Waffles may just be the most underrated breakfast food, because they’re by far the most dynamic. They’re a breakfast staple with maple syrup and butter; a lunch delight with chicken and waffles; and a filling dinner as loaded potato waffles or Belgian waffles. Today, we spotlight Dan’s Waffles as one of The Best New Jersey Food Trucks.
When it comes to waffles, there are an endless variety of options. Waffle cones, waffle fries, waffle cookies, even those stroopwafels they serve on airplanes. In fact, they are even a popular dessert, topped with ice cream and a mountain of whipped cream. Waffles can be a side dish, a full course, or a sweet treat after a meal; and former executive chef Daniel Hover is a master of waffles in all their forms. He turns his expertise into a menu of specialty waffles from his food truck, Dan’s Waffles.
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After a few years building out a truck and hammering out the menu, Dan’s Waffles debuted in 2017. Though the truck’s menu has changed throughout the years, his made-from-scratch waffles never have. Best of NJ spoke with Daniel about his journey from executive chef to food trucker—and his passion for waffles.
Best of NJ Interview: Dan’s Waffles
BONJ: What brought you to New Jersey?
Daniel Hover: I went to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York; and then I worked on ship for two years. I got a hotel job in Manhattan after that, and worked up from sous chef to executive chef.
Then I interviewed for a number two position down at The Showboat in Atlantic City. I didn’t get the position, but the chef who got hired told me, “Well, my job’s open at a country club in southern New Jersey. If you want it, I can make a phone call and it’s yours. So I came down in this area.
BONJ: What made you want to start a food truck from there?
Daniel: I was co-owner of a restaurant in Voorhees, a seafood restaurant. We’d been there 18 years, and my partners were wanting to retire, and I was exhausted from that as well. I took some time off while my wife and I were trying to think, What am I doing next? Then she surprised me with the idea: “Let’s go get a food truck, and you can do whatever you want.”
BONJ: Where did the waffles come from?
Daniel: I’ve always loved sweets. In my seafood restaurant, I did a coconut cream pie; it was on The Best Thing I Ever Ate show on the Food Network. I visited a small place up in Manhattan that was doing the Asian bubble waffles. And so that’s actually what we started doing in the very beginning, our main thing was bubble waffles. Then I talked to some people in the industry and they said don’t really do one thing; have maybe a couple of options for people that might be unsure. Because really, at that time, bubble waffles weren’t even known around here.
BONJ: What was the first day for Dan’s Waffles like?
Daniel: I still remember the very first day—it was the centennial of Pennsauken, and it was crazy. We had the longest line, people actually came back even after the event was closed. They went home and came back to get more food [laughs]. It was really something.
BONJ: What other types of menu items do you offer?
Daniel: Right now it’s very broad. I mean, more broad than most food trucks. I try to stick with the waffle theme, because, of course, our Belgian waffles are front and center. That’s our main item. It’s kind of like an homage to my mother, she was a Danish pastry chef. And in fact, that’s the only difference between the traditional Belgian waffle recipe. I don’t use the Belgian pearl sugar, I use her Danish sugar. A little bit smaller, but it doesn’t melt under high heat. So rather than mixing the sugar into the waffle, which would be a traditional Belgian waffle; we go and dip the raw dough into the sugar and then they bake on the outside. That’s why it looks very unique. When it comes out, you get a little crunch from those sugar crystals. It’s really delicious.
BONJ: What would you say are the most popular items on your menu?
Daniel: Definitely chicken and waffles. That is probably the number one thing. And also some of our sweet waffles. We get a lot of requests for the Oreo S’mores waffle and Bananas Foster waffle. I did barbecue pulled pork on the waffle, and that’s become very popular, it really turned into something surprising. We just put some coleslaw on the side and some pickles. The sweet, sour, salty, and the smokiness of it goes perfect with the Belgian waffle.
But then we do waffle cones with chicken inside with multiple sauces. We do waffle bowls. We put mac and cheese in that, topped with chicken, barbecue pulled pork, or bacon. I also do waffle fries, just kind of stick with the theme. That’s all on the savory side. Then I also do some gourmet milkshakes, and that’s always a killer for the kids because of that unicorn milkshake. It has a candy twist in it, Fruity Pebbles on it. We rim the glass with chocolate fudge and sprinkles, put a little bit of a strawberry syrup around the sides; put vanilla milkshake on the inside, and then we even top it off with colored marshmallows and Pocky sticks and even an edible butterfly [laughs]. We have a picture of it up on our truck; and every single time a little kid walks by it, they’re hooked.
BONJ: What would you say is the biggest learning curve from restaurants to food trucking?
Daniel: I think it’s the setup and breakdown, every single day. When you’re at a restaurant, it’s pretty much the same. You have your whole system for setup and you’re pretty much stable. In the food truck, it’s every day – sometimes twice a day – that you have to bring in everything. You’ll go through a busy day, and then at the end of the day, everybody thinks you just go home. Well, we go home, we unload everything, everything comes out, and everything gets sanitized. Then everything starts all over again the next day.
Also, one of the frustrating things you go through is mechanical issues. For me, the generators are always an issue, because of our heating element. We have a lot of heating elements. I have two very large generators, and it’s not as simple as in the restaurant business; where you can just plug something into a wall and you’re good to go. Here, at any given moment, you can be out of power. And then when that happens, you’re just trying to survive [laughs].
The one thing I really must say is the camaraderie that we have with the other truckers. If we’re ever in a bind, so many other truckers are so willing to help. For example, we had a large event in Vineland and my generator went out. The event promoter was talking over her walkie-talkie, letting somebody else know Dan’s Waffles was leaving. Another vendor overheard her talking and let her know they had an extra generator in the back of their truck. Then they came over to my rescue and said, “If you want it for the day, it’s yours.”
We went back into our space again and plugged in, and I was able to work the day. We had a phenomenal, phenomenal day. And it was all thanks to the kindness of another vendor.
BONJ: Do you offer any catering options?
Daniel: Yes, we do. We customize everything according to a customers’ needs, because we do parties for 50 guests and up. Our biggest one so far has been about 800 people. And again, everything is solely custom based on a person’s needs and budget.
And there are so many factors too, because I have such a varied menu. Do you want dessert, an entree, or both? We try to offer the best, whether it’s a wedding, bar mitzvah, or corporate event. We’ve just about done it all.
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All Photos: © Patrick Lombardi / Best of NJ
