Food trucks have become an essential part of summer in Rochester. You’ll find them at festivals, farmer’s markets, concerts and food truck rodeos. People hire them for private events like weddings, graduation parties, corporate functions and more. You can also find them serving up portable meals at lunchtime and late night around town.
Mobile food vendors have been around in various forms since the days of horse-drawn wagons, but the current food truck scene was sparked during the recession in 2008. Out-of-work restaurant chefs in large cities started food trucks that drew crowds thanks to their creative cuisines and social media buzz.
The trend found its way to Rochester over the next few years. A seminal event was the first food truck rodeo at the Rochester Public Market in June 2012, which featured 13 food trucks from around the area. Many ran out of food early in the evening due to throngs of customers. Since then, the number of vendors at each rodeo has tripled and the events are a popular draw to the market.
Some of the trucks from that first rodeo, including Tuscan Wood Fired Pizza, are still going strong. But a great many food trucks have come and gone over the years. Some recent surprise departures include popular trucks like The Meatball Truck, Le Petit Poutine and Stingray Sushifusion.
To find some of the best food truck eats in Rochester right now, we headed to the first two food truck rodeos at the Rochester Public Market. We were on the hunt for one-of-a-kind dishes that you wouldn’t find at other restaurants or food trucks. Here’s the best of what we found.
Jibaro Plate, Rob’s Kabobs
Rob’s Kabobs has been a fixture on Rochester’s food truck scene for the past 10 years. Owner Rob Loncoa’s inspiration for the truck was pinchos, a street food in Puerto Rico.
In addition to grilled meats on a stick, the truck serves a creative Puerto Rican spin on Rochester’s famed Garbage Plate. Called the Jibaro plate, the satisfying dish is based on rice & beans topped with torn pieces of pernil (roast pork), crispy strips of tostones (fried plantains); sliced avocado; and a creamy, garlicky jibaro sauce. (Jibaro refers to the mountain people in Puerto Rico.)
The kabobs from the truck are also tasty. They are served with a sauce and a choice of rice & beans, fries or coleslaw but it’s worth it to spring for a side of maduros (sweet plantains) as well. robskabobsny.com.
Mango Bang Bang Tacos, Bay Vista Taqueria
There are several taco and Mexican food trucks in Rochester, and generally all are tasty. Serving up some of the more unique tacos are Bay Vista Taqueria. We enjoyed the fresh flavors of the Mango Bang Bang Tacos, made with fried shrimp tossed with a sweet chili bang bang sauce, cabbage slaw, house-made mango salsa, queso fresco and cilantro. The shrimp are mild in terms of the usual “bang bang” heat scale. bayvistaeats.com.
Trash Plate, Agatinas
Agatina’s has been a fixture in Gates for more than 40 years and now has a food truck that serves Italian dishes.
Like several other trucks, it puts a unique spin on a trash plate, this one Italian. It has battered fries topped with pieces of crispy fried chicken cutlet, a large house-made meatball, fresh mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, parmesan cheese and a couple of pieces of Italian bread. It’s a hearty, tasty box of food but the best bite is the meatball combined with a chunk of cheese. You can order meatballs on their own as well. A promising dish we’ve yet to try: chicken French bites. agatinas.com.
Crab Rangoon Nachos, Roll’n Deep
Roll’n Deep makes an assortment of Asian fusion fare; it’s also popular for its bubble teas.
Its most fun dishes are its spins on nachos, but based on fried wonton wrappers instead of tortilla chips. Crab Rangoon nachos are topped with creamy, cheesy mixture and crab stick and garnished with fresh jalapenos, scallions and a sweet Sriracha sauce.
This truck also has its own nod to the Garbage Plate. In this case, it serves The Garbage Roll, filled with meat hot sauce, mac salad, tater tots and American cheese.
A more traditional dish is its spicy and comforting chicken panang: boneless chicken and potatoes in a Thai-style coconut curry sauce. rollndeeproc.com.
Strawberry Bubble Waffle Sundae, Bubble Waffle Bus
Rochester’s food truck scene has several dessert trucks, and many savory trucks serve some kind of dessert, but most are lacking in the “wow” factor. Enter the Bubble Waffle Bus, a newcomer to the food truck scene for 2026. Bubble waffles look like bubble wrap and are formed from interconnected spheres that are hollow on the inside. They form the shell for eye-catching sundaes made with a variety of toppings.
We liked the Strawberry Bubble Waffle Sundae, which was made with vanilla ice cream, sliced strawberries, strawberry sauce, crispy cocoa cereal and red sugar crystals. Two strawberry candy sticks form antenna-like garnishes. @bubblewaffle_bus on Instagram.
Loaded Greek Fries, Eat Greek
Eat Greek serves Greek fare including gyros, falafel, spanakopita, Greek salads, rice bowls and baklava. We liked the non-traditional offering of loaded Greek fries, which are topped with tzatziki and feta cheese to which we added crumbled pieces of crispy falafel. eatgreektruck.com.
Connecticut Lobster Roll, Roc Lobster
Roc Lobster is a new food stand in the Rochester Public Market that serves four kinds of lobster rolls as well as other seafood dishes. We loved the Connecticut lobster roll, filled with a quarter-pound of good-sized chunks of tender lobster coated with warm butter and served in a buttered roll.
An advantage of Roc Lobster compared to other food trucks is that it’s easy to find. Roc Lobster operates from 4 to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday. It also serves at market events like the food truck rodeos, Band on the Bricks, Flower City Days and more. Online ordering is available at roclobster.com.
Tracy Schuhmacher has been the D&C’s food, drink and dining reporter for the past 11 years. Have a food truck recommendation? Email her at tracys@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: What are the best food trucks in Rochester right now?
Reporting by Tracy Schuhmacher, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Tracy Schuhmacher, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | USA TODAY Network
