Reviewed by: Caleb Turrentine
The award-winning Frank N Lola’s food truck just got a front door
Reading time: 6 minutes
Frank N Lola’s food truck is the reigning champion of the annual Mobtown Burger Week’s People’s Choice award. With their creative smash burger creations, it’s no wonder why co-owners Kyle + Christina Urrutia took home the award three years in a row.
It’s a result of their hard work—and good ol’ fashioned luck—that they’ll soon be opening the doors to their first brick-and-mortar restaurant in Grand Bay.
Here’s a quick rundown:
- Hours: Sun – Thurs., 10:30AM to 8PM | Fri. + Sat., 10:30AM to 10PM
- Location: 8887 Grand Bay Wilmer Road
- Facebook | Instagram
Keep reading to learn more about their burgers that were an instant smash in Alabama.
The birth of the award-winning burgers
At the height of the COVID-19, Kyle + Christina Urrutia lost their jobs in Wisconsin. They had planned on moving to the south in the summer of 2020, but the pandemic moved up their timeline.
The couple moved to Coden, where they didn’t know a soul.
“I had filled out application after application. My husband couldn’t get one. Nobody was really hiring. So we’re like, okay, what are we going to do?”
Christina Urrutia
There wasn’t much to eat in the area the Urrutias lived in, especially in 2020. An idea sparked: what if they opened a food truck?
The Frank N Lola’s food truck started off simply, selling only hot dogs + fresh cut fries. It wasn’t until a year into their business that Christina begged her husband to start doing burgers.
At first, Kyle said no. He used to manage + own a Sonic, and he knew firsthand the mess that burger grease can be. Eventually, though, Kyle agreed to try it.
“Once we did our first one, that was it. They just took off, really.”
Christina Urrutia
Everything cooked in the food truck is made to order, a factor that Kyle Urrutia attributes the business’ success to.
“I think what has made our business—along with the unique burgers my wife comes up with—is the fact that it’s always going to be hot and fresh, and if it’s not, it doesn’t go out the window.”
Kyle Urrutia
In 2023, the Urrutias entered the Mobtown Burger Week competition by accident. Christina had contacted them about joining the 2024 competition, thinking they were too late for the 2023 competition.
Mobtown Burger Week had already advertised that Frank N Lola’s would be attending the competition as the only food truck that year. So Christina walked to her trailer, looking for something she could throw together.
“I had like, 30 minutes to come up with our first burger, which was our ‘Maple Mayhem,’ and I looked to see what I could put together. We didn’t even expect to place; we didn’t expect much of anything—we’d never entered it before. Nobody really knew who we were … and we ended up winning that year.”
Christina Urrutia
Christina remembers receiving the text that they were in the top three—the tears in her eyes after. The Maple Mayhem Smash Burger, featuring triple meat, triple cheddar, maple brown sugar grilled onions, thick-cut bacon, spicy maple glaze + mayo, was an instant hit.
“I was like, you’ve gotta be kidding me, this can’t be real. People like our burger so much that they’re going to take the time out of their day to go and vote and, you know, come back? … People still ask us for that burger.”
Christina Urrutia
Christina’s complex smash burger inventions continue to impress those who take a bite. Some of her gourmet burgers include:
- Grand Bay Belt Buster: Triple meat smashed in a bit of mustard, grilled onions, cheddar, thick-cut bacon, dill pickles + their in-house special honey sauce
- Banh Mi (Christina’s favorite): Thinly sliced picanha, provolone, pickled red onions, pickled vegetables, pickled carrots, fresh jalapeños, cucumber, green onions, kewpie mayo, cilantro + honey sriracha sauce
- Dirty Bird: Fried chicken breast with Carolina Reaper cheese, Cajun seasoned pork belly, ghost pepper hot honey, lettuce, habanero pickles + mayo
The food truck has traveled all over, from Ohio + Oklahoma to Montgomery + Birmingham. But the couple has built a community around them here in Alabama—which was made apparent when tragedy struck.
Last week, Kyle + Christina’s daughter’s apartment caught fire. No one was harmed, but their grandson lost the majority of his belongings. A small post on the Frank N Lola’s social media later, and the couple had customers visit to donate money + toys.
“Our customers are the greatest. My grandson lost his train table in the fire, so [a customer] met my daughter and gave us a table. We had people send stuff to the house, and they brought toys.”
The outpouring of support for their business speaks to how beloved Frank N Lola’s food truck is, highlighting how the customers that the Urrutias have embraced found a way to return the love.
Frank N Lola’s parks itself in Grand Bay
The location for the brick-and-mortar Frank N Lola’s “fell into their laps.” A pizza place they had been to in October posted on Facebook that they would be closing down, and the Urrutias emailed them to see if that was a building they could take over.
Only a few months later, and the business is nearly ready to open its doors. If all goes according to plan, they’ll be having a soft opening this Sunday, Jan. 18, to get familiar with how their online system will tie in with their regular orders.
Once they get a feel for their system, they’ll likely open officially Monday, Jan. 19, or Tuesday, Jan. 20. To ensure you’re up to date on their progress, make sure to check out their Facebook posts for updates.
The restaurant’s menu will look only a bit different from their food truck’s menu. They’ll still be serving their gourmet burgers, but will be adding chicken sandwiches + chicken loaded fries to their everyday menu.
Frank N Lola’s will also be returning to their roots, serving hot dogs + sausage shipped from Chicago.
The Urrutias plan to hold onto their larger food truck for local events, such as Mardi Gras parties, weddings + the Fourth of July, however, they won’t be traveling out of state anymore.
This Mardi Gras season, keep an eye out for their special treat: King Cake Nachos. The dessert features tortilla chips fried fresh + coated in cinnamon sugar, topped with king cake cheesecake, salted caramel sauce, fresh whipped cream + berries.
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