You don’t have to work in downtown Chicago to join the food truck craze. A select number of mobile eateries make the trip north to curb your cravings, while others on our list are based right here in Lake County.
The key to a successful food truck experience (especially if kids are involved!) is to scout them out online first. Find out where the food truck will be and when via their website or social media channels. Take advantage of online ordering when available or scope out the menu in advance and have your order ready. The most popular food trucks will often have long lines.
If you’d rather not be checking your Twitter feed, The City of Waukegan recently licensed food trucks for service in their area:
- Clayton Street between County Street and Genesee Street, every Friday from 8:00 a.m.to 10:00 p.m.
- Every third Saturday of each month during ArtWauk, from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
- During ticketed events being held at The Genesee Theatre, from two hours before the event to one hour after the event
- Waukegan Municipal Beach, every Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Or try Lincolnshire’s Food Truck Fridays, every other Friday, May 20-September 23rd from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. at the Lincolnshire Corporate Center Parking Lot, 300 Knightsbridge Parkway, SW Corner of Milwaukee and Knightsbridge. Free admission and parking. Rain or Shine!
There is also the Summer Nights in the Park event, on July 11th, 18th, & 25th, from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. at the Lake County JCC at 23280 N Old McHenry Rd in Lake Zurich. For $10 for the whole family you can enjoy entertainment, live music, food trucks and more at Garoon Gateway to Science park.
If you want to celebrate 4th of July with lots of delicious food served right from a truck, hit up Glencoe’s first Food Truck Fest on the evening of July 4th. The food trucks will be parked on Park Avenue throughout the evening for you to enjoy. You can sample ice cream , street Asian food, empanadas, and classic American favorites all from a food truck.
Swirl Cafe – Serving baked treats, fair-trade coffee and refreshing teas. You’ll find them at area Farmers Markets in the summer months or contact them directly for custom orders or special events.
Food for Your Soul Food Truck – This Lake County-based food truck is available for special occasions and corporate events and is sponsored by Calzone & Macaroni Co. If you’re lucky, you may find them at a local brewery near you!
Taste of Paris – Many of you may already be familiar with Chef Claude’s Restaurant and Bakery in Mundelein (but if not you can learn more about Chef Claude in our Locally Grown feature.) Taste of Paris also has a mobile catering truck, Chef on Wheels, which can be found at various Farmer’s Markets.
Ana’s Eats & Treats – Mobile food truck operating in Lake County IL, serving great quality sandwiches, unique side dishes and delicious sweets.
Toasty Cheese – Toasty Cheese brings the humble grilled cheese sandwich to a whole new level. Jenna listed this mobile eatery in our listing of Best Unique Grilled Cheese in Lake County.
Chicago Cupcake – You can visit their brick and mortar location in Chicago’s Wicker Park, or you can follow them on Twitter to know when to find them in our area.
Mario’s Cart – The Mario’s Cart menu reflects Mexican, Italian, and Chicago favorites like Chile Verde, Sausage & Pepper Sandwiches, Chicken Parm and Flautas. See their calendar to find out when they will be near you.
Happy Lobster – Not sure how happy the lobsters are being on the menu, but lobster fans are sure to be ecstatic! The menu features their take on New England favorites like Lobster Roll, Clam Chowder and Whoopie Pies to name a few.
Louie B. Fresh Mobile Kitchen & Catering – Wrap it up, spin it and wolf it down with the freshly made items such as wraps, salads and hot fries.
Grill Chasers – Grill Chasers gets fired up about skewers, wings and wraps along with delicious sides like Mac ‘n Cheese or Bacon Beer Cheese Fries. Find their next location on their Event Calendar or social media.
Yum Dum – Serving fresh, authentic handmade steamed dumplings from family recipes along with “Bao”wiches and unconventional sides like Kimcheesy Rice Balls or Sriracha Pecan Fudge.
Best Truckin’ BBQ – Watch out as the Best Truckin’ BBQ roars down the highway to their next location delivering barbecue sandwiches, sliders and burgers served with their signature sauces.
Two Soldiers and a Marine – Eating barbecue isn’t just an American tradition, when you order from Two Soldiers and a Marine, it’s downright patriotic. Enjoy their outstanding barbecue creations while supporting the dreams of returning veterans who are serving as examples for their fellow vets.
To encourage you to get out and find these food trucks we created a game of Food Truck Bingo! Click the image or the link and print off your own card. Challenge a friend, loser buys lunch?
Do you know of any food trucks operating in Lake County that we may have missed? Tell us about them in the comments!
Summer Nights in the Park will run 3 days – can you add July 18 and 25, in addition to July 11?
Thanks!
Thank you Lawrence, it has been corrected.