Some of the best meals on the Gulf Coast come from the least likely places. In Foley, one of them is a food truck parked permanently under a tin-roofed shed, surrounded by patio furniture that does not match and a wooden cable spool that serves as a picnic table. It is the Tweeds food truck, and it is run by a retired Destin fire battalion chief who spent nearly three decades cooking for his crew before deciding he could not give up the grill.
The truck earned a strong recommendation in 2023 from Orange Beach entrepreneur Angelo DePaola, who has a keen interest in finding the best hamburgers along the coast and runs a YouTube channel called Cheeseburger in Paradise to share his discoveries. DePaola declared that he had found the best hamburger on the Gulf Coast. A group of friends went to test the claim and came away convinced.
A Food Truck Under a Tin Roof
Tweeds sits just off the corner of Highway 59 and Underwood Road, also known as County Road 24, on the north side of Foley. The setup is refreshingly unpretentious: a food truck permanently covered by a tin-roof shed on a concrete pad, with a hodgepodge of outdoor seating that includes a large wooden cable spool repurposed as a picnic table and an assortment of chairs, none of which match.
On the day of a June 2023 visit, the tables were full and a line of customers waited to order. The casual setting is part of the appeal. There are no white tablecloths or elaborate decor, just good food served outdoors to people who clearly came specifically for it.
Burgers, Etouffee and Crawfish Mac and Cheese
The lunch menu features at least ten variations of burgers, along with pulled pork and beef sandwiches and three styles of hot dogs. Sides reflect the flavors of the Gulf Coast, including crawfish mac and cheese, etouffee, chili, chili cheese fries and regular French fries.
The verdict from the visiting group was unanimous: the burger lived up to its billing. A double cheeseburger drew raves, and a side of etouffee was declared just as good. Two companions, neighbor Bob Ford and Paul LaBue, owner of LaBue Restoration, praised the fries. Everyone at the table agreed they would be back.
Etouffee, a rich, stew-like dish of shellfish, usually crawfish or shrimp, smothered in a sauce built on the Cajun and Creole “holy trinity” of onion, celery and bell pepper and served over rice, is not something most people expect from a burger truck. Its presence on the menu hints at the Gulf Coast roots of the cooking and a kitchen comfortable with more than just grilling.
From Destin Fire Department to Food Truck Owner
Tweeds is owned by Mark Hutchinson, known as Hutch, who runs the business with his daughter, Holly. Hutchinson grew up in the Fort Walton Beach and Destin area and spent 28 years with the Destin Fire Department, retiring as a battalion chief. For all of those years, he also did the cooking at the station.
“Food is sacred. No TV, no phones, no rank,” he says of firehouse meals. “When I retired, I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t give up cooking and always wanted a food truck.”
His words reflect a tradition that runs deep in fire departments across the country. Firefighters work long shifts together, often 24 hours at a time, and shared meals around the station table are central to the culture. The firehouse cook holds a place of honor, and many crews take pride in their meals. For Hutchinson, the kitchen became a way to bring people together, and the food truck is an extension of that.
Destin, which markets itself as the “World’s Luckiest Fishing Village,” grew over those decades from a small fishing community on the Florida Panhandle into one of the busiest beach destinations on the Gulf, and its fire department grew with it. Serving there through that growth meant long shifts, busy summers and hurricane seasons, and plenty of meals shared around the station table.
His wife, Elizabeth, was a nurse practitioner. Both retired in 2022 and bought 20 acres in Elsanor, a rural community in north-central Baldwin County, placing them 30 miles from two of their children, who live in Molino, Florida, and Fairhope.
Two Trucks and a Pack of Labradors
Hutchinson actually owns two food trucks. One is devoted to crawfish, crab and shrimp boils, mostly for private parties on weekends. The other, Tweeds, is equipped with the grill that turns out the burgers and other lunch favorites.
The name Tweeds, like many of the burgers on the menu, comes from Hutchinson’s Labrador retrievers. Holly helps run the business and handles its social media. At the time of the 2023 visit, she reported that Tweeds had received more than 1,500 five-star reviews.
Breakfast, Lunch and Plans to Grow
Tweeds also serves breakfast from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m., with breakfast burritos and bowls that each come with two eggs and a choice of toppings. “We are still being discovered for breakfast, but lunch business is phenomenal,” Hutchinson says. Lunch runs from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and the truck was open Tuesday through Saturday.
In 2023, Hutchinson said he hoped to grow the business, adding a Steak Nite twice a month and expanding the location. He also pointed to the charbroiled oysters and the crawfish burrito as standouts. Whatever the dish, it is clear he knows his way around a kitchen and loves what he does.
What Makes a Burger Worth the Drive
Burger lovers argue endlessly about what separates a great hamburger from an ordinary one, but a few principles are widely shared. Fresh ground beef with enough fat, often around 20 percent, keeps a patty juicy. A hot flat-top or grill creates a browned, flavorful crust through the same searing reaction that gives steak its savory depth. A soft, toasted bun that holds together without overwhelming the meat, cheese melted directly onto the patty and toppings in proportion all matter. Double cheeseburgers, like the one that won over the visiting group, pack in extra crust and extra cheese in every bite.
Word of mouth is often the best guide to a great burger, which is why recommendations from dedicated hunters like DePaola carry weight. His channel is built around seeking out standout burgers along the coast, and his enthusiasm for Tweeds was what brought the group through the door.
Boil Season and the Second Truck
Hutchinson’s second truck taps into one of the Gulf Coast’s favorite social traditions. Seafood boils, where crawfish, crabs or shrimp are cooked in big pots of heavily seasoned water along with corn, potatoes and often sausage, then poured out onto newspaper-covered tables, are a centerpiece of backyard parties, church fundraisers and family reunions across the region. Crawfish season typically runs from late winter into early summer, while shrimp and crab boils are popular for much of the year. A mobile boil truck lets hosts serve a crowd without wrestling with propane burners and giant pots themselves.
Foley’s Growing Food Scene
Tweeds is part of a lively and expanding dining landscape in Foley. The city was founded in the early 1900s and named for John B. Foley, a Chicago businessman who bought large tracts of land in south Baldwin County and helped bring the railroad to the area. For much of the twentieth century, Foley was an agricultural town surrounded by farms growing potatoes, soybeans and other crops.
Today it is one of the fastest-growing cities in Alabama. Sitting along Highway 59, the main route to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Foley has become a hub for shopping, sports tourism and entertainment, with attractions such as OWA Parks & Resort and a busy sports complex drawing visitors year-round. Rapid residential growth has brought new neighborhoods and a hungry population of locals, retirees and commuters.
Food trucks have become a popular way for chefs and first-time restaurant owners to enter that market. They require less startup capital than a traditional restaurant and allow owners to build a following before committing to a larger space. A permanent setup like Tweeds, with a covered pad and outdoor seating, blends the flexibility of a truck with the reliability of a fixed location, making it easy for regulars to return.
Tips for Visiting
- Find it: Tweeds is located just off Highway 59 at Underwood Road (County Road 24) in Foley.
- Timing: Breakfast and lunch hours have been limited, and lunch lines can form, so arriving early is a good idea.
- Seating: Seating is outdoors under and around the covered shed, so dress for the weather.
- What to order: Burgers are the star, but etouffee, crawfish mac and cheese and the fries have their own fans.
- Check before you go: Hours and menus for food trucks can change, so check Tweeds’ social media for current information.
Great burgers and a warm welcome do not require a fancy dining room. At Tweeds, a retired firefighter’s love of cooking, a family business and a cable spool picnic table have combined into one of south Baldwin County’s most talked-about lunch stops.