Food trucks & pop-ups: Exciting food spots in Ireland
These food trucks and cafés are located in some of the most beautiful parts of Ireland, so why not add them to your hit list for a summer staycation
Staycations are currently on all our minds, so if you’re in need of some Ireland travel inspiration, why not start with these food hot spots? If good grub is your thing, plotting a day trip or weekend away around where you can eat along the way isn’t a bad idea. And this summer, lots of exciting food offerings are popping up in some of the most beautiful locations in the country. Here are some great spots for a tasty bite to eat this summer.
Griolladh Grilled Cheese Truck, Malahide
Griolladh is a brand new food truck in Malahide, Co Dublin. Perched on the scenic coast road, the truck serves up a simple menu of two classic grilled cheese sandwiches, homemade sides and dips, with cold drinks, hot beverages and pastries. Using Tartine sourdough bread, Kerrygold butter, Irish mozzarella and three types of cheddar in the cheesy Original (€5), and a tasty honey baked ham from Cork in the Hambo (€6.50), the quality ingredients mean a superbly tasty toasty every time. And what could be better than that after a swim in the Irish Sea?
Owners Jacob Long and Jack Brennan are childhood friends from the area who found themselves furloughed from their jobs in the hospitality industry when lockdown began. They came together with this idea for a take-out city-style lunch offering to those now working from home in the suburbs. Located opposite Malahide Beach car park at Moyville, Coast Road, Malahide, Griolladh is open from 8am until they sell out (usually around 5pm). @griolladh
The Sea Hare Pop-Up Café, Cleggan
After a fantastic first season in summer 2019, The Sea Hare Pop-Up Café is back. Voted Best Pop-Up of the Year 2019 (Katy McGuinness Food Awards), and featured recently in Irish Country Magazine, The Sea Hare is once again situated on the Wild Atlantic Way on Connemara’s stunning coastline. This year, the popular eatery has chosen the Pier Bar in Cleggan as its summer venue. Open now, The Sea Hare is the perfect pit-stop (eat in or takeaway) before hopping on the ferry to Inisboffin island from Cleggan Pier. Enjoy coffee and cake in the outdoor seating area, get a packed picnic to go, or indulge in the café’s newly announced Saturday lobster special – enjoy a whole Cleggan Bay Lobster with a pint of Guinness or glass of wine for €25 (lobsters must be pre-booked online).
Every Thursday night in July and August, The Sea Hare will host ticketed Short Table Dinners (to adhere to Covid-19 guidelines) with menus centred on the freshest and best locally sourced fish available on the day. Tickets for the Sea Hare Short Table Dinners will be available on the website, www.theseahare.ie. Café open from 10:30am to 5pm every day, July to September.
The Salty Buoy Food Truck by Niall Sabongi, Blessington & Dublin 8
The Salty Buoy is a brand new food truck by Niall Sabongi of Klaw & Sustainable Seafood Ireland, showcasing the best of Irish seafood. From 1 August, The Salty Buoy will be based on Avon Ri in Blessington every Saturday and Sunday from 12pm to 5pm, and at Baste BBQ at 39 Clanbrassil Street, Dublin 8 on Wednesdays from 5pm to 8pm. It is also currently seeking new and interesting city centre locations to serve throughout the week.
The truck will offer a menu of Sabongi’s signature lobster rolls, shucked oysters, crab, creamy chowder, Dublin bay prawns and more, as well as daily specials depending on the freshest catch and the weather. See the website, saltybuoy.ie, for more information and location updates.
Misunderstood Heron Food Truck, Leenane
This unique food truck café is located along the Wild Atlantic Way and the shores of the majestic Killary Fjord in Co Galway. Opened in 2017, this award-winning spot is a fanatic place to stop off for creative food and top quality Irish roasted coffee while being surrounded Connemara’s stunning mountains. With outdoor seating offering the best of views, there’s no finer place to stop off and refuel on a good day, en route to Leenane or on the way back towards the white sand beaches of Connemara. misunderstoodheron.com
Unbeetable Food Truck, Tramore
Another delicious truck café in a beautiful setting is the Unbeetable Food Truck in Waterford’s seaside town of Tramore. Serving up daily specials for lunch from Wednesday to Saturday (12pm to 4pm), the menu is jam-packed with healthy veggie and vegan dishes such as toasted sourdough sandwiches and flavoursome salads. Based at the Pickardstown Service Station in Tramore, follow @unbeetablejenny for more.
Craft Food Truck, Rosscarbery
Located beside the Celtic Ross Hotel in the West Cork village of Rosscarbery, Craft is a unique new truck café serving coffee, cake, brunch and dinner items throughout the week. According to McKenna’s Guides, Craft makes “a chicken roll that is worth the drive to Rosscarbery” – and if that isn’t reason enough to drive to West Cork immediately, we don’t know what is! Other menu staples include the Macroom buffalo mozzarella Panzerotti and homemade cheesecake of the day. Follow @CraftWestCork for more.
