The topic of food trucks brought no controversy recently at Warren Area High School – just tasty dishes.

Warren Area High School’s fourth annual Food Truck Faceoff served up creativity, flavor, and flair. The competition was won by Cupcake Cabana, an entry created by Noel Alexander, Madelyn Nelson, Trentin Anthony and Ava Nelson. Other top finishes were team Fresh Finds, Malasada Mobile and Spud Studs.

As the grand finale of a semester-long Family and Consumer Science course, students in Lewann Alexander’s class transformed the cafeteria into a culinary showcase. Each student team designed and built their own food truck concept, complete with a themed menu and decorated truck facade. Their final challenge was to pitch their concept and dish to a panel of local food connoisseurs.

“This is a culminating project that allows students to demonstrate what they’ve learned in a creative and fun way,” Alexander said. “They start with an idea, build on it, and end up with something they’re really proud of.”

Shown is the Cupcake Cabana food truck, the winner of the recent Food Truck Faceoff in Lewann Alexander’s Family and Consumer Science class.

Twenty-one teams participated, each offering one signature dish from their carefully curated menus. Featured items ranged from spinach chicken wraps, pasta to iced coffees, loaded baked potatoes, and passion fruit cupcakes. Some teams even paired drinks or added ambiance with music and lights, making their presentations as vibrant as their flavors.

Judges Marcy Stanton, Scott Alexander, Jessica Rex and Kellie Goldthwaite evaluated each truck using a rubric that equally weighed the students’ theme, design, creativity, effort, presentation, visual appeal, and taste.

“The level of effort was truly impressive,” one judge noted. “These students put so much thought into the details, and the results were outstanding.”