Yummy Food Trucks In NYC You HAVE To Try

Food trucks are fun, quick, and easy. I spent two summers trekking around Manhattan to find the best of the best. Here's a list of some highly recommended options to try next time you're in the Big Apple:

1. Milk Truck

Via labuonaforchetta.wordpress.com

These guys take an ordinary grilled cheese and mix it up by adding tasty ingredients like dijon mustard, pickled onions, and Granny Smith apples. Pair that with some gruyere, blue cheese, or sharp chedder on locally baked bread, throw it on the panini press until it's perfectly browned and you've got one absolutely mouthwatering sandwich. The merging of the crunchy bread, melted cheese, and savory toppings is like a party in your mouth. After tasting one of these, you'll never want to have a grilled cheese any other way again.

They're also known for their awesome mac 'n' cheese and thick milkshakes. It's a surprisingly delicious duo: a grilled cheese and milkshake.

Follow them on Twitter @milktrucknyc for daily truck locations.

Top Pick:

- Milk Truck Classic with bacon. Noms.

You Should Also Try:

- Tahitian & Madagascar Vanilla Bean milkshake

- Bacon Cheddar Blue sandwich

2. Mexicue

Via winedanddined.com

Just like the name suggests, this truck offers Mexican classics like tacos and burritos made with smoky barbecued meats and zesty sauces, topped with trimmings like green chiles, pico de gallo, and cojita cheese. It's that perfect choice for those days when you just can't decide on what you want for lunch.

They boast fresh ingredients, like their homemade sides that pair perfectly with any of their menu items. Bonus: The truck's menus rotate, so you can always try something new whenever you visit!

Follow them on Twitter @Mexicue for daily truck locations.

Top Pick:

- Alabama Chicken Tacos. That creamy 'bama bbq sauce is TO DIE for!

You Should Also Try:

- Handmade tortilla chips with a side of fresh guac

- Smoky Carnitas sandwich, served on a soft potato roll

3. Red Hook Lobster Pound

Via guestofaguest.com

If you're craving fresh, New England-quality lobster straight from Maine on the go, look no further. Fun fact: This was the first truck I ever tried in NYC and needless to say, it's what got me addicted.

Their most popular menu item is (obviously) their Lobster Roll. They cram 1/4 lb. of lobster meat onto a perfectly buttered and toasted bun, which can be served two ways: Maine Style (served cold and tossed in creamy mayo) or Connecticut Style (served hot with butter and lemon).

They also offer a non-dairy option: Tuscan Style (served with a basil vinaigrette) and other New England favorites like clam chowder and a Shrimp Roll.

Follow them on Twitter @lobstertruckny for daily truck locations.

Top Pick:

- Lobster Roll, Maine Style

You Should Also Try:

- New England Clam Chowder

- Lobster BLT (Sounds weird at first, but is actually DELICIOUS)

4. Kelvin Natural Slush Co.

Via guestofaguest.com

Kelvin Natural Slush Co. is hands down one of the most popular trucks. They're all over the place and every time I saw one, there was a line halfway down the block (a little exaggerated, but you get the point). What makes them so popular? The answer: Customizable slushies, perfect for those hot city days.

First, you pick your base slush, which could be 1 of 3 flavors: Tangy Citrus, Spicy Ginger, or Green & Black Tea. Then, you add your mix-ins, which include freshly chopped mint or basil and all natural fruit purees like white peach and caramelized pineapple. You can add as many mix-ins as you want, too. Each truck has their own offerings of mix-ins depending on the season, so you'll always have options to choose from.

If you happen to visit their Waterfront location, you can add booze to your slushie. You heard me right: BOOZY SLUSHIES. The ultimate summertime drink.

Follow them on Twitter @KELVINSLUSH for daily truck locations.

Top Pick:

- Tangy Citrus slush base with white peach mix-in

You Should Also Try:

- An Arnold Palmer: Half Tangy Citrus, half Green & Black Tea with white peach mix-in

- Basically any combination you think of, then add some rum. Heaven.

5. Coolhaus

Via guestofaguest.com

The most popular food trucks definitely seem to be the customizable ones. Coolhaus lets you create your own ice cream sandwich. The possibilities are endless.

They offer some really cool options. Some of their unique cookie options include: Peanut Butter Captain Crunch, Potato Chip & Butterscotch, and Red Velvet. They also have your classics like Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, and Snickerdoodle.

The choices doesn't stop there! Their tasty ice cream options include: Balsamic Fig and Mascarpone, Beer & Pretzels, and Salted Caramel. They have 60 different flavors which range from ice creams to sorbets to vegan offerings.

Follow them on Twitter @CoolHausNY for daily truck locations and which cookies & ice creams are being served that day on which trucks

Top Pick:

- Oatmeal cookie with Brown Candied Bacon ice cream. Sweet, salty, chewy, & crunchy are all perfectly balanced in this combo

You Should Also Try:

- Snickerdoodle cookie with Pear Vanilla sorbet. For those summer days when you want something cold & sweet, but light

- Dark Chocolate cookie with Guinness Chip ice cream

6. Big Gay Ice Cream

Via newyork.seriouseats.com

I first heard about Big Gay Ice Cream on a Food Network special and knew that the first chance I got, I'd scour the city for this truck.

Lucky for me, what started as one ice cream truck is now 2 storefront locations, so I didn't have to search for long. Also: Food Network never lies. This place is awesome!

Their menu doesn't offer hundreds of options. In fact, their menu is made up of only 9 items. But the few things they do, they do very, very deliciously well.

Big Gay Ice Cream combines salty and sweet, smooth and crunchy, and satisfies your strongest ice cream cravings. They keep the ice cream simple (chocolate, vanilla, or swirled soft serve) then let their toppings, like dulce de leche, sea salt, and toasted curried coconut, enhance the flavors.

Visit their website (www.biggayicecream.com) for store locations. For now, they've retired the ice cream truck.

Top Pick:

- The Bea Arthur (pictured above in the middle)

You Should Also Try:

- The Salty Pimp (pictured above on the left)

- The Monday Sundae

7. Wafels and Dinges

Via Flickr: tedikuma

I saved the best for last. Out of all the food trucks I've visited, Wafels and Dinges is my absolute favorite. Like Big Gay Ice Cream, I saw this truck on a Food Network special and I like to think this is what sparked my love for food trucks. It blew my mind that such delicious food could be made out of a cart.

Anyways, Wafels and Dinges roughly translates from Dutch to "waffles and stuff" in English. They specialize in tasty Belgium waffles covered in unlimited toppings. In addition to sweet, dessert-like waffles, this food truck offers savory waffles like the Chili con Corne: a corn waffle topped with chili, sour cream, and cilantro.

There are two types of waffles (or 'wafels' as the Dutch spell it): the Brussels wafel and the Liege wafel. The Brussels wafel is your typical Belgium waffle: light, fluffy, and crispy. The Liege wafel is more dense and thick, with large crystals of sugar in the batter that caramelize when poured into the waffle iron. Personally, I prefer the Liege wafel.

Next, you get to choose from a number of 'dinges' to top off your hot wafel, like Belgian hot fudge, spekuloos cookie spread (aka Trader Joe's Cookie Butter), fruit, nuts, ice cream, and NUTELLA (obsessed). There is no wrong way to top your wafel.

Follow them on Twitter @waffletruck or visit their recently opened café location on the corner of 2nd St. and Avenue B.

Top Pick:

- Liege wafel with dulce de leche, hot fudge, and bananas

You Should Also Try:

- Really anything. It's all delicious and you'll need to visit probably once a week...like I did. (Just kidding...kind of.)

Bonus: Butter and Scotch

Via newyork.seriouseats.com

This place isn't a food truck, but I still had to give them a shoutout because it's one of the most creative business ideas I have come across. Butter and Scotch is "Brooklyn's soon-to-be first dessert and cocktail bar." Those are my weaknesses right there: alcohol and dessert.

Until their storefront opens, these ladies have been taking the deliciousness of alcohol and infusing it into baked goods and selling them at local markets, like Smorgasburg, and shops all over the city. They also have a popcorn line that takes inspiration from familiar cocktails and puts them in popcorn form. They have 3 flavors, which are Hot Toddy, Dark and Stormy, and Green Chile Margarita. Word has it whenever stores stock up on the popcorn, they're sold out within hours.

Their pride and joy, though, are the pies. Favorites include Bourban Ginger Pecan Pie and S'mores Pie. Over the summer, they offered a unique treat that I had never experience before: pie shakes. It was a milkshake made up of boozy homemade ice cream and an entire slice of pie blended into it. I tried the S'mores Shake, which was a slice of S'mores Pie with Malt ice cream. It was thick, it was creamy, it was rich, and I couldn't finish the whole thing but I so wanted to!

You can find Butter and Scotch every weekend at Smogasburg (which I HIGHLY recommend checking out) in Brooklyn. Visit their website (www.butterandscotch.com) for more location info.

Top Picks:

- S'mores Pie. It's the melted marshmallow on top that really makes it.

You Should Also Try:

- Maple Bacon Cupcake

- Hot Toddy Caramel Corn