Bluffton’s new food truck hot spot can satisfy your cravings. Is a beer garden next?
Locals wanting to spice up a humdrum lunch or dinner routine need not venture far for new eats. A hub for food trucks just opened in Old Town Bluffton.
David and Shelley Meeder’s “Backyard State of Mind” — a play on the classic town motto — features a rotating selection of local vendors, including Maiz Taqueria, Rolling Cow Creamery and Pete’s Kitchen. It is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday.
“Our goal is to keep it changing so that it’s not static in any way,” David Meeder said. “We want it to be safe, we want it to be inclusive, we want it to be diverse, particularly in the food offerings. ... We’re trying to create that mix.”
The venue — on Bluffton Road behind H&R Block and Dolce Vita Italian Restaurant — opened March 20 with a night of street eats and live music.
Expect to see the venue grow as new features are added, manager Sean Custer said. The developers want to offer a kids’ play area, dog park and beer and wine garden. They are in the process of getting a beer and wine license.
“If we can continue like we have been for the last two weeks and have the excitement and get the trucks, so that everybody can come and be happy and make money, then we’re going to definitely give Bluffton one of the premier venues in the whole area,” Custer said.
Currently, the park holds a temporary stage and space for up to four food trucks. Custer said there is plenty of seating, as well as backyard games like corn hole, giant Jenga and yard darts.
Zuheir Danial, owner of pizza and wing truck Pete’s Kitchen, said the venue is kid- and adult-friendly.
“A lot of times you go to a restaurant, and you have to wait two hours,” Danial said, to get into a place that does not offer kids space to play. At Backyard State of Mind, Danial said, there’s plenty of space to run around.
The food truck industry has seen tremendous growth over the past decade, and many restaurants took to the streets during the pandemic to expand their market as dining rooms shut down. Tim Sneath, who owns Rolling Cow Creamery, said food trucks are the “best alternative [to] sit-down and fast food.”
Backyard State of Mind, he said, is “a great place to bring families out, get a little exposure ... almost [like] being a brick and mortar — somewhere people can always find you.”
A full schedule of events and vendors can be found at https://backyardstateofmind.com/events/.
The food truck park is located at 163 Bluffton Road.
