Rachel Nielsen of Duluth gets served a mac bowl and Southwest eggrolls from Bowlz n’ Thangz food truck owner Sarah Hovis. (Photos by Melinda Lavine)

Bowlz n’ Thangz’s black food truck sat outside Wild State Cider in the Lincoln Park Craft District. Every seat in the cidery’s patio and tap room were filled with trivia players and spectators, sipping and snacking.

Outside the food truck, Rachel Nielsen scooped up a mac bowl and rolled a paper plate around her Southwest egg rolls before joining a table of friends near the patio’s edge.

It was Nielsen’s first time trying Bowlz n’ Thangz, and she was more than satisfied. The food was delicious, it was delivered quickly and it came in large portions, the Duluth woman said.

“There were things crossed off the menu that I want to try. Plus, I saw some loaded tots that I’m going to come back for,” she added.

Sarah Hovis (left) and Amanda Mathiason run Bowlz n’ Thangz food truck, which offers a mix of fare from curry to birria and bacon cheeseburger egg rolls.

Bowlz n’ Thangz joins the lineup of food trucks buzzing around the Twin Ports this summer. 

The brainchild of Sarah Hovis and Amanda Mathiason, Bowlz offers a menu that spans from curry and lumpia to birria-loaded mac and Texas Twinkies. The latter is balled-up and deep-fried brisket, bacon, cream cheese, cheddar and jalapenos, Hovis said.

Bowlz n’ Thangz serves lumpia, a traditional Filipino menu item. Think egg roll, but thinner.

The Duluth couple launched Bowlz n’ Thangz in September, after investing 20 years in corporate retail. Today, their food truck makes stops outside Bent Paddle Brewing, Fleet Farm, Cirrus Aircraft and more.

Summer nights on a Duluth patio are hard to beat, and food trucks are always an appreciated perk for Wild State Cider guests, said Jane Pederson Jandl, the cidery’s director of marketing.

Bowlz n’ Thangz serves plenty of options for everyone, added Jandl, who is a fan of the bang bang shrimp bowl. 

“Their food exceeds your expectations for what you’d expect from a food truck,” she continued.

Food Fusion

Hovis based the Bowlz n’ Thangz menu on her travels and love for bold flavors.

The daughter of a military parent, she grew up traveling around the United States, surrounded by Latin, Thai and Lebanese influences.

As an adult, Hovis made stops in Jamaica, Dubai and Mexico before settling in Duluth, where the food more closely mimics her Swedish, Norwegian and Finnish roots.

Nearing the end of a service, Bowlz n’ Thangz’s menu has some crossed-off items.

Hovis aims for creative, snacky and easily prepared foods with a lot of flavor: jerk chicken, chickpea curry, gyros and garlic truffle fries.

Everybody eats, Hovis said, if you’re going to create something, tie it to a necessity.

Mathiason said going into business with her life partner has made the pair a stronger unit.

Hovis’ culinary work takes the lead. Mathiason is the “supporting actress” in charge of customer care, the truck’s oil changes, taste-testing and more.

The Bowlz n’ Thangz guilty filthy tots.

While the top sellers are the bang bang shrimp bowl and curry, Mathiason’s current go-tos are the bacon cheeseburger egg roll and cream cheese jalapeno poppers with berry sauce. 

Quitting their jobs and opening a food truck was frightening for Mathiason. Today, she wishes they would’ve done it sooner.

“It’s all about the people and seeing their reactions, that feels successful to me,” she continued.

More Info:

• Bowlz n’ Thangz on Facebook
• Wild State Cider food truck lineup