A food truck that started outside a Morristown park more than a decade ago has made a Jersey City appearance, landing in one of Jersey City's busiest commuter corridors. The Colonial Grill, known for its Patacón plantain burger and a devoted online following, has appeared at 210 Hudson St. in Jersey City, operating Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
According to NJ.com, the business was founded by William Valbuena in December 2015, who launched the concept with a single food truck in Morristown. Valbuena, who was originally in the hospitality industry before starting the truck, according to The Hoboken Girl, now runs the business alongside his son, Kevin Valbuena. The original truck still operates at 3 West Park Place next to the Morristown Green, per the same account, and both the Morristown and Hoboken trucks remain open even as the new storefront gets underway.
From a Single Truck to a Multi-Location Brand
The path to Jersey City wasn't a straight line. The Colonial Grill expanded its mobile footprint by launching a second food truck at 1 Newark Street in Hoboken on June 28, 2025, following its original Morristown base, according to New Jersey Digest. That Hoboken expansion gave the brand a second location before its Jersey City appearance.
William and Kevin Valbuena described Hoboken as a second home, per NJ.com. District Kitchen operates in a 30,000-square-foot warehouse at the Harborside 3 complex, 210 Hudson St., on the Hudson River, according to Daily Voice. The location is near the Light Rail and close to the ferry.
The Menu That Built a Following
At the center of the menu is the Patacón plantain burger, which swaps traditional buns for crispy tostones and features Angus beef topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onions, garlic-cilantro sauce, pineapple sauce, and pink sauce, per NJ.com. Beyond the burger, the menu includes the Cheesesteak De Maduro — ribeye steak layered with sweet plantain and caramelized onions — along with loaded steak fries topped with sirloin, garlic cilantro sauce, and truffle chimichurri, according to New Jersey Digest. The full menu stays under 20 items, keeping the focus tight on the Afro-Colombian fusion concept.
Part of the draw has always been the experience in line. Staff routinely hand out free samples of hand-cut french fries with the signature cilantro-garlic and chimichurri sauces to waiting customers, a habit that has helped the truck maintain a 4.9-star rating on Google, per the same New Jersey Digest report. Co-owner Kevin Valbuena has also filmed customer interactions, a strategy credited with fueling the brand's viral reach, according to the outlet.
A Following Built Well Beyond Jersey
That social media push has translated into serious numbers. The Colonial Grill has amassed more than 400,000 followers online and racked up 50 million views, per NJ.com, with those videos reportedly pulling in customers from as far away as California.
The storefront's arrival comes just weeks after a serious setback. In July, a pre-dawn fire destroyed the commercial kitchen facility the business used in Wharton, wiping out equipment, ingredients, and stored supplies, according to a Facebook post from the business. The trucks themselves were untouched, according to the post.
Why Jersey City Made Sense
Why Jersey City Made Sense The move into Jersey City also reflects the region's demographics. New Jersey is home to 10% of the nation's Colombian-origin population, ranking third among U.S. states behind Florida and New York, according to Pew Research Center analysis of Census data. In Jersey City specifically, the business is entering a new local market.
The expansion also marks a new chapter for the family. For a family that started with one truck parked near a Morristown park in 2015, the Jersey City appearance marks a new chapter — one built, by the owners' own account, on a place they can finally call their own.
