Tuam food truck is tops for Street Food

Polish kebabs and pizza baguettes are big hits

A NEW food truck in Tuam has won the Connacht Best Street Food of the Year Award at the Irish Takeaway Awards.

AD Club Café, located in the Manwar Business Park on the Galway Road, have only been operating for seven months, but have already become a popular outlet for those looking for an early morning coffee fix or a healthy snack throughout the day.

It is run by Alena, a former head Chef at the Nox Hotel in Galway, and her husband Daniel. The duo, who have lived in the town for the past decade, decided to take the plunge and invest in the food truck having noticed a gap in the market.

“We both worked in Galway and were left with no real options for a proper coffee and a bite to eat en route until we got to Claregalway. We felt Tuam was crying out for something that could provide for those on the road early in the morning,” Alena told The Tuam Herald.

“We are open from 6am, which is huge for people passing through Tuam, particularly truck and lorry drivers who before us could only get a basic hot drink from a petrol station which was unlikely to be serving food that early. Here they can get a nice coffee and a meal which is fresh and not pre-made.”

Alongside a variety of hot drinks, Alena and Daniel started off their business with a very simple menu, but once they established a customer base, they began introducing cuisine from their native Poland.

Their Polish Kebabs and Pizza Baguettes have quickly become the most popular items on their menu, often selling out entirely. They are proving to be a hit with customers from all backgrounds.

However, Alena feels it is her dressed fries, nicknamed the Dirty Fries, that led to AD Club Café being honoured with the title of Connacht’s Best Street Food.

“Our Dirty Fries are filled with onions, peppers and my own unique recipe for southwest sauce. The chips are a lot crunchier too, with a bit of skin on them,” she explained.

“They are made with freshly made sauce and not premade stuff you might find in some other takeaways, which I think helped us to stand out from the other nominees.

“A lot of places use mayonnaise in their sauces, but I feel that is very unhealthy, so we avoid it in all our food. Even my garlic sauce is completely homemade, using cottage cheese. I’ve had people amazed when they hear this as they usually hate cottage cheese but love our garlic dips.”

The business isn't even a year old, but Alena already has plans for a second food truck to take their business on the road.

“We tried to move around with our current truck, but when we left our customers here were so disappointed, so it was hard to take any bookings elsewhere. With a second truck, we can look at catering at events or being hired to attend weddings and birthday parties,” added Alena.

“This is very much a small family run business, as our two children are also pitching in as much as possible, so it really took us by surprise winning an award. I’m just so proud of it after all the work we have put into the truck. Hopefully we can continue our early success in the years ahead.”