LooseWheels Burger Truck in Columbia, Tennessee: Meet the Chef
Best Burgers in Columbia, TN? Loosewheels Burger Truck Is a Smash Hit
We sat down with Marcus Malone of LooseWheels Burger Truck in Columbia, Tennessee. Tucked just south of Nashville, Loosewheels Burger Truck has quickly become one of Middle Tennessee’s most talked-about hidden gems—proving that sometimes the best meals come on four wheels. This low-key food truck delivers a no-frills, high-quality smashburger experience that rivals some of the region’s top brick-and-mortar burger joints. What sets Loosewheels apart is its commitment to simple ingredients executed perfectly.
Image Credit: LooseWheels Burger Truck in Columbia, Tennessee
Thin, griddled smash patties develop that signature crispy edge while staying juicy inside, topped with melty cheese and served on soft buns that let the beef shine. Despite its simplicity, Loosewheels has carved out a reputation as one of the best burger spots in the Columbia area, drawing visitors from nearby towns and even Nashville looking for an authentic, crave-worthy bite.
Tell us about what your morning routine looks like, and how you like to end your day?
My morning starts out with a trip to the produce section of a local farmers market or grocery store we load up on fresh veggies, meat cheese. The food truck business is a little different than a brick and mortar and that we have to have propane and fuel for the truck make sure everything is intact and then we park at our semi regular spot here in Columbia, Tennessee in front of Briarworks a local cigar bar and pipe manufacturer and prepare for the line.
Do you have a favorite chef that you look up to and what advice would you give to aspiring chefs?
I don’t have a favorite celebrity chef, but I do have a favorite local chef. Her name is Amy Braly. She’s a general manager of a small café called Buck and Board here in town. She’s very creative. Very passionate about her work and food.
Image Credit: LooseWheels Burger Truck in Columbia, Tennessee
Do you have any awards or achievements you’d like to mention?
We have one “Best Food Truck in Murray County” more times that I can count, including best burger best French fries best cater best curb service, but I didn’t get in this for the accolades. I got in this to feed people’s souls and to create the most delicious burgers on the planet in hopes that one day everyone will get a chance to try it.
Image Credit: LooseWheels Burger Truck in Columbia, Tennessee
What do you typically cook at home?
Well, I don’t cook burgers at home but we do a lot of ramen a lot of pastas I’m a huge fan of Mexican food and Asian food so will do fajitas with fresh vegetables, but honestly because I cook all day long six days a week normally, I pay a visit to one of my local friends that own restaurants and will eat their delicious food.
What’s a food trend that you’re loving right now and why?
I love sweet ‘n’ savory. We do a maple bacon doughnut-cheeseburger, and a French toast-bacon cheeseburger. We have been known to use, honey buns as our cheeseburger buns, a sweet and spicy bacon, onion, jam, jalapeño, jam, sweet and spicy seems to be very popular in the South, and we’ve dabbled in a lot of different sauces jams, and bread varieties.
Image Credit: LooseWheels Burger Truck in Columbia, Tennessee
What drink do you enjoy most?
I don’t drink alcohol and my favorite liquid beverage is an ice-cold Coca Cola from Mexico.
Have you ever cooked for a celebrity? Do you have a story to tell?
I have had the opportunity to cook for many of my idols in the country music business because we’re stationed is just south west of Nashville in Columbia, Tennessee but while living in Nashville, I got to cook for Jerry Reed, Brad Paisley, Bobby Bear, “Little” Jimmy Dickens Tony Joe White, some of the heavyweights in classic country music.
Image Credit: LooseWheels Burger Truck in Columbia, Tennessee
What’s Your Instagram So Readers Can Follow You?
Follow us on Instagram at @eatloosewheels.
What’s the strangest food combination you’ve ever tried? And, did you like it?
We do a squashed burger that has caramelized bananas, crunchy peanut butter and crispy bacon. This is the most unusual combination that we sell at the truck but has been very popular with the natives. We call it the Graceland.
Why should readers visit LooseWheels Burger Truck in Columbia, Tennessee?
You should visit Loosewheels because we love what we do we prepare every burger like it’s our first and last, we love to see the smiles on people’s faces. I don’t know it sounds silly to be passionate about a burger, but it is Americana. We feel like we have the best if not, one of the best burgers on the planet we developed a technique instead of a smashed burger. We call it a squashed burger you get the best of both worlds. You get the crispy edge, but still the juicy center. We believe the cheese is as important as the burger patty we put four pieces of American cheese on our double patties because the gooey of the cheese and the delicious, seasoned beef and the buttery bun is a one-of-a-kind experience and we have the best.
