In the fall of 2019, we sold the food truck to focus on opening a brick-and-mortar location. Covid-19 has put those plans on indefinite hold. We want to sincerely thank every single person who has helped us along the way. We are keeping our fingers crossed that we may be back one day.
Wicked Good Grinders is a New England themed food truck serving East Coast style sandwiches such as steak & cheese, chicken parm, and hand-made meatballs. These are the types of sandwiches you'd find in almost any New England pizzeria or grinder shop. The focus is on good old-fashioned food made with simple, high quality ingredients.
Joel Mathieson - Owner/Operator
I was born and raised in Connecticut. My parents and extended family are from Massachusetts. I went to college in Rhode Island, and have spent a lot of time skiing, snowboarding, and vacationing in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. When I moved to Seattle in 2007, I knew right away I wanted to share a little New England flavor with the Pacific Northwest. There is so much great food here in this area, but I found myself longing for those familiar comfort foods I grew up with. My goal is to make food inspired by the mom-and-pop pizzerias and diners found in the small towns of New England. Just like the restaurants where I worked and learned to cook. I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel, or put a new spin on anything. Just classic sandwiches. Nothing fancy. In a way, I think that's what makes us unique in this market. Our menu would be nothing out of the ordinary back in the Northeast. But here in the greater Seattle area, finding things like an eggplant parm grinder can be quite challenging. So after years of saving and planning, and with the support of my wife and family, Wicked Good Grinders was finally born in January of 2016. There's no greater job satisfaction than making food that people enjoy. I absolutely love being out on the truck and meeting all kinds of great people. Like native Northwesterners who may be having a chicken parm grinder for the first time and wanting to know what Moxie tastes like. And my fellow New England transplants, chatting about what town we're from, and hearing, "I can't believe you have Moxie!" So if you see us out on the road, be sure to stop by, say hi, and have a grinder!
I was born and raised in Connecticut. My parents and extended family are from Massachusetts. I went to college in Rhode Island, and have spent a lot of time skiing, snowboarding, and vacationing in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. When I moved to Seattle in 2007, I knew right away I wanted to share a little New England flavor with the Pacific Northwest. There is so much great food here in this area, but I found myself longing for those familiar comfort foods I grew up with. My goal is to make food inspired by the mom-and-pop pizzerias and diners found in the small towns of New England. Just like the restaurants where I worked and learned to cook. I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel, or put a new spin on anything. Just classic sandwiches. Nothing fancy. In a way, I think that's what makes us unique in this market. Our menu would be nothing out of the ordinary back in the Northeast. But here in the greater Seattle area, finding things like an eggplant parm grinder can be quite challenging. So after years of saving and planning, and with the support of my wife and family, Wicked Good Grinders was finally born in January of 2016. There's no greater job satisfaction than making food that people enjoy. I absolutely love being out on the truck and meeting all kinds of great people. Like native Northwesterners who may be having a chicken parm grinder for the first time and wanting to know what Moxie tastes like. And my fellow New England transplants, chatting about what town we're from, and hearing, "I can't believe you have Moxie!" So if you see us out on the road, be sure to stop by, say hi, and have a grinder!
Tawk like ah New Englandah!
Wicked – Very: “This grindah is wicked good!” Or “Traffic on the Pike is wicked bad!”
Grindah – Large sandwich, sub, hoagie, hero, etc. You should be eating one right now.
Pissah – Good, great, fantastic, etc. - “Tom Brady is wicked pissah!”
Jimmies – Sprinkles on ice cream, cake, cookies, etc.
Frappe/Cabinet - Milkshake
Jersey – T shirt
Package Store / Packie – Liquor store. To go on a “packie run” is to make a trip to the liquor store.
Bubblah – Water fountain
Coffee Milk – Milk flavored with coffee syrup. The official state drink of Rhode Island.
Chest ‘a draws – Dresser
No word of a lie – Used to express “no exaggeration.” - “I cawht this lobstah the othah day, and no word of a lie, it was a big as my ahm!”
Not fa nuthin’ – Used to call attention to what you are about to say. To say “this is important,” or “seriously.” - “Hey, not fa nuthin’, the Sawx got a shawt at the pennant this yeah.”
30 Rack – 30 pack of beer
Clickah – TV remote
Croozah – Police car
Ya cahn’t get thaya from heya – You may hear this when asking for directions in New Hampshire or Maine. Meaning the rout is not direct.
On special – On sale. - “I got it on special at Caldor!”
Gravy - Tomato sauce. And you put it on macaroni, not pasta.
Extra extra / light and sweet – When ordering a coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts, many New Englanders ask for it extra extra or light and sweet. (Extra cream, extra sugar).
Grindah – Large sandwich, sub, hoagie, hero, etc. You should be eating one right now.
Pissah – Good, great, fantastic, etc. - “Tom Brady is wicked pissah!”
Jimmies – Sprinkles on ice cream, cake, cookies, etc.
Frappe/Cabinet - Milkshake
Jersey – T shirt
Package Store / Packie – Liquor store. To go on a “packie run” is to make a trip to the liquor store.
Bubblah – Water fountain
Coffee Milk – Milk flavored with coffee syrup. The official state drink of Rhode Island.
Chest ‘a draws – Dresser
No word of a lie – Used to express “no exaggeration.” - “I cawht this lobstah the othah day, and no word of a lie, it was a big as my ahm!”
Not fa nuthin’ – Used to call attention to what you are about to say. To say “this is important,” or “seriously.” - “Hey, not fa nuthin’, the Sawx got a shawt at the pennant this yeah.”
30 Rack – 30 pack of beer
Clickah – TV remote
Croozah – Police car
Ya cahn’t get thaya from heya – You may hear this when asking for directions in New Hampshire or Maine. Meaning the rout is not direct.
On special – On sale. - “I got it on special at Caldor!”
Gravy - Tomato sauce. And you put it on macaroni, not pasta.
Extra extra / light and sweet – When ordering a coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts, many New Englanders ask for it extra extra or light and sweet. (Extra cream, extra sugar).
