can choose from six options for their nuggs. Five nugg choices are graced with flavored toppings. For those who like their nuggs plain, they offer “Nakey Nuggs.” Their eclectic menu features flavors like hickory smoked, sweet, buffalo, honey, and savory salad toppings. Check out their menu at chickedoutnuggz.com. – BJ
FAVORITE FROZEN DESSERT – COSMO’S If you’re a fan of fancy shakes and other frozen drinks, you’ll love Cosmo’s. If you’re lucky, you may even get a garnish of fruit or gummy sharks! The crazy toppings are part of the charm. They also point out that their frozen lemonade is whipped, making it lighter than traditional RI frozen lemonades. They make the lemonade fresh each morning using their own recipes, and they also serve adult beverages – beverages that may, for the right occasions, find themselves mixed into adult versions of that whipped lemonade. – MR
FAVORITE HANDHELD NON-SANDWICH – EAST LANDING This family-owned food truck is a labor of love for the Saulnier family. Founded in 2023, they bring a collection of scratch-made small plates, deserts, and charcuterie boards across the state, which is probably what landed them the win for the slightly odd category of non-sandwich finger food. For other non-sandwich items, they offer savory mac and cheese with the option to add pulled pork, braised short ribs, and meatballs with homemade red sauce, ricotta, and basil. To learn more, visit eastlandingri. com. – MR
FAVORITE TRUCK WITH STOREFRONT, FAVORITE FRENCH FRIES – FRISKIE FRIES Started by two friends over some late-night fries, when they shared an uncommon idea, and a love for french fries. Friskie Fries have been serving up truly inspired deep-fried delicacies to Rhode Islanders since 2012. With physical locations in Providence and Johnston, their eclectic and tasty menu delights foodies all over the state. Learn more about Friskie Fries at friskiefries.com. Friskie’s fries have a long-running streak at these awards, always beloved for their innovation, wild, Bloom-County-esque graphics, reassuring late-night presence downcity, and of course, their fries. They offer three types of undressed fries and a dozen combos of dressed fries. The dressed fries are really the big idea Friskie brought to downcity – if you order any of these, the fries become a simple foundation and the toppings become the real meal and star of the show. Originally affiliated with the Alley Cat nightclub, the fries were a huge greasy hit with anyone who’d been dancing for a few hours and perhaps consumed a few adult beverages. But as their expansion has proven, they taste great sober too! – BJ & MR
FAVORITE PIZZA/ ITALIAN – HOOK N LADDER PIZZA CO.
Since 2021, Shawn Finnigan has been serving up the tastiest brick oven pizza from a remodeled fire engine. Yes, seriously. It was designed and created by former and current fire fighters. Well-behaved kids might also get a tour of the full-sized truck these tasty flatbreads come out of – it makes them hard to miss at any food truck festival they pull into. And if you burn your mouth, you have certified experts to turn to. Come check out what makes their pizza so flamin’ good at hookandladderpizzaco.com. – BJ
FAVORITE NON-FRENCH-FRY POTATO ITEM – THE HOT POTATO
Whether you like your potatoes whole, sliced, or smashed, Hot Potato serves up spud-inspired dishes from gourmet baked potatoes to sweet potatoes, sandwiches, and more for more than four years. A staple at Providence College sporting events, Mulligan’s Island food truck nights, ComicCon and many more events, the potatoes themselves are defined by their toppings – almost anything, it turns out, can go on a potato, from chicken parm to pulled pork. Shrimp scampi? No problem. If you love venturing out of the bun and want to experience a meal in a peel, check out The Hot Potato. Visit them online at fb.com/TheHotPotatoFoodTruck. – BJ
FAVORITE BBQ – LITTLE B’S BBQ
Believe it or not, you don’t have to travel down south to get tasty Texas-style barbeque. Nope. Little B’s BBQ gives you that same down-south flavor above the Mason Dixon line. Enjoy classic barbeque with beef brisket, ribs, pork, chicken, and southern-style fixings. Check out their website and taste southern-style barbeque right here, in the littlest state at littlebsbbq.com. – BJ
FAVORITE DESSERT – LULU’S LITTLE PANCAKES
Lulu’s Little Pancakes is a family-owned food truck that serves up Insta-worthy pancake concoctions you need to see to believe. Inspired by Dutch ‘poffertjes,’ their creative treats make a perfect snack or dessert. These aren’t traditional breakfast pancakes, but more of a dessert or treat with a ridiculous array of possible toppings to intrigue any sweet tooth. Try favorites like pumpkin cheesecake, cinnamon toast crunch, apple crisp, and more. To learn more, check out luluslittlepancakes.com. – BJ
FAVORITE CHEESE – MAC DADDY Started by mother and son duo Allie and Brayden (11), Mac Daddy serves up mac-inspired dishes, with a little something extra. Foodies go ga-ga for their cheesy mac creations, with creative combinations like chicken parm, buffalo chicken, and pulled pork, you’ll love every gooey bite. Just over a year old, Mac Daddy won several awards last year and is clearly still macarolling along well. See a full interview at motifri.com/whosyour-macdaddy-the-pasta-bilities-are-endless or Check them out on Instagram @macdaddy_ri. – BJ
FAVORITE MEXICAN, FAVORITE TACOS – RARA’S SURF SHACK RaRa’s makes some seriously delicious Mexican-inspired dishes, from tacos and taquitos to burritos, taco salads, flautas and quesadillas. (extra props for their trademark quesadillas with an extra rim of fried cheese around the edges) A truly family-friendly food truck environment, they even offer kid’s meal deals. Just one bite into their crunchy tacos, and RaRa’s Surf Shack had us hooked. Maybe that’s why so many Rhode Islander’s voted them the top Mexican and favorite taco food truck in RI. Other taco-flavored hits include their taco salad, flautas, and walking tacos (a must-try – these are essentially hard tacos crushed up and served in a bag). Check them out at fb.com/rarassurfshack. – BJ
FAVORITE NY SYSTEM STYLE WEINERS – SAM’S NY SYSTEM
The name may mention another state, but Sam’s NY System has been a Rhode Island staple since 1968. We know it’s counterintuitive, but RI generally gets credit for refining the “NY style” hot dog inspired by Coney Island in the distant past. Renowned for their unique take on weiners, it’s no surprise they took top dog honors (see what we did there?). Sam’s also has a brick and mortar location on Freeborne St. in Warwick. Check them out at samsnys.com. – BJ
FAVORITE GLUTEN-FREE/ ALLERGY-SAFE – SARCASTIC SWEETS
Sarcastic Sweets have been serving up nut-free and dairy-free desserts for over a decade, in pop-ups, as a caterer and from the truck. Now, they include a sweet line-up of gluten-free and vegan treats as well! “If we do gluten-free then we also make it vegan, so those sweets are safe for all the allergies,” says director of sarcasm Nina Reed. With a full selection of cupcakes, brownies, cookies, and more, you can eat until your heart’s content. For custom cakes and online orders, visit them at sarcasticsweet.com. – BJ
FAVORITE BURGER/ SLIDER, FAVORITE WINTER WARRIOR, MOST VOTES OVERALL – SUNSET FARMS This was the upset of the year this year, with this veteran farm beating out long-established slider favorites like Haven Brothers and taking the most votes overall prize. If you grew up in Narragansett, and went to Narragansett High School, it’s a given that you spent at least one miserably hot afternoon on the side of route 108 pulling weeds for Narragansett’s quintessential farm, Sunset Farms. At over 150 years old, Sunset Farms is the oldest, and only working farm still in Gansett; a farm that has fostered a special relationship with their community. They have beautiful plots of land full of cattle, fresh grown fruits and veggies, and according to their mission statement, “no product should ever go to waste.” Sunset Farms represents this ethic through their local farm stand, distributing to over 40 restaurants, and their Farm-to-Table food truck – so you don’t have to weed their cucumber beds in order to enjoy their delicious burgers! Head on over to fb.com/ sunsetfarm1864 to find out more about this historic farm and their food truck events. – MH
FAVORITE ALCOHOL TRUCK – TRINITY BREW HOUSE
We love food, but we also love beer! Trinity Brew House brings the beer to you, pouring some of their select, craftful collections for all (of legal age, of course) to enjoy. Located in the heart of PVD, The Brew House has been a staple since 1994, and with the addition of their alcohol truck they continue to gather their following across the state, and drive new customers to try locally brewed beer. They get OG credit for the craft beer trend in Rhode Island, and their beer gardens have a long-standing presence in major food truck events around the state, including the Food Truck Fridays at Roger Williams Park Carousel. Visit their website trinitybrewhouse.com for more information on their hoppy goodness. – MH
FAVORITE POP-UP – TURNER BROTHERS
Poppin’ up all around town, the Turner Brothers truck is a fun place to grab some tasty, Americana-inspired cuisine. From hot dogs, burgers, to chicken salad sandwiches, they’ve got you covered on all your favorite comfort foods. Check out https://turnbrosllc.com to find out where they might be next! – MH
FAVORITE VEGAN – VEGAN SUGA Nothing better than some ice cream on a hot day, and this one you can enjoy guilt-free! Finding vegan soft-serve ice cream can seem like an incomprehensible task, but Vegan Suga makes it easy. Take a look at their facebook, fb.com/Vegan-suga next time you have a hankering for a sweet treat. – MH
FAVORITE NOODLES – YAGI NOODLES Nasty gal! Yagi Noodles’ website boasts that their “food truck gets around!” It’s true, their truck can be rented for events and found all around the state. They offer handmade noodles crafted with local, unbleached flour and have a large menu that is bound to strike anyone’s fancy, noodle-lover or not. Find them on instagram @yaginoodles or their website yaginoodles. com to get the low-down on their next appearance. – MH
MORE FOOD, LESS TRUCK FAVORITE RI FOOD PRODUCT – YACHT CLUB SODA
You grab a sandwich, sit down at a table, about to take a bite, when … you realize you forgot a drink! Look no further, Yacht Club Soda has you covered. They have been quenching the thirst of Rhode Islander’s for 108 years, with soda’s that boast unique flavors and simple ingredients. They also produce limited editions every four years to straw-poll the presidential election. From now until November, you can drink a vote by choosing either. Make sure you don’t miss out on these limited flavors, “Joe’s Bidenomics Berry,” (Before Kamala, otherwise known as B.K) or “Donald’s Trumpian Punch,” as we lumber into November. Drink in their website at yachtclubsoda.com. – MH
FAVORITE FARM – CONFREDA FARMS
Since 1922, Confreda farms have held firm to the value of creating a family-farm experience. They remain steadfast in producing the freshest produce, plants, and specialty products for local Rhode Islanders. Their farm has a welcoming, community vibe. From their Farmer’s Market and their Garden Center to their soil and compost, they serve the community with unmatched customer service. Find out more at confredafarms.com. – BJ
FAVORITE NEW RI FOOD PRODUCT – RAINBOW NUTS BY KRISTI’S KRAFTTAILS
While we’re huge fans of Kristi’s delicious mocktails, the product that struck our readers’ fancy this year was their Rainbow Nuts. Locally roasted and seasoned by hand, these spiced cashews are amazing! Oh, and did we mention they are gluten free and vegan? And they come in a rainbow of flavors? Well, three, for now – but that’s a lot of cashew variety. “I love cashews, but was trying to avoid all the salt that comes with them,” says founder Kristi Dukoff. “So I made my own, but healthier.” Everything Kristi’s makes has a tie-dye color scheme, so coming up with the name was easy. The Krafttail mascot, a pooch named Skittles, also provided some inspiration (“Although we couldn’t call them Skittles, of course.”) The three current flavors are spicy with garlic, taco flavored, and Piri Piri, a Portuguese chili. Kristi partakes eagerly of her own supply. “I have about a half-gallon tub of them at home.” So far, customer response has been positive, and they are planning to develop more flavors. “A lot of customers tell me they love to have my nuts in their mouth,” Kristi says, admitting the potential puns are endless. “We’re considering an upcoming dill pickle flavor. We’re having a lot of fun trying to name that one.” Check them out online at kristiskraftails.com. – MR
