Hilda’s Guide to the Cabot Trail Food Truck Rally

I've been going to the Cabot Trail Food Truck Rally since it started. I think this year is number six, but don't quote me on that. What I do know is I wouldn't miss it. Nineteen food trucks, the whole Cabot Trail in its fall colours and one weekend to eat your way around it. This year it runs October 24 and 25, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days.

People always ask me how I do it. So here are my tips for making the most of the weekend.

Pack a cooler (trust me)

The first thing I bring is my little cooler. It's been on the road with me since 1991, so it's a well-travelled cooler by now. I always carry a snack in it too. Here's what else goes in:

• Tupperware dishes. This is the big one. Keep listening because this is very important.
• Wipes. Ribs and sauce are messy and you'll thank me.
• Spoons, forks and serving spoons. You never know what you'll want to share.

Why the Tupperware? Because some places give you everything together. I always get the ribs because that's my favourite thing. I don't want the ribs mixing with the salad. So the ribs go in their own dish with all their sauces, and everything stays the way it's supposed to taste.

My route and my can't-miss stops

I always go counter-clockwise. I start in Middle River and I'm usually there about 20 minutes early. If the trucks are there, they'll often open a little early and they'll take care of you. And since I've always done it that way, it's only right that my first stop is a delicious sausage. That's my Saturday morning breakfast! You can get away with that on rally weekend.

Then it's on around the Trail. A few stops I plan my whole day around:

• Seafood chowder in Meat Cove. It's the far end of the Island and worth every kilometre.
• The lobster roll. I get two. One to nibble along the way and one for when I get home, for lunch at work the next day. Put the lobster in its own Tupperware so the bun doesn't get soggy. Then just add your own bun or a wrap!
• Something sweet. I'm afraid mine never makes it all the way around. It's not that it goes bad. It's just really good and I can't control myself.
• The homemade fries from Amanda’s Island Bistro.  Great fries. If they make it home, in the oven to reheat.

These are just my personal favourites. Every truck on the list is worth a stop.

There are some new food trucks this year too, so I'm excited to check them out. My old favourites will have some competition!

Excited for Mikka’s Dippin Dots and Candy Shop – anyone and everyone who has ever been on a road trip with me knows that I have treats of all kinds, ready to serve.  It’s not just about the cooler and the eats.  It’s about the sweet treats that must accompany all things.  I am thrilled to visit this quaint “proper food truck” with a desire to try all they offer. 

The trucks are spread out from Baddeck and the North Shore to Ingonish, Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Pleasant Bay, Chéticamp and the Margarees. Check the full list below and the map on the rally page before you go.

The 2026 food trucks

Nineteen trucks are taking part this year.

• East Coast Donair/East Coast Fish & Chips, Chéticamp Visitor Information Centre
• Mikka's Dippin Dots & Candy Shop, Pleasant Bay Wharf
• Flippin' Mike's Gourmet Burgers and Fries, Big Intervale Campground Cape North  
• Lawless Lobster Seafood Trailer, Meat Cove Campground
• Amanda's Island Bistro, Mountain Pine Adventures
• Avatar Foodtruck, Black Brook Beach, Neils Harbour
• 285 Takeout, 36233 Cabot Trail, Ingonish
• The Saltwater Social, Ingonish Beach
• Dusso G, Wreck Cove Wilderness Cabins
• Beavertails Mobile Cape Breton, North Shore & District Volunteer Fire Department, Indian Brook
• Auntie's Takeaway, Jersey Cove (beach by Englishtown Ferry)
• Stand & Stuff Your Face, Colaisde na Gàidhlig / The Gaelic College, St. Ann’s
• Maudie’s Sweet Treats Ltd., Colaisde na Gàidhlig / The Gaelic College, St. Ann’s
• Grub Love, Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site, Baddeck
• Rose’s Smash Burgers & trickdough baking co., Big Spruce Brewing, Nyanza
• Stephen's Hot Sausages & Hot Dogs, Middle River Community Hall
• Paul's Fish & Chips, Coady & Tompkins Memorial Public Library, Margaree Forks
• Little Sombreros, Centre de la Mi-Carême, Grand Étang
• Seaside Sugar's Donuts & Dogs, École NDA / Conseil des Arts de Chéticamp

The lineup may still change. Check the rally page for the latest list and map.

Try a bit everywhere, then save the rest

Everybody thinks they have to eat a full meal at every stop. That's ambitious. And that's okay, you can. But there are 19 food trucks! I say try at least a morsel at every stop, because it's all so good. One must be strategic to have a dish from each. And remember, the rally runs two days. You don't have to eat it all in one day!

This is where the Tupperware pays off. Put a bit from each truck in its own dish. When you get home, into the fridge it goes. You won't have to make a meal for five days because you can just reheat it, or eat things like the salads cold. And you won't be reaching for your Thanksgiving pants again either.

A few reheating rules from me:

• Don't use the microwave. That ruins it.
• Fries go in the oven with a little salt. I use lavender salt. They come out crispy, just like they were at the truck.
• An air fryer works too if you have one.

Could you freeze some of it? You could. But it won't last that long.

See you on the Trail

So that's my plan. Bring the cooler, go counter-clockwise, get two lobster rolls and save room for a bit of everything. And look for me in my orange hoodie!

Start planning your fall foodie road trip around the Island and share your favourite stops with #VisitCapeBreton.