Photos by Collin Richie
How the food truck created some of the most unique, gotta-try burgers in town, now served at Barcadia
When he first opened Curbside Burgers and fries in 2010, Nick Hufft knew that ordinary hamburgers wouldn’t cut it on a food truck. Baton Rouge diners accustomed to brick-and-mortar restaurants had to have a compelling reason to track down a mobile eatery, especially when the food truck concept was just getting off the ground. “We needed eclectic burgers,” Hufft says, “and we wanted to pay attention to the details and do what we were doing really well.”
Thus began Hufft’s quest to create standout burgers from cuts of beef ground fresh daily and served on specialty buns from a regional bakery. Curbside also became known for its inventive toppings. The Brian featured gooey cheddar and pork belly preserves. The KGB featured an over-easy egg and praline bacon (bacon drizzled with praline batter). Even the straightforward Classic was laced with housemade pickles.
The Curbside truck closed in 2013 when Hufft had the opportunity to man the kitchen of the New Orleans location of Barcadia. Now that a Capital City location of Barcadia has opened and Hufft is back in town, he says the truck should hit the streets again in the next few months. Meanwhile, around 10 Curbside burgers are on the menu at Barcadia, where Hufft is executive chef.
