Shortwave Food Truck Tunes the Dial to American-Style Grub

Nick Armstrong gets to pursue his culinary dreams as Shortwave's general manager (Photos by Jana Birchum)

For nearly a decade, Radio Coffee & Beer has been, after home and work, the third place for many South Austinites. Even though it was one of the first spots to serve coffee and beer late into the night with a steady lineup of live music, one of Radio's owners, Jack Wilson, is still searching for the perfect frequency.

Despite continuing to add trucks to cater to different tastes, from Veracruz All Natural to the Thai knockout Dee Dee to the rising BBQ star Briscuits, there was still a piece missing. Shortwave Diner's concept, an all-day spot slinging classic day-to-night faves, would fulfill Wilson's longstanding dream of owning a diner. All he needed was someone to run it.

Big Nick burger & french fries

Nick Armstrong joined the Radio crew in 2021, instantly clicking with Wilson and his team. When not serving as a barback, Armstrong moonlighted as a baker, bringing baked goods to share with his Radio co-workers. Armstrong's passion for cooking was born of his father's catering company, which inspired him to dream of one day running a restaurant. "You can ask anybody in my family," Armstrong reminisces. "I've always told them I wanted to be a chef." Thanks to Armstrong's steady supply of baked goods, he cemented himself as the obvious choice to helm the truck.

Shortwave, which opened in late October 2022, fills a missing spot in the current food truck assemblage for breakfast options like avocado toast in the morning to smash burgers, hot dogs, chili dogs, and a Chicago-style hot dog, the Austin Dog, for a late-night bite. Shortwave will anchor the food truck court at Radio/East, the coffee shop's new location on Montopolis Drive, when it opens later this year. Its success could see Wilson's dream of a brick-and-mortar diner go from pie-in-the-sky to reality as Radio continues to broadcast outside the box.

Shortwave Diner