In lieu of the 40th anniversary of the “legendary Burrito Buggy,” the owner of the fan-favorite truck added extended menu options in the brand new, larger buggy.
With the addition of their new fryer, french fries, mozzarella sticks, and mac and cheese bites will allow Athens buggy customers to cure their fried-food cravings. The XL buggy has also enhanced its regular options.
“We can take any burrito and turn it into a rice bowl, then we have street tacos and we also have taco in a bag, they call it walking tacos,” Owner Gary Charles said.
Since buying the Burrito Buggy three years ago, Charles, an Athens local, has been implementing new ways to experience its famous Athens food. He works alongside his wife, Christina Charles, who works late nights in the buggy on Court.
Available on Doordash and open for catering, which can be ordered via phone call, there are a plethora of ways to get your hands on one of its burritos.
“A lot of alumni who have kids who are coming here for school, we go to their houses for graduation parties,” Gary said.
The Burrito Buggy was opened in 1984 by Paul Wildeck, who was the owner for 25 years before moving into a career of financial planning. He sold it to Rutter Hospitality in 2010, who kept it going until 2018, passing it down to a pair of childhood friends from Athens. It was then that Gary and Christina purchased the legendary buggy.
For about 25 years, prior to Gary’s ownership, the Burrito Buggy was set up on Court Street by the College Bookstore, along with all the other mobile food stands, including a Bagel Buggy. Gary said they rarely set up there these days, but have secured the corner at the Par Mar gas station on Court Street for the majority of the time.
Christina said they have the spot for the rest of the year. For most weekends, you can expect them to be set up there, an exciting location for the local business, right on the corner of a hectic, late-night hot spot.
“What do people do? They walk to the gas station, they see the buggy, they want to eat,” Christina said.
Gary is already planning the potential festivities to celebrate the 40 years the buggy has been rolling down Court Street.
“I might try to do something around Homecoming because a lot of the alumni come back for that, but I really haven’t gotten too far along with it,” Gary said. “That’s kind of what I was thinking, make it a special event.”
Courtney Hunnel, an employee at the buggy, recognizes the notoriety of the food truck.
“Burrito Buggy’s famous with the students,” Courtney said, mentioning her personal favorite menu item is the beef cheese explosion. The $10 burrito comes with a double portion of seasoned beef with cheese, rice, sour cream and your choice of hot or mild salsa.
Other menu items include the wild buffalo chicken burrito, a taco salad and Christina’s favorite, the Texas Ranch, a $10 burrito with chicken, rice, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, black olives and ranch dressing.
Alums are frequent customers of the buggy, passing that tradition down to the next generation of Bobcats.
“They (the students) talk about their parents, how they’ve been here before, it’s pretty cool,” Christina said.
