By Lauren Wanko
Correspondent
Oink and Moo BBQ’s grilling and slicing chicken for their chipotle tacos. They’re gearing up for the lunch crowd in their 22 x 8 foot food truck.
“The food truck scene now in New Jersey is just exploding. There are food trucks popping up all over the place,” said owner Josh Sacks.
As Sacks prepares a brisket sandwich, another food truck team preheats their ovens for pizzas. Ice cream is served up at Igloo while ceviche’s made to order, Peruvian style. They’re all part of a new food truck park in Asbury Park called North Eats.
“It’s an experiment this year. It’s our first time doing it,” said Carrie Turner, General Manager of the Asbury Park Boardwalk.
North Eats opened on July 1. There are six trucks here seven days a week. The park is managed my Madison Marquette, the retail landlord of the Asbury Park boardwalk. They began interviewing prospective food trucks back in January. They say they wanted a variety — everything from the adventurous like the Korean taco to more traditional like pulled pork, baby back ribs and even a pork roll sandwich.
“What we decided to do was just ride the wave of popularity of food trucks, but also kind of treat them like our other concession stands in that these food trucks come every day and they stay all day and they leave. It’s not really a rotating cast of folks,” Turner said.
“I think people like that it’s privately owned entrepreneurs, chefs making real food out of these trucks,” Sacks said.
Sacks — a self-proclaimed barbeque fanatic — bought a DHL truck a few years ago and had it converted. Now he owns three food trucks. They’re outfitted with everything from a smoker for their ribs and brisket to a full refrigerator to a flat top grill.
“Every town you go in you have to get health permits, fire permits, and then sometimes a town permit too to vend so as these food trucks go from town to town we’re getting new permits, so it’s a permit nightmare,” Sacks said.
The New Jersey Food Truck Association is working to streamline the permit process, says Sachs. He’s a board member.
“It’s not about location, location, location. If you don’t like your location, you can just drive away and find a better one,” Sacks said.
Beachgoers stand in line for these Asian style tacos.
“Having two genres clash together gives us a lot of creativity in our menu,” Josh Scala said.
The trucks run on electricity. Johnny’s Pork Roll Owner John Yarusi likes having a home base to plug into. He’s slicing pork roll while bacon and eggs sizzle on the grill.
“Pork roll is revered here in New Jersey. It’s something we have a firm emotional attachment to, especially at the Jersey Shore,” Yarusi said.
Customer Anthony Montedoro bought a sandwich for the first time.
“It’s good, very good,” he said.
North Eats will remain open until Labor Day.