TRUCKS & TAPS

Hoppen Hierarchy:★★★⭑

Food Truck Hub w/ Patio & Bar

Perfect For: Casual Dining; Drinks; Lunch; Takeout

Standout Dishes: Red Harvest Pizza (Izzy’s Pizza Bus); GF Fried Chicken Sandwich (Burning Bridges Food Truck); Bangers & Mash (Dire Lion)

There’s an undeniable yet unexplainable pleasure that comes from eating at a food truck. Whether it’s the ability to interact with the people cooking your food or the communal atmosphere of waiting in line and dining outdoors together, there’s a gravity to these mobile kitchens that’s hard to explain.

Trucks & Taps identified that aura and maximized it.

Located just off 108th and Q, Trucks and Taps transformed a former Sonic Drive-In into a food truck hub. The covered patio remains, but the service area became a commissary kitchen/bar, while the ordering kiosks turned into parking stalls for up to 5 food trucks that form a perimeter around the picnic tables.

This creates a sort of food truck food court; you can order from one or several trucks, allowing every member of your dining party to get something they want. There’s also a bar offering local craft beers on tap, signature craft cocktails, and freshly squeezed fruit juices.

There’s commonly something fun going on at the space, particularly at night. Trucks & Taps offers music bingo, hosts live music performances, and puts on fun events throughout the year.

There are five staple food trucks that you’ll find at the hub, but Trucks & Taps also invites guest trucks to participate. These trucks run the gamut of cuisines, from English pub far to Detroit-style pizza to lobster rolls. The trucks’ schedules are usually posted weekly on Instagram. Below are descriptions of the five resident trucks.

Izzy's Pizza Bus

Detroit-style pizza is a cuisine unto its own; yes, it’s pizza, but it’s unlike any other pie style on the market. With its rectangular shape, crispy, caramelized crust, and bouncy, focaccia-like dough, Detroit-style is something that any pizza lover must experience.

And no one in Omaha does it better than Izzy’s Pizza Bus. The airy, chewy dough is topped with all variety of ingredients. Izzy’s offers cheese and pepperoni versions (which are excellent), but it’s constantly pushing the boundaries with taco pizzas, pulled pork BBQ pizzas, and chicken, bacon, ranch pizzas. But the best of the bunch is the Red Harvest, which combines salty, fatty pepperoni and bacon with a dash of heat and sweetness from Mike’s Hot Honey and cooling dollops of creamy garlic ricotta cheese.

Burning Bridges Food Truck

Looking for a cheat meal? Burning Bridges Food Truck is your spot. This truck specializes in massive portions of burgers, fried food, and whatever special owner Zach Bridges is interested in whipping up.

The staples of the menu are a monthly version of a Jucy Lucy burger (where the cheese is stuffed in the center of the patty rather than draped on top) and gluten-free fried chicken sandwiches. There are few better sandwiches in Omaha than this behemoth, which has a seasoned, crispy exterior protecting juicy chicken thigh inside. The creamy white sauce adds a tang that sends this sandwich over the top.

Though the truck only offers 4-5 menu items at one time, it constantly switches up the menu with specials including fried shrimp po boys, chicken fingers, wings, and more. And you won’t leave hungry; rather, you might have to loosen your belt notches a few spaces when get up.

Three Kids Lobster

Opening a lobster roll concept in the middle of the country may seem bold, but the cold, New England-style sandwiches coming out of Three Kids Lobster‘s truck are just as good as many I’ve had on the coasts.

The lobster (knuckle and claw meat), sweet and buttery, is the star, as it’s lightly dressed with a creamy mayo. A splash of brown butter adds a slight nutty flavor, and it’s all encased in a toasted, buttery New England hot dog bun. Don’t want the mayo? 3 Kids Lobster also offers a Connecticut-style roll, along with steamers, fries, and seasonal soups.

Dire Lion Grille & Chippy

There aren’t many places in Omaha to find British pub food, but The Dire Lion Grille & Chippy does it right. The menu includes all the staples you’d expect to find stumbling into a bar in Dublin, starting with the Fish & Chips. Mild cod is battered and fried to a nice crispiness, then plated next to a heaping serving of well-seasoned fries.

You’ll also find chicken tikka masala, scotch eggs, and fried chicken coming out of the truck, but the dish you must try is the Bangers & Mash (pictured above). Dire Lion stuffs a boatload of creamy garlic mashed potatoes into a toasted split roll. That starchy bed is topped with sweet caramelized onions and English-style sausages, which had crispy casings and a peppery, herbal flavor. It’s an ocean liner worth of carbs, but it’s worth the extra time on the treadmill.

The Modern Waffle

The Modern Waffle proves that waffles don’t have to be solely enjoyed at breakfast. Waffles are essentially a blank canvas, and this truck has fun painting on them. The menu changes seasonally, but you can always expect to find both sweet and savory options.

On the sweet side, you might encounter the Cinnamon Roll Waffle, rolled in cinnamon sugar and topped with a luscious cream cheese. If you’re feeling savory, opt for the Chili Waffle, which smothers a waffle with beefy, tomato-forward house made chili, sour cream, and shredded cheddar.

And you’re making a mistake if you don’t try the Chicken Waffle Skewers. The Modern Waffle dips breaded chicken thighs into its signature batter and cooks them in the waffle iron, producing an item that possesses the awesome flavor of fried chicken with the texture contrast a waffle provides.