NOCTURNAL EATS
Hoppen Hierarchy:★★★⭑
District: Southwest Omaha/Food Trucks
Food truck serving elevated burgers and diner food
Perfect For: Casual Dining; Lunch; Takeout
Standout Dishes: Good Groceries Burger; Cubano; Market Street Philly
The Nocturnal Eats food truck is the definition of malleability.
As the name suggests, the original plan was to serve the late-night crowd, helping concert-goers and bar-hoppers cure their PM cravings. Now the truck serves lunch and dinner at Trucks & Taps off 108th & Q.
The chalkboard menu, outside of a few staples, could look different each time you visit. Wings, fried chicken sandwiches, and bologna sandwiches have been experimented with, but don’t always grace the menu.
Owners Preston Vaughn and Sarah Czaplewski know stagnation can be death in the restaurant industry, especially with food trucks. So they’re constantly trying new things—leaning on Preston’s vast experience and seemingly endless creativity—and seeing what sticks with customers.
It helps that the food, whatever Preston decides to put on the menu, is just really damn good.
A chef with a litany of experiences in all kinds of different kitchens, Preston has a goal of presenting humble diner food, but in an elevated manner. It’s not a unique concept, but one that few execute as well as Nocturnal Eats does.
It all starts with the burgers, which make up a good portion of the menu. The creativity and mastery of flavors are on full display on these monsters, which easily check in at over a pound. But a great burger starts with the patty, and if the burgers here had no toppings, they’d still be great.
Nocturnal Eats employs a thicker patty and gets a great crusty sear on the outside, sealing in the wonderfully juicy meat inside. The patty is well-seasoned and features solid beefy flavor.
But what takes these burgers to the next level is the balance and wild nature of the toppings, from the jalapeno cream cheese, onion rings, and bacon on the Truck Norris to the bacon, jalapenos, and red pepper aioli on the Vader.
But the king is the Good Groceries Burger, a meaty mountain that could stop Paul Bunyan in his tracks. A generous portion of rich, tender pulled pork is loaded onto the patty, joined by long strips of bacon that spill out of the burger’s sides. Just when it threatens to be too salty and decadent, the sweet tanginess of BBQ sauce and the mild creaminess of melted Gouda balance everything out.
It’s not all about the burgers at Nocturnal Eats, as the Market St Philly showcases. The sliced ribeye is rich and beefy, and it’s shaved thin enough to achieve peak tenderness. Sautéed onions and peppers add some sweetness, while white American and whipped cheese team up to add that wonderful gooey, melty consistency that makes a Philly so special.
But it can be argued the best item on the menu is the Cubano, which utilizes a roasted pork that’s so deliciously rich, savory, and flavorful, it threatens to dominate the sandwich. But then comes the smoky, salty ham (finished on the flattop – nice move) and the pickles, which are thick and lend great acid. The dijon adds tang, the white American cheese is creamy and mild, and the bread, while not pressed perfectly, adds a nice crunchy texture.
The available side dish might be different each time you visit, as it has for me. Once it was crispy chips, clearly cut by hand and fried to order. Another time it was french fries, which were a bit softer than I prefer but still had good seasoning.
If the Pasta Salad is available, pounce on it, and this comes from someone who usually doesn’t like creamy, mayo-based salads. The noodles are a perfect al dente, and the plate has a combination of creamy and sweet that’ll have you digging in for bite after bite long after your hunger has been satiated.
That’s part of the beauty of Nocturnal Eats. This truck is constantly experimenting with how it can best serve its diners. Which dishes hit with the Omaha crowd? Which are able to be executed both quickly and at a high level on the truck?
To be clear, there are items on Nocturnal Eats’ menu that are never going anywhere, nor should they. Delicacies like the burgers and the Philly are too perfect to ever remove from the menu.
But this couple is still experimenting with side dishes, brunch offerings, and just how many dishes they can put on the menu for one service. There’s no staff here; it’s Preston cooking and Sarah running front of house, so their time is limited.
But my goodness, do they make the most of the time they have. With a signature Philly, awe-inspiring burgers, and one of the best Cubanos in Omaha, it’s abundantly clear how much time, thought, and dedication goes into each dish.
So while your experience at this food truck may vary by visit, you can be assured that it will be excellent.