Bon Repas Food Truck. Photo courtesy of Bon Repas

Curbside Burgers Truck. Photos courtesy of Curbside

Food trucks have become a delicious part of Baton Rouge culture, dishing out gourmet goods from hot dogs and frozen yogurt to empanadas and wood-fired pizzas. It’s about time we got them all in one spot, so you can track down your favorite truck before they roll on.

BON REPAS FOOD TRUCK

What began as a way for Chef Chris Wadsworth to share his culinary expressions in Lafayette is now part of the Baton Rouge food truck scene. Chef Chris is now general manager and executive chef of Restaurant IPO (413 Third St.), so his wife Sommer has taken the helm of Bon Repas since its move.

Empanadas are the word at Bon Repas. From savory to seafood to sweets, there are several different varieties to choose from. The Blue Pig Empanada features a house-made chorizo and Maytag Blue cheese. Louisiana Lady is a seasonal seafood specialty highlighting local Louisiana ingredients, and proceeds from the dish go support the Women’s Hospital Breast Cancer Division. Most recently, the featured specialty was the Crab Cake Empanada. The Komen Empanada has fresh strawberries, micro mint, cream cheese, and chocolate. Proceeds from this dish support the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Your search for this food truck begins on Twitter @BonRepasWraps and Facebook, www.Facebook.com/BonRepasFoodTruck.

www.Facebook.com/BonRepasFoodTruck

CURBSIDE BURGERS TRUCK

When all you want is a juicy, savory burger, then look to the Curbside Truck for a scrumptious rendition of an American classic. With an affordable yet wide selection, quality and unique flavor combinations are the inspiration for this mobile burger joint. The selection doesn’t stop at just burgers. Curbside also offers homemade sausages, pork belly preserves, and homemade pickles. It has a gourmet essence that is worth searching for this truck on Twitter @CurbsideTruck. The Classic will give you all the satisfaction you are looking for in a burger. Other dishes worth trying are the KGB with home ground meat and praline bacon, fried egg, cheddar cheese, lettuce, and tomato. Top them off with the Wiemer fries, covered in shavings of Parmesan, drippings of white truffle oil, and garlic.

THREE BONES CATERING

Three Bones Catering takes inspiration from diverse offerings in Southeastern Louisiana while putting their own spin on the dishes. Po-boys, burgers, sandwiches, BBQ, Cajun dishes, and more can be sampled on their truck. Staples include the Classic Flat-Top Cheeseburger, The Hector (the Classic Flat-Top with extra cheese, fried jalapenos, and Kicker’s BBQ sauce), Kicker’s Brisket Sandwich, Loaded Shrimp Po-boy (fully dressed fried shrimp po-boy with a house white remoulade and house tartar), and the Surf and Turf Po-boy (fried shrimp and hot roast beef made with all the trimmings). Daily Specials are available on their Street Menu, but check out their Facebook and Twitter pages for updates: www.Facebook.com/ThreeBonesCater and www.Twitter.com/ThreeBonesCater.

TACO DE PACO

With a discernable ring to its name, Taco de Paco has become synonymous with the Baton Rouge food truck scene. With an emphasis on buying fresh, local, and seasonal ingredients whenever possible, Taco de Paco offers portable food with an edge. From downtown to mid-city to on site events, John Snow shares his food truck experience for those who wish to join the experience.

There is a special “Taco of the Week” that is shared on Facebook and Twitter to tempt customers. Standards include an Asian-influenced taco, “Dat Foo,” with slow roasted pulled pork, Chinese Hoisin sauce, Thai slaw, and Sriracha chili sauce. There is also an Italian-style taco “Pablo” with marinated and grilled Portobello mushrooms, sautéed fresh spinach, garlic, and fresh-grated Parmigiana Reggiano cheese. Have no fear, however, there are the traditional taco varieties. For instance, there is the “Juan” with a grilled Angus steak, roasted corn, jalapeno black bean salsa, lemon crème, and fresh cilantro. There is also the “Miguel” with roasted chicken, sautéed onion, bell peppers, fresh pico de gallo, shredded cheddar cheese, and crisp lettuce. Facebook friends (www.Facebook.com/TacoDePaco) and Twitter followers (@TacoDePaco) can find out where the truck will be for the day.

Curbside Truck
Owner/Chef: Nick Huft
Type of cuisine: Gourmet burgers
What to try: The Hatch Burger, a house patty topped with fire roasted green chili relish and Chihuahua cheese
Twitter: @CurbsideTruck
  www.CurbsideTruck.com

Taco de Paco
Owner/Chef: Aaron Brown
Type of cuisine: Tacos/burritos
What to try: Dat Foo, slow roasted pulled pork, Chinese Hoisin Sauce, Thai slaw, and spicy Sriracha Sauce
Twitter: @TacodePaco
www.TacoDePaco.com

Three Bones Catering
Owner/Chef: Chris Meyers and Jennie Dreher
Type of cuisine: BBQ/Cajun, “Bar-B-Cajun”
What to try: Brisket Fries; Cajun Quesadilla; Shrimp and Grits 

Ninja Snowballs
Owner/Chef: Jared Loftus
Type of cuisine: Snowballs
What to try: Coffee Cream, made with espresso from Highland Coffee
Twitter: @NinjaSnowballs

Geaux-Yo
Owner/Chef: Steven Edwards and Dennis Morazan
Type of cuisine: Frozen yogurt
What to try: Vanilla-Chocolate Swirl with Cocoa Pebbles 
Twitter: @GeauxYo
www.GeauxYo.com

Freshjunkie
Owner/Chef: Patrick Fellows
Type of cuisine: Salads/wraps
What to try: Brickhouse, Romaine lettuce, mixed greens, grilled asparagus, edamame, red bell peppers, carrot sticks, grape tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, and Brickhouse dressing
www.Facebook.com/FreshJunkie
www.FreshJunkie.com

Ignatius Reilly’s
Owner/Chef: Marcus Day
Type of cuisine: Gourmet street food, bistro
What to try: Vietnamese Meatball Sandwich, house-made Asian BBQ meatballs, aioli, cucumber, jalapenos, cilantro, pickled carrots, served on a French baguette
Twitter: @IgnatiusReillys
www.IgnatiusReillys.com

Oh Golly Tamale
Owner/Chef: Ricky Armond
Type of cuisine: Homemade tamales
What to try: The Tamale Pie
Twitter: @OhGollyTamale
www.Facebook.com/OhGollyTamale

Garcia’s Taco and Grill (Gonzales)
Owner/Chef: Daniel Garcia
Type of cuisine: South Texas Mexican cuisine
What to try: The Breakfast Tacos
Twitter: @GTGLLC
www.Facebook.com/GarciasTacoAndGrill 

Chicken Shack Express
Owner/Chef: Chicken Shack Restaurant
Type of cuisine: Fried chicken
What to try: The pork chop sandwich
Twitter: @ChickenShackExp
www.ChickenShack.org

The Shallow Cat
Type of cuisine: Hot dogs, nachos
What to try: Jerk Chicken Nachos, tortilla chips with Rotel cheese dip, Jamaican jerk chicken, pico de gallo, sour cream
Twitter: @TheShallowCat
www.TheShallowCat.com 

Dolce Vita Pizzeria
Owner/Chef: Bogdan Mocanu
Type of cuisine: Wood-fired gourmet pizza
What to try: Roasted duck pizza with sliced Georgia peaches over a bed of melted buffalo mozzarella, drizzled with Wild Turkey Glaze
www.Facebook.com/WoodFiredPizzaBR 

Bon Repas
Owner/Chef: Sommer and Chris Wadsworth
Type of cuisine: Fresh gourmet wraps
What to try: The Louisiana Lady, a jumbo lump crab cake in an empanada
www.BonRepasWraps.com

Happy Hot Dog Cart
Owner/Chef: Karen Koprowski and Shannon Collins
Type of cuisine: Hot dogs
What to try: The Swamp Dog, happy chili, happy mix, happy sauce, cheese, and sauerkraut
Twitter: @NiceDogHotDog
www.Facebook.com/NiceDogHotDogs/

The Bengalier
Owner/Chef: Barrett Meeks and James Whitley
Type of cuisine: Gourmet sandwiches
What to try: Rock Balls, Rockefeller spinach mixed with goat cheese and fried golden brown, served with Creolaise sauce
Twitter: @TheBengalier
www.TheBengalier.com