With popular downtown Macon spot still temporarily closed, they’ll debut food truck

Maconites missing those popular bacon pimento cheese fritters at the Bearfoot Tavern will be able to satisfy that craving soon when the popular downtown gastropub rolls out its new food truck.

The Irish pub at 468 Second St. remains temporarily closed after heavy winds and a hard rain collapsed the roof July 21.

The roof work is complete, but it looks like it’s going to be another 90 days for the interior remodel to be completed and the pub is able to reopen, said owner Kris Ellis.

But the food truck will allow the Bearfoot Tavern to come back in the meantime while providing opportunities for future endeavors to use the food truck at events, he said.

“That’s pretty exciting for us,” said Ellis, who’s retained a positive attitude through the ordeal. “When something bad happens, something really good is around the corner.”

What to expect

The food truck is going to be set up in front of the pub, complete with an outdoor seating area with heaters, said Mark Bell, Bearfoot Tavern general manager.

“We’ll also be decorating for Christmas,” said Bell, who plans to string some Christmas lights to add holiday cheer.

The food truck will feature some crowd favorites while also introducing some new menu items.

“We’re looking at keeping the same food Bearfoot is known for while also looking to revamp the menu,” Bell said. “This is an opportunity to start fresh and showcase some new menu items.”

Some of the new items include:

• Guinness braised brisket served on a hoagie with onion and brown gravy.
• Reuben egg rolls stuffed with shredded corned beef and Swiss and cheddar cheese.
• Banger dog, which is an Irish sausage served with a bun, sauteed onions and beer cheese.
• While not new, the fish & chips will be made differently with the cod fried in a more traditional batter.

Returning favorites include the Mercer burger, which is topped with cheddar cheese, lettuce, pickles, onion and bacon, and the pimento cheese burger, which is topped with homemade pimento cheese and bacon strips.

For those who haven’t tried them yet, the house-made bacon pimento cheese fritters are deep fried and served with a habanero pepper bacon jam.

Also featured on the menu is the stuffed Reuben burger, which made its debut shortly before the pub’s temporary closing. The stuffed Reuben burger is an 8-ounce certified Angus beef patty filled with corned beef and Swiss cheese topped with sauerkraut and thousand island dressing.

The menu also features a Reuben sandwich and buffalo and barbecue flavored wings.

The food truck is expected to be set up by early next week and remain in front of the pub until it reopens. In addition to future events, the food truck is expected to be used for catering, Bell said.

Hours will be 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturda

This story was originally published December 11, 2024 at 12:28 PM.