Newcastle’s latest food truck, Truckin’ Good Food, opens in the U-Haul parking lot of Louis Doe Home Center. The menu is inspired by the owner, Mallory Heaberlins, travels across the country. (Christina Wallace photo)
Mallory Heaberlin, the owner of Truckin’ Good Food, is serving up a variety of dishes inspired by her travels in the U-Haul parking lot next to Louis Doe Home Center in Newcastle.
Heaberlin opened her food truck in 2022 with the goal of cooking food she has enjoyed along her travels.
“As soon as I got out of high school, me and my brother traveled across the country,” said Heaberlin. “I do a lot … of Southern-inspired food because I love Southern food.”
After Heaberlin had spent a few seasons in another location, Louis Doe Home Center owner Mark Doe, who knew Heaberlin’s husband Josip Luksik, asked if she was interested in moving her truck to the U-Haul parking lot next to his store at 92 Mills Road in Newcastle.
After receiving permission from the town, Heaberlin reopened her truck on June 25. She said that since her opening, business has been picking up.
One of Heaberlin’s most popular dishes, a shrimp po’boy, was inspired by a trip to Florida when her aunt made her a similar dish. She said she decided to create her own take on the dish and include it in her menu.
Another dish inspired by Heaberlin’s travels is a special featuring fried green tomatoes, goat cheese, and marinara sauce she got from a restaurant in Charleston, S.C.
“I managed to finagle the recipe out of them,” Heaberlin said. “Other people have tried to take it and copy me, but they just can’t get that sauce.”
Heaberlin said that she plans on adding this dish to her menu later in the summer once the tomatoes ripen and will consider making it a permanent menu item instead of a special.
Heaberlin said that she has loved cooking ever since she was a kid.
Mallory Heaberlin stands in the window of Truckin’ Good Food on July 3 in Newcastle. Heaberlin, of Round Pond, opened the food truck in Louis Doe Home Center’s U-Haul parking lot on June 25. (Christina Wallace photo)
“When I was little I was always baking and cooking with family,” she said. “My ‘papo’ used to own a restaurant … he always just cooked really good food.”
Inspired by her family’s ties with the restaurant industry, she started working at 15 as a dishwasher and worked her way up to line cook.
“I started trying to sneak my way onto the line,” said Heaberlin. “The next thing I know, they’re putting me on a line to cook and I realized, okay, I like this. This is fun.”
Heaberlin and Luksik found a food truck that was originally an old pizza truck and decided to renovate it.
“We ripped out all the walls out and put in all stainless steel, bought all new equipment,” said Heaberlin. “We had to put the hood vent system in and the fire suppression.”
Heaberlin said that almost everything on the truck was customized, including the awning that Luksik built.
“So far, everyone is really happy,” said Heaberlin. “They all seem really pleased with the food. So far, I have a few regulars that come almost every day. The haddock taco and the shrimp po’boy are going quite well,”
Looking forward, Heaberlin said she wants to get her name out in the community and accommodate customers to the best of her ability. She offers outdoor seating and customers can call to order ahead for shorter wait times.
Although Truckin’ Good Food is currently a seasonal business, Heaberlin plans on expanding her truck in order to operate year-round.
“I just really love what I do,” she said.
Heaberlin also offers private catering for local events. Beyond traveling locally for a few events this summer, she will be stationed out of the Louis Does parking lot for the entire season.
“I kind of just wanted to be able to do my own thing,” she said. “I don’t have to have a lot of people or payroll, I guess I just kind of work for myself.”
The truck will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and will be closed on Sunday and Monday. For more information, call 380-7364 or find the business on Instagram at @truckin_good_food_foodtruck.
The menu of Truckin’ Good Food, located on Mills Road in Newcastle, has a variety of regular offerings, including Brussels sprouts, hand-cut fries, sandwiches, and more. Owner Mallory Heaberlin also offers daily specials. (Christina Wallace photo)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
