BY JAIME GATTON

Food trucks bring the world to our tastebuds, meeting us in local neighborhoods, breweries and festivals with everything from buttery Maine lobster rolls, soy-glazed Asian dumplings, and every variety of Mexican street taco known to man to the all-American (and more!) burger and grilled cheese sandwich.

But ask anyone who has ever planned a St. Patrick’s Day party in March, and they’ll attest: It’s not as easy to find a food truck that shakes to the beat of its own shamrocks — one that carries the luck of the Irish on wheels.

Enter The Lucky Clover, the brainchild of Amanda Kyles and her husband Ron, both of whom boast family ties to Ireland County and call Mooresville home.

Amanda is a Mooresville native. While she acknowledges that Southern folks usually prize themselves on the likes of biscuits, fried chicken and sweet tea, her dad is from Pennsylvania, and her grandfather was Irish, so she has some serious bragging rights about the Lucky Clover’s Reuben. “I didn’t grow up eating corned beef, but my dad did, and he’s our taste tester,” she said. “We’ve been told we have the best corned beef Reuben in the Southeast!”

And what’s not to love? Warm, thick-sliced corned beef, lots of melty Swiss cheese and tangy, crunchy sauerkraut sandwiched between two slices of caraway-seeded rye bread slathered with Russian aioli: It paired perfectly with a cold beer at the recent sixth-anniversary celebration of the Cedar Stump Pub in Troutman, where The Lucky Clover was set up outside.

Not a fan of corned beef? No worries. The Lucky Clover offers the Rachel Panini, a twist on the Reuben that includes the fan-favorite Russian aioli and Swiss cheese but boasts turkey and coleslaw instead of corned beef and sauerkraut.

The Lucky Clover started out in 2020 as a dessert pull-along trailer that Ron built from the ground up. He and Amanda served donuts, pretzels, nachos and snow cones.

Then, in 2022, after always knowing they wanted to focus on Irish cuisine, the entrepreneur-duo switched to a savory food truck with a full menu and tons of options. Tacos are mix-and-match and include the Shamrock, Cottage and Irish BLT. There’s the Irish burger, the Beer Cheese burger and — a nod to “home” — the beautifully messy and delicious (trust me on this!) Carolina burger.

“We’ve been told by several different people who travel all over the world that our burgers rank in the world’s top-10 best burgers and that they’re top-three in the U.S.,” Amanda said proudly.

She and Ron use fresh, hand-patted beef patties that are seasoned with Ron’s own special — and secret — seasoning blend.

Amanda and Ron have been married since 1997, a year after Ron ran an ad in what was then a Mooresville dating column.

“He took out the ad, and I answered it. We were married a year later, and I haven’t killed him yet!” Amanda said, laughing.

No matter the number of years behind them, Amanda says it’s hands-off Ron’s prized food truck burgers.

“I’m allowed to pat them out, but I’m not allowed to make them,” she said, adding that all The Lucky Clover’s burgers are cooked to order — never pulled from a warming bin. (They do accept text-ahead orders so that food can be ready when hungry customers are.)

In addition to Ron’s burgers, The Lucky Clover boasts a Paddy melt, nachos, grilled cheese sandwiches and hot dogs, including the Reuben Dog, the Carolina, the Chili Dog and the Cowboy.

If you’re a cheese lover, you’re in luck! The Lucky Clover’s soft, warm pretzel bites are served with a healthy dip of to-die-for beer cheese that Amanda and Ron make themselves. Other options include nacho cheese and Dijon or yellow mustard. And for those with a sweet tooth, cinnamon pretzel bites are served with sweet dips for dunking, including an option of — what else? — Irish cream frosting.

And, of course, what Irish food truck would be complete without Shepherd’s pie? Or if you’re craving mashed potatoes, pick ‘em as a side for a hamburger steak or grilled chicken plate — both of which are gluten-free options.

While The Lucky Clover can often be found at regional bars and breweries, Amanda hopes to increase its presence at school and company events, which sometimes bring in food trucks to provide lunch for teachers and employees.

“Sometimes, they’ll bring us in for teacher luncheons or companies bring us in for lunch — sometimes the employees pay for their own lunch, and sometimes the company pays,” Amanda explained. “We really want to get more involved in that this year.”

She said she has also applied for The Lucky Clover to be selected for Downtown Mooresville’s summertime Festival of Food Trucks, but so far the Irish-focused food truck hasn’t had much, well, luck being chosen. Amanda said it would mean a lot to her to be able to set up in her hometown.

“We’ve kept some Saturdays open this coming summer just in case,” she said. “We would love to be there.”

She said she also hopes to be at the Iredell County Fair in 2024.

Interested in booking The Lucky Clover? Amanda and Ron are always up for catering events for which they offer more traditional Irish foods like corned beef and cabbage and bangers and mash. Their truck is also available for neighborhoods, bars/breweries and employee/teacher appreciation luncheons … or just to have the truck on-site as a food option.

Find The Lucky Clover on Facebook, or call/text Amanda at 704-252-0295 or email theluckyclover2020@gmail.com for more information.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was originally published in the February edition of “IFN Monthly.”