Headwaters of the Cape Cod Canal and Cape Cod Bay. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
by Jeff Shaw
If you are looking for a morning or afternoon of free entertainment, look no further than the Sandwich Marina.
The Sandwich Marina, Bay side, sits about two miles north of the Sagamore Bridge. The marina is bustling with activity, both for those with a slip and those without one.
I happened to visit during an Army Corps of Engineers boating safety event. The offerings: free fishing lessons (off the pier), coast guard boat tours and ‘dunk an engineer’ were perfect shoulder season entertainment. While that community event may have sparked the visit, plenty of activities exist without it.
Dunk an engineer kept the kiddos entertained despite the wet weather. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
First, fishing. Unrelated to the event, dozens of anglers were casting or dropping line(s) up and down the pier. The free parking at the marina is a plus.
Second, the maritime traffic in the canal. Not overwhelming, but a steady flow of vessels of all sorts, sizes and sounds. With a half a dozen benches spaced along the waterfront; the marina is a people watchers paradise.
Third, the Cape Cod Canal Visitor Centeris not just for directions, but an interactive walk through exhibit. Three rooms, two of which have stunning (eye level) views of the canal, explain the history of and rationale for building the Cape Cod Canal. Spoiler alert: safer passage for ships compared to the treacherous shoals that surround the peninsula. There is even a retired service boat inside the building visitors can climb aboard and explore.
A stunning view and history of the Cape Cod Canal. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
Fourth, a picture-perfect picnic location. A covered set of picnic tables can be found on a slightly elevated, somewhat hidden bluff, overlooking the head of the channel. The view may even qualify for a Cape-wide top 10 views list.
Finally, the railroad. Wait, what?! Yes, trains from Cape Cod Central Railroad and the Cape Cod Flyer pass over the tracks that cross Freezer Road, the main entryway into the marina. While the Cape Cod Railroad Bridge is on the other side of the Canal, in Bourne, the train may be the best kept secret for a complete view of the channel. Though, the Sandwich Train Station, while historic and still standing, does not stop for passengers anymore.
Slightly tucked away and covered picnic area near the Cape Cod Canal, Cape Cod Bay headwaters. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw
(To be fair, the Cape Cod Canal Bikeway, also an Army Corps of Engineers Service Road, is the most common way to explore the Canal area.)
A growing number of high-quality food trucks, offering an array of tasty options, can be found throughout Cape Cod. It’s an exciting development, fueled by the ‘grab and go’ [to the beach] summer culture, and of course, the extended dip in sit-down restaurant visitation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Indeed, many diners prefer quick meals outside. Food trucks fit the bill.
For operators, the overhead of a food truck is less costly than maintaining a storefront, though many food trucks on Cape Cod are an extension of a brick-and-mortar restaurant. Unlike street food vendors/carts, food trucks have the ability to cook items to order because they have kitchens, making them more appealing (healthier?). No doubt, food trucks ironed out their place as a reliable food option found throughout Cape Cod.
But understanding the food truck scene is a bit like dumping out all the pieces of a 500-piece puzzle and trying to put it back together in the dark.
Most communities have strict regulations on where food trucks can operate (i.e., not too close to brick-and-mortar restaurants, residential communities, etc.) as well as times (i.e., after-hours at beaches, so not to compete with ice cream trucks; or parking lots where Cape Cod Baseball League teams play, so not to compete with the volunteer snack bar, etc.). Each town has its own application for food truck operations.
While each town has a list of food trucks through licensing, that information is not easily found online. Beyond town lines, there is no central website, whether by industry, region or even aficionado, listing the location and schedule of food truck operations. Some Cape Cod towns do have regular food truck vendors at certain locations (Nauset Beach, Orleans) or events (Mondays on Main Street, Chatham) throughout the summer season. But they are the exception, rather than the rule.
So, the information below is my initial attempt to solve the puzzle – with a flashlight (to continue the darkness analogy above). It is incomplete, as the applications of food truck operations in many Cape Cod towns are still pending for the upcoming summer season. But let’s take a peek of where to find some food trucks on Cape Cod.
Beaches
The majority of beaches do not have an on-site snack bar, making the mobile food truck a great solution. Well, so long as ‘ye olde ice cream truck’ does not already have a contract to operate in the area.
Perhaps the best example of the versatility of a food truck is at Nauset Beach in Orleans. Due to shoreline erosion, the famous Liam’s at Nauset had to be razed back in 2018. The following summer, the town experimented with a handful of food trucks operating in the parking lot. By all accounts, the experiment was a rousing success, both financially as well as in popularity.
Last summer season, you could find Capeside Kitchen Beach Patrol Food Truck and the Polka Dot Panini, operated by the Chatham Filing Station, among others, at Nauset Beach.
Farther northeast along the Atlantic side is the Leeside Café Food Truck which can be found at Newcomb Hollow Beach, Wellfleet. It’s amazing just how good a simple grilled cheese (okay, okay, a three-cheese panini) can taste amid a warm summer breeze and the roar of the Atlantic between bites.
Currently, the Orleans Select Board is looking into allowing food trucks at Rock Harbor, Bay side, which is a go-to spot for catching the sunset on a clear summer evening. That pairing would be a home run.
Bike Trails
The Cape Cod Rail Trail, Shining Sea Bikeway, Province Lands trails and similar bicycle paths are visited by thousands of people throughout the day, many of whom are burning calories by foot or bike. While some restaurants, ice cream parlors and bike shops are just off trail, some of the larger parking lots have been identified as a suitable location(s) for a food truck.
As an example, in Chatham, you can find food trucks at the Old Colony Rail Trail parking lot on Route 137, from 11 a.m. to sunset most days.
Downtown
Mondays on Main [Street] in Chatham, [Harwich] Port Summer Nights on Wednesdays, Hyannis Main Street Musical Strolls on Fridays are just a few examples of seasonal events where food trucks tend to pop-up. Though town officials and even the business community are encouraged (if not pressured) to strike that delicate balance of the location proximity between established brick and mortar restaurants and food trucks.
One would think when the population quadruples in the summer, the addition of food trucks wouldn’t seem to siphon business from the established brick-and-mortar restaurants. Turns out that may not be the case.
Festivals & Special or Private Events
Whether arts and crafts festivals, parades, Shakespeare in the Park performances, summer galas or historic celebrations, there’s a good bet a food truck will be hired to provide the food and drink.
Doing so can be of great relief for event staff or volunteers, as catered events usually require some form of licensing, food inspection, and other logistics that may be better left to businesses that deal with those issues regularly.
The Food Truck Festival!
“There’s only so much fried seafood you can have on a summer Cape getaway. After three straight days of scallops and clams, you’ll probably be looking for some variety. The Cape Cod Food Truck Festival is the perfect solution,” wrote Joel Ang in a 2022 Boston.com article. The article talked about the annual food truck festival on Cape Cod.
On August 5, 2023, the 11th Annual Cape Cod Food Truck & Craft Beer Festival will be held in Falmouth, MA. The event features some of New England’s most popular food trucks, dishing out fan favorites, and dozens of regional and national craft breweries. It may just be the ultimate food truck experience at The Cape Cod Fairgrounds.
Bonus: Reader Poll Top 3
A recent Cape Cod Times reader poll showed the three most popular food trucks on Cape Cod are:
