The Wicked Lobstah, a traveling food truck known best for its lobster rolls, will visit Athens on Saturday at the West End Distillery parking lot.
Glynis and Tyler Armentrout have been traveling between states and serving fresh lobster since September 2018. Tyler is a classically-trained chef. He has worked at some of the highest-end restaurants in Columbus and has been a traveling chef. Glynis graduated with a degree in hospitality management.
Tyler’s business partner, Brian Edwards, travels with the two. Edwards is a chef and professional carver who has been featured regularly on Food Network. There are a few more close friends of the owners who help out with the truck as well.
“Our team is all of our friends,” Glynis said. “If I don’t trust you with my kids, I don’t trust you with my truck.”
Glynis grew up in Massachusetts, so her husband Tyler has always had an interest in lobster rolls. Because they live in the Midwest, however, it is difficult to find fresh lobster. They used this interest of his to start a business, with the main dish being lobster rolls.
“If people are gonna pay for lobster in the Midwest we’ll make it worth the money,” Glynis said. “A lot of the sauces we make on the truck. My husband and his business partner Brian take it to heart. We make sure we have the best service in town, but also make sure you’re getting a damn good meal.”
The Wicked Lobstah serves six varieties of lobster rolls. Glynis said her favorite is the Alaskan Roll, which has warm, buttery lobster topped with high-quality smoked salmon, cream cheese and dill seasoning. She said the most popular item is the New Orleans Roll, which includes warm, buttery lobster, blue crab and sriracha. The most traditional item on the menu is the Plain Ass Roll, which is simply warm, buttery lobster in a New England style split-top roll. Other rolls include the Wicked Roll, the Hot Ass Roll and the High Society Roll.
The Wicked Lobstah has alternatives for people who are not fans of lobster. The truck also serves quesadillas and tacos, which can consist of chicken, shrimp or lobster. Every meal comes with chips and a pickle.
Throughout 2019, The Wicked Lobstah visited Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. Glynis said the crew had hopes of checking more states off their bucket list, but with COVID-19 and travel restrictions, it has been halted. She said they have been compliant with states’ COVID-19 policies whilst serving during the pandemic.
“Our truck is a 1974 truck, and it's gone more miles than my Toyota,” Glynis said. “It’s a beast.”
The Wicked Lobstah crew travels four times a week, and tries to return to the same city every three months. Glynis said the truck has served 1,000 meals within a seven-hour time period. She said they have not been to Athens yet, but on their social media, several people have commented on posts asking for them to stop by the city.
The Wicked Lobstah will be at the parking lot of West End Distillery, 237 W State St., from 1 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday.
“We want West End to get a good kick from customers,” Glynis said. “We take pride in trying to help everyone involved. In May, we served at a brewery, and I went in after and they said because of the customers we brought in, they were able to keep their lights on. This was during the worst part of the shutdown, two weeks before restaurants were able to reopen. Because of things like this, this season has been the most rewarding.”
Deanna Schwartz, co-owner of West End, said when she looked up The Wicked Lobstah after the owners contacted her over the summer, she found it to be a rock star of the food truck world.
“A lot of people are looking forward to them being in Athens, myself included,” Schwartz said in an email. “They have a menu posted for customers to order ahead of the event, everything looks delicious.”
Schwartz said both the cider house and the distillery will be open extra hours on Saturday so people can stop in, and a table will be set up near The Wicked Lobstah to provide easy access to canned ciders and canned cocktails. She said there is limited outdoor seating available at the distillery, but people can also bring blankets to sit on in the green space next to the distillery.
"There's nothing more rewarding or humbling than being so warmly welcomed into such an amazing city—we can't wait to serve Athens,” Tyler said in a message.
