Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo - May 4th

The first installment of the Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo series kicked off this past Sunday afternoon, and was the culmination of everything there is to love about the food truck scene in the Triangle.

Fayetteville Street was brimming with men, women, dogs, babies, strollers, a guy kicking fresh poetry freestyles in an all-white suit (food trucks are a powerful muse), all gathered together in order to bathe in the vast sea of food truck deliciousness.

The weather couldn't have been more perfect for spending a few hours outside walking, eating and drinking, as the mass of people was evidence of how popular this event has become since its inception last year.

With the help of funds from their recent successful Kickstarter campaign, a lot of the logistical costs / concerns of the Raleigh Rodeo were much improved from previous events, with increased seating and Port-a-Potty access naturally being top priorities.

I used the rodeo as a chance to try out two trucks for the very first time: Barone Meatball Company and Belgian Waffology.

What stood out immediately about Barone was their variety of ball options, including veggie and seafood. No matter what you were in the mood for, with this truck you could get it in ball form on a hoagie roll. Glorious.

The two I sampled were the classic Mom's Italian Meatball (seasoned beef smothered with marinara) and the Crab Balls (crab cake-esque creations with remoulade).

Mom's Italian is tomato-y and comforting to the tastebuds, a perfect example of what a meatball sub was meant to taste like.

Just like Mom makes

The Crab Balls are a drastic flavor contrast to the Italian, with a wonderful crab flavor that was spiced beautifully. The remoulade sauce pulled it all together, and made me swear I was eating somewhere with an ocean view.



Belgian Waffology is a new-comer to the Triangle food truck game, but has been getting rave reviews from a lot of locals, so I had to check it out for myself. I wasn't the only one with this idea...

The line was insanely long, but I was determined to enjoy a delicious waffle, so my time waiting was spent mostly studying the menu to figure out what to order and day dreaming about stuffing my face with waffles.

Waffle fans waiting patiently

I decided to go with the Liege waffle (which is made from a dough containing pearled sugar, making it denser and chewier than the traditional batter-based Brussels waffle) a la mode: topped with ice cream and fudge.

With the first bite, I knew these babies were worth the wait: This waffle is THE TRUTH. The doughy moistness combined beautifully with melting vanilla ice cream and hot fudge drizzle.

Oh la la

It was the perfect end to an incredible food day, and I can hardly wait until the next rodeo on June 8th!

Future Rodeo schedule and info: http://www.downtownraleighfoodtruckrodeo.com/
@BeWaffology
@baronemeatball