A long-time neighborhood fixture, Ditch Witch is a beloved food truck perched at the sandy entrance to Ditch Plains Beach. Lili Adams cooked at restaurants in East Hampton and Montauk before opening the stand in 1994. It quickly became a haven for locals at what is one of the most popular beaches in the area. Twenty-nine years later, the wagon continues to delight beach-goers and lunch enthusiasts with offerings ranging from fresh bowls and sandwiches to delicious iced coffee.
It’s an unassuming truck that you’d maybe expect frozen chicken fingers or crispy golden fries out of, but Ditch Witch does anything but. Infused with a lackadaisical attitude, this grub vehicle eschews sleek, sophisticated aesthetics in favor of bright flavors and inspired dishes.
A healthy line snaked around the truck when we arrived on a warm summer day. And while many people were squinting at a blackboard on which the menu was scrawled with chalk, we had already spent the night before studying their Instagram page. Ditch Witch is special because there are often new things to try, from using ube buns for their delectable pulled pork sandwiches, to serving cold sesame noodles, to a range of fresh banh mi packed with pickled carrots and spicy mayo.
The day of our visit, we had our eye on the poke bowls, which include fresh morsels of Hawaiian-style ahi tuna, furikake, and their secret poke sauce. We also couldn’t stay away from a personal favorite — the cold sesame noodles — which are often found at Chinese restaurants. This of course raised the question: Can a food truck create something comparable to restaurant-quality noodles?
The answer is a resounding yes. Served on top of a salad and tossed with mandarin orange dressing, this rendition of cold noodles is an acidic yet creamy burst of flavor.
But Asian-influenced cuisine isn’t the only one on offer at Ditch Witch. Quesadillas with different filling choices, burritos, Indian-style curried chicken, Greek salads, and classic Italian chicken sandwiches are all available and all done well. It’s no wonder that this truck has a cult following.
The Ditch Witch also offers a bevy of drinks, from a mellow iced coffee that was brewed to perfection to a variety of iced teas — including The Ab’s Brew, a black unsweetened tea with lemon that is refreshing and not too strong.
If you’re an early bird, there are also a slew of breakfast options. Classics like avocado toast and fresh bagels come with a wide range of traditional and nontraditional topping options in generous portions. Then there are the egg sandwiches and wraps for those on the go. But we'll be setting our alarm for the purported "world famous" cinnamon bun, which is served warm and gooey. Late risers be warned: Ditch Witch closes at 4 p.m. daily.
