Photo by Brian Kachejian
Food trucks have come a long way from hot dogs and pretzels. Today, some of the country’s most successful food businesses operate entirely from trucks, and few have become more famous than Cousins Maine Lobster. Of course, in the past, when one thinks of food carts that line the streets of Manhattan, the first thoughts that come to mind are old-school Sabrett hot dog vendors, roasted cashews, pretzel stands, and, of course, all the ethnic food carts that sell halal food. The halal carts have actually come to dominate many streets in cities like New York, Chicago, Detroit, and so on in Manhattan. We also can’t leave out the numerous fruit stands selling grapes, apples, bananas, and other various fruits and vegetables ripe for a quick sale.
Over the past ten years, there have also been deluxe food trucks that sell gourmet renditions of waffles, Korean Barbecue, grilled cheese, and donuts from another world. Today, I ran into a food truck that I had never seen before. It was also possibly one of the best food trucks that I have ever eaten from on the streets of Manhattan. And I have eaten from a lot of trucks and stands over the past fifty years.
As I walked out of one of New York’s finest hospitals on York Ave and 67th Street, a large black truck with the words “Cousins Maine Lobster” stood in front of me. I had originally intended to stop for a slice of pizza, but with this massive food truck flaunting the words “Maine Lobster,” standing right in front of me, my plans instantly changed.
As I approached the truck, I noticed a long line of hospital workers waiting to order food. If there’s anyone who deserves to have some good food during their breaks, it’s these New York Hospital workers who have fought a war during this pandemic. I glanced at the menu and saw a few options that looked pretty good. The main seller on the truck was the Lobster Rolls. You could get the “MAINE,” a Maine lobster roll served chilled with mayo on a New England-style roll.
The other choice was the “CONNECTICUT,” a Maine lobster roll served warm with butter and lemon on a New England-style roll. Both rolls were priced at $18.50. Now that’s a much higher price than a slice of pizza or a New York hot dog, but hey! I have this website I have to write for so I figured this was a good investment. And they looked so good!
Lobster Rolls were not the only items on the menu. The Cousins Maine Lobster truck also served New England Clam Chowder, Lobster Bisque, Lobster Grilled Cheese, Lobster Tots (Tater tots served with warm Maine lobster, cilantro-lime sauce, and pico de gallo), Lobster Tacos, and even a Lobster Quesadilla. They also had a combo deal in which you could get a soda and a bag of chips or a Cousins Maine Lobster Whoopie Pie for a few dollars extra with your Lobster Roll. Now with so many great choices, this was tough to pick. However, I do love combos, so I went with The Connecticut Lobster Roll, a soda, and a Whoopie Pie.
I can also never turn down the chance to try a restaurant’s clam chowder. I once spent an entire week searching for the best cup of clam chowder in Boston. So I also ordered a cup of the New England Clam Chowder. As I was with my son, I ordered the exact same thing for him. The bill came to sixty dollars. Never in my life have I ever spent sixty dollars at a street food stand or truck. However, this was no ordinary food truck.
We took our food and sat down on the sidewalk against one of the hospital buildings. That’s the way most people who work in the city do it, who buy from the food trucks on their breaks. It’s not something tourists do; it’s what real New Yorkers do. You walk with a slice of pizza or a hot dog; you lean against or sit on a building when you need to use a fork or spoon. So were the Lobster Rolls worth the prices? ABSOLUTELY! It was probably the best Lobster Roll I have ever eaten.
The Lobster Roll was filled with very fresh-tasting lobster cooked perfectly with just the right amount of butter. The roll was also toasted and very buttery. The Clam Chowder was excellent, filled with plenty of clams and just the right amount of cream. It was not too salty or peppery to kill the clam flavor. I have never been a fan of Whoopie Pies, and since the Whoopie Pie was so large, I figured I would take one bite and throw it away………. I ate the whole thing. It was really good. My only complaint was my soda was warm, but I could live with that.
Photo by Brian Kachejian
So who are the people behind the Maine Lobster Truck, and where did they come from? It turns out that the Cousins Maine Lobster Truck is run by a company that started out in 2011 with one truck in California. Two cousins, Jimmy and Sabin, saw how well food trucks were doing in Los Angeles. However, no one was serving fresh Maine Lobster. So, the two cousins launched their business. Employees of Shark Tank would become customers. Eventually, the producers of Shark Tank invited the cousins to appear on the show. Shark Tank would turn out to be the best thing they ever did. On the show, they agreed to a deal with Shark Tank’s Barbara Corcoran, who helped the cousins eventually launch 20 trucks across 13 cities in the United States.
Cousins Maine Lobster is a success story in many ways. In the end, what matters the most is the product. I would have never thought that I could find such fresh-tasting Lobster Rolls from a food truck. Today, Cousins Maine Lobster proved very easily that I could.
