Huntsville’s food trucks offer something for everyone

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Grabbing some street food is a popular way to nosh on the go the world over. Huntsville has a surprising number of food truck vendors to stave off your craving for everything from coffee to crêpes. Check out the ones below and let us know if we missed your favourite!

Frenchie’s Crêpe Café

New this summer to Huntsville’s food scene is Frenchie’s Crêpe Café, owned and operated by Sam Kuryliak and Thibaut Bellenoue.

Born and raised in France, Bellenoue decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and study breads and pastries. After 16 years in the industry he moved to Vancouver and met Kuryliak while working in a french bakery. Kuryliak graduated with honours from George Brown for culinary, worked as a corporate trainer, head chef, and assistant to the corporate culinary director, as well as many other positions.

“​We have created Frenchie’s together with the desire to share our love and knowledge for food,” said Kuryliak. “We wanted to do something unique and fill a niche that Huntsville needed, while staying true to Thibaut’s upbringing.”

Frenchie’s crêpe recipe is Bellenoue’s own spin on his grandmother’s recipe and he is excited to share his childhood with the community.

“Our favourite savoury is the honey garlic chicken crêpe and our favourite sweet is The Good Apple—it tastes just like apple pie!” said Kuryliak.

In addition to crêpes, they also serve lattes, espresso, hot chocolate, and other delicious hot drinks.

Now that they’ve gotten their feet wet, expect daily specials and pastries to be added to their menu soon. Keep your eyes peeled because the couple’s dream in the near future is to open a bakery/sandwich shop in town.

Check them out in downtown Huntsville at 4 Centre Street South in the old Empire lot.

Smokin’ Hot BBQ and Chip Truck (pictured in the main photo above)

Before opening Smokin’ Hot BBQ, which is situated on Highway 60 across from Kawartha Dairy, Julie Moore gained experience in the food truck industry through running Muskoka Mama’s with one of her friends.

When it closed, she noticed a demand for BBQ food dishes and decided to open up her own truck in 2016.

Smokin’ Hot offers a variety of burgers cooked on a cherry wood-fire barbecue. Each burger has something different to offer, but all are made with their homemade patties and BBQ sauce. They have the Canadian that is sweetened with maple syrup and a slice of peameal bacon, the Big Bear with a patty and home-cooked pulled pork with the option of cheese, and the best seller is the Algonquin burger, topped with bacon and cheese. They also combine their BBQ with a chip truck and offer fresh cut fries and authentic poutine with Quebec cheese curds.

“We are hopping to expand our menu further and offer Mac and Cheese, Beans, and other delicious BBQ favourites,” said Moore. “Each week we try to offer something new. Fiesta Poutine for instance has nacho cheese, sour cream, tomatoes and green onions.”

Smokin’ Hot BBQ is open seasonally from May to October.

Smokin’ Hot BBQ has a great view, too!

The Frying Dutchman Co.

Back for its second season, The Frying Dutchman is Muskoka’s only vegan food truck.

After being vegan for three years, Leanna Zylstra-Bigwood noticed a gap in Muskoka’s vegan food offerings.

“I found it difficult and sometimes frustrating to go out and eat with friends and I wanted to open the truck so that people who were vegan/vegetarian would have somewhere they could eat where they felt totally normal,” said Zylstra-Bigwood. “They wouldn’t have to ask a million questions or be worried that their food had been contaminated with animal products. I also wanted to show people that hadn’t experienced vegan food how good it really can be.”

Zylstra-Bigwood describes her truck’s food as wholesome plant-based comfort food.

“You should expect to find the classics like fresh cut fries, poutine and soon-to-be favourites like my handmade BBQ Bean Burger and Pulled Jackfruit Sandwich, so real you could swear it was pulled pork!”

The Frying Dutchman also offers vegan baked goods such as brownies, chocolate chip cookies, vanilla and chocolate ‘Nice cream’ sandwiches that sell out quickly, and a gluten-free peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough covered with sprinkles.

If it’s your first time trying The Frying Dutchman, Leanna recommends the Chunky Helper Monkey—triply seasoned fries layered with gravy and BBQ jackfruit and topped with fresh onion, bell peppers and tomatoes—or the Señor Burger, a handmade black bean patty topped with an avocado salsa and served on a bun with tomato, onion, pickles and lettuce.

You can find them at 72 Main Street West from May through September.

Wheelie Good Coffee

Another new cart to Huntsville’s food scene in 2018 is Wheelie Good Coffee, owned and operated by Australian-Canadian, Matthew Tynan.

“I had the idea for a mobile coffee truck back in 2015,” said Tynan. “On a Monday (in Huntsville) when I needed a delicious coffee, I couldn’t find one. Most café’s are shut. And so, ‘Mondays @ Minerva’ was born.”

Wheelie Good Coffee, which serves solely drinks, is open ‘Mondays @ Minerva’ (behind Pharmasave) from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. and at the Dwight Farmer’s Market on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“My favourite is the Latte with steamed milk, but not too hot. Temperature is very very important. Can also be crafted with Ice.Then there’s Mocha Latte and Chai Latte and the usual others including and not forgetting ‘Regular Coffee’,” said Tynan.

Wheelie also provides a unique café experience at events, such as customer appreciation days and weddings. His little Vespa car has also been seen around Huntsville atDdowntown BIA events. Follow @wheeliegoodcoffee to see where else it might pop up around Muskoka.

“As a Barista, I make my coffee as desired by the individual,” said Tynan. “Wheelie Good Coffee is not about turnover or how many can be made in a short period of time, rather a hand crafted and custom-made experience.”

Heather’s Hot Dog Cart

While A La Carte has been running for more than 22 years, Heather Hernen purchased the cart in 2011 and has been known as ‘the hotdog lady’ ever since.

“I had a job and am not a risk-taker so it took me a few months to convince myself to go for it,” said Hernen. “For the first few winters I was able to go back to my job for the winter months, but now I take the winters off and travel.”

A La Carte has three different sausages, vegetarian hotdogs and jumbo hotdogs, her most popular sell. On weekends Hernen also offers peameal bacon and cheese on a bun.

Open seasonally from May through September, A La Carte has two locations: on Main Street in front of Town Hall and in front of Canadian Tire.

While both are permanent locations throughout the summer, the carts are taken home each evening once they are closed.

“I have a great local following and offer a customer appreciation card for them,” said Hernen. “Ten stamps gets a free dog or sausage. People also say I have the best condiments in Huntsville!”

The Thai Hut

Originally from Thailand, Nok Udonsub has always loved cooking. After moving to Canada in 1990, she spent many years working in restaurants before selling her own food at the 100K Market in Huntsville.

“I wanted to bring genuine Thai cuisine to our community,” said Udonsub. “I want people to enjoy the flavourful, fresh food and give excellent quality to my dishes.”

Udonsub says that her top sellers are pad thai, deep fried spring rolls and green curry.

As the menu is Thai/Canadian, The Thai Hut offers an abundance of different North American dishes as well including poutine, burgers, hot dogs, pogos, sausages and chicken fingers.

Located in the old Dollarama parking lot across from Boston Pizza, The Thai Hut is open seasonally from May through October.

Although The Thai Hut is only open until Thanksgiving, Udonsub offers fruit carving and catering year round.