Aberdeen beach has long been a magnet for people seeking fun and – on the odd occasion, at least – sun.
But in the past few years it has become a serious destination for foodies drawn to a wave of new culinary gems among the Beach Boulevard’s food trucks and mobile kitchens.
There’s the usual seaside fare of fish and chips and ice cream. But Aberdeen is head and shoulders above coastal rivals when it comes to independent food truck eateries.
Even better, the bracing sea air and long esplanade never fail to work up an appetite. Prepare to dive in.
Roots On The Beach
One of two food trucks on the beach specialising in plant-based vegan food, Roots On The Beach – part of Roots Catering – serves up delicious burgers using jackfruit base and fish and chips made from banana blossom.
Mouthwatering menu examples include the Smokehouse barbecue short rib burger, which comes stuffed with fried onion rings.
Or how about firecracker loaded fries, with sriracha powder and grated vegan cheddar?
There’s also a range of specials available weekly and some delicious milkshakes, too.
You’ll find the bright green and blue van down the Footdee (know locally as Fittie) side of the beach.
Foodstory café & bakery
This dinky little mobile kitchen has recently been transformed into a microbakery, open from Thursday to Sunday from its pitch next to the Scot Surf trailer down near the Footdee area.
And baker Doireann’s cinnamon buns – and other vegetarian and vegan treats – have proved a hit with customers, bringing many people down to the beach for their morning fix.
For the rest of the week, the Foodstory food truck continues to serve its menu based on the main Foodstory café offering which you’ll find on Thistle Street.
Both iterations – the bakery and the café – amplify Foodstory’s ambition to bring good quality veggie and plant-based food to Aberdeen.
Project Pizza
It’s a pizzeria – to go!
Project Pizza established its Aberdeen beach food truck presence in June last year, making handmade pizza dough and ever-evolving pizzas from the back of a specially-kitted-out van.
Describing itself as “Italian vibes and a Scottish twist”, it makes hand-stretched-to-order pizzas that include the ongoing Project line – a limited-edition pizza that changes every week.
But make sure you hit the food truck up on the weekend.
Currently, Project Pizza is only open on Saturday and Sunday, but they have previously been open Wednesday to Sunday.
Pizza San Rocco
Just up from the Beach Ballroom is the unmistakable yellow trailer of Pizza San Rocco, which has a full menu of Neapolitan-style pizzas made in a woodfired oven.
Don’t be put off by Aberdeen’s occasionally-miserable weather.
If it’s wet and windy down on the beach, then phone in your order from the warmth of your car and pick up your pizza when it’s ready.
The Highlander Cafe Bus
The prize for quirkiest Aberdeen beach food truck has to go to the The Highlander Cafe Bus, a restaurant built out of a double-decker bus.
The café opened in 2018, but current owner Samuel Turcu-Georgescu took it over in October 2021, serving a range of breakfast dishes, including the substantial Highlander breakfast.
Open from 9am, the bus offers the best views on the beach. On a good day, you can see dolphins from the top deck.
It is based just along from Burger King at the Queen’s Links heading towards Footdee.
LA Sunny Foods
Bringing some Californian sunshine to Aberdeen beach is LA Sunny Foods.
Open from 8.30am to 3pm except Tuesdays, the food truck is a great place to grab an all-day breakfast or fresh Angus beef burger.
A new item on the menu is LA’s Mega Chips. The dish consists of skin on fries loaded with mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese sauce, bacon and red onions.
It’s a real show stopper.
Aye Aye Amigos
The bright yellow hut of Aye Aye Amigo opened last month on the Fittie side of the beach.
Owner Russell Ogg comes down from Craigellachie to cook a selection of tacos, burritos and quesadillas with your own choice of fillings and sauces.
Sandwiched in between Roots On The Beach and The Highlander Cafe Bus, this is a great option to bust those Aberdeen beach hunger pangs, or to chase away the chill after a dip in the North Sea.
The food truck is open on Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 3pm. And if you are lucky, you might even catch Russell during the week.
