Last Thursday, dozens of students braved heavy rain in the pursuit of something novel: lunches not from the dining hall or Blue Mango, but from food trucks in the parking lot behind Wachenheim.
Shrouded by umbrellas and rain jackets, students swarmed the trucks like moths to a flame, patiently waiting their turn to chow down on the likes of BBQ chicken, mac and cheese, salads, and much-coveted acai bowls.
“We’re really excited,” said Ellery McQuilkin ’26, a newly-minted food truck fan. “The people are flocking for the food trucks. It’s a little bit chaotic, but in an exciting way.”
According to the Dining Services Instagram, two trucks will be behind Wachenheim every Tuesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the rest of the semester. Lunches are available to those on a meal plan for just a swipe. The trucks do not accept cash or credit.
Assistant Vice-President of Dining and Auxiliary Services Temesgen Araya wrote in an email to the Record that the trucks were brought in as an attempt to meet the needs of students. “It became clear that we need to pilot a food truck program, coupled with an Eco Café renovation, to improve flow, throughput, and our overall capacity to serve students in that campus neighborhood,” he wrote.
Reviews for Thursday’s trucks, Just Kickin’ It Bar-B-Que and Berkshire Catering Company, were generally positive. “I got the smashburger,” Brenda Diego ’26 said. “I really like it… It’s really fresh and warm and came out quick.”
Emery McHugh ’28 shared a similar sentiment about the food trucks’ selection. “I’m hoping to get the acai bowl,” they said. “I’ve never seen better options for vegetarians ever in the history of food.”
“The lines are super long,” Francesca Castellanos ’26 told the Record. “People were very excited with the presentation of new kinds of food from different places. These were local food trucks, which is awesome. It makes the entire experience better to support.”
Yet the parade, already rained on, experienced a loss at around 1 p.m. The acai bowls, drizzled with honey and false promises, ran out. As the most sought-after vegetarian option at the trucks, this left many students rueful.
“I had previously stated there were fantastic vegetarian options,” said McHugh. “That was a hoax and a lie. It was fake news.”
Peter Deegan-Krause ’28, another vegetarian, was also disappointed by the shortage. Having waited in vain for an acai bowl, he tried his luck at the other food truck. “I wanted to get the vegetarian mac and cheese from the BBQ, but it was made to order so I was going to have to wait twenty minutes,” he said.
Exasperated, he continued. “I caved, and I got the pulled chicken sandwich. I ate the chicken sandwich,” he said, adding, “It was alright.”
