SK's Fine Seafood Truck

Situated on Rhode Island’s southern coast it’s no wonder South Kingstown is inundated with seafood restaurants and markets, but starting this summer there will be a different kind eatery in town pushing the freshest catch around the state – on any street corner near you.

The Shuckin’ Truck plans to bring a whole new meaning to meals on wheels with its detachable raw bar and drive-up service – think hot-food truck with a gourmet twist. The truck, owned by David Roebuck of Mettatuxet, will drive the freshest catches out of Snug Harbor to diners from Westerly to Providence.

Roebuck will dish out his oysters fresh and raw and serve up fried calamari, lobsters and scallops per time-tested family recipes. For those patrons looking to do their own cooking, he will also have live lobsters and fish by the pound.

“It remains to be seen whether people will eat raw oysters out of a food truck because of their reputation for hot dogs and greasy hamburgers,” said Roebuck.

The idea came to Roebuck via cable television after he saw the “The Great Food Truck Race,” a series on the Food Network that features seven gourmet food trucks who travel from San Diego to New York, New York challenging people to step outside of their comfort zone and try something different – from a truck.

Roebuck hopes the show will help banish misconceptions that food trucks are not up to health standards – yes, he will be inspected by the state Department of Health – and are actually a fun, easy, and delicious way to grab a bite.

On his four wheels, Roebuck will also be driving into his family business. Between his parents, uncles and siblings, he claims five boats that fish everything from squid to lobsters to ground fish to scallops and he even has an oyster farm in the family, Salt Pond Oysters in Snug Harbor.

“Not only will this be local, it’s family,” said Roebuck. Roebuck will be extending his family’s influence right down into the recipes he whips up on wheels. Even though Roebuck will be selling fish market-style and street-side, don’t even try to find out his well-guarded secret recipes.

“We’ll be doing festivals, weddings, home deliveries, farmers’ markets and public roadside,” said Roebuck. “Pretty much we’ll be wherever it’s allowed.”

Pioneering seafood of wheels in the 21^st century is a task Roebuck is well prepared for, he said. With his arsenal stocked full of social media, patrons won’t have to chase him around the state, all you will need to do to spy these tasty morsels is log on to Roebuck’s website, Twitter, or Facebook account and track him down.