The Burger Bus, a new mobile food vendor in Marquette County, currently offers a hamburger and a rotating veggie burger option. Both come with bus cut fries. (Courtesy photo)

MARQUETTE — For several years, Marquette County residents and visitors have had the opportunity to try different food trucks that offer tacos, pizza, coney dogs and more. A new vendor people may have noticed rolling into the area recently doesn’t operate out of a truck but instead, a big green former school bus with “The Burger Bus” neatly painted on the vehicle.

With a successful grand opening held at Blackrocks Brewery in Marquette on the Fourth of July, The Burger Bus, which solely offers burgers and “bus cut fries,” can be found throughout the week at various locations that are posted on its Facebook and Instagram pages.

The Burger Bus is owned and operated by Michael and Alayna Prahl of Marquette.

“A food truck is something we’ve aways jokingly talked about doing but last winter we decided to take the leap and go for it,” Michael said. “In March, the bus was picked up from Florida and we drove it back to Michigan. It took about six weeks to renovate.”

Michael said The Burger Bus had a couple of soft openings but the major push to let people know who the new vendor in town is occurred around Independence Day.

“We’re just really excited to be a part of the community selling awesome burgers at awesome locations,” he said.

The Burger Bus currently offers two burgers, with one of them being a vegetarian option.

The brand burger consists of two beef patties, American cheese, caramelized onions, bus made pickles, and superior sauce, according to The Burger Bus website. Bacon can be added for $2 and egg for $1. All burgers are served with fresh bus cut fries, Michael said.

“We will switch up the veggie burger. This week, we’ve had a falafel burger with a tzatziki sauce,” Michael said. “It will all depend on what’s coming from Full Plate Farm. We also get our bread from Huron Mountain Bakery.”

Aside from Blackrocks Brewery, The Burger Bus has recently made appearances at Picnic Rocks for lunch, the Ore Dock Brewing Co., Barrel and Beam, and Cognition Brewing Company. Michael said they’ve been parked mostly at Picnic Rocks from noon-3 p.m. during the weekdays and taking online polls via social media for where they should be during dinner hours.

After several votes Wednesday morning and afternoon, The Burger Bus set up shop at Cognition Brewing Company in Ishpeming for dinner.

“Cognition has a bike group that goes there on Wednesday so we were there for that after people voted,” Michael said. “We’re still hammering out the schedule right now, but we’ve just been asking people where they’d like to see us at in the meantime.”

Tentatively, The Burger Bus can be found at Blackrocks Brewery every Sunday, starting at noon. The bus will be parked and offering its well-received burgers until they sell out. The Burger Bus will also be attending The Copper Harbor Trail Fest in September. Michael said they’re interested in vending at other events around the Upper Peninsula as well.

Since The Burger Bus is at the Forestville Music Festival this weekend, they won’t be at Blackrocks until around 3 p.m. Sunday, Michael said.

To find out where The Burger Bus will be pulling into next, visit its Facebook or Instagram pages for more information.

Jaymie Depew can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 206. Her email address is jdepew@miningjournal.net.