Food Truck Tuesdays - Buffalo

Larkin Square is a community located in the heart of Larkinville in downtown Buffalo. Larkin Square is an outdoor place where the public can hang out comfortably. It is more than just a casual hangout; one can come to eat, drink, and socialize. Larkin Square holds numerous events throughout the year as well, especially in the summer. These events give everybody an opportunity to eat, drink, and socialize while being entertained. Visit Larkin Square's website here for more information about it.

FOOD TRUCK TUESDAYS

WHAT IS IT?

A rooftop view of Larkin Square on a Food Truck Tuesday! Photograph taken from the Larkin Square Twitter account with permission. One of those events that is held in Larkin Square, that goes for six months, from May through October, is Food Truck Tuesdays. Food Truck Tuesdays is held on Tuesday nights and has become a very popular destination amongst Buffalonians. "Food Truck Tuesdays is where the public can come to Larkin Square and eat, drink, and enjoy live music." AmyRae Nessa, the manager of the Filling Station in Larkin Square, said about the event held on Tuesdays during the summer and into the Fall. This event goes from five to eight PM. "This year (2014) is the second year and the Square is holding it for twenty-six weeks this year, last year it was sixteen weeks." She said. What the event actually is is a congregation of various food trucks. The food trucks park all in Larkin Square. "Our limit is thirty-four trucks and that is usually what we have!" AmyRae said. Food trucks come from Buffalo, Rochester, and beyond as the website for Larkin Square said. It makes for a very crowded and fun, and food, filled night. With thirty-four food trucks the guests have plenty of choices in what they want to eat. They can even try a few different trucks or just eat at one. Each food truck has healthy food options as well. Some food trucks that are frequent to Larkin Square on Food Truck Tuesdays are Lloyd tacos, Cheesy Chick, Whole Hog, Knight Slider, R & R Barbeque, and Black Market food truck, just to name a few of the thirty plus food trucks in attendance every week. Not only are there trucks to purchase dinner at, there is also a dessert truck or two at the Square. "We average about 3,000 guests to Food Truck Tuesdays each week." AmyRae said about the people count to the event. It really does feel crowded, especially with all of the trucks that are parked there but it gets fantastic reviews from Buffalonians. The parking is also free of charge. Visit the Food Truck Tuesday website here.

FOOD TRUCKS

(Mini food trucks are off the Larkin Square Food Truck Tuesday website.)

Check out the Buffalo food trucks at http://www.bflofoodtrucks.com.

Philly Flattop food truck. Photographed by Dan Eckert.

Whole Hog food truck. Photographed by Dan Eckert.

Louisiana Cookery food truck. Taken from the Larkin Square Twitter account with permission.

THE GRILLING AND THE FILLING STATION

Not only does the event host all these food trucks, the Grilling Station is also open. The Grilling Station serves beer, wine, and soft drinks during Food Truck Tuesdays. There is also a bar set up around the Grilling Station for comfortable seating while eating, drinking, and socializing with friends, family, or even new friends. There are also plenty of other seating options. There are chairs sitting on the grass and tables with chairs outside the restaurant, The Filling Station, for an eating experience like no other… outside on the beautiful Larkin Square. The Filling Station is open for private events during Food Truck Tuesdays as well. The Filling Station is a little restaurant at Larkin Square that is open for lunch on weekdays. Along with beer, wine, and soft drinks being served at the Grilling Station, there are also beer tents around the Square.

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT

Other than the food trucks, there is also live entertainment throughout the night. On the boardwalk in the Square there is a stage where live and local bands play their music for the guests of Food Truck Tuesdays. On the boardwalk is the best place to hear the music clearly but there are speakers stationed all over the Square for the listening pleasure of every guest. The bands are all local bands and they perform their own original music and there are different bands each week. This event is for the whole family so it's family friendly music each week. Hula-hoops are set out on the grass behind the stage where kids, and adults, can play with the fun and classic toy. On the boardwalk there is also room to dance to the music, either with yourself or with friends and family. There are also places on the boardwalk where one can sit down and enjoy the entertainment while eating in the company of others. There are plenty of options of food and drinks that nobody will have a problem finding something they enjoy so they can get to hanging out with their friends and family.

Roaming Buffalo food truck parked next to the boardwalk on a Food Truck Tuesday! Photographed by Dan Eckert.

Kids performing on the boardwalk in Larkin Square! Photographed by Dan Eckert.

THE GUESTS AND CHANGING DOWNTOWN BUFFALO

"I see a lot of the same crowds here each week but at the same time, I see tons of new people each week." AmyRae said when asked about the groups and if there were regulars each week. "People seem to love it here and they come back each week." Food Truck Tuesdays and Larkin Square have changed downtown Buffalo and have brought back a certain life to it that hasn't been there for so long. "It has changed downtown I think, it hasn't seen this sort of activity in a while and I think it's great that Food Truck Tuesdays, Live at Larkin, and Larkin Square in general have opened up downtown." AmyRae said. Live at Larkin is another event held at Larkin Square on Wednesdays during the summer. It has live and local music each week like Food Truck Tuesdays except it does not have as many food trucks. It has a few smaller ones but it is mostly about the music. The Grilling Station also offers entrees as well as beer, wine, and soft drinks on Wednesdays. Tuesdays it a lot more about the variety of food; both are really big on the music, the community, and socializing with fellow Buffalonians.

"There isn't much history of Food Truck Tuesdays because this is just its second year but it was obviously an idea and a good one. It grew a lot during the second year and we are proud of that." AmyRae said. "I think it's unique because it's 34 food trucks, beer, wine, and live music. There are places that bring groups of food trucks together but I think we are different because I believe we are bringing focus back to downtown."

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