The Evolution of Cap’s
Campusano gives the funniest food descriptions ever for his charbroiled slider patties, producing such gems as “ jolly rugged little beef guppies,” “rebellious little beef ragamuffins,” and “bashful little beef beagles.” The linguistic choices, alone, are worthy of a follow on his socials.
Being plugged into Humboldt’s food scene comes with a lot of perks. You get the skinny on new restaurants opening, who’s cooking the latest Tiktok food trend and which chefs are collabing on fusion food you never knew you needed. With social media at the forefront of most of our lives, it’s easy to stay tuned in to your favorite chefs; everyone’s on Instagram and Facebook, posting their daily specials and where their booth will be at the next community festival. For me, the best perk is watching the evolution of a chef I love; how they shape and refine their menus, how they interact with their community and even how they grow as people.
A little over four years ago, I happened across the Cap’s To Go Facebook group. The pandemic had launched us into some weird times, and delivery services exploded in popularity. I missed eating out so much, I couldn’t stop myself from scouring the local community Facebook groups for anything comforting to replace the restaurants I loved which had closed their doors, unable or unwilling to pivot their business model from dine-in to takeout. Cap’s To Go was one such pivot; it was the second iteration of Michael “Cap” Campusano’s catering venture, similarly dubbed Cap’s Catering. When public events came to a screeching halt and the catering business dried up, he banded together with his friends and started a delivery service to feed the isolated masses. The menu was nothing if not dynamic, ranging from loaded salads, to monster sliders, to piled high plates of pasta and quarts of homemade soup. Hearty barely begins to describe Cap’s portions. His food was, in a word, heavenly, at a time when food was a major comfort to us all.
Campusano had an early start in the industry as a teen. Starting as a dishwasher at the old Marie Calendar’s in Eureka, Campusano worked his way up to line cook and eventually lead cook and trainer, learning the ropes of a commercial kitchen before moving on to Lost Coast Brewery. “That was where I really blossomed and learned how to make things from scratch, and how to create menus on the fly [...] it’s where I fell in love with pub fare. You don’t have to hold back to be healthy; it’s colorful, fried, big and vibrant,” Campusano opines. When he was ready to try working for himself, that’s when he transitioned to Cap’s Catering and, eventually, Cap’s To Go.
Cap’s To Go exploded in no time. After selling out in two hours on his first day open, he increased production and his following grew. Each week we’d flock to Facebook to see the new menu and chat with Campusano, whose personality turned out to be as engaging as his food. What set him apart from the crowd was his personability, not only sending thanks to everyone who joyously posted photos of their orders, but his willingness to have an open dialogue about what worked and didn’t work for his menus. Seeing him incorporate direct feedback in real time was refreshing and novel; it was clear he had an impassioned drive to satisfy the customer and refine his skill at every opportunity. His success ultimately led to the opening of the current Cap’s iteration: Cap’s Food Shack.
Cap’s Food Shack, a shiny black food truck adorned with neon-colored shapes of food and its signature shamrock symbol that launched in summer of 2023, posts up at regular locations across Humboldt that rotate based on the day of the week. The menu is perfectly pared down to the most successful offerings based on Campusano’s direct approach to R&D with his customers. Their best seller is the Smokestack Sliders; three sizable charbroiled patties on toasted buns, with house-smoked cream cheese, crispy fried onion tanglers, a homemade jalapeno jelly, green onions, tomato, and a slather of homemade garlic aioli. His burgers are loaded, filling you up with a symphony of homemade flavors and textures, served with your choice of a side. According to customer Addie Segura-Dunaway, the fries are the closest thing you can get to the beloved fries from the now closed Mike’s Drive-Up in Eureka (you can order ‘em garlicky from Cap’s for an extra buck!).
If you’re in the mood for pork, one of Campusano’s favorites are the smoked pulled pork tacos, with their unforgettable pops of bright color and flavor, perfect for lovers of sriracha and smokiness. Nestled into warm tortillas, pulled pork is topped with cabbage, cilantro, pineapple sauce, and Underwood Ranch sriracha. On the other end of the spectrum, Cap’s offers a vegetarian option that doesn’t skimp on size: the luscious basil portobello sandwich. Piled on a toasted brioche bun is a juicy grilled portobello cap smothered with mozzarella and feta, with standard onion, lettuce and tomato, finished with a decidedly non-standard homemade aioli bursting with an infusion of basil. Campusano calls it “a drippy good and handsome mess,” and recommends the non-vegetarians add bonus bacon. And this writer’s favorite? The fried frickin’ pickles (yes, that’s their official name). Broad, lengthwise slices of dill pickle, breaded, seasoned and fried to crispity perfection, dipped in the best damn jalapeno ranch. If you’re like me and not generally a fan of pickles or jalapenos, these might just change your mind.
Cap’s Food Shack can be found at Eureka’s Friday Night Market, at rotating locations around the county, and with a pared down festival menu at special events during summer. They have a new brick and mortar location at The Local cider bar in Arcata, similarly named Cap’s at The Local. Open on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, they feature a smaller menu with monthly specials, and an exclusive item to this location: the Caprese grilled cheese, best indulged with a frosty glass of cider.
Cap’s Food Shack
Rotating locations and The Local Cider Bar
828 I Street, Arcata (707) 798-4147
capsfoodshack.online