The scent and sound of sizzling garlic and onions waft in from an unknown source at Backyard Social in Fort Myers. Plates and paper boats piled high with crispy truffle fries, overloaded lobster rolls and saucy slabs of ribs accessorize outdoor tables and the faces of the people digging into them. Basket pendant lights sway to the thumping R&B remixes from a DJ who’s proven he can handle the demands of the throngs that swarm the 9,000-square-foot space. Somewhere nearby, the rhythmic knocks and tumbles of falling pins from the on-site bowling alley punch into the air.
This is the scene at one of Southwest Florida’s newest food truck parks. Over the past few years, hip, alfresco, social hubs with a range of mobile canteens have popped up locally, from Backyard Social and Bay Street Yard in Fort Myers to Rooftop at Riverside in Bonita Springs and Naples’ Celebration Park.
The then-innovative Celebration blazed the trail in 2018 when it opened in the Bayshore Arts District, quickly cultivating a strong millennial and Gen Z following. The pandemic’s demand to safely gather alfresco fueled the park’s popularity. Post-Hurricane Ian, in 2022, a slate of new parks emerged, filling the need for outdoor-driven, adaptable social spaces with affordable eats and electrifying energy—places where locals could reunite, heal and embrace a remodeled future.
Beyond touting contemporary architecture, striking public art and built-in social games, the venues pump out a wealth of high-quality cuisine. Pick a table at any of these locales, and you’ll be surrounded by a range of skilled home cooks-turned-restaurateurs, barbecue masters in the making and classically trained chefs testing their next ventures. And, each truck offers something distinct.
At Backyard’s No Manches, self-taught Peruvian chef Vanessa Franco Goñi infuses her homeland’s flavors into familiar Mexican dishes for inspired creations like quesabirria bao buns and pork carnitas tacos stuffed in fresh-pressed blue corn tortillas (which Vanessa picks up daily from Tortilleria La Guera in Lehigh Acres). “Cooking my food means independence and doing my own thing,” she says. A few trucks over, Fort Myers-raised, mid-twenties Tyler Goguen brings Central Texas craft-style ’cue to the game with Beau’s BBQ. Thick slabs of beef ribs and brisket by the pound (with a simple dry rub smoked low-and-slow for 15 hours over post oak wood) dance out of the truck alongside soft slices of white bread, pickles and paper boats brimming with picnic sides.
Chefs appreciate the creative challenges and freedom of cooking in a 120-square-foot truck. Having no set restaurant menu to occlude the imagination has drawn big-name restaurateurs, like 21 Spices’ Asif Sayed and the Neri family, owners of Naples’ beloved Molto Trattoria. Both restaurateurs have satellite locations at Celebration with blessedly stripped-down versions of their established fine-dining menus (think: roasted lamb naan flatbreads with mint chutney at Asif’s Deccani Bites and classic, deep-fried arancini rice balls at Molto Street Food).
With more options at your fingertips, it’s easy to find something to satisfy everyone—even restricted eaters. The gluten-adverse find pie heaven at Rooftop at Riverside’s Zoey’s Pizza, from father-daughter duo Doug and Zoey Lester. Born partly out of necessity (Zoey has celiac disease), the Lesters’ menu of gluten-free pizzas (plus, free-range chicken wings and salads) relies on flour imported from Italy and recipes informed by Doug’s experience as a Le Cordon Bleu Australia-trained chef.
Not feeling pizza that day? Go to any of the other trucks around Zoey’s for po’ boys with Gulf-caught shrimp at OCN Seafood Co.; savory galettes and sweet crêpes from the French-run Ma Petite Crêperie; and small-batch wholesome and booze-spiked ice cream at Crooked Cow Creamery.
The vibe within these ‘eatertainment centers’—as Backyard Social’s co-owner Mat Baum calls food truck parks—is decidedly youthful. Backyard exudes the energy of a hip Miami club, with its sprightly, 1980s-inspired synth-wave aesthetic (psychedelic murals, old-school games, neon signs). “There’s no pressure—it allows for people to relax and do what they think is fun,” Mat says.
Rooftop at Riverside celebrates a local sense of place, with its beach house-like, two-story site housing the only rooftop bar in Bonita. Owner Chris Magnus honors his hometown’s heritage on the walls, with relics from the Bonita Springs Historical Society, and on the cocktail menu, developed by TV show Bar Rescue cohost Phil Wills. Special drinks nod to local landmarks and icons like the Belle Myers gin cooler, named after a 1900s ferry that went to and from Downtown Bonita. “People were worried about losing our small-town charm and [having] overdevelopment, so we said, ‘Let’s listen to the people,” Chris says. “Our history in Bonita Springs isn’t really old, but it is really cool.”
To foster a sense of community and make good on food truck parks’ experiential promise, Chris maintains a steady lineup of events, including bingo nights and the charming Wooftop Wednesdays, with dog meals at each truck.
Entertainment and community are built into the fabric of all the parks, evidenced by the omnipresence of ping-pong tables, cornhole sets and socializing nooks. Fort Myers’ newer Bay Street Yard revolves around its outdoor stage, which hosts live music and has a big screen for sporting events. Renowned Fort Myers-based modernist architect Joyce Owens designed the showpiece venue, using shipping containers for the two bars and bathrooms (with a communal trough sink between) and the upstairs VIP platform. “There are all kinds of different spaces—the lawn with Adirondacks and high-tops; the covered seating area between the bars; upstairs, which has three curtained-off ‘suites’ you can reserve and a rail overlooking the stage,” Joyce says. The warehouse-chic space, across the street from Luminary Hotel & Co., solidifies the area’s reputation as a culinary hub, with three distinct food trucks painted to match Bay Street’s vibe.
Just like Celebration and Rooftop at Riverside are benchmarks for their neighborhoods’ revitalization, Bay Street fosters Downtown Fort Myers’ return as a dynamic urban center. “What’s nice is it’s a contained urban site,” Joyce says. Chance encounters by the trough sink and under the covered bar lead to friendships, lovers groove along to live music (the open-concept, alfresco setting means there’s plenty of room to boogie) and families let children roam free, knowing intrepid tykes can’t venture beyond Bay Street’s strategically walled-in perimeter. “It brings people closer together,” Joyce says. “Like every great party, it’s not spread out.”
