New Jersey Food Trucks Turn Streets Into Halloween Foodie Havens
As Halloween approaches, New Jersey’s food truck scene is getting spookier by the minute. Local vendors are transforming their mobile eateries into haunted culinary wonderlands, complete with themed menus and costumed staff.
These festive food trucks are popping up all over the Garden State, creating sidewalk celebrations where hungry trick-or-treaters of all ages can score treats that go way beyond candy bars.
1. Ma & Pa’s Tex Mex BBQ’s Haunted Smoke Pit
Where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire, but at Ma & Pa’s Halloween setup, that eerie fog rolling from their smoker might just be hiding something supernatural! The family-run truck wraps their famous brisket tacos in tortillas dyed black with activated charcoal.
Crowds form long before sundown for their limited-edition ‘Grave Digger’ pulled pork sandwiches served in coffin-shaped buns. Each one comes topped with their signature blood-red barbecue sauce and “bone dust” seasoning that delivers an otherworldly kick.
Even their usual Tex-Mex sides get the spooky treatment, ghost pepper queso that glows under blacklight!
2. Wafels and Dinges’ Witch’s Brew And Batter
Though normally known for Belgian sweetness, these waffle wizards conjure something wickedly different when October rolls around. Bubbling cauldrons of melted chocolate replace their usual dipping stations, while staff don pointy hats and green face paint.
Wafels and Dinges enchants customers with ‘Hocus Pocus’ specials, licorice-infused black waffles topped with candy corn crumbles and marshmallow ‘ghost’ whipped cream that seems to float above the plate.
The truck itself becomes a gingerbread witch’s house on wheels, complete with candy-cane striped awnings and edible decorations.
Their seasonal pumpkin-spiced “dinges” (toppings) glow with an almost magical orange hue under their Halloween lights.
3. Twisted Steaks’ Carnivorous Nightmares
Are you brave enough to try meat that stares back at you? Twisted Steaks LLC doesn’t just serve cheesesteaks during Halloween, they create edible nightmares that would make even the hungriest zombie hesitate.
Their ‘Frankensteak’ sandwich comes with layers of green chimichurri, purple cabbage slaw, and meat so tender it practically reanimates on your plate. The truck’s exterior transforms into a mad scientist’s laboratory, complete with bubbling test tubes of different colored sauces and staff in blood-splattered lab coats.
Kids squeal with delight when they see the ‘Monster Fingers’, thinly sliced steak strips with almond ‘fingernails’ served in a take-out container that looks like a severed hand.
4. The Little Sicilian’s Paranormal Pasta
When October hits, garlic isn’t just for flavor at The Little Sicilian, it’s for warding off vampires! This unassuming Italian food truck undergoes a supernatural transformation with strings of blood-red chili peppers and garlic braids hanging from every available surface.
Their meatballs come served in tiny coffins carved from bread, while the truck’s normally cheerful chef now sports Dracula fangs between taste tests.
Even their cannoli get dressed up for the occasion, filled with pumpkin ricotta and dipped in orange-tinted chocolate.
5. Taste Of Poland’s Ghoulish Pierogies
Grandma’s recipes meet monster mash at this Polish food truck sensation! The chefs hand-craft pierogies shaped like tiny ghosts and pumpkins, stuffing them with seasonal fillings like butternut squash and sage.
Kids squeal with delight when they bite into the ‘bleeding’ beet-filled vampire pierogies. The truck’s exterior transforms too, with hanging garlic strands and spooky folk art that honors both Halloween and Polish heritage.
Their signature Halloween offering? Smoky kielbasa served in a hollowed-out pumpkin with apple cider sauerkraut on the side. A fun historical touch: they serve traditional All Saints’ Day treats from Polish tradition alongside American Halloween favorites.
6. Empanada Guy’s Eerie Empanadas
Empanada Guy invites you to explore the mysteries of their Eerie Empanadas this Halloween. Each empanada is crafted to resemble a crescent moon, filled with a rich pumpkin and spiced apple filling that captures the essence of the season.
The truck itself is adorned with cobwebs and eerie sound effects, transporting you to a haunted street festival. The use of fresh, local ingredients ensures that each bite is as flavorful as it is festive.
Fun fact: Empanadas have a rich history dating back to medieval Iberia, making them a timeless treat with a spooky twist for this holiday season.
7. Sweet Crunch Tanghulu’s Candy Apple Nightmares
Sugar crystals catch the autumn sunlight at Sweet Crunch Tanghulu’s Halloween display. This Asian-inspired treat truck takes the traditional candied fruit technique and gives it a spooktacular twist with bright red candy apples that shine like poisoned treats from a fairy tale.
The chef coats strawberries in black sugar syrup to create ‘spider eggs’ that crack delightfully between your teeth. Green apple slices get dipped in matcha-infused candy coating, resembling witch fingers when positioned with almond ‘nails.’
Children gather to watch the mesmerizing candy-making process, as the sugar transforms from clear liquid to a hard, glass-like coating. The truck’s most photographed creation? Their ‘Medusa’s Head’, a whole pineapple with candy-coated fruit slice ‘snakes’ emerging from all sides.
8. Angry Archies’ Devilish Seafood Delights
This seafood truck isn’t just angry, it’s positively possessed during Halloween season! Their signature lobster rolls come wrapped in black brioche buns with orange garlic aioli drizzled to look like dripping blood.
Angry Archies transforms their usual maritime fare into monster-themed creations that’ll make you shriek with delight. Their ‘Creature from the Black Lagoon’ crab cakes are topped with seaweed-colored herbs and served with a side of ‘swamp sauce.’
Kids go crazy for the ‘Skeleton Shrimp’ skewers, perfectly grilled and arranged to mimic tiny spines on the plate.
9. Crepe Connoisseur’s Phantom Crepes
Crepe Connoisseur is casting a spell on dessert lovers with their Phantom Crepes. These delicate crepes are adorned with ghostly designs, filled with seasonal delights such as caramelized apples and spiced pecans.
The truck is a visual treat, featuring ghost decorations and autumn leaves, creating a warm and inviting Halloween setting. Each crepe is a masterpiece, combining art and flavor into a single delightful experience.
Ghosts and crepes make an unexpected pair, but this combination is sure to enchant your taste buds and add a whimsical touch to your holiday celebrations.
10. Pizza Vita’s Crematory Oven Creations
Flames leap dramatically from the wood-fired oven mounted on Pizza Vita’s Halloween-themed truck. The 900-degree inferno transforms ordinary dough into ‘charred remains’, actually perfectly crisp Neapolitan-style pizza with just the right amount of leopard spotting.
Their seasonal ‘Bonfire’ pizza comes topped with roasted pumpkin, smoked mozzarella, and crispy pancetta arranged to resemble a crackling fire. Kids love the ‘Spider Web’, a white pizza with mozzarella strands pulled into spooky patterns and black olive ‘spiders.’
The pizza makers perform dough-tossing shows every hour, spinning the stretched circles through clouds of flour ‘ghost dust.’ A clever touch: they serve their ‘Corpse Revival’ breakfast pizza on Halloween mornings, topped with a sunny-side-up egg that bursts like a yolk-filled eyeball.
