Centre County native brings love of cooking to food truck featuring ‘chef-inspired street eats’

Centre County native Scott Dubbs has been in food service since he could start working, he said, with early roles at local classics like The Waffle Shop. Then, in his 20s, he moved on to regional management positions that took him throughout the state for brands such as Outback Steakhouse and Lucky Strike Lanes. As the regional executive chef for the latter, he oversaw East Coast locations, traveling and working to develop and train new chefs, before Dubbs settled down for the better quality of life afforded by a contract food service role.

However, another career shift was still in the cards and, in August, Dubbs decided to launch the Dubbs Grub food truck full-time.

“I found that there wasn’t really a ton of food truck options out there,” he said, particularly noting past conversations with area friends about the lack of food trucks available for events. “With my passion for food and based on that ... I decided to do my own thing. [A] brick-and-mortar [restaurant] isn’t really in the cards for me at this point, so I decided to start here and see where it goes.”

The Dubbs Grub food truck serves “chef-inspired street eats,” with a wide array of options, including burgers and sandwiches, tacos, poutine and more. Limited-time special items pop up on the menu as well, like banh mi or curry wurst and fries, and gluten-free options are always available.

One sure crowd favorite thus far, Dubbs said, is his chimichurri cheesesteak.

“I don’t think that I’ve seen that anywhere else,” he said. “I take slow-braised beef barbacoa. I make a homemade chimichurri sauce, which is an herby vinegar, kind of spicy sauce, and pair that with some sharp cheddar, arugula, peppers and onions ... on a roll.”

As for Dubbs, he calls himself a burger guy, and says the menu’s smash burger is his regular go-to, with its smash burger-style patties, cheese, thick-cut bacon, fresh lettuce, tomato and onion on a toasted brioche bun. (Using good bread, Dubbs clarified, is very important to him, and that shows up in his burgers and sandwiches.)

“[The burgers] are fresh. They’re made to order,” he said. “For every dish, I put 100% of my focus into it, so you’re getting my best, every time you order something.”

So far, the food truck has found a regular home at Boal City Brewing in Boalsburg, and has appeared at the Downtown State College Farmers Market, as well as at University Wine Company.

When asked about how he’s enjoyed the career shift since he began focusing on the food truck full-time in August, Dubbs called it “an amazing change.”

“I don’t regret it one bit,” he said. “Obviously the hours are a little bit different, as is some of the workflow, but the freedom to do whatever I want is great — to make menu items that I enjoy and know are going to be great every time.”

“I love cooking,” he summed up. “I really love to prepare food that’s going to make people happy.”

Looking to the future, Dubbs reiterates that he’s not looking for a larger operation or brick-and-mortar space at this time — saying “If I’m happy, then there’s no reason to change what works” — but he would like to expand the business to include more catering, particularly during the winter months, when food truck demand slows. Potential catering clients can choose options from the food truck’s existing menu or work with Dubbs to craft a menu based on his prior experience.

See the full Dubbs Grub food truck menu at dubbsgrubfoodtruck.com, and find the food truck on Facebook @Dubbs Grub, or on Instagram @dubbsgrub_foodtruck.

Holly Riddle is a freelance food, travel and lifestyle writer. She can be reached at holly.ridd@gmail.com.