Street eats at 2 a.m.? A food truck market will open next to the Fillmore in Fishtown

Those craving bacon burnt ends, a plate of shrimp and salmon, or perhaps red-wine-braised short ribs in the middle of the night have had fewer options since the pandemic upended night-owl dining.

The city is setting up a food truck market at Live Nation’s lot near the Fillmore in Fishtown, open from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. Thursday to Sunday starting Oct. 3. The idea is to redirect trucks that gather amid the bars on Frankford and Girard Avenues to serve late-night patrons. Each week, six trucks will have free use of the lot — nicknamed the Fish Bowl – which is beneath I-95 at 25 E. Allen St.

Raheem Manning, the city’s director of nighttime economy and business development, describes Fishtown Overnight Market as an experiment. The city is committed to it through Oct. 31, though it might be extended, Manning said.

Fishtown has been ripe for such a destination, said Marc Collazzo, director of the Fishtown-Kensington Business Improvement District, who worked on the market with Manning and Councilmember Mark Squilla.

Civic leaders, restaurateurs, and Fishtown residents have long clashed over food trucks and the resulting noise and trash on Girard Avenue; food trucks vending on Philadelphia streets must shut down by midnight, a directive that is largely ignored. Last year, Squilla introduced an ordinance in council that would have banned trucks altogether from a two-block stretch of Girard Avenue, but the measure didn’t go anywhere.

Manning said if the market succeeds, it could be replicated elsewhere in the city. “But first, we want to see how it benefits the business and the residents,” Manning said. The area around the new market has few nearby residents, and any sound is mitigated by I-95 overhead.

The lot, previously used by the Fillmore during the pandemic for shows, is just steps from the Fillmore, Punch Line, Brooklyn Bowl, Other Half Brewing, Philadelphia Distilling, Five Iron Golf, and Mamajuana Cafe, all of which serve alcohol, but not necessarily food, late. It’s also close enough to Delaware Avenue to make it attractive to those who work odd hours.

“If you work in hospitality and you don’t get off till 2, most people assume you’ve eaten because you’re in a restaurant, but you’re working,” Manning said. “Where do they go to get something quality to eat?”

The Fillmore lot, designed by ISA Architects, is outfitted with lighting, restrooms, and picnic tables and furniture fabricated by Tiny WPA, with a nearby mural by Brad Carney.

Five trucks have been scheduled so far for the first weekend: Farina Pasta Bar, Bake’n Bacon, and Sensationals Seafood & Grill, plus dessert vendors Haagen-Dazs and Mister Softee. Registration priority is being given to BIPOC/minority-owned trucks and trucks that may have been displaced from Girard Avenue, the city said.

Daniel Lee of Farina said he would sell short ribs, gnocchi and vodka sauce, and gelato. Justin Coleman, who owns Bake’n Bacon, said his selections would include bacon burnt ends with cornbread and honey butter; spare ribs and fries; and brisket mac and cheese.