Lucinda O'Sullivan's Ireland

Wednesday 24 July 2019

Following the street-food revolution in Ireland a few years back, pre-conceived notions of what is and isn’t ‘high end’ in the foodie world have been totally changed. Now, some of the best food in the country is being served up at a variety of unusual and surprising locations, from stalls, food trucks and trailers, to renovated shipping containers and even old double decker buses. 

DUBLIN


CONTAINER COFFEE
This cool, improvised coffee spot, on Thomas Street in Dublin 8, is made from two 20-foot shipping containers, which have been welded together and kitted out as modern funky coffee house. You’ll find great gourmet sambos, pies, cakes, and other delicious bits.
containercoffee.ie

EAT MY VEG
The Moodley Manor crew have been turning heads with their tasty meatless meals and ‘badass’ alternatives, available online. Their Eat My Veg food truck can be found at a variety of lunchtime markets from Wed-Sat weekly.
moodleymanor.com

HAPPY OUT
Rattle across the boards down the Bull Wall at Dollymount Strand to this fab ‘Beach Boys’ style cafe on Bull Island, which is also housed in a shipping container. The menu is kept simple, but the sporty walkers and day trippers are all raving about the toasties and soups.
happyout.ie

LALA POUTINE
Bringing the beloved Canadian poutine dish of chips, cheese curds and gravy to our shores, look for the bright yellow Lala Poutine food truck, which has been popping up at all sorts of festivals and events, as well as being regularly in-situ outside Dublin’s Canadian Embassy. Keep track of the vans whereabouts through twitter @Lalapoutineirl.
lalapoutine.ie

THE MARKET KITCHEN
Doing great all-day breakfasts, toasties, soup, and cakes, The Market Kitchen caters for festivals and events, but is a staple of Temple Bar’s Saturday Market. It’s all about seasonal produce with all veg, cheese and bread being bought at local markets.
themarketkitchen.org

THE TACO TRUCK
Austin, a born-and-bred Texan, and his Irish partner, Rebecca, have gone from strength to strength since their taco truck started rolling. Now, they’ve taken up residence at the hip Drop Dead Twice, a cocktail bar and venue on Francis Street.
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VIET NOM
Hidden away in the beer garden of The Glimmer Man pub in Stoneybatter, this fun and colourful food truck, which operates from Thurs-Sun evening, delivers on fresh flavoursome vegetarian food. Bring the pooch, and make a day of it!
vietnom.ie

COUNTRYWIDE

CATCH OF THE DAY
Kinsale, in Co. Cork, may be our foodie capital, with its renowned gourmet fest drawing in eager gastronomists. But, just outside town, at the Archdeacon Duggan Bridge – known locally as the ‘new’ bridge – sits the long-standing Catch of the Day, which may be the best fish & chip van around.
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CHEWY & THE BEAST
Located in the food yard next to Dick Mack’s Pub in Dingle, Co. Kerry, during the summer, you can grab your burgers from Chewy’s counter, or queue up at the aptly named ‘Beast’ food truck and check out the best wood-fired pizza in town.

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FREIGHT
Another savvy restaurant jumping on the repurposed shipping container trend. Five of the metal behemoths have been welded together to form Freight in Belfast, and with Titanic Belfast just around the corner, it seems all the more on point. They’ve really gone all out, style-wise, with the interior feeling like very modern, clean line restaurant.
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GAILLOT ET GREY
Gaillot et Grey’s fab wood-fired pizza truck, at the Watson & Johnson Centre on Mill Road in Greystones, proved so popular that they moved operations indoors with a thriving restaurant on Clanbrassil Street, Dublin 8. But, for a taste of where it all began, grab a slice from the beloved stainless-steel vintage Citroen truck.
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INISHWALLAH
Inishwallah at Inishbo n, Co Galway, which operates in the summer season, is a super cool Indian street-food restaurant set in a renovated double decker bus with great sea views. Grab your food from the bus-side counter and enjoy a table outside, or make your order, jump on board and head for their upper-deck restaurant.
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JJ’S TRUCK STOP
A true American-style roadside diner, JJ’s Truck Stop, located on Waterford’s N25 in Youghal, does great fish ‘n’ chips, burgers, and an all-day breakfast that people go mad for. Grab a stool in this cool converted-trailer restaurant and enjoy the plethora of Americana plastered across the walls, or head outside and enjoy the idyllic views of the River Blackwater.
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JOHNNY’S RANCH
Chef Johnny Patterson, who has worked in high-end restaurants, now runs his popular Johnny’s Ranch food truck in Ramelton, Co Donegal, with a simple ethos — keep it fresh, and keep it local. And, simple, or not, with Lennonside beef and seafood from Albatross in Killybegs, he’s dishing up some of the best gourmet fast food going.
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LOCKE BURGER
Working out of a fun, quirky old Citroen HY van on George’s Quay in Limerick, but also catering for all sorts of occasions, Locke Burger’s motto is ‘in beef we trust”, and with an ever-growing following of loyal foodie fans, you can trust them to deliver on a top-notch burger and fries.
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MAEGDEN
Described on its website as a “femme-fuelled, feel-good food truck”, Maegden is a lovely little repurposed 1950s caravan set in a field down the road from the Giant’s Causeway in Antrim. From March to October, it serves tasty gourmet toasties and handmade sweet treats, like seasonal sundaes and cookie sandwiches; as well as specialty drinks from teas and coffees to handmade sodas, to its ‘Bonfire’ hot chocolate.
cheesemaegden.com

MISUNDERSTOOD HERON
Misunderstood Heron, which is run by husband and wife team Kim Young and Reinaldo Seco, is among the Top 80 food trucks in the word, according to Lonely Planet’s Around The World In 80 Food Trucks travel guide. Just off the road, on the shores of Killary Fjord in Galway, this fantastic log-cabin-style mini-restaurant trailer does great food with an incomparably beautiful backdrop. Think mussels and chorizo, pastis, samosas etc.
misunderstoodheron.com

PYKE ‘N’ POMMES
Pyke ‘n’ Pommes started out as a food truck in 2015, and then moved into a converted a shipping container and a double-decker bus, creating an industrial-style, waterside street-food restaurant by the River Foyle in Derry. Think slow-roasted pork, prime Irish beef burgers and lots of fresh fish.
pykenpommes.ie

THE HATCH
The Hatch, an artisan food truck based in Castlewellan, Co Down, took home the Ireland’s Best Burger award at Burgerfest 2019 earlier this year, beating some fairly meaty competition along the way; and, with choices like a scampi fries fish burger or a big black truffle mac ‘n’ cheese burger, I’m not surprised.
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THE NOSH POD
The Nosh Pod, a wonderfully cute and dinky red takeaway trailer, at The Northern Extension, IDA Industrial Estate, Waterford, is all about doing things the fresh and natural way, serving up ‘delicious artisan coffees, healthy bakes & the best of sexy sourdoughs from 7:30am each morning’. It also does great soups and toasties, plus specials like gin mustard & honey baked ham; and veggie options, such as ‘Nutloaf Nosh’.
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lucindaosullivan.com 

First Published In The Sunday Independent